... as Fred tells it, that "Mr. David had hired Mr. Stoller, at least in part, because his schnooky personal life might lend itself to story lines."
At one point, Mr. Stoller finally got up the nerve to pitch an idea to Mr. David and to Jerry Seinfeld, and Mr. David immediately interrupted, asking: "Where'd you get that shirt? Do people help you? What's the process of someone like you buying a shirt?"
"Larry would just look at me and go: 'How do you talk to a woman?' " Mr. Stoller recalls.
From a WSJ article on Stoller, whose $1.99 book
"My Seinfeld Year," is #1 on the
Kindle Singles
list.
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14 comments:
It's called living by ones wits. What David does is ask himself or ask others questions about the mundane acts (buying a shirt) that most never give a second thought to. He finds the comedy in the quotidian. Much treasure follows. In both senses of treasure.
Thought a schnook was a salmon or a helicopter.
I once did a Fred Stoller voice for a animated character in a video I had to produce for work.
The horrible line was "What's so wrong with getting the right resources to the right people?"
Fred's voice made it a little better.
Fred's voice made it a little better.
Is that akin to the comedic axiom that there's simply no funny situation that a midget and/or Hitler won't make more so?
It was always described as a show about nothing, IIRC.
And it was.
Which is why I only saw it once.
He has found an ecological niche, but, baldly stated, this seems kind of exploitative on David's part. David's made fun of people with Parkinson's Disease, but making fun of schnooks seems cruel. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive.....At best, we're all characters in a sitcom that will not be renewed, and most of us don't even get to film the pilot episode. Stoller has had the chance to stamp the world with the fragile image of his schnookiness.
I saw him years ago at NYC Catch a Rising Star.
This is the guy that came up with "not that there is anything wrong with that".
I don't know if he is claiming credit in the book.. but I know that he came up with because I believe I gave it to him.
I was a little intoxicated and I approached him at the bar after his act about a joke i thought wasn't funny.. a gay joke.. I dont remember the joke but i do remember in the course of conversation saying "not that there is anything wrong with that".. something to do with not wanting to sound like i was putting his act act down.
I know you all might believe I'm making this up.. but I'm not.
"It was always described as a show about nothing, IIRC.
"And it was.
"Which is why I only saw it once."
That was their ironic way of saying it was a show about real life.
And it was.
Too bad you missed it.
WV: "nonsings" (For real) Songs about nothing
I also remember he bought me a beer.
I'm reading Fred's book. It's really good!
I'll put up some tidbits later.
Thanks Ann- I bought this through your link.
I bought it also. Good reading but short.
Reading it now and loving it already. I don't envy actors and stars at all. Not even, perhaps especially not, the really successful ones.
Seinfeld is about real life only if you are Jewish, live in a big city, and are involved in show business.
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