Jerry Seinfeld explains why his clean comedy style forces elegance

Legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld explained the reason behind his “clean” style of comedy in an interview this week, saying it forces him to be “elegant” with his words instead of relying on crude jokes for laughs.

The “Seinfeld” co-creator appeared on the “We Might Be Drunk” podcast with fellow stand-up comics Mark Normand and Sam Morril. During the conversation, he explained his decision to avoid swearing in his material.

Normand told Seinfeld that “a lot of people have a misconception about you, that you’re the clean guy,” joking that he was initially nervous about bringing up drinking when he first met him.

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“Why would I care?” Seinfeld responded. “It’s a style. I just like the style. Do you think that I think people would be upset to hear a curse word?”

Expanding on that idea, Seinfeld told the hosts that writing clean material “forces me to be elegant and interesting in a way that I like to be.”

Seinfeld, who co-created his iconic sitcom with fellow comedy legend Larry David, shared an anecdote about one of the show’s most famous episodes, “The Contest,” that he felt exemplified how “clean” comedy forces writers to be more inentive.

In the episode that aired in 1992, the four main characters make a wager about who can go the longest without masturbating. The actual word is never used, however, and references to the act are made with various euphemisms. It’s frequently lauded as one of the greatest episodes of the show’s run.

“I remember Larry saying, ‘I just talked with NBC. They have no problem with us using the word masturbation.’ I go, ‘No, that’s no fun. Let’s not use it,'” Seinfeld recalled. “That’s more interesting. You’re supposed to be good with words.”

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Normand immediately recognized the episode Seinfeld was referring to, noting that the exchange led to the show’s famous “master of your domain” bit.

“That’s the only reason that cursing bothers me. It’s like, you’re good enough to get that same laugh without it. And that’s what entertains us, right?” Seinfeld added.

In addition to keeping his comedy clean, Seinfeld said he also maintains his mental and physical health to the same standards, never using drugs and limiting his drinking to “a glass of wine with an Italian meal.”

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Noting the widespread drug use among many comedians of his generation, Seinfeld questioned how stand-ups could be “suffering from lack of stimulation” given their hectic careers.

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“It’s just so stupid. It’s so stupid. This is all you have to work with,” Seinfeld said, pointing at Normand’s head. “This is the instrument. This is your grand piano. Let’s put some s— in here.”