Seinfeld: Comedy's 'Bubble Boy'

The latest issue of Wired Magazine has Jerry Seinfeld (pictured) on the cover as the host of a primer on digital age etiquette. With the Wired cover story Jerry is trying to break free of his status as comedy’s and technology’s bubble boy.

In fact, it is somehow fitting that one of his most recent endeavors – Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee – features antique and classic cars. Is Jerry’s brand of observational humor in danger of becoming an antique?

Maybe not, but 16 years after the final episode of “Seinfeld,” the time has arrived to achieve some separation from its dated scenarios. Just think of all the “Seinfeld” episodes that make no sense today:

The answering machine episode – with a tape!

The speed dial episode – speed dial?

The bubble boy episode – do people still get lost?

The marathon oversleep episode – do people still use clock radios?

Or all the interactions that have become charming, naive or simply odd in retrospect:

Kramer’s Moviephone – which was itself poking fun at fledgling touchtone recognition

If someone isn’t home on the program – and therefore near their corded/cordless phone - they are unavailable, unreachable

(Jerry’s unused Apple Computer)

Occasional references to fax machines – Elaine’s boyfriend Brett (Karl Farbman fan) takes pity on Jerry because he lacks one

But it’s “Seinfeld’s” focus on the phone that stands out and renders the program a technology relic – making calls, waiting for calls, using caller ID or call waiting, using phone booths. “Seinfeld” has crossed the technology divide. Watching “Seinfeld” today is like watching “Petticoat Junction” or “The Honeymooners.”

Today, Jerry’s on the Internet (https://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/). He’s using smartphones. He may even be using Google Glass. And rumor has it a Netflix deal is in the works (Huffingtonpost report: https://tinyurl.com/oo3afff).

In Wired he advises:

“Don’t antagonize Google self-driving cars.”

“GoPro is for snowboarding and skydiving, not first dates.”

“Endorse people for funny skills you’ve added on LinkedIn: gunrunning, gate crashing, birdhouse building.”

“You should favorite compliments you get on Twitter, not retweet them.”

“No posting ultrasound photos on Facebook. Exception: Triplets.”

“Never let a magazine photograph you wearing Google Glass.”

“Install Waze on your phone and leave it on even when you don’t need directions.”

Welcome to the digital age, Jerry. It’s good to see you catching up. As for "Seinfeld," the technology may be dated, but the humor is timeless.

POSTSCRIPT: https://tinyurl.com/kt2reyd <- gizmodo post discussing episodes that would have been greatly abbreviated - or rendered unfunny - by the presence of a mobile phone. The odd thing is that there is one example of Elaine using a mobile phone - improperly, according to George and Jerry. Also, there is a cellphone in the JFK golf clubs episode when Kramer and Newman are following Jerry's mechanic driving Jerry's Saab. It is as if cellphones were there and not there. More funny without!