Jerry Seinfeld delivered this stand-up routine on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show earlier in the week. His bit apparently followed a segment in which members of the studio audience all received brand new televisions; Seinfeld uses that gesture of corporate largesse as a jumping off point for some hilarious, incisive ruminations on acquiring and owning things. It’s not a standard diatribe against materialism as a moral failing, but rather a witty, smart assessment of the actual nature of having things, and the inherently perishable nature of possessions.
Merry Christmas, by the way.
This is the second time this year I’ve linked to surprisingly smart routines that Seinfeld has delivered—watch his devastatingly frank Clio Award acceptance speech here. I’ve always thought he was talented and funny, but if these are any indication, it feels like he’s doing some of the best work of his career lately.
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