May 10, 2011

So what's the deal with
Jerry Seinfeld's website?

Did you ever notice those people that still haven't taken full advantage of what the internet has to offer?

They put up a plain website - all bland and disengaging, and expect it to do all the work - like some sort of court-ordered butler...

And who are these people?

I'll tell you who one of them is.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld - who recently launched his own website or personal archives.


On first glance, it seems to be OK. But on closer inspection, you get the feeling Seinfeld (or whoever he has in charge of the site) is not capitalizing on being master of his web domain.

The concept of the website is interesting - Seinfeld has kept a personal archive of every TV performance he ever gave - going back to when he was a goofy looking, gawky kid from Brooklyn, right through to the professional stand-up he delivers now.

The problem is he only shows you three of these per day. And when you view them, there is no way to comment, share or cross-link to them via Facebook or Twitter. The only thing you can interact with is the token "share" feature that references the whole site.

And what's the deal with only showing three? Why three? Will some unspoken law be broken if he shows four?

What's more frustrating for fans is that on the next day, there are three new video clips of his bits but the previous three are now locked down and unviewable. However, they are still displayed on the home page list. After several click-attempts without any reaction, you'll find yourself screaming for "serenity now!"

Seinfeld also has the obligatory Tour Dates section - not that there's anything wrong with that.

Now, I've always been a fan of his Emmy award winning show. I've probably seen every episode countless times and can recite lines off by heart. But I find it disheartening to see such a great comedian - who I consider one of the greats, to be so poorly represented online.

It pains me to say this, but Seinfeld may be getting too mature for details.


Here are a few comedian websites that I looked up and found to be much more linked in.

Jeffrey Ross -
The Roastmaster General's website (appropriately named  roastmastergeneral.com) has all the bells and whistles - including blog updates, twitter feeds and upcoming appearances - and that's just on the home page.

Lisa Lampanelli -
The Queen of Mean's website, insultcomic.com, is fairly straightforward but has all the important social media links and information. No video clips here but plenty of Twitter feed for her fans.

Monty Python's YouTube Channel -
Complete with their own viral video that kicked the channel off, comedy legends Monty Python, have uploaded ALL of their classic sketches from their Monty Python's Flying Circus TV show as well as their various movies and stage productions. Accessible, freely viewed and available for comments, dead parrots and all.
Other top comedian websites include Dane Cook,  Patton Oswalt and Louis C.K.

It appears Seinfeld has a lot to learn. Right now, he essentially has a site about nothing.

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