Review: Seinfeld covers food, sex, cell phones

Jerry Seinfeld KEVIN MAZUR PHOTO

Jerry Seinfeld joked about turning 60, his marriage, food, sex and even cell phones during his four sold-out performances at Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.

The comedian, actor, writer, producer and director is best known for portraying a semi-fictional version of himself in the hit TV sitcom Seinfeld,  the eponymous “show about nothing.” He performed two shows on each of Feb. 17 and 18.

His latest creation, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, a web series that features him introducing a vintage car selected for a guest comedian. Guests have included Mel Brooks, Chris Rock, Larry David, and Ricky Gervais.

Seinfeld keeps his comedy swear-free, weaving stories from every aspect of human life.  Seinfeld has been hailed for his uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life that relate to audiences everywhere.

The evenings with Seinfeld, at least the one I saw on Feb. 17, delivered all that it promised.

Looking classy in a suit and tie, and wearing his trademark grin, Seinfeld dived into a thought-provoking performance, delivered with a biting wit that included an array of facial and body expressions.

READ: THE 10 MOST JEWISH SEINFELD EPISODES

Seinfeld called Toronto one of the great comedy towns and a wonderful place for a comedic individual.

Seinfeld gave the audience a momentary view of his world.

“Everyone likes the numbers. I am 62. I have three kids and have been married 17 years. That’s my real job!”

He went on to talk about 60 being his favourite decade of human life that he has lived so far. “A lot of people around my age made a bucket list. I turned the b to an f and was done with that, too,” he said.

Seinfeld got married late in life. He was 45. “I had some issues that I was enjoying quite a bit,” he said.

He compared marriage to a chess game and praised women. “Marriage is a bit of a chess game, except the board is made of flowing water and the pieces are made of smoke.

“The female brain is one of the most confident and capable organisms in the universe. That’s girl power.  There is nothing the female brain can’t do.”

The comedy show touched on his observations of human dissatisfaction.

“People always want to go to the next place.  Wherever they are, they always feel the next place is going to be a better one, creating illusions of human thinking.  We are perpetually searching, moving on to the next thing. We get somewhere  – then we get the hell out of there,” he concluded, followed by roaring laughter from the audience.

He joked about food, from frozen TV dinners to Las Vegas buffets, and Pop Tarts.

“What is the difference between food and sex?

“The difference is obviously the food.  We have fewer relationship issues – no friction with food – whatever you want to do, food wants you to do it too,” said Seinfeld.

Seinfeld switched topics again, talking briefly about our fascination with an object: our cell phone.

“I can ask any person in the audience tonight to tell me, without looking, roughly how much battery is in your phone right now and you would know!

“All of us are human.  Humans like to engage with each other.  We don’t always like each other, but we like to be around each other. Interesting little conflict,” Seinfeld said.