Jerry Seinfeld
Before he would go on to create the greatest sitcom in the history of television and became a billionaire who attends Met games with Billy Joel, he had his Tonight Show appearance, in which Johny introduced him as jeff Seinfield. this is what he talked about on that show in 1984 that made his career.
Jerry comes out, wearing the kind of clothes Johnny wears, he may even be wearing a blazer and Tie and slacks from Carsons clothing line, and he does many of the Carson mannerism as well.
Jerry does not mention that Carson made a mistake with his name which knowing Carson, was a very good idea. Jerry steps out from behind the curtain and struts out confidently to the middle of the stage , blazer buttoned by one button, hand inside the Blazer, he looks at Carson and smiles affably to him, he shows Carson his Blazer, and still smiling faces the camera, the audience applauds, and he stretches out his hands in a welcoming fashion takes a little bow and says Thank you to the audience.
Everything he is doing is coming straight out of the Johnny Carson play book, which shows the audience immediately, that this is one comedian that is not a rebel or outrageous, he is a mild mannered comedian and he is not there to shock anyone, he is there to make cultural references. much like Carson.
he thanks the audience again, and mimicks the old Carson trick of putting the hands in the back pocket and smiling good naturally
jerry: ' WELL...( A PAUSE JUST LIKE CARSON) I made it again,..i made it through another wedding.."
and with that Jerry is off, he has brought the audience in to a familiar place-Weddings, which like em or hate em you can't avoid them, that is if you care about other people feelings, which Jerry is showing the audience that he is the type of person who cares what other people think , as well as the conforms of society. Jerry is the anti-George Carlin or Rchard pryor, he continues on in his affable way as a great story teller, asking why the wedding has both a groom and a best man....." I think it's a little too much, i think we should have the groom and a pretty good man...afterall if i'm the best man then why is she marrying him." very Carson like Jerry gestures and makes faces to accentuate his jokes.
Jerry then talks about renting a Tuxedo, the rental shoes, then moves onto-" I'd like to get married someway and somehow i just don't know how you do it ( heres a tip, to Jerry when you become a billionaire it gets easier) Jerry then talks about women bathrooms, cotton balls, -women seem to need a lot of cotton balls, men not so much.
transition----'But, life has its moments, i have always said that...talks about pay phone calls, and going over time and you hang up the phone and the phone company calls you back' which he really does well, and the audience likes.
Carson calls him over.
Carson: " thats really marvelous material.."
jerry is in Heaven
Carson:" very original and very funny and you're talking about things that everyone can relate to.."
the rest is history, and johny summed up Seinfield and his act in a nutshell. and i promise you he never , nor did anyone else call him Jeff Seinfeld again.