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Jerry Seinfeld reveals 2-year process behind a Pop-Tart joke

In a new interview about his joke-writing process, comedian Jerry Seinfeld opens a video, shot by The New York Times Magazine, by saying, "I know you think people are going to be interested in this, but they're not."Oh, but we are.What follows is a 5-minute story about the two years Seinfeld has spent writing a joke about Pop-Tarts. Yes, you read that right: TWO YEARS. "It's a long time to spend o

In a new interview about his joke-writing process, comedian Jerry Seinfeld opens a video, shot by The New York Times Magazine, by saying, "I know you think people are going to be interested in this, but they're not."

Oh, but we are.

What follows is a 5-minute story about the two years Seinfeld has spent writing a joke about Pop-Tarts. Yes, you read that right: TWO YEARS. "It's a long time to spend on something that means absolutely nothing," Seinfeld concedes. "But that's what I do."

What exactly the comedian does was painted in broad strokes in his long-running TV series "Seinfeld," then dissected with a finer point in the 2002 documentary "Comedian." Not since then has Seinfeld so candidly revealed his comedic process like he does in the video and accompanying print piece, available online now.

There are some great takeaways in the package for fans of Seinfeld (the man, and the show). Among them: Seinfeld and "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David used to write every episode of the show longhand, on a yellow legal pad with a blue Bic pen. Here's a close-up of that treatment when it comes to the Pop-Tart joke.

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