Jerry Seinfeld is Doing His Part to Save Comedy Clubs
Just two days ago, Jerry Seinfeld hit the iconic Gotham stage in New York with Senator Chuck Shumer and several other political heavy-hitters to advocate for the passage of the Save Our Stages Act, which was recently introduced in Congress.
The Save Our Stages Act, similar to many proposed spending packages in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, would allocate 10 billion dollars to help struggling entertainment venues across the country. As Seinfeld pointed out in his remarks, many of these comedy clubs include a restaurant and a bar, both of which are allowed to be open, though in limited capacity. Given that this is the case, it makes sense that such comedy clubs should be able to be open, and if not, they should recieve financial assistance.
While most of the clubs that would be benefited by this are in New York, that makes sense given that there is no city with more entertainment venues per capita, and New York is often seen as the starting point for many young comedian’s careers. Seinfeld says, “When you come into Manhattan as a performer, and you stand in front of New York audiences, you find out if you’re good enough to actually have a career in the arts.”
Unfortunately, the states that comedy primarily pulses through, California and New York are also those with the strictest COVID-19 restrictions, which is why this funding is necessary. Given that most COVID-19 funding packages have been approved by Congress fairly expeditiously, and that a vote for this bill is likely to be viewed favorably by many representatives constituents, it appears more likely than not that the bill will pass.
