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CollegeHumor jumpstarted his career.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Nov 08, 2019
While we’re very familiar with well-known comedians like Richard Pryor, Jerry Seinfeld, or Dave Chappelle, sometimes, the funniest people are more behind the scenes. Whether it’s writing for comedies or doing their own stand-up shows, there’s just an endless supply of material for these talented comics to use.
With Vulture’s round-up of comedians to pay attention to, we want to focus on underrated comedians who don’t have their own stand-up specials on Netflix, and instead, bring us laughter in other ways. So, who is Streeter Seidell? If you don’t recognize the name, you may know some of his material. And here are a few things to know about this comedian to watch in 2020:
1. He has a degree.
Seidell attended Fordham University, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications.
2. He got into comedy in college.
While attending Fordham, he began performing stand-up when he was a sophomore. But growing up, his dream job was to write for Saturday Night Live. In fact, according to an article in Fordham News, Seidell started making people laugh as a kid by repeating lines he heard on his favorite SNL sketches.
3. His big break came before he graduated.
In 2004, Seidell was hired to work for CollegeHumor and was one of the original staff members. Initially, he was in charge of editing the front page, but soon, he developed his own video series called Prank Wars, which gained mainstream attention. Both Prank Wars, and another series called the Hardly Working series, were both adapted to MTV.
4. He writes comedy for shows.
He’s a writer for the show Trophy Wife, as well as the writing supervisor for Saturday Night Live. In addition, he’s had pieces published in the New York Times, Men’s Fitness, and Metro NY. Seidell also has two books out, one that he wrote himself.
He co-wrote the book, The CollegeHumor Guide to College: Selling Kidneys for Beer Money, Sleeping with Your Professors, Majoring in Communications, and Other Really Good Ideas, along with other editors and writers from CollegeHumor. But he also published the book, White Whine: A Study of First World Problems, in 2013.
5. He’s a writer for Saturday Night Live.
His dreams came true, it seems. In 2014, Seidell had an interview with none other than Lorne Michaels for a staff writing job.
He recalled what it was like while speaking to Fordham News, saying, “It was terrifying. Not because of anything Lorne did, but just because he’s Lorne Michaels. He talked about how the Mets weren’t great, because there was no expectation of excellence on the Mets, whereas on the Yankees there is. I think he was probably using this to talk about SNL, because I remember him saying, ‘If you’re not excellent on the Yankees, then you’re not a Yankee for very long.’”
He actually initially thought he ruined his chances of writing for the show, adding, “I left there being like, ‘I don’t know. We just talked about baseball. I think I blew it.’” But, as we know how, he landed a spot in the writer’s room.
But since he was hired as a writer, he’s become the writing supervisor, which means he’s in charge of deciding which sketches make it to the show. As he recalled, “You have a seat, maybe not at the big-boy table, but at the kids’ table... It’s like if you were a baseball player and you get to talk with Babe Ruth. [Lorne Michaels is] maybe the most important person in American comedy, maybe ever. And he wasn’t even born in America.”
6. He prefers to write about certain things.
And they have nothing to do with politics or anything in the daily news cycle.
Said Seidell, “There are a lot of [comedy shows] that just sort of say something everyone agrees with, and they’re aiming for applause and not laughs. But as a writer, I just find that boring. This show’s always been a balance of political stuff versus just baldly funny stuff. I’ve just always favored silliness. I’ve always just gone for a laugh over some stinging political critique.”
7. He has a podcast.
In 2014, Seidell created his podcast, "The Talk of Shame Show," where guests discuss their past shameful stories. Fan-submitted stories are also read, and the podcast features former CollegeHumor writers, too.
8. He’s married.
After dating Vanessa Bone in high school, the two married in September 2011. They have two sons. Adorable.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.