I love advertising because I love lying: Jerry Seinfeld shreds the ad world to pieces

“I love advertising because I love lying,” comedian Jerry Seinfeld told a bunch of advertising professionals at the industry’s annual awards show on October 1.

Seinfeld made the speech after accepting an honorary CLIO Award in New York.

The event, described as the “world’s most recognized international awards competition for advertising, design, digital and communications,” celebrates the year’s best and most creative advertising efforts.

[caption id=“attachment_103240” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Seinfeld takes on the ad world[/caption]

Seinfeld who was honored because of his work as a longtime spokesman for American Express, goes on to explain that humans are a hopeful, but dull species, for whom happiness appears in the fleeting moments between watching a commercial and buying the advertised product.

“I just want to enjoy the commercial,” he said. “We know the product is going to stink. We know that because we live in the world, and we know that everything stinks. We all believe, ‘Hey, maybe this one won’t stink.’ We are a hopeful species. Stupid but hopeful. But we’re happy in that moment between the commercial and the purchase. And I think spending your life trying to dupe innocent people out of hard-won earnings to buy useless, low-quality, misrepresented items and services is an excellent use of your energy.”

Watch the full video below: