Ted L. Nancy
Encyclopedia
Ted L. Nancy is the pseudonym
used by the comedian Barry Marder, author of a number of prank letters which have been published in a series of bestselling books under the titles Letters from a Nut, More Letters from a Nut, Extra Nutty!: Even More Letters from a Nut, and the new book All New Letters from a Nut.
Nancy specializes in letters to unsuspecting celebrities and organizations; these missives typically consist of off-the-wall queries and much of the entertainment derives from the replies as individuals and institutions endeavor to respond politely to the author's often absurd requests and outlandish proposals.
Although it was "widely rumored" that Nancy was an alter ego
of the comedian Jerry Seinfeld
, this appears to have been a marketing ploy.
Roger Friedman
of Fox News suggested in 2002 that Barry Marder — a longtime Seinfeld collaborator and friend, and the executive producer of the ABC pilot based on the letters (which never made it to the air) — is the real source. This assumption proved true on September 23, 2010 when Jerry Seinfeld introduced Barry Marder as the writer "Ted L. Nancy" on Larry King Live on CNN.
Barry Marder is a comedian, former writer on "Seinfeld" and the co-writer of DreamWorks' animated hit "Bee Movie."
He was a writer for Bill Maher, Jay Leno, & David Letterman. He has also written with George Carlin.
Marder has performed at most major theaters in the United States as opening act for Jerry Seinfeld. He was a regular comedian at the Improv in Hollywood for 15 years. He has appeared on numerous television shows as a stand-up. Barry Marder has written and produced TV pilots for ABC, Fox, FX, Lionsgate, Sony TV.
In 2002 ABC made a pilot for “Letters From A Nut.” It was written & produced by Barry Marder & Jerry Seinfeld.
In 2003 FX Television made a pilot for "The Ted L. Nancy" show. That show was written & produced by Barry Marder & Jerry Seinfeld.
In 2007 Lionsgate Television, winner of the Emmy for Best Show for Mad Men
, optioned the books from Barry Marder to make into a television show which was reported by Daily Variety.
In 2008 Lionsgate sold the show as a pilot presentation to Fox TV. That show called Sincerely, Ted L. Nancy is created and written by Jerry Seinfeld, Barry Marder and Chuck Martin. Reportedly, Ted L. Nancy is the voice for the underdog consumer who is usually the last to get help from customer service. It stars Kevin Sussman as the comic hero Ted.
In 2008 Marder, writing as Ted L. Nancy & The Kabobby Family of Glendale, authored Hello, Junk Mail! which is a new take on the same idea embodied in his other books, Letters from a Nut, More Letters from a Nut and Extra Nutty!: Even More Letters from a Nut. In this book Mr. Nancy and the Kabobbys answered Junk Mail. Alan Marder did the illustrations for all the Letters From A Nut books and for Hello Junk Mail!
In September 2010 “All New Letters From A Nut” by Ted L. Nancy was published by Crown Books (Random House). It was another best seller.
In March 2011 “Ted L. Nancy’s Afternoon Stories” was published. In this book Ted L. Nancy is a traveling storyteller going to various places telling his insane stories and traveling with his lunatic acts.
In 2005 "Stories From A Moron" by Ed Broth was published by St. Martins. Foreword by Jerry Seinfeld. Marder wrote this as Ed Broth. Alan Marder did the illustrations for that book also.
In 2002, a number of news sources reported that Ted L. Nancy — or rather Jerry Seinfeld, who was assumed to be behind the prank — incurred the wrath of Hunter S. Thompson
by embroiling the gonzo
godfather in one such correspondence. Thompson allegedly accused Seinfeld of pitching the letters as a show idea to ABC
and objected to having his name associated with what he regarded as a cheap stunt. However, perhaps in keeping with the playful spirit of forgery
and pranksterism surrounding the Nancy letters, the authenticity of Thompson's response has, subsequently, also been brought into question.
In 2008, comedian Bruce Baum
claimed co-authorship of the series in a posting on his "Funny Or Die
" profile. However in September 2010, Seinfeld went on the TODAY show to reveal that the actual author was Barry Marder.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
used by the comedian Barry Marder, author of a number of prank letters which have been published in a series of bestselling books under the titles Letters from a Nut, More Letters from a Nut, Extra Nutty!: Even More Letters from a Nut, and the new book All New Letters from a Nut.
Nancy specializes in letters to unsuspecting celebrities and organizations; these missives typically consist of off-the-wall queries and much of the entertainment derives from the replies as individuals and institutions endeavor to respond politely to the author's often absurd requests and outlandish proposals.
Although it was "widely rumored" that Nancy was an alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of the comedian Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
, this appears to have been a marketing ploy.
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman is an American entertainment news journalist. Friedman created and wrote the FOX411 news column on Foxnews.com for 10 years. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz 411, an entertainment news column.-Career:...
of Fox News suggested in 2002 that Barry Marder — a longtime Seinfeld collaborator and friend, and the executive producer of the ABC pilot based on the letters (which never made it to the air) — is the real source. This assumption proved true on September 23, 2010 when Jerry Seinfeld introduced Barry Marder as the writer "Ted L. Nancy" on Larry King Live on CNN.
Barry Marder is a comedian, former writer on "Seinfeld" and the co-writer of DreamWorks' animated hit "Bee Movie."
He was a writer for Bill Maher, Jay Leno, & David Letterman. He has also written with George Carlin.
Marder has performed at most major theaters in the United States as opening act for Jerry Seinfeld. He was a regular comedian at the Improv in Hollywood for 15 years. He has appeared on numerous television shows as a stand-up. Barry Marder has written and produced TV pilots for ABC, Fox, FX, Lionsgate, Sony TV.
In 2002 ABC made a pilot for “Letters From A Nut.” It was written & produced by Barry Marder & Jerry Seinfeld.
In 2003 FX Television made a pilot for "The Ted L. Nancy" show. That show was written & produced by Barry Marder & Jerry Seinfeld.
In 2007 Lionsgate Television, winner of the Emmy for Best Show for Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
, optioned the books from Barry Marder to make into a television show which was reported by Daily Variety.
In 2008 Lionsgate sold the show as a pilot presentation to Fox TV. That show called Sincerely, Ted L. Nancy is created and written by Jerry Seinfeld, Barry Marder and Chuck Martin. Reportedly, Ted L. Nancy is the voice for the underdog consumer who is usually the last to get help from customer service. It stars Kevin Sussman as the comic hero Ted.
In 2008 Marder, writing as Ted L. Nancy & The Kabobby Family of Glendale, authored Hello, Junk Mail! which is a new take on the same idea embodied in his other books, Letters from a Nut, More Letters from a Nut and Extra Nutty!: Even More Letters from a Nut. In this book Mr. Nancy and the Kabobbys answered Junk Mail. Alan Marder did the illustrations for all the Letters From A Nut books and for Hello Junk Mail!
In September 2010 “All New Letters From A Nut” by Ted L. Nancy was published by Crown Books (Random House). It was another best seller.
In March 2011 “Ted L. Nancy’s Afternoon Stories” was published. In this book Ted L. Nancy is a traveling storyteller going to various places telling his insane stories and traveling with his lunatic acts.
In 2005 "Stories From A Moron" by Ed Broth was published by St. Martins. Foreword by Jerry Seinfeld. Marder wrote this as Ed Broth. Alan Marder did the illustrations for that book also.
In 2002, a number of news sources reported that Ted L. Nancy — or rather Jerry Seinfeld, who was assumed to be behind the prank — incurred the wrath of Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
by embroiling the gonzo
Gonzo journalism
Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity, often including the reporter as part of the story via a first-person narrative. The word "gonzo" is believed to be first used in 1970 to describe an article by Hunter S. Thompson, who later popularized the style...
godfather in one such correspondence. Thompson allegedly accused Seinfeld of pitching the letters as a show idea to ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and objected to having his name associated with what he regarded as a cheap stunt. However, perhaps in keeping with the playful spirit of forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
and pranksterism surrounding the Nancy letters, the authenticity of Thompson's response has, subsequently, also been brought into question.
In 2008, comedian Bruce Baum
Bruce Baum
Bruce Baum is an American comedian. His live act consists of prop comedy as well as more traditional stand-up material. One of his best-known stand-up routines is his diaper-wearing Babyman character...
claimed co-authorship of the series in a posting on his "Funny Or Die
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates...
" profile. However in September 2010, Seinfeld went on the TODAY show to reveal that the actual author was Barry Marder.
See also
- Henry Root
- Wanda TinaskyWanda TinaskyWanda Tinasky, ostensibly a bag lady living under a bridge in the Mendocino County area of Northern California, was the pseudonymous author of a series of playful, comic and erudite letters sent to the Mendocino Commentary and Anderson Valley Advertiser between 1983 and 1988. These letters were...
- Don NovelloDon NovelloDon Novello is an American writer, film director, producer, actor, singer, and comedian. Novello is best known for his work on NBC's Saturday Night Live, from 1977 until 1980, and then 1985 until 1986, often as the character "Father Guido Sarducci". Novello has appeared as "Sarducci" on many...
(the "Lazlo" letters) - Ed BrothEd BrothEd Broth is the author of Stories From A Moron: Real Stories Rejected by Real Magazines, published in January, 2005 by St. Martin's Press. The book consists of numerous prank letters Broth mailed to magazines and their responses. An example is his submission of an essay titled "I Love Dogs" to I...
- Silly BeggarSilly BeggarSilly Beggar is a book of letters written by Scottish author James Spence. It was published on May 14, 2009 by Aurora Metro. The book is a collection of comedy begging Letters sent to companies, plus their replies and images of items the author received....
- Robert PopperRobert PopperRobert Popper is a BAFTA winning comedy producer, writer and actor, best known as co-creator of the mock BBC documentary Look Around You, in which he also plays the part of Jack Morgan...