I’ve mentioned before that I don’t really watch television (except Masterpiece Mystery because I am obsessed with all things British and detective-y), but Mr. B got me into watching this odd little show on Crackle called Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. It stars Jerry Seinfeld, who is famous for creating Seinfeld, which has been described as “a show about nothing.” Well, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (hereinafter CICGC) really is about nothing. Seinfeld shows up in a classic car (which he often tries to match to the personality of his guest) and takes a famous comedian out to coffee. Sometimes they don’t drink coffee (Jay Leno). Sometimes they go to, say, Coney Island and eat hot dogs (Todd Barry). Sometimes they go to a diner and eat giant amounts of diner food (Sarah Silverman), and sometimes they go to a famous bakery and eat cronuts (Tina Fey).

I’m not a huge comedy fan. I like real-life humor, but not fake, manufactured laughs. In fact, the one comedy show Mr. B dragged me to, I sat there stone-faced almost the entire performance. I also didn’t laugh at The Jerk, allegedly one of the funniest movies ever, except for the scene where Steve Martin takes his neighbor’s dog to cover up his privates as he’s racing outside naked after his girlfriend just left him. That was a funny scene.

And CICGC isn’t really that funny, per se. It’s very real-life. Like what you’d talk about when you go out with your friends. It’s not rip-roaringly hilarious. It’s poignant sometimes. And real. But that poignancy and realness makes something extraordinary. I feel like I’m getting a peek (just a small peek) inside these real people’s lives. Some use it as a place to vent or do a bit. But sometimes they drop their guards and just treat Seinfeld like a friend (many are real-life close friends), and that’s when it gets good. Just two pals shooting the breeze. It’s real life, seen through a lens of a camera and in a (usually) fancy car, so we’ll say it’s a version of real life.

I think the reason I like this show so much is because what Seinfeld does in CICGC is exactly what I try to do with my characters. It’s not real, but it’s a version of real life that could be, hopefully coupled with a bit of situational humor. Because real life isn’t ha-ha funny, but it’s funny. It’s crazy. It’s insane, when you think about it. I want readers to resonate with my heroine because that same thing happened to them that one time.  Or their sister acted just like that. It’s realistic, but it’s not real. It’s a story. It’s escapism. And if you’re looking at it the right way, sometimes it can be hilarious.

Which brings me to this week’s giveaway. There are few people who do this kind of storytelling as well as Kristan Higgins. I have a copy of The Best Man to give away. Tell me one of your favorite funny scenes from a book you love, and you’ll be entered to win. U.S. only, please. Contest ends on Thursday, March 20th at 9pm Pacific.