Barry Marder: Difference between revisions

Ted L. Nancy is the name used by the 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 and Extra Nutty!: Even More 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 endeavour 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^[1], this appears to have been a marketing ploy.^[2] 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;

Lending credence to that theory is the fact that BARRY MARDER is identified on the GOVERNMENT'S WEB SITE as the owner of U.S. TRADEMARK NO. 3,540,770, WHICH IS A TRADEMARK ON "TED L. NANCY" . ^[3]

In 2007 Lionsgate Television, winner of the Emmy for Best Show for Madmen, 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.

The latest book from this popular author is 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 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 admitted co-authoring the series in a posting on his "Funny Or Die" profile. ^[4]

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 endeavour to respond politely to the author's often absurd requests and outlandish proposals.

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. ^[5] 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.^{[6] [7]}

• Henry Root
• Wanda Tinasky
• Don Novello (the "Lazlo" letters)
• Ed Broth