Jerry Seinfeld says marriage is like the Iraq war.

The 55-year-old American actor - who has three children with wife Jessica - stunned an A-list celebrity audience with his quip at the fifth concert for 'Autism Speaks’ in New York on Tuesday night (17.11.09).

During his speech he joked: "Having a girlfriend is like playing whiffle ball. Being married is the war in Iraq."

Bruce Springsteen also wowed the crowd with an acoustic set although the rocker admitted after his performance that he felt a little out of place in T-shirt and jeans.

He said: "Pardon my clothes, somebody told me this thing was happening at Carnegie Deli."

He also revealed how his mother had just met Jerry, which he’d found a rather embarrassing experience.

He said: "My mom is backstage talking to Jerry Seinfeld. She told him the story of when I opened the local ShopRite. No one was betting on Carnegie Hall that day…"

Proceeds from Autism Speaks have gone towards funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism.