“Yeah, I get the [toxic masculinity] but still, I like a real man,” said the comedian.
Jerry Seinfeld is sharing his thoughts on masculinity.
During the Unfrosted director-star’s appearance on Honestly with Bari Weiss, Seinfeld, 70, spoke about his interest in making a movie set in the nostalgic 1960s, a time he holds dear from his childhood.
“… There’s another element there that I think is the key element, and that is an agreed upon hierarchy, which I think is absolutely vaporized in today’s moment,” the comedian said. “I think that is why people lean on the horn and drive in the crazy way that they drive, because we have no sense of hierarchy. And as humans, we don’t really feel comfortable like that.”
“If you want to talk about nostalgia, that is part of what makes that moment attractive looking back,” Seinfeld added.
He continued by expressing nostalgia for iconic figures such as President John F. Kennedy, boxer Muhammad Ali, actor Sean Connery, and sports broadcaster Howard Cosell, describing them as “real” men.
“You can go all the way down the line — that’s a real man — I want to be like that someday. Well, no. I never really grew up,” Seinfeld remarked. “I mean, you don’t want to, as a comedian, because it’s a childish pursuit, but I miss a dominant masculinity. Yeah, I get the [toxic masculinity] but still, I like a real man.”
Seinfeld’s movie Unfrosted, which marked his directorial debut, takes place in 1963. It humorously centers on the fictional invention of the Pop-Tart, drawing inspiration from the Cold War and the space race era. The film features a playful nod to the ’60s series Mad Men with notable appearances from Jon Hamm and John Slattery as advertising executives.
During the podcast, Seinfeld also shared his peculiar interest in reading negative reviews of his own work. “There’s nothing funnier to me than people complaining ‘I didn’t laugh,’ because they want to laugh,” he explained. “And I relate to it, I get it. I think it’s funny that you hated it because you wanted to laugh and you didn’t laugh.”
“It doesn’t matter what you think of me,” Seinfeld continued. “Why would I think that I’m going to make something that everyone will like? What sense does that make? You gotta be insane to think that.”
Unfrosted is now available on Netflix.
