害羞草研究所

Skip to content

Jerry Seinfeld on Pop-Tarts, 害羞草研究所楿nfrosted害羞草研究所 and commitment to the bit

Legendary comedian makes a rare foray into movies, talks about his enduring love of the joke
web1_240426-cpw-seinfelds-qa-jerry_1
Jerry Seinfeld poses for a portrait to promote the film 害羞草研究所淯nfrosted害羞草研究所 on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP)

has been responsible for more movies than you think.

Yes, he co-wrote and lent his voice to 2007害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淏ee Movie.害羞草研究所 But before that, 害羞草研究所淪einfeld害羞草研究所 害羞草研究所 where going to the movies, with or without the aid of Moviefone, was nearly as regular a destination as the coffee shop 害羞草研究所 gave birth to dozens of (fake) films. 害羞草研究所淩ochelle, Rochelle.害羞草研究所 害羞草研究所淧rognosis Negative.害羞草研究所 害羞草研究所淪ack Lunch.害羞草研究所

But nearly three decades after Seinfeld was, in one episode, cajoled into bootlegging 害羞草研究所淒eath Blow,害羞草研究所 he has finally made his first film. Seinfeld directed, co-wrote and stars in a star-studded comedy about the invention of the Pop-Tart premiering May 3 on Netflix.

The film, which co-stars Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant and others, is an outlandish, 害羞草研究所淢ad Men害羞草研究所-inspired 害羞草研究所60s-set satire in which Kellogg害羞草研究所檚 and Post Cereal are engaged in a cutthroat race to 害羞草研究所渦pend America害羞草研究所檚 breakfast table.害羞草研究所

害羞草研究所淲hen you see any scene of it you go, 害羞草研究所榃hat is that?害羞草研究所 And I was very happy about that,害羞草研究所 Seinfeld said in a recent interview. 害羞草研究所淚 like that you look at it and go, 害羞草研究所業 don害羞草研究所檛 know what this is.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

For Seinfeld, who has resolutely stuck to stand-up since 害羞草研究所淪einfeld害羞草研究所 ended in 1998, it害羞草研究所檚 a rare post-sitcom project, joining a short and sporadic list including the short-lived reality series 害羞草研究所淭he Marriage Ref害羞草研究所 and the popular streaming show

害羞草研究所淯苍蹿谤辞蝉迟别诲,害羞草研究所 though, returns Seinfeld to one of his abiding passions. Remember all those cereal boxes in his apartment on 害羞草研究所淪einfeld害羞草研究所? The Pop-Tart is a particular fascination, though. In his 2020 comedy special 害羞草研究所23 Hours to Kill,害羞草研究所 it formed an extended bit beginning with the childhood memory: 害羞草研究所淲hen they invented the Pop-Tart, the back of my head blew right off.害羞草研究所

For Seinfeld, the Pop-Tart has an almost mythical quality. A movie about Oreos or Milk Duds or even Junior Mints wouldn害羞草研究所檛 work, he says. But the Pop-Tart is different.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of it is the word. It害羞草研究所檚 a funny word,害羞草研究所 says Seinfeld. 害羞草研究所淚 heard Mattel is trying to do a Hot Wheels movie. That could work. Certain things really got us when we were kids, you know?害羞草研究所

In a wide-ranging interview, Seinfeld discussed subjects large and small.

AP: Is it true that your moments on were improvised with Larry David?

SEINFELD: The idea occurred right in that moment. I said, 害羞草研究所淗ey, let害羞草研究所檚 talk about the finale right now.害羞草研究所 We had been talking about it all day because it was their finale. We were just talking about series finales all day. And I was saying that 害羞草研究所淢ad Men害羞草研究所 was my favorite and I thought 害羞草研究所淭he Sopranos害羞草研究所 one was great, and obviously ours was what it was.

AP: What does that mean? You害羞草研究所檙e happy with it or not?

SEINFELD: Well, I think what we said in that scene. We thought, 害羞草研究所淵eah, that would have been better.害羞草研究所 (Laughs) It害羞草研究所檚 very hard to remember. The emotional state I was in after nine years was a little ragged. Maybe we weren害羞草研究所檛 thinking quite clearly. The idea of doing that on his show 害羞草研究所 the math of it is really amazing. To do that, two people have to have two successful long-running sitcoms and they have to be playing themselves, with a 25-year separation. When I was driving home that night on the 10 in LA, my head was exploding because of the math of what just happened 害羞草研究所 to set something up in 害羞草研究所98 and pay it off in 害羞草研究所23. For a joke person like me, I felt like I landed on the moon.

AP: 害羞草研究所淯nfrosted害羞草研究所 began with an old stand-up bit of yours. Is it surprising to you that you害羞草研究所檝e made a movie about it?

SEINFELD: It was all (害羞草研究所淪einfeld害羞草研究所 writer) Spike Feresten害羞草研究所檚 idea. I did not want to do it. I did not think it would work. What害羞草研究所檚 a movie about inventing the Pop-Tart? That害羞草研究所檚 not funny. And (害羞草研究所淪einfeld害羞草研究所 writer) Andy Robin came up with the idea that it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Right Stuff.害羞草研究所 And I went, 害羞草研究所淥h, that害羞草研究所檚 funny.害羞草研究所

AP: I think you have a line about 害羞草研究所渟plitting the atom of breakfast害羞草研究所 so this is also like a snack-size

SEINFELD: Yes, 害羞草研究所淥辫辫别苍丑别颈尘别谤.害羞草研究所 I think it害羞草研究所檚 a fun game if anyone wants to play 害羞草研究所 how many movies we stole from. Obviously, 害羞草研究所淭he Godfather,害羞草研究所 obviously 害羞草研究所淭he Right Stuff.害羞草研究所 At one point, I was going to say, 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l bury you under the ground, Eli,害羞草研究所 from 害羞草研究所淭here Will Be Blood.害羞草研究所 And we weren害羞草研究所檛 even going to explain it. The character害羞草研究所檚 name wasn害羞草研究所檛 Eli.

AP: You suggested you only say you love Pop-Tarts to make the joke work.

SEINFELD: I probably just said that to make that point. But I do love Pop-Tarts. I had one yesterday. We were doing a social media piece with Jimmy Fallon and Meghan Trainor. I took a bite and I went, 害羞草研究所淭his is fantastic.害羞草研究所 What I like about it is the man-made quality of it. I love great objects that fit in your hand in a nice way. A pack of cigarettes is one of the greatest things you can put in your hand. It just feels great. Dice feel great. I like a nice spoon. I like things. (Laughs)

AP: Were you aware of the recent trend of movies based on products?

SEINFELD: Yeah, but we were started long before that. I was a little disappointed that I suddenly became part of a trend but there was nothing we could do about it.

AP: Do you have any guesses as to why we害羞草研究所檝e turned our focus to American consumerism? Your film is a big, silly satire of American consumerism.

SEINFELD: For me, I love men in suits talking about something stupid, like cereal and puffs and sprinkles.

AP: You害羞草研究所檝e often spoken about your dedication to sharpening and sculpting a joke. Are you still driven by that?

SEINFELD: I started a bit the other night about your kitchen sponge on the sink looking up at you going: 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know how much more you think I have. I was done two months ago.害羞草研究所 Now it害羞草研究所檚 just growing and growing into a monologue of your kitchen sponge telling you, 害羞草研究所淟et me go! Let me die a rectangle, not in pieces.害羞草研究所 When I lock on to something like that, I just want to see how far I can go with it, how long will they let me talk about this.

AP: You害羞草研究所檙e about to turn 70. Is that meaningful to you?

SEINFELD: No.

AP: Some entertainers turn inward when they reach their 70s, like Steven Spielberg did with But maybe this is a very personal movie for you.

SEINFELD: Very much. This is my 害羞草研究所淔abelmans.害羞草研究所 Because I害羞草研究所檓 not interested in my life. I害羞草研究所檓 interested in eating.

AP: Why have you always avoided topically or politics in your comedy?

SEINFELD: I don害羞草研究所檛 have the fluency. Your comedic thing, whatever it is, it only works on certain things. My thing only works on these dumb things.

AP: Still, there is a kind of meaning in dedicating yourself to meaninglessness.

SEINFELD: I害羞草研究所檝e discussed this at length with my friend Joel Hodgson (害羞草研究所淢ystery Science 3000害羞草研究所) and he害羞草研究所檚 incredibly articulate on this subject, which is: The throw-away culture of our childhood was not throw-away to us. We deeply love these things and they were meaningful in their meaninglessness.

AP: You and Marc Maron had as almost diametrically opposed comedians. He believes in baring his soul on stage and you pledge fidelity to the joke. I thought you were both right.

SEINFELD: My attitude, I think, was more talking to comedians. I think comedians, if they want to survive throughout their life doing this, they have to pay close attention to the laughs. No less value in what he害羞草研究所檚 doing, but I would worry about how long would this last for in your life. But, yeah, that害羞草研究所檚 a good point. We were both right, just different.

AP: You害羞草研究所檝e said you want to do stand-up into your 80s and beyond.

SEINFELD: To the end. To the very end.

AP: You still feel that way?

SEINFELD: Yeah. The only hard part of my life is the other things. People do ask me about slowing down and I go, 害羞草研究所淭he work part of my life is not stand-up. It害羞草研究所檚 all the other things.害羞草研究所 Stand-up is an incredible, pure experience. Surfing is the great regret of my life that I never really got good at that. I did it for two weeks one time many years ago. But if you were a surfer, you would never stop doing it. That害羞草研究所檚 what stand-up is for me. Feeling that energy, that natural life-force energy under you and around you, I never get tired of that.

AP: Are you thinking about another stand-up special?

SEINFELD: No, I害羞草研究所檓 not. I害羞草研究所檓 not sure of it as a comedy form for me right now. I would love to think of something else, if I even wanted to do it 害羞草研究所 which I don害羞草研究所檛 right now. Like, 害羞草研究所淐omedians in Cars Getting Coffee,害羞草研究所 the subtext of that is: I害羞草研究所檓 really sick of talk shows on TV. That害羞草研究所檚 why I did that. And let me show you why. We don害羞草研究所檛 want to see them sitting on a couch anymore. The people who are doing it aren害羞草研究所檛 having any fun doing it. That was my anti-talk show. So I would want to do an anti-stand-up special if I did one. I envy, sometimes, these little Italian artisans who don害羞草研究所檛 really care if anybody knows who they are or what they do. And stand-up can be like that. Any writing work is very lonely work. Stand-up, in a way, is kind of a private, lonely world. I害羞草研究所檓 going to Dayton, Ohio, on Friday. No one害羞草研究所檚 going to know what happened there. I害羞草研究所檓 very attracted to that. I害羞草研究所檓 more attracted to that than, 害羞草研究所淗ey everyone, I made a movie.害羞草研究所 My way, if I had my choice, is that I would like to do this work very quietly and privately.

AP: It害羞草研究所檚 interesting you害羞草研究所檇 say that as someone who had one of the biggest TV shows ever. Maybe you had your fill of it.

SEINFELD: That害羞草研究所檚 possible. But it never felt like me. Larry and I, when we first started to do the show thought: This will be a really fun, little boutique thing that will just get our people that like this kind of quirky, off-beat thing, and that would be cool. What it became was never on our radar. Then, suddenly, you害羞草研究所檙e a big wave surfer. I think it was tougher on Larry than for me. Because you feel the pressure. I never minded the pressure.

AP: Have you experienced younger generations finding 害羞草研究所淪einfeld害羞草研究所 on Netflix?

SEINFELD: That age around 10 to 12, they seem to find it. They have no idea what it is at first. (Laughs) I think the credit all really goes to Jason (Alexander), Michael (Richards) and Julia (Louis-Dreyfus) 害羞草研究所 what they did with those characters, the color that they found in all of those characters. Larry and I, we were just doing these silly conversations, but they made it so accessible. They deserve the credit for the success of the show.

READ ALSO:





(or

害羞草研究所

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }