Is This What Jerry Seinfeld Had in Mind for His ‘Pop-Tart’ Promotional Tour?
It’s not hard to figure out why Netflix greenlit a movie about Pop-Tarts. A goof on a kitschy breakfast treat starring Jerry Seinfeld, the most beloved comic of the Baby Boomer generation? If Netflix viewers love third-tier Adam Sandler comedies, they’d eat this one up for sure. Netflix even decided to send Seinfeld on a multiplatform promotional tour to let the world know Unfrosted would deliver. What Netflix probably didn’t expect (though it should have) was Jerry going scorched earth along the way, shaking his fist at comedy clouds and earning Fox News accolades.
Seinfeld made his biggest headlines for a New Yorker interview grousing about the “extreme left” and “P.C. crap” ruining comedy. Blame liberal politics for the shortage of sitcoms on network television, he says. Why, if the P.C. Police had their way in the 1990s, Seinfeld wouldn’t have been able to do funny stories about using the homeless as free labor. Meanwhile, social media is having a field day citing examples from Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm and It's Always Sunny to prove sitcoms are more irreverent than ever.
Then there’s the self-aggrandizing of Seinfeld’s own stand-up, a brand of entertainment he says is immune to the pressures of political correctness. “We are not policed by anyone,” Seinfeld brays from his high horse. “We know when we’re off track. We know instantly and we adjust to it instantly.” But isn’t that a weird way of Seinfeld admitting that even he bows to the cultural whims of the masses?
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The movie business is over, says the man promoting a movie. He claims Friends stole his jokes. Turning 70 is stupid. He’s sick of talk shows. Audiences are too aware of jokes Seinfeld has already told. Political correctness is for “people who can’t think.” Meanwhile, he finds himself beset by “darkening moods.” Gee, you think?
Some people love the Seinfeld misery tour. What kind of people? Elon Musk, for example, says bravo!
And Fox News is devoting entire segments in celebration of Seinfeld’s dyspepsia. “Well, you know, he is right,” applauds Greg Gutfeld. “When you look at sitcoms today, you don’t feel like you’re going to relax and laugh. You feel like you’re going to be lectured or educated. It’s like one big long ‘The More You Know’ commercial, everything is a special episode.”
Just a reminder, folks — Jerry Seinfeld is out there promoting a comedy about toaster pastries. Pity comics like Jim Gaffigan who are part of the same marketing blitz, inevitably answering questions like “Do you agree that the extreme left is killing comedy?” Is the movie, co-scripted by former Seinfeld writers, actually funny? Surprisingly little interview time is devoted to that question.
If Netflix PR wonks subscribe to the “Any publicity is good publicity” maxim, then they’re likely thrilled about Seinfeld’s Grumpy Old Man tour. Robbie Praw, the streamer’s VP of Standup and Comedy Formats, recently explained that Netflix isn’t afraid of comedians saying unpopular things as long as the resulting uproar generates views.
But whether or not Jerry’s recent rants are good for business doesn’t change one fact: There’s nothing less fun these days than listening to Professor Seinfeld’s lectures about what's funny.
