Jerry Seinfeld says he misses ‘dominant masculinity’ in American pop culture.
Despite admitting that he ironically doesn’t channel that into his own career, the 70-year-old comedian emphasized the importance of what it means to be a “real man.”
In an episode of the Honestly with Bari Weiss podcast released Tuesday, he talked about his new Netflix comedy Unfrosted, which is set in the ’60s.
The Seinfeld star – who apologized for the “sexual undertones” in his family film during his speech at Duke University – said what made that decade special was traditional masculinity.
‘That was the case at the time [John F. Kennedy], it was Muhammad Ali, it was Sean Connery, Howard Cosell,” he said, sharing examples of the male icons he idolized as a child. “That’s a real man.”
Jerry Seinfeld says he misses ‘dominant masculinity’ in American pop culture. Despite admitting that he ironically doesn’t channel that into his own career, the 70-year-old comedian emphasized the importance of what it means to be a ‘real man’; seen in April
He admitted that his own career took him down a path that did not reflect the image of traditional masculinity.
“I want to be like that one day,” he joked. ‘No, look how I dress, like an eight-year-old.
“I always wanted to be a real man, but I never succeeded,” he joked.
“I never really grew up,” he continued. ‘You don’t want that as a comedian. It’s a childish pursuit, but I miss the dominant masculinity.’
The 30-something rock star acknowledged toxic masculinity but said he was “still” calling for a revival of society’s unspoken hierarchy.
“Yeah, I get the toxic thing. Thank you thank you. But I still love a real man.’
While appearing on the podcast to talk about his new film Unfrosted, he also mentioned his co-star Hugh Grant, 63, as an example of the masculinity he admires.
“That’s why I love Hugh Grant,” Seinfeld said. “He felt like one of those guys I wanted to be.”
In an episode of the Honestly with Bari Weiss podcast released Tuesday, he talked about his new Netflix comedy Unfrosted, which is set in the ’60s. The Seinfeld star said what made that decade special was traditional masculinity; seen in October 2023
He admitted that his own career took him down a path that did not reflect the image of traditional masculinity. The 30-something rock star acknowledged toxic masculinity but said he was “still” calling for a revival of society’s unspoken hierarchy; seen in January 2023
While appearing on the podcast to talk about his new film Unfrosted, he also mentioned his co-star Hugh Grant as an example of the masculinity he admires. “That’s why I love Hugh Grant,” Seinfeld said. ‘He felt like one of those guys I wanted to be’; seen in November 2023
This comes after he apologized for the “awkward sexual aspect” in the 2007 animated film Bee Movie, in which he voiced Barry the Bee. He said the film was “not perfectly calibrated” but added that he “wouldn’t change the movie” in a light-hearted comment during his speech at Duke University in North Carolina earlier this month; seen in October 2023
‘He knows how to dress. He knows how to talk. He’s charming. He has stories. He is comfortable at dinner parties and knows how to get a drink. That stuff,” he explained.
This comes after he apologized for the “awkward sexual aspect” in the 2007 animated film Bee Movie, in which he voiced Barry the Bee.
He said the film “wasn’t perfectly calibrated” but added that he “wouldn’t change the movie” in a light-hearted comment during his speech at Duke University in North Carolina earlier this month.
“Maybe I didn’t calibrate that perfectly. But I wouldn’t change it, and this is probably the biggest part I want to tell you today about humor,” he said.
His speech came shortly after fans expressed fears about his health after seeing him shaking in an interview filmed in late March.
