Jerry Seinfeld says he misses 'dominant masculinity' in culture

Jerry Seinfeld said he misses "dominant masculinity" in culture.

During a recent interview with independent journalist Bari Weiss, the iconic comedian discussed the early 1960s during which his movie "Unfrosted" is set — and during which he grew up — and Seinfeld said he's noticed that "an agreed upon hierarchy" has "absolutely vaporized" in the present day.

'I miss a dominant masculinity. Yeah, I get the 'toxic' — thank you, thank you — but still, I like a real man.'

"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," Seinfeld noted, adding that "as humans, we don't really feel comfortable like that, so that is part of what I think is — if you want to talk about nostalgia — that's part of what makes that moment attractive looking back."

He added that "as a man — can I say that? — I've always wanted to be a real man; I never made it. But I really thought when I was in that era — again it was JFK, it was Muhammad Ali, it was Sean Connery, Howard Cosell, you can go all the way down there, 'that's a real man. I wanna be like that someday.'"

Seinfeld also said, "I miss a dominant masculinity. Yeah, I get the 'toxic' — thank you, thank you — but still, I like a real man."

Anything else?

Elsewhere during the interview, Seinfeld addressed anti-Israel sentiment that's fueled college campus protests this spring — and how protesters have even targeted him. Earlier this month, some Duke University graduates walked out of Seinfeld's commencement address.

“It’s so dumb. It's so dumb," he said. "In fact, when we get protesters occasionally, I love to say to the audience, ‘You know, I love that these young people, they’re trying to get engaged with politics ... we have to just correct their aim a little bit."

When Weiss brought up seeing video of protesters calling Seinfeld "Nazi scum" and being shocked when he smiled back and waved, Seinfeld told her, "It's so silly. They want to express this sincere, intense rage, but again, a little off target ... so that’s, to me, comedic."

Also, at one point, when Weiss asked Seinfeld about his trip to Israel after the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the comedian in a rare moment had to fight really hard to hold back tears after he called his visit the "most powerful experience of my life."

Here's the interview. Content warning: Language:

Jerry Seinfeld on the Rules of Comedy—and Life | Honestly with Bari Weissyoutu.be

This story has been updated.

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