Jerry Seinfeld 'misses dominant masculinity' and an 'agreed upon hierarchy'

30 May 2024

Jerry Seinfeld has admitted he misses "dominant masculinity" and feels nostalgic for an "agreed-upon hierarchy".

Jerry Seinfeld is nostalgic for an 'agreed upon hierarchy'

The 70-year-old comedian has reflected on the American culture in the 1960s, after exploring the era in his new Netflix film 'Unfrosted' - which tells the fictionalised origin story of the Pop-Tart - and while he understands "the toxic thing", he still longs for the presentation of a certain type of man in the media.

He told the 'Honestly With Bari Weiss' podcast: “Another thing, as a man… I always wanted to be a real man.

“When I was in that era, it was JFK, Muhammad Ali, Sean Connery, Howard Cosell. That’s a real man! I wanted to be like that someday.

"Well, no. I never really grew up. You don’t want to as a comedian because it’s a childish pursuit.

"I miss a dominant masculinity. I get the toxic thing… but still I like a real man.”

He insisted that part of what defines that era of masculinity was "those movements of style", adding that he likes people with "a little style in everything they do.

He added: "[Hugh Grant] knows how to dress. He knows how to talk. He's charming. He has stories, he's comfortable at dinner parties, he knows how to get a drink."

Jerry - who is best known for playing a fictionalised version of himself in 'Seinfeld' - is nostalgic for the way the 1960s had an "agreed-upon hierarchy", which is something he thinks people miss.

He said: “That is why people lean on the horn and drive in the crazy way that they drive. We have no sense of hierarchy.

"As humans, we don’t really feel comfortable with that. That is part of what… if you want to talk about nostalgia, that is part of what makes [the 1960s] attractive looking back.”

Meanwhile, the comic insisted his career in standup means he doesn't "care what people think", and he has never been one to dwell on bad reviews.

He explained: "If you’re built right as a stand-up comic you don’t care what people think of [you].

“I’m doing my gig, I’m getting the laughs and getting the money and getting the hell out of here. When your review comes out, I’m in another city doing the same thing.”