Jerry Seinfeld slams ‘Friends,’ brings back ‘Seinfeld’ characters in new movie promo
Jerry Seinfeld took a shot at "Friends" as he revived his "Seinfeld" characters for an "Unfrosted" promo.
Seinfeld wrote and directed the film, which focuses on the origin story of Pop-Tarts. The promo video for "Unfrosted" accused the comedian of trademark infringement as he "referenced 221 trademarked breakfasts" in the movie.
"Are you familiar with the concept of trademark infringement?" the fictional president of Pop-Tarts, Kelman P. Gasworth, asked Seinfeld in the clip during a meeting. "You see Mr. Seinfeld, you took something of ours, and now we’re going to take something of yours. Show him, Tarty."
JERRY SEINFELD DECLARES THE MOVIE BUSINESS IS ‘OVER,’ NOT THE ‘PINNACLE’ OF SOCIETY ANYMORE
A large glass box revealed original "Seinfeld" actors Ali Wentworth, Phil Morris and Larry Thomas.
"Schmoopie, Jackie Chiles and the Soup Nazi! My characters!" Seinfeld responded.
"They’re my characters now, Mr. Seinfeld," Gasworth said. "Tell me, how does it feel when people steal your ideas and then do whatever they want with them?"
"You mean like ‘Friends’?" Seinfeld joked, referencing the '90s sitcom also based on a group of friends living in New York City.
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The comedian took on his first film as director with "Unfrosted," set to premiere in May. Seinfeld began his stand-up comedy career in 1976 and later starred in his own TV show for nine seasons.
"It was totally new to me," Seinfeld told GQ of working as a director. "I thought I had done some cool stuff, but it was nothing like the way these people work. They’re so dead serious! They don’t have any idea that the movie business is over. They have no idea."
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He explained, "Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did for most of our lives. When a movie came out, if it was good, we all went to see it. We all discussed it. We quoted lines and scenes we liked. Now we’re walking through a fire hose of water, just trying to see."
Seinfeld had a few ideas about what might have "replaced" the industry's spot in the cultural hierarchy.
"Depression? Malaise? I would say confusion," he told the outlet. "Disorientation replaced the movie business. Everyone I know in show business, every day, is going, ‘What’s going on? How do you do this? What are we supposed to do now?’"