Jerry Seinfeld is unafraid to express his opinions, including during his late night appearances, as demonstrated during a humorous interaction with Jimmy Fallon about Seinfeld’s children.
“Your kids like you,” Fallon said to Seinfeld Wednesday night. The visibly surprised comedian misheard it as “Do your kids like you?”
“I know your kids, and they actually like Dad,” Fallon said, retracting his statement. In response, Seinfeld gave Fallon a significant look and shrugged at the audience. “Sometimes the kids don’t like the parents.”
“Well if that was the case, I wouldn’t bring it up,” Seinfeld said, eliciting a big laugh from Fallon and the audience. “Let’s move on to the next question. These kids hate their father. Let’s not talk about that.”
Fallon then asked Seinfeld if he had spent time with his kids recently. “With my kids?” Seinfeld asked. “Yes, I’ve had many chances. Many, many chances.”
Both Fallon and Seinfeld (who are friends) were in good spirits after this awkward beginning. The beloved comedian spent most of the interview discussing his upcoming movie “Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story,” a comedy based on the true story of the rivalry between cereal companies Post and Kellogg’s in the 1960s. Post claimed they had developed a process for dehydrating food and keeping it fresh, and they were moving forward with a breakfast pastry using this technology. Shortly after, Kellogg’s entered a breakfast arms race against Post as they attempted to develop their own breakfast pastry. Seinfeld likened his comedy to the historical drama “The Right Stuff” about the U.S. versus Russia.
“Kellogg’s did not even know we were doing this. We took all their products, we took all their characters — Snap, Crackle and Pop are in the movie. Tony the Tiger is in the movie. Tucan Sam — everyone. We took everything,” Seinfeld said. “I didn’t know that we had to ask.”
It’s uncertain if Seinfeld was joking — it’s hard to believe he’d be able to use official logos and character likenesses without permission.
The comedian turned director has a long history with Pop-Tarts. Jokes about the breakfast pastry have been part of his routine for over a decade. The New York Times’ in-depth exploration of how to write a joke with Seinfeld even delves into this well-known bit.
“This could lead to some serious legal expenses,” Seinfeld said. “But if I were to be taken to court over Pop-Tart charges, that would make my life.”
