Jerry Seinfeld stopped by “Saturday Night Live” to address the volume of interviews he’s given ahead of the release of his new movie.
Seinfeld appeared during the “Weekend Update” segment on “SNL” on May 4 and was introduced by co-anchor Colin Jost as “a man who did too much press.”
The 70-year-old comedian seemed disoriented when he made it to the desk, asking Jost where he was and if he was on a podcast until Jost explained to him that he was on “SNL.”
After acknowledging his extensive press run, Jost then asked Seinfeld how one can recognize when one does too much press.
“Well that’s the thing, you don’t know,” he explained. “I mean, until someone who cares about you shows you a video package and you see yourself with people with these names — Hoda, Maraca, Chanel, Vlad.”
While Seinfeld acknowledged that he “can’t undo all the press” he’s done, he did offer some advice to other celebrities going through the same experience.
“If you’re struggling with press, you’re not alone. I’m talking to you Ryan Gosling,” Seinfeld said. “When I started doing press for ‘Unfrosted,’ I was like you: funny, good looking. Now look at me. You think this is how I wanted to spend my 26th birthday? But you can get clean.”
However, Seinfeld’s moment of clarity was interrupted a phone call from Univision to do yet another interview.
Seinfeld has been promoting his new movie, “Unfrosted” which debuted on Netflix on May 3. The star-studded movie is loosely based on real events to tell the story of the race between Kellogg’s and Post to release Pop-Tarts.
The comedian has appeared on several talk shows, including “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” TODAY, and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Among the host of interviews he’s done leading up to the movie, Seinfeld has also appeared on Neal Brennan’s podcast “Blocks” and “The Rich Eisen Show,” where he recalled the backstory behind Jason Alexander’s famous golf ball speech from “Seinfeld.”
The actor made headlines at the end of April after he claimed the “extreme left” ruined sitcoms with “P.C. crap” during an interview with The New Yorker.
He explained that people “need” comedy “so badly” but don’t get it anymore.
“It used to be, you would go home at the end of the day, most people would go, ‘Oh, ‘Cheers’ is on. Oh, ‘m*a*s*h’ is on. Oh, ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ is on. ‘All in the Family’ is on,’” he said. “You just expected, There’ll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight. Well, guess what—where is it?”
Seinfeld shared his explanation on the lack of sitcoms today, adding, “This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people.”
The comedian said that audiences are now pivoting to going to see standup comics live “because we are not policed by anyone.”
“The audience polices us. We know when we’re off track. We know instantly and we adjust to it instantly,” he explained. “But when you write a script and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups—‘Here’s our thought about this joke.’ Well, that’s the end of your comedy.”