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Jerry Seinfeld didn't get an all-warm reception during his commencement speech at Duke University.
Deadline reports that dozens got up and left when the comedian started to talk. It's due to his support of the hotly contested Israel and the Gaza conflict.
Jerry Seinfeld had dozens walk out on him during Duke's commencement speech
A short clip shows dozens of students abruptly leaving their seats. Additionally, a Palestinian flag can be seen. Plus, there is a mixed reaction from those in attendance, with some cheering for Jerry and others chanting about freeing Palestine.
BREAKING: DUKE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WALK OUT OF GRADUATION AS JERRY SEINFIELD’S SPEECH IS ANNOUNCED pic.twitter.com/1taNZyREun
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 12, 2024
All this said Seinfeld didn't talk about the Israel-Palestine conflict during his time on stage in front of the nearly 7,000 graduates. Instead, he gave some advice and gave an uplifting and comedic talk.
“Find something where you love the good parts and don't mind the bad parts too much — the torture you're comfortable with,” Seinfeld said.
“This is the golden path to victory in life. Work. Exercise, Relationships,” he continued. “They all have a solid component of pure torture, and they are all 1,000% worth it.”
WRAL News reports that he also discussed how to approach things in life.
“Whatever you're doing, I don't care if it's your job, your hobby, a relationship, getting a reservation at M Sushi,” the star added. “Make an effort. Just pure, stupid, no-real-idea-what-I'm-doing-here effort. Effort always yields a positive value, even if the outcome of the effort is absolute failure of the desired result. This is a rule of life. Just swing the bat and pray is not a bad approach to a lot of things.”
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Also, he touched on love and why it's important.
“Every chance you get,” he said. “Fall in love with your coffee. Your sneakers. Your Blue Zone parking space. I've had a lot of fun in life falling in love with stupid, meaningless physical objects…I have truly spent my life focusing on the smallest things imaginable, completely oblivious to all the big issues of living.”
Seinfeld and his wife, Jessica, are parents to a Duke alum and a current university student. Plus, they serve as national chairs on Duke's Parents Committee.
Despite the walkout of dozens of students, it was the only interruption to the ceremony and didn't cause too much of a commotion.
The NY Times reports that college administrators have prepared for disruptions practically everywhere. The tensions between students and the conflict overseas are still as fiery as ever.
Meanwhile, Seinfeld is coming off the debut of his Netflix movie, Unfrosted. It's a comedic film about the rise of Pop-Tarts.
The movie has had harsh reviews, coming in at a 40% Tomatometer and 55% Audience Score. Austin Burke from Flick Fan Nation gave the film a 3/10 and said, “Unfrosted just feels like one massive missed opportunity from start to finish. Jerry Seinfeld occasionally injects a bit of life into this stale satire, but any interesting moment is immediately followed by an unfunny gag.”
So, between the Duke walkout and Unfrosted reviews, Jerry had a few not-great moments recently. However, he's keeping busy and doesn't seem to let negativity bother him. In true Seinfeld fashion, I'm sure he's thinking, “What's the deal with…?”
