Jerry Seinfeld throws shade at Friends for 'stealing his characters'
Jerry Seinfeld has slammed hit 90s sitcom Friends in a promotion for his upcoming movie.
When it comes to hit 90s sitcoms, it doesn't get much bigger than Seinfeld and Friends, but now Jerry Seinfeld has hit out at the rival show.
The comedian released a promotional clip of his film Unfrosted, which is also his first shot in the director's chair.
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During the promotional video, Seinfeld himself is accused of copyright infringement due to his references to '221 trademarked breakfasts' in the film.
That's a lot of breakfast. I'm not sure I could name 21 trademarked breakfasts, let alone 221!
During the video Seinfeld is confronted by the fictional president of Pop-Tarts, Kelman P. Gasworth.
Gasworth asks Seinfeld: “Are you familiar with the concept of trademark infringement?”
In a tone echoing a mobster, he continues: “You see Mr. Seinfeld, you took something of ours, and now we’re going to take something of yours. Show him, Tarty.”
Seinfeld is then shown a glass containing Seinfeld actors Ali Wentworth, Phil Morris, and Larry Thomas.
A horrified Seinfeld says: “Schmoopie, Jackie Chiles and the Soup Nazi! My characters!”
Gasworth continues: “They’re my characters now, Mr. Seinfeld.
“Tell me, how does it feel when people steal your ideas and then do whatever they want with them?”
Responding with a quip against the the hit 90s sitcom, Seinfeld says: “You mean like Friends?”
Seinfeld aired for a run of nine seasons on NBC between 1989 and 1998, being famously described as a 'show about nothing'.
The sitcom followed the lives of a group of friends in their day to day lives, ending with them all in jail.
This was as opposed to Friends which took a slightly different tone in its storytelling, as well as how it ended.
The late Matthew Perry, who played Chandler, recalled how he had specifically requested the last line, which his co-stars had agreed to.
Friends also followed the lives of a group of, well, friends, but had more different plot threads to Seinfeld, as well as finishing on a more upbeat note than prison.
Now Jerry Seinfeld is set to release his new movie Unfrosted, which is a comedy about the creation of Pop-Tarts.
Seinfeld stars in the movie alongside an impressive cast including Hugh Grant, Melissa McCarthy, Max Greenfield, Amy Schumer, Peter Dinklage, Christian Slater, James Marsden, and Dan Levy.
Unfrosted is set to release on Netflix on May 3.
Kit Roberts