Duke protesters unfortunate to miss Jerry Seinfeld’s graduation message
In the strange world of college commencements in 2024 – those that have not been canceled – Jerry Seinfeld, known for his jokes about breakfast cereal and Superman, is deemed too controversial for some sensitive Duke University graduates.
This past Sunday, a small group walked out, yelling “Free Palestine” as the comedian was introduced as the commencement speaker.
Why? The only logical conclusion is that Seinfeld, aged 70, is Jewish and visited Israel to meet with families of victims taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Seinfeld’s stand-up comedy is notably apolitical.
He did not come on stage draped in an Israeli flag or use the country’s national anthem as his entrance music.
He did not represent Netanyahu or give a strong defense of Zionism or arguments against divestment.
Despite this, about 30 students could not bear to listen to an American Jew deliver a commencement address. They decided to make a statement by being disruptive (thus surpassing Christian Laettner as the most loathed Duke graduate).
However, the majority of the audience booed the protestors and chanted “Jer-ry! Jer-ry!” as he received an honorary degree and shared words of wisdom in his Seinlanguage.
He joked about AI and praised bees. Most importantly, he encouraged the young graduates to find humor and joke about things that might be sensitive.
“It’s alright to feel slightly uncomfortable with awkward humor. It’s not something you need to fix,” Seinfeld told the crowd.
Cheers for irreverence!
“Humor is the most powerful and essential quality you will ever have to navigate through life,” he stated.
For someone who created a show about nothing, Seinfeld delivered a speech about meaningful principles.
It’s a shame that the most serious members of the audience missed out on his advice by walking out.
Those students and their peers – striving to be social justice warriors in their North Face tents – are examples of absurdity in action.
At Princeton, protesters engaged in hunger strike relays, passing on the act of fasting. At Columbia, they tore their diplomas on stage. Across the country, they proudly wear N95 masks as they claim to be revolutionaries.
In a simpler time, this level of farce could have been a sitcom storyline. It’s truly “Seinfeld”ian.
The comedian, reportedly a billionaire, also touched upon the controversial topic of privilege, a concept that some view as an original sin. White privilege, rich privilege, cis privilege, yada yada yada.
“I would like to take a moment to defend it… I say, use your privilege,” Seinfeld added.
To a round of applause, he stated: “My point is, we are embarrassed about things we should be proud of and proud of things we should be embarrassed about.”
Imagine the privilege of having Seinfeld as your commencement speaker – and rejecting, mocking, and interrupting him because of his faith and differing ideologies.
Purity tests do not serve you well in the real world.
Oh, the places you will not go. Walking out will not be beneficial for future employment – a sphere where individuals often need to collaborate with those who hold differing views.
This group of would-be disruptors missed out on witnessing a great American creator uplift and humble them through shared humanity found in humor.
To quote Seinfeld’s sitcom alter ego: “That’s a shame.”
