A large number of students walked out of Duke University’s commencement ceremony on Sunday in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza while university spokesman Jerry Seinfeld was scheduled to deliver a speech.
Videos posted on social media — but deleted from the university’s livestream — showed students walking out as Duke President Vincent Price introduced the comedian, who received an honorary doctorate. The other students burst into double jeers and chants of “Jerry!”
Seinfeld’s speech largely steered clear of his recent public spats, focusing instead on jokes surrounding students, artificial intelligence, and his honorary degree. However, speaking about the idea of the franchise, he made a special reference to his heritage to loud cheers.
“I grew up a Jewish boy from New York,” Seinfeld said. “That’s a privilege if you want to be a comedian.”
Seinfeld has been uncharacteristically courting controversy in recent weeks since his film debuted on Netflix Not frozen. he claimed to The New Yorker Last month, the “far-left and PC crap” killed comedy on TV, although many more comedies have aired on TV since the last example cited –Everyone in the family– It was last broadcast in 1979. While right-wing commentators like Elon Musk and Sean Hannity praised his commentary, comedians and television critics praised his comments. It is considered to be a great deal them out of contact.
His public comments on the Israeli war in Gaza have also caused conflict due to their ambiguity, especially for a traditionally apolitical comedian who is strongly opposed to addressing important topics. Seinfeld has it Repeatedly to publish He has spoken publicly since the October 7 attack about his support for Israel, and traveled to a kibbutz in December to meet hostage families and discuss how he was forced to seek shelter during a rocket attack. His wife, Jessica, has also publicly confirmed that she funded pro-Israel counter-protests on college campuses.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to reflect the date on which Everyone in the family Last aired.
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