Any comedian worth his salt will know a thing or two about negotiating a tough crowd. For most performers, getting booed is a nightmare. For most comedians, not getting laughs is equally as negative.
Yet perhaps few will have endured what TV legend Jerry Seinfeld had to back in May when he faced an irrefutably icy reception at Duke University.
The comedian and actor, at Duke to receive an honorary degree, had been vocal about his support for Israel beforehand (in light of the ongoing conflict), and his presence was enough to rub some students the wrong way.
In fact, so disgruntled were some of them that they staged a walkout while Seinfeld was on stage, leaving the 70-year-old looking on with a tense smile.
Dozens of students reportedly took part in the walkout, chanting “Free, free Palestine.” Others in the crowd jeered as the protesters made their way out, while Seinfeld waited for them to leave before approaching the mic to remark: “Thank you. Oh my God, what a beautiful day.”
The TV legend, who shot to superstardom through the classic Seinfeld TV series, took a cautious approach to his commencement speech. Instead of attempting to challenge the protests against his appearance, he ran with a comedic script well-seasoned with life advice.
“A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” he said, after pledging to “defend” the concept of privilege.
“I say, use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian.”
Seinfeld has continued to be a vocal supporter of Israel since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2024 and all throughout the duration of the war in Gaza.
In a statement to CBS News, Duke University’s vice president for communications, Frank Tramble, said following the protests:
“We understand the depth of feeling in our community, and as we have all year, we respect the right of everyone at Duke to express their views peacefully, without preventing graduates and their families from celebrating their achievement.”