Jerry Seinfeld takes a jab at 'Friends' in new video for his Pop-Tarts movie
The (fictional) president of Pop-Tarts wants a word with Jerry Seinfeld.
The former “Seinfeld” star reunites with several of the sitcom’s classic characters in a hilarious new promo teasing Seinfeld’s upcoming movie “Unfrosted,” which premieres May 3 on Netflix.
The comedy, which Seinfeld also wrote and directed, tells the (fictional) origin story of how Pop-Tarts were invented in the early 1960s as breakfast food rivals Kellogg’s and Post raced to develop a morning pastry breakfast food.
The new promo, released April 29, begins with a note to viewers explaining how Seinfeld “referenced 221 trademarked breakfasts” without permission or legal clearance when he shot “Unfrosted.”
It then shows the Emmy winner entering a meeting with Kelman P. Gasworth, the (fictional) president of Pop-Tarts inside “Pop-Tarts HQ” in Battle Creek, Michigan, where both Kellogg’s and Post were once located.
“It’s my understanding that you neither sought nor received permission to use our product in your movie,” Gasworth tells Seinfeld, who's seen munching on a Pop-Tart.
Someone costumed as a Pop-Tarts mascot named Tarty is also in the conference room, along with a few other company officials.
“Are you familiar with the concept of trademark infringement?” Gasworth asks, adding, “You see Mr. Seinfeld, you took something of ours, and now we’re going to take something of yours. Show him, Tarty.”
That’s when Tarty lifts a veil from a large glass box to reveal “Seinfeld” characters Schmoopie, Jackie Chiles and the Soup Nazi, portrayed by original actors Ali Wentworth, Phil Morris and Larry Thomas.
“Schmoopie, Jackie Chiles and the Soup Nazi! My characters!” Seinfeld says in response.
“They’re my characters now, Mr. Seinfeld,” responds Gasworth. “Tell me, how does it feel when people steal your ideas and then do whatever they want with them?”
“You mean like ‘Friends’?” jokes Seinfeld, his mouth full of the pastry, as he takes a jab at the popular sitcom also about friends living in New York.
Gasworth then reveals the first of Pop-Tart's vengeful tit for tats: a video screen airing a trailer for the company's new series: “People in Pontiacs Eating Pop-Tarts,” a rip-off of Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.”
The promo concludes with Seinfeld explaining he needs to cut the meeting short in order to perform at a stand-up comedy show.
Gasworth responds by telling Seinfeld he will be the funny guy from now on. The camera then flashes to Gasworth onstage at a comedy club where he bombs with a joke about Frankenstein wearing a sport jacket.
The new promo comes just a month after the release of the first full-length trailer for “Unfrosted.” The star-studded clip gave viewers a sugar-frosted taste of the movie’s madcap vibe.
Seinfeld plays an employee of Kellogg’s in the film, which also stars Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater, Bill Burr, Daniel Levy, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan, Adrian Martinez, Sarah Cooper and Fred Armisen.
Kellogg’s was not involved with the making of the movie, as Seinfeld has pointed out in interviews. In fact, the comedian told Netflix on March 28 that while "Unfrosted" is loosely based on the real race between Kellogg's and Post to develop a breakfast food pastry, most of the events seen in the movie are completely made up.
“This really did happen in Battle Creek, Michigan, where Kellogg’s and Post were located, and they did compete to come up with this product,” said Seinfeld. “But the rest of it is complete lunacy.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com