Gather around because we have a spicy story from Down Under. Over the weekend, comedian Jerry Seinfeld had quite the encounter with a pro-Palestinian protester during his comedy show in Melbourne, Australia. The incident went down at the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night, and Seinfeld's response was as sharp as ever.
As Seinfeld was performing, a group of protesters interrupted, accusing him of supporting “genocide.” Now, if you know Seinfeld, you know he’s quick on his feet. He greeted the protesters with a sarcastic, “Oh, you’re back. They’re back! I’ve missed you!” The crowd, loyal to their comedian, started booing the disruptors.
Seinfeld, in his classic style, continued to mock the protesters. “Oh, you’re not doing well. It’s so hard for you. Yes, listen, dude, listen, let me explain something, you and I are in the same business,” he said. He drew a comparison, noting that both he and the protesters aim to get people to see things their way. The problem, Seinfeld pointed out, was that the protesters were in the wrong place. “You hear how well I’m doing? This is what you want. You want to do well, like I am, looking at the people here to hear me, look at what happened to you.”
We’ve had enough and so has Jerry Seinfeld.
Jewish comedic king 👑pic.twitter.com/VMY1lEcatq
— Tamar Schwarzbard 🇮🇱 (@TSchwarzbard) June 23, 2024
He even offered a humorous analogy, saying that if he went to a sporting event and tried to perform his comedy routine, he’d be booed just like the protesters were. Seinfeld then delivered the zinger: “I think you need to go back and tell who’s ever running your organization, ‘We just gave more money to a Jew.’ That cannot be a good plan for you. That’s not what you want! That’s the whole problem! You got to come up with a better plan.”
This wasn’t the first time Seinfeld had to deal with such interruptions. Earlier this month, he faced anti-Semitic protesters during his show at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. With his usual wit, Seinfeld mocked the protesters who chanted the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as they were escorted out. “We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He’s solved the Middle East. He’s solved it!” Seinfeld quipped, earning cheers from the audience.
He didn’t stop there. As the heckler was being taken out, Seinfeld taunted, “Go ahead, keep going. They’re going to start punching you in about three seconds, so I would try and get all of your genius out so we can all learn from you.” And with one final punchline, he added, “It’s a comedy show, you moron! Get out of here.”
So there you have it, folks. Seinfeld once again showed that not only is he a master of comedy, but he also knows how to handle hecklers with finesse and humor. His sharp responses turned a potentially disruptive situation into another memorable moment for his fans.