What 'Unfrosted' reveals about Jerry Seinfeld — and Larry David

Far be it from me to be yet another critic to pile onto Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut, “Unfrosted.” Premiering on Netflix last Friday, it is an unfunny film about fictional efforts to bring the Pop-Tart to market in the 1960s. Your reaction to this premise surely is a good indication to your reaction towards the film itself.

But you’ve probably read heaps of negativity about the film elsewhere. Many critics don’t get into why it’s not funny: the one joke in the film’s hour-and a-half runtime is that the innocuous-seeming cereal industry is cutthroat and sinister. Which doesn’t seem like a joke.

Yes, there are goofy mascots and much of the products are geared towards kids, so there seems to be a humorous tension at work when corporate espionage and market fixing comes into play. But competition and a drive for money attracts bad actors in every industry. Why should cereal be so different? Once you ask that question, you should ask why this idea would be funny.

Look at me, piling onto this movie while getting away from my point. I want to talk about “Unfrosted” so I can talk about Larry David.

David and Seinfeld are linked in terms of television history. They created “Seinfeld” which, in addition to being wildly funny and successful, was one of the last shows to take advantage of the network-to-syndication pipeline that made producers tons of money before streaming ruined everything.

The two old-school comedians made hundreds of millions of dollars and cemented their legacy. Neither would have to do another day of work in their lives if they were so inclined.

What both men have done in the ensuing 26 years since the controversial (but fitting) conclusion to “Seinfeld” says a lot about how each has approached their craft. Seinfeld has continued touring as a stand-up, and hosts “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” a show that seems more geared towards Seinfeld showing off his car collection than his interviewing skills. Every once in a while he will come out with a project like the kids' flick “Bee Movie,” or “Unfrosted,” where he tries to stretch his muscles into a new venue — and is often met with indifference or hostility.

David, in the meantime, has cranked out seasons of his HBO show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” whenever he feels like it, playing a version of himself suffering the follies of the world around him. The improvised comedy recently aired its series finale, where people got online to discuss whether the show’s effectiveness proved David was the real talent behind “Seinfeld.” People on the Internet generally prefer David over Seinfeld because they are cynically grumpy and see themselves in David a bit more.

Why David has eclipsed Seinfeld in respect and popularity in some circles is the fact he has developed one character and one performance and honed it perfectly to the taste of more intellectual types. “Curb” has always seemed like a darker, uncensored version of “Seinfeld.” In the end, the show seems to revel in the fact.

Permanent housemate Leon Black (J.B. Smoove) remarking that Kramer “always busts through doors and never gives Jerry any space” is a good example. Or the fact that David all but remade the “Seinfeld” series finale with a slight twist that would make the ending more palpable to audiences. (He was right.)

Through “Curb,” David created a mocking persona of himself. A rich guy who’s always miserable and never satisfied. A liberal who does good things for the wrong reasons. A misanthrope who surrounds himself with people who find everything to hate about him.

David embraces his privilege and status, but always undercuts it with a shrug and a suggestion that, despite the trappings, he is still a schmuck who can’t cut a break. David becomes a populist by making his wealth and success a punching bag as much as it is a punchline.

Seinfeld, despite the fleet of exotic cars he uses to purchase coffee with his comedian buddies, still spools out his precise, exacting observations on everyday life like he’s a middle-class comedian. Seinfeld makes jokes about flying coach. When was the last time you think Seinfeld flew anything other than a private jet? Not the jokes of a billionaire, jokes that now feel like he’s mocking the audience.

Cereal is funny; it’s a food you can eat and drink. Pop-Tarts are funny because they must be pumped full of so many chemicals they cannot be remotely good for you. These feel like the observations of an average guy, not someone who has a dietician on staff. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the dude looks great for pushing 70.

Point is, Seinfeld has changed but his humor is stuck. Watching a film about the creation of the Pop-Tart, believe it or not, reveals a great deal about just how much has changed. Who are the villains in “Unfrosted”? The milkman union. The mascots who want to organize. Working people seeking power at the workplace are the evil forces to a guy like Seinfeld.

In fact, the mascot protest is shot to resemble the Capitol insurgence on Jan. 6, 2021. You might need to read that again. It is, uh, interesting to think of Seinfeld conflating the desire for higher wages with the overthrow of the government. It’s even more strangely archconservative when you see Hugh Grant wearing a Tony the Tiger costume designed to look like the QAnon Shaman. Again, scan that sentence once more if needed.

Jerry Seinfeld, no matter how hard he tries, is no longer the Everyman comic. He can’t conceal his contempt for the world of the average working stiff, even if the jokes feel harmless. Larry David has embraced that contempt and milked it for laughs. By being true to who he is, it seems David has proven not necessarily to be the funnier of the two, but the most evolved.

Seinfeld is still a legend. He can construct a joke as well as anyone. He just needs to embrace his reality. Maybe make some movies with more heft than ”Unfrosted” while he’s at it.

James Owen is the Tribune’s film columnist. In real life, he is a lawyer and executive director of energy policy group Renew Missouri. A graduate of Drury University and the University of Kansas, he created Filmsnobs.com, where he co-hosts a podcast. He enjoyed an extended stint as an on-air film critic for KY3, the NBC affiliate in Springfield, and now regularly guests on Columbia radio station KFRU.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What 'Unfrosted' reveals about Jerry Seinfeld — and Larry David