Jerry Seinfeld misses the good old days of 'dominant masculinity': 'I like a real man'

"I've always wanted to be a real man. I never made it," the "Unfrosted" star and director says.

What’s the deal with men and the social order?

Jerry Seinfeld discussed his nostalgia for the 1960s, the decade of his childhood, and the setting of his directorial debut Unfrosted, in a new interview with Bari Weiss on her show Honestly.

“There's another element there that I think is the key element [of the ‘60s], and that is an agreed-upon hierarchy, which I think is absolutely vaporized in today's moment,” Seinfeld said. “I think that is why people lean on the horn and drive in the crazy way that they drive — because we have no sense of hierarchy and as humans we don't really feel comfortable like that.”

The comedian also lamented modern masculinity.

“The other thing is as a man, I've always wanted to be a real man,” he said. “I never made it, but I really thought when I was in that era — again, it was JFK, it was Muhammad Ali, it was Sean Connery, Howard Cosell, you can go all the way down there — that's a real man. I want to be like that someday.”

Related: Pro-Palestinian protestors interrupt Jerry Seinfeld show, escorted out by security

Seinfeld conceded that he never emulated those icons of manliness.

“I never really grew up,” he said. “You don't want to, as a comedian, because it's a childish pursuit. But I miss a dominant masculinity. Yeah, I get the toxic, I get it, I get it. But still, I like a real man.”

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The Bee Movie star went on to explain why he appreciates the competitive atmosphere of the comedy industry: “The rules of comedy are immutable and the ecosystem of comedy is the most — not the most, but one of the most self-correcting ecosystems. Comedy corrects itself."

"The only one that is way, way better would be the NFL," he continued. "If you don't belong in the NFL and you are in the NFL, how long does it take them to notice you really don't belong on that field? Fast, right? And comedy is slower, the wheels of justice grind slower, but they do turn. So same rules as always: the rules are either you're funny, or I'm not getting in my car to go see this.”

Related: Jerry Seinfeld apologizes to Howard Stern after insulting his 'comedy chops': 'It was bad and I’m sorry, Howie'

Unfrosted is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the full conversation between Seinfeld and Weiss above.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.