During a recent interview on the “Fly on the Wall” podcast, Jerry Seinfeld shared that he wanted Chris Rock to parody the infamous Oscars slap in his feature directorial debut “Unfrosted.” Seinfeld had originally envisioned Rock in a role for a scene in the movie where Rock would punch someone out at an awards show, similar to the Oscars slap incident. However, Rock was allegedly still feeling shaken from the slap and was not up to perform in the movie, so Cedric the Entertainer ended up taking on the role instead.
“Unfrosted” is loosely based on the true story of the creation of Pop-Tarts, set in 1963, and follows the rivalry between Kellogg’s and Post as they compete to have the breakfast pastry hit the market first. The film stars Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant, and Amy Schumer. At the beginning of the movie, Cedric the Entertainer appears as an awards host for the Bowl & Spoon Awards, which honor the best in breakfast. Originally, Seinfeld had wanted Rock to play the role and feature a moment that parodied the Oscars slap, but it did not come to fruition.
Seinfeld explained on the podcast that Rock was not in the right frame of mind to perform soon after the 2022 Oscars incident where Will Smith slapped him. Smith had issued an apology and resigned from the Academy amid backlash over the slap, leading to a 10-year ban from the Oscars. Rock largely kept a low profile following the incident, and Seinfeld acknowledged that the moment was still too fresh and dark for the parody to land as intended. Despite Seinfeld’s playful commentary regarding attracting residual darkness, he admitted that the idea might not have worked in real life.
During the podcast discussion, Seinfeld asked Dana Carvey and David Spade if they thought Rock parodying the Oscars slap would have been funny. Carvey suggested that it could have been humorous without the context of the Will Smith incident, but the dark connotations surrounding the slap may have made the parody difficult to execute successfully. Regardless, Seinfeld expressed his admiration for Cedric the Entertainer’s performance in the film and his ability to step in and save the scene where Rock was originally intended to appear. Ultimately, the idea of Rock parodying the Oscars slap in “Unfrosted” did not come to fruition, but Seinfeld appreciated the alternative interpretation by Cedric the Entertainer.
The conversation around Rock’s potential participation in the parody highlights the delicate balance between comedy and real-life events, especially in the aftermath of a high-profile incident like the Oscars slap. Seinfeld’s desire to incorporate humor into the film reflects his comedic sensibilities, but the timing and sensitivity surrounding the event ultimately led to a different creative direction for the scene in “Unfrosted.” Despite the missed opportunity, Seinfeld’s film still garnered attention and featured a strong ensemble cast that brought the story of the creation of Pop-Tarts to life on screen.
