King was one of those figures who it seemed was always elderly, but it’s unsettling the way that interviewees almost seemed to scold his occasional mental lapses. Danny Pudi had another moment like Seinfeld’s outburst that felt like a harsh reaction to an admittedly head-scratching remark from the great grandfather of broadcast television.
Seinfeld’s indignance over King’s uncertainty takes the cake as the most laughably uncomfortable moment of moral outrage over a questionable query from a broadcaster who hosted more than 50,000 interviews over seven decades of media dominance. Just watching the ticker scroll under the words “What’s the Buzz?” as Seinfeld semi-sarcastically asks King, “Do you know who I am?” makes this interview gaffe so unintentionally funny that it’s worth remembering on this sacred day of all days.
After King’s passing back in January, 2021, Seinfeld took to Twitter to reminisce about the television icon and clarify the famous moment of frustration, saying, “Always loved Larry King and will miss him. The ‘canceled’ bit was just me having fun with his little mistake. Nothing more. Or less. #ripLarry.”
Seinfeld has not yet tweeted about today’s anniversary, but he’s likely observing it privately with his family. It would be improper to bother him, so we’ll just buzz off and celebrate by ourselves.