Do you guys regularly accept hugs from strangers and acquaintances? I do, but I sometimes dislike it. I don’t like people I don’t or barely know hugging me unless they ask first. I will accept a hug out of politeness, although it can be uncomfortable. That’s especially true after my son got lice at school, I’m always thinking about that. I also think it’s a regional thing, and that people from different areas don’t hug as much as others. Plus hugs can seem creepy from some men.
That’s all preface to this story of Kesha approaching comedian Jerry Seinfeld on the red carpet and getting turned down three times for a hug. She asked him, he said “no thanks” and backed away, and then she tried twice more asking “please” and “a little one” and Seinfeld just kept saying “no thanks.” I think she honestly didn’t understand that he wasn’t up for a hug, but most people would have backed off the first or second time. You can watch the video above.
Seinfeld laughed and told the reporter “I don’t know who that was.”
“That was Kesha.”
“Oh ok, well I wish her the best.”
Seinfeld can be a real ass, but I don’t blame him for this at all. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a celebrity and to get approached all the time. Famous people have boundaries and they protect them, that’s understandable and he was completely nice to her. She’s just a hugger.
Kesha and Seinfeld were on the red carpet at at National Night of Laughter and Song, with proceeds to benefit the David Lynch Foundation. Kesha wasn’t rebuffed by everyone she approached for a hug that night. Ben Folds obliged and looked very happy to meet her, assuming this was the first time they met. This is cute she obviously loves Ben Folds. The two performed together at the show.
In related news about Seinfeld, he sort-of defended Kathy Griffin’s Trump head stunt (which was really Tyler Posey’s stunt that Kathy posed for) by calling it a bad joke. He said “It was another bad joke. Every comedian tells bad jokes. We all do it. That’s how we find the good jokes. So someone told a bad joke — so what, I don’t understand the big deal.” I feel like this about writing. Sometimes we write things we regret. There are unforgivable things we can write or joke about, but I don’t think this was one of those things.
photos credit: Getty
Yeah, I’m like that too. Unless you’re close family and friends, back off.
I think Seinfeld is kind of an aZZ, but I’m with him on this.
people have boundaries and personal space and you don’t F with that.
if this were a man who had asked a woman that didn’t know him for a hug, three times?…we’d all be talking about how creepy and “male-privilege” it was.
EXACTLY!!! I’m a picky hugger, and I despise hugging smokers. Sure enough, they always seem to want to hug me 🙁 If a guy hounded a woman for a hug, we’d be trashing his pervy ways.
He is also a germaphobe. No one is under any obligation to hug someone if they do not wish to. She should have stopped asking after the first time.
With complete strangers random hugs would be a no for me . With friends and acquaintances sometimes I get little paranoid thoughts about “But I just exercised/ got hot and sweaty/ might smell like that strong, gross meal I just ate and want to keep my distance!” but other than that, it’s usually not a problem. Celebrities/public figures of both sexes who have been famous for several years would probably have their guard up about that sort of thing even more than regular people (for good reasons) unless they’re naturally just very huggy people.
When did hugging become the de facto handshake in this country?
I hope Kesha’s okay. She looks kind of dead-eyed in those pictures.
I agree, and I wonder if she’s medicated. she’s been through a lot in the past couple of years.
Well that was awkward to watch. And yeah, I don’t think anyone is required to hug someone if they don’t want to. Jerry might not be very nice but he’s in the right here.
I feel bad for her because of all she has been through, but asking a stranger to push their body against yours is a risk. You have to be able to take no for an answer if you are going to ask. She opened herself up for rejection. I don’t blame him for saying no.
Yeah. Jerry didn’t do anything wrong. I cannot stand people who cannot take NO for an answer. She asked him once, he said no. She said have stopped there.
Same here. Why would she feel the need to have full body contact with someone she has never met before, and then be so pushy about it? Ugh.
Seems to be her thing. Here she licks the face of Slash:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zOABrt9uQ0&feature=youtu.be
ITA. Who even wants to hug someone after they fist said no? Needy much, Kesha?
Right and its not like she is on Swift’s level of fame or Beyonce or even Katy Perry for that matter. Seems he really didnt know who she is…maybe thought she was some random. Ouch.
Very “Larry David” of Jerry. I think Jerry is probably an ass but this made me like him a little bit.
I expect him to defend Kathy more firmly than this. I am astonished by how all the male comedians who are constantly going on about how any joke is acceptable and how PC culture must be stopped have piled in on Kathy. I just saw Joe Rogan ranting about how she deserves what she gets even though HE is known to use transphobic slurs and sexist and racist jokes.
Joe Rogan is a woman-hating pr*ck.
you could tell by the way he relished any woman contestant feeling uncomfortable on that Fear Factor show he hosted. it was almost like he got off (sexually) when a woman was uncomfortable/scared to the point of tears.
+1 My husband was playing his special on Netflix and it was awful. Basically shouting louder than Sam Kinison but with less hair. And more chauvinism.
I agree with JustJen–Rogan’s Netflix special was just him being the loud dude-bro at the local bar. I have no problem with controversial humor but balance it out with some self-deprecation or “men are also annoying, etc,.”. Comedian and feminist, Greg Proops defended Kathy on his podcast and made some good points regarding comedy in general.
Comedian or not, pretty much ANYONE who ever defends people’s right to not be fired, judged, or criticized for ‘political incorrectness’ but then turns around and condemns Kathy Griffin or implies that she ‘deserves what she gets’ is a hypocrite.Some of the same people up in arms about what she did have in the past defended people’s right to be homophobic and support conversion therapy, defended people’s right to be a Neo-Nazi without being treated ‘harshly’ or ‘impolitely’, and defended people’s right to be active Trump-Supporters. (Not much difference between those three in the long-run).
Same. I don’t know why Seinfeld is considered to be mean but I cannot fault him for this.
I have no idea how anyone could possibly think Jerry Seinfeld was a hugger. That video gave me secondhand embarrassment for Kesha, but he had the right to say no.
Right?! Any fan who watched his show knows he’s not a hugger…
It’s like she’s never seen his show! All I can think of is when his character cried and was so confused by it that he said, “What is this salty discharge?” That is not a guy who is going to hug anyone.
Hahaha…Serenity Now! “This is horrible. I care!” Not the usual words of a hugger, lol.
OMG KMG…THIS EPISODE IS ON RIGHT NOW ON PEACHTREE!!! lol 😂 I had to come back to write this!! Odd coincidence!!!
I mean if you’re really a Jerry Seinfeld fan why would you expect him of all people to hug you???
Precisely. I can’t imagine him hugging his own kids!
Heard that Jerry Steinfield isn’t the nicest guy but when it comes to strangers and hugs, I like my own personal space. Also when people can’t take “no” for an answer, I hate how guilty others make me for saying no
Agree. I’m not a fan of him but there wasn’t anything wrong with what he did here.
I had a female doctor once who from the first visit hugged me. It made me really uncomfortable and eventually I switched doctors.
Oh my….I am a serial hugger unfortunately, always want to hug when greeting. These days I have to consciously check myself and restrain myself in most instances to not hug someone (mostly friends or acquaintances as I dont hug strangers)
Because of my profession a lot of people ask to hug. Honestly I sometimes can’t stand it because I feel rude to say no and there’s a power differential there in that if I’m rude I lose clients. That’s not to say I dislike hugging exactly but sometimes people need to chill.
Kesha, more than anyone, should know that no means no.
This! Watching that made me think she is sad and needy with no sense of boundaries or self awareness. She gives me a yuck feeling here.
This exactly! I came here to say the same thing.
I feel bad for Kesha because how embarrassing but I don’t liked being hugged, especially by men that are strangers or aquantiences. I literally stopped going to church because people brushed off my hand shakes and forced hugs on me. Maybe that makes me a bitch but I don’t want your body pressed against my body if I don’t know you.
I don’t blame you. I hated being the one who had to educate my daughter on the downside of boys wanting hugs- sure, it can be comforting but there’s a percentage that just want to press themselves against your chest. The jaw drop from her.. oh man.
I haven’t gone there with my daughter yet 😑.
I’m sure it’s a small percentage and most of the hugs just come from “it’s just a thing people do” but I’m not a fan!
I don’t mind hugs, but a stranger trying to hug me would be very uncomfortable. After he turned down the first hug, she should have just walked away. Three times of being told “no” would be embarassing, even worse if there were cameras
With the exception of my kids and my husband (or under rare circumstances such as weddings and funerals, etc), I am not a hugger. Period. To me, there’s something really disingenuous about a stranger (or even acquaintance) hugging me.
It is sad to see how much work she has gotten. Even on her Instagram, her face looks so much older and much different than when she came out. And not in the aging way but the “too much fillers” way. I think she has some deep self esteem issues so I feel bad for her.
.. there are also people who want every photo-op they can get. im glad she was having a good time that night, that’s probably all it was about, but she looks like a crazy w/ that wig & he didn’t know who the heck she was and she probably wanted a hug AND a photo-op.
Lmao. Girl, some people are germaphobs or just flat out don’t like being touched. Aww. Kesha is such hugger.
That was rude of Kesha not to back off after he turned her down the first time. He handled it well.
Well I make no apologies, I love hugging people. If you’re a stranger, so what! We don’t have enough tactile contact. People need to get over themselves. It makes us closer and feel better. What is wrong with that. Germs, smokers….meh, we’re all human and the world would be better if we hugged more. My dad was the best, big bear hugs!
There is nothing wrong with hugs, and you are right, the world WOULD be better if we hugged more but you have to respect other people’s personal boundaries or that physical contact becomes an assault.
Do you think I go round hugging random people? Anyways, pretty much 80% of posters….maybe more, do not like hugging……any ideas? Anyone anyone.
I guess Kesha never saw the Seinfeld episode where Jerry becomes a pariah in his building because he refuses to hug and cheek peck his neighbors.
Kesha and Bed Folds are close friends. He has been publicly supportive of her throughout her ongoing legal battles, and they have performed together (performances which are well worth a watch if you like either of their music–it’s good stuff!).
When you say “Tyler Posey’s stunt” do you mean Tyler Shields? He was the photog, and Tyler Posey is mostly known for being cute in that j-lo movie a million years ago and wooden as a post on teen wolf.
I don’t like hugging or kissing even acquaintances, but that’s a very common way to greet in Mexico. A friend once told me I was very rude and I needed to improve my social skills. I’m not considered myself a disrespectful person, I simply was raised to respect my and other’s personal space …and be a little more careful with men. I have a coworker that kissed me on the cheek every morning, but then I noticed he was slowly trying to kiss my lips, so no more hugging and kissing.