The Hilarious Seinfeld Scene Where Kramer Gets Coated in Butter and Looks Like a Roasted Turkey

One of the most iconic and beloved scenes in the hit 90s sitcom Seinfeld is when Kramer accidentally gets butter burnt into his skin, making him look just like a cooked turkey! This silly plotline from the season 9 episode “The Butter Shave” is a perfect example of the offbeat humor that made Seinfeld so legendary. Let’s take a look back at the buttered Kramer turkey scene and why it remains so memorable and hilarious.

Kramer Discovers Shaving with Butter

The butter turkey scene stems from Kramer’s odd habit of shaving with butter rather than shaving cream. He finds that spreading butter all over his face makes for a smoother, closer shave. Kramer takes his new butter shaving routine even further though slathering his entire body in butter to make his skin incredibly soft and smooth.

While eccentric behavior like this was typical for the quirky Cosmo Kramer character, played masterfully by Michael Richards, the butter shaving was setting up for even more absurdity to come.

Basting Himself in the Sun

After lubricating himself in butter one day Kramer decides to lay outside in the sun, thinking the heat will further nourish his skin. He falls asleep while tanning and the sun’s rays end up cooking the butter into his flesh!

The smell of Kramer’s melted butter skin attracts his hungry neighbor Newman. When Jerry and George find Kramer, he looks just like a big roasted turkey with the butter perfectly caramelized onto his body. The visual gag of comparing Kramer to a cooked turkey is pure comedic gold.

Getting Chased by Newman

The hilarity ramps up even further when buttered-up Kramer goes backstage at a TV show taping. His roasted turkey aroma entices Newman to try and actually eat him! A frightened Kramer frantically flees from the ravenous Newman. This game of cat and mouse runs onstage, interrupting Jerry’s standup set much to his annoyance.

Seeing Kramer’s turkey-like appearance and his madcap chase from Newman, the studio audience finds it hilarious, thinking it’s part of the act. The absurdity of the situation typifies the off-the-wall humor that Seinfeld did so well.

An Iconic Physical Comedy Scene

The premise of Kramer tanning in butter culminating in him being mistaken for an enticing roasted turkey is utterly ridiculous. But Michael Richards’ brilliant physical comedy elevates the goofy scenario into a side-splittingly funny sequence.

Richards’ wild-eyed panic as he scrambles to escape Newman is a masterclass in physical humor. His turkey mannerisms like pecking his head are expertly cartoonish. The scene is regarded among the best of Richards’ many memorable physical comedy moments throughout Seinfeld’s run.

The Turkey Visual Lives on

The visual of “Turkey Kramer” is so iconic that it lives on in Seinfeld pop culture. The scene is frequently highlighted in retrospectives on Seinfeld’s best comedic moments. Images of Michael Richards as a buttered-up turkey Kramer are also widespread across the internet and often used as memes.

The Butter Shave episode itself is classic Seinfeld through and through. But Kramer as a hilariously frightened human turkey being chased by hungry Newman is one of the most legendary scenes in Seinfeld history. It remains a beloved highlight among the show’s many memorable moments.