# Seinfeld or Friends? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2019, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204 "2019-08-25T07:43:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/81 "2019-09-03T15:25:19Z")
Prior to Seinfeld, most “Friends” shows were set in schools. Seinfeld was one of the first to show working single people as their main characters. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/82 "2019-09-03T15:45:29Z")
Seinfeld, most definitely. I also did like Friends (and watched it up until the whole Ross running out of the wedding with the Scottish woman), but it just wasn’t nearly as good. Seinfeld is my favorite comedy show of all time. Friends is an above average show to me. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/83 "2019-09-03T15:49:49Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Ross running out of the wedding with the Scottish woman The what now? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/84 "2019-09-03T16:16:21Z")
Irish? The woman with the accent. Where Chandler and Monica first ended up in bed together. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/85 "2019-09-03T16:35:58Z")
Ross married an English woman named Emily. Is that what you’re talking about? He didn’t “run out” of the wedding. He went through with it, after an unfortunate choice of words – [Friends Ross and Emily's Wedding II - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bToiIihknvs) ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/86 "2019-09-03T16:52:23Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I’ve never actually understood the love for Seinfeld, it had just as many sitcom tropes (crazy characters, catchphrases etc.) as every other show, yet somehow it’s just vastly different. I always attributed it to that stuck-up better-than-yous watched Seinfeld (this board of course excluded :p), your average Joe watches Friends. When Seinfeld was a current show I could count the number of people I knew in real life who liked it on the thumbs of one hand. Everyone else I knew either hated it or had never seen it and had no opinion. But the one guy? Was nuts about the show. Would…not…shut…up about it, which made the rest of us hate it even more. Funny thing was this buy was a devout member of a King James only, no one behind the pulpit not wearing a suit and tie (meaning no women), independent Baptist church. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/87 "2019-09-03T17:38:51Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Ditto! I’ve seen between a dozen and two dozen episodes of Friends, but probably only half a dozen of Seinfeld that I was able to get all the way through because they characters are just such awful people. How is it going otherwise, in life, outside of sitcoms? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/88 "2019-09-03T17:50:40Z")
Seinfeld is about nothing. THis is an insult to people who take the time to watch it. The characters are bad people. This is a bad omen for society and that cannot be funny. I simply cannot laugh at them. There are too many “clever” things in it for it’s own good. it doesn’t have common sense. Some episodes you have to “think about.” Too many laughs in a show is not good for the digestion. Yeah for Friends!! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/89 "2019-09-03T17:54:20Z")
Have you considered posting that review on Amazon? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/90 "2019-09-03T18:38:14Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Ross married an English woman named Emily. Is that what you’re talking about? He didn’t “run out” of the wedding. He went through with it, after an unfortunate choice of words – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bToiIihknvs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bToiIihknvs) It tells you how much I remember of Friends. I just remember it didn’t work out and he ended back with Rachel (eventually?) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/91 "2019-09-04T02:05:39Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Prior to Seinfeld, most “Friends” shows were set in schools. Seinfeld was one of the first to show working single people as their main characters. First, that’s an insult to the memory of _Mary Tyler Moore_ and _Cheers_. Second, how often did you see the characters from Seinfeld actually working at any job? Yes, Elaine had J. Peterman, and George was occasionally shown at various offices. But outside of an opening monologue, Jerry was rarely shown doing standup - much less sitting down and preparing his act - and Kramer was famous for having no visible means of support. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/92 "2019-09-04T03:49:55Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > First, that’s an insult to the memory of _Mary Tyler Moore_ and _Cheers_. > > Second, how often did you see the characters from Seinfeld actually working at any job? Yes, Elaine had J. Peterman, and George was occasionally shown at various offices. But outside of an opening monologue, Jerry was rarely shown doing standup - much less sitting down and preparing his act - and Kramer was famous for having no visible means of support. I’ve always thought Kramer was living on some kind of disability pay from his time in the Army. I think he suffered brain and neural damage from exposure to chemicals or psychological experiments. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/93 "2019-09-04T03:52:35Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > … and Kramer was famous for having no visible means of support. Hell, he was proud of having no visible means of support. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/94 "2019-09-04T16:30:23Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > First, that’s an insult to the memory of _Mary Tyler Moore_ and _Cheers_. > > Second, how often did you see the characters from Seinfeld actually working at any job? Yes, Elaine had J. Peterman, and George was occasionally shown at various offices. But outside of an opening monologue, Jerry was rarely shown doing standup - much less sitting down and preparing his act - and Kramer was famous for having no visible means of support. Both of those were workplace comedies, like Dick Van Dyke, Bilko, and lots of others. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/95 "2019-09-04T16:46:52Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Both of those were workplace comedies, like Dick Van Dyke, Bilko, and lots of others. MTM show was hybrid of friends and workplace, especially the first 3 years with Rhoda & Phyllis. After they left the show it was more workplace oriented. I agree Cheers is not quite the same. **The Odd Couple** was a sitcom about friends long before Friends. It was also great. ( I mean the classic Jack Klugman & Tony Randall version) Did we mention Laverne & Shirley as an early Friends sitcom? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/96 "2019-09-05T16:55:41Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > MTM show was hybrid of friends and workplace, especially the first 3 years with Rhoda & Phyllis. After they left the show it was more workplace oriented. > > I agree Cheers is not quite the same. > > **The Odd Couple** was a sitcom about friends long before Friends. It was also great. ( I mean the classic Jack Klugman & Tony Randall version) > > Did we mention Laverne & Shirley as an early Friends sitcom? Dobie Gillis was too I suppose. The Odd Couple was a very specific thing, like the ultimate “situation” comedy. Everyone else had to play into that dynamic concept, and were pretty much extras to the idea of the fussbudget and the slob. Laverne and Shirley was a spinoff, and a period show about rock and roll days too. It’s also about a pair of buddies, like the odd couple, where the others are contributing to the friendship of the two main characters. Maybe you need more than two to be a friends type show? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/97 "2019-09-05T18:00:42Z")
When I was talking about friends type shows, I should have specified that I was only talking about that late 80s/early 90s spike. Duh, there were shows about friends before. Should have been clearer. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/98 "2019-09-05T18:59:01Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Second, how often did you see the characters from Seinfeld actually working at any job? Yes, Elaine had J. Peterman, and George was occasionally shown at various offices. But outside of an opening monologue, Jerry was rarely shown doing standup - much less sitting down and preparing his act - and Kramer was famous for having no visible means of support. Well Kramer was on strike (NO BAGEL, NO BAGEL!) 😉 George and Elaine were seen at work quite a bit (more George because he had the nutty bosses - but it wasn’t like George was actually doing much at work). Jerry was definitely seen more complaining about stuff that happened during his act or talking about it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/99 "2019-09-05T19:27:52Z")
Everybody on _Friends_ was a truly rotten human being. So was everybody on _Seinfeld_, but at least the show acknowledged that fact. Advantage: _Spongebob_. ---
**Author:** ![Annoying\_Buzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Annoying\_Buzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoying_Buzz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204/100 "2019-09-06T01:05:35Z")
Seinfeld. They were all horrible people, but the cast of Seinfeld were intentionally horrible people, rather than horrible through bad writing. It may affect my viewpoint that I only saw the 1st season of Friends when it was released, and watched later episodes much further after. (and no, I hadn’t read the comment from \*\*silenus \*\*right before mine!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seinfeld-or-friends/839204.md?page=4)