Seinfeld: Ten Years Later

[elelle]

I’ll vote for funny, and still funny with repeated viewing.

I never saw Seinfeld during it’s regular run, just wasn’t watching much TV during the 90’s. Totally missed the buzz and buildup. I started watching it in syndicated reruns, and really love it, try to see it every day, for the past decade. So, now pretty caught up on the whole run, and have seen several episodes multiple times, and, it never gets old for me.

The best comparison of why that works so well is with Warner Brothers cartoons vs, say, Disney cartoons. Warner Bros characters; Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, etc, make you laugh because they are flawed, rather selfish, and a mess, but not malicious. The artistry was designing wild plots that let those characters loose, brilliant voicing/diverse accents, and smart cultural references. Basic human foibles, put in a way you can laugh at them, knowing full well that there’s a at least bit of that in you, too. I can watch old Warner Bros. cartoons over and over, loving them, where old Disney cartoons are brilliant in animation, but lacking in the great quirks and smirks of astute writing.

Seinfeld does the same thing for me. The characters aren’t meant to draw you in sympathetically, as a drama, but to show modern life as being great habitat for lesser human qualities. It’s a nice release to laugh at it. The characters amplify petty foibles, and, that’s always funny to me. I really admire the writer’s/cast ability to develop multiple story threads, and tie them all up by the end. Hasn’t gotten old at all here.

The Pick
Elaine (to George, as she pulls his head to her chest): You want a Christmas card? You want a Christmas card? Here’s your Christmas card!!!

[lissener]

@woodstockbirdybird

Actually, it doesn’t.

Actually, it does.

[elelle]

I don’t think anyone is arguing that it didn’t have scattered funny lines. That’s certainly not the angle from which I’m criticizing it. Not to say that arguments or evidence is a valid approach of discussion in these kinds of things; only that the evidence you’re providing wouldn’t even be a valid response if they were.

It doesn’t make it more problematic. It makes it more ridiculous.

lOriginally Posted by woodstockbirdybird
Actually, it doesn’t.
Actually, it does.

You know, what’s bizzaro weird here is that these are exactly the type of lines written for the Jerry Seinfeld character in the series, to show that he is the “sane one” in the midst of the cacophany around him.

Kramer: ( Flailing hands…) Good luck with that, Buddy!

[Polerius]

Seinfeld is a classic.

**1) So many phrases have entered popular culture.
**
I won’t repeat them. They have already been mentioned in this thread.

2) Great ensemble of main characters
Individually, not so funny. I would not want to watch a sitcom only with Elaine or only with George, for example, but the ensemble worked perfectly. I think this is one of the ingredients that make a great show. Somehow the ensemble of characters just works.

Think of Frasier for example. Even though he was extremely funny, a show with only Niles would not work. Or only Frasier. But somehow, the ensemble: Frasier, Niles, Daphne, Marty works.

3) An unbelievable set of side characters, unmatched by any other show I’ve seen.
From Peterman, to Newman, to Mr Pit, to Kramer’s lawyer, etc, these characters were so well written and cast that they are a huge part of what made the show. And I can’t recall any other show on TV that has had such successful side characters, with real staying power. People still remember them. About how many shows can you say that?

Even the mighty Frasier, which is also a great comedy, didn’t have as many memorable side characters. It worked mainly due to the main characters.
Finally, even though the following two points are not part of what makes Seinfeld a classic, they are a large part of what made it funny

1. I enjoyed the show’s mantra of “no hugging, no learning”. Other sitcoms tend to have sappy moments. Seinfeld never had them and I liked that. I’m watching a comedy, I want to laugh, I don’t want to see sappy or difficult moments.

2. Some of the best episodes had brilliantly interwoven stories for the main characters, and they would have some refreshingly bizarre storylines (manzier, soup Nazi, etc). Of course not all episodes worked. Sometimes the story got so bizarre that it crossed some threshold into the unfunny (e.g. low-flow shower heads and how your hair looks because of it). But, if you want to fly close to the thin line that defines brilliance, you have to accept that some attempts might not work as well.

[bouv]

@Polerius

3) An unbelievable set of side characters, unmatched by any other show I’ve seen.
From Peterman, to Newman, to Mr Pit, to Kramer’s lawyer, etc, these characters were so well written and cast that they are a huge part of what made the show. And I can’t recall any other show on TV that has had such successful side characters, with real staying power. People still remember them. About how many shows can you say that?

The only show that comes close, or ever surpasses Seinfeld, when it comes to ancillary characters is The Simpsons.

[Annie-Xmas]

@Cubsfan

Frank Stiller has only one character, George Costanza / Carry Hefernans dad.

Thank god I love that character. He cracks me up every time I see him. He’s so nuts I just love it.

On TV’s funniest characters last night, TV’s #1 funniest father was Frank Costanza.

In this area Seinfeld and King of Queens are both on at 7:30 on different channels. I somethings flip back and forth, and when I see Jerry Stiller I can’t be sure which show I am watching.

@bouv

The only show that comes close, or ever surpasses Seinfeld, when it comes to ancillary characters is The Simpsons.

But remember, when the other shows add characters, they have to hire more actors. You cannot compare the Simpsons on that point–they already have the world’s best voice actors.

[Hippy_Hollow]

@Polerius

3) An unbelievable set of side characters, unmatched by any other show I’ve seen.
From Peterman, to Newman, to Mr Pit, to Kramer’s lawyer, etc, these characters were so well written and cast that they are a huge part of what made the show. And I can’t recall any other show on TV that has had such successful side characters, with real staying power. People still remember them. About how many shows can you say that?

I would watch a show about Jackie Chiles’ lawyerly adventures!

“Call Dr. Bison… and book an appointment. Tell him it’s for me.”

[greatshakes]

@Hello Again

Really? I enjoyed Seinfeld but to me the reruns are really dated and mostly just don’t work.

I think that the problem is that they air many of his earlier works. To me, the earlier years, pre-92?? were horribly unfunny, but there was an open window there of pure gold, perhaps a year or three. The last year was pretty limp.

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

@GildedLily

I can tell what Seinfeld episodes I’ll like most by Elaine’s hair. If she has long hair and that, I dunno what you call it, bouffant thing up front, it’ll be gold. GOLD, JERRY! If she has shoulder length wavy hair (which looks hotter) then it just won’t be as good.

To me the earlier episodes were great because they truly were about nothing. Just funny people hanging out. I mean, obviously there was stuff like waiting at the Chinese restaurant and even The Contest. But the plots were simply a device to deliver jokes. Then with the later seasons it seems like the plots were so over the top that it got in the way of the jokes. Episodes like George trying to prove he has a black friend. Or when he tracks down that family to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s. To me they were just uncomfortable.

And yes, I realize I just listed maybe the only 2 Seinfeld episodes featuring black people as the ones I don’t like. Fuck.

Wait, I like the one where George is the car parker where he ruins Woody Allen’s shoot. That had a black guy in it! Awesome, I’m not racist.

Anyhoo, it just seemed like they were forcing at the end of the run what came so naturally at the beginning. Still a classic though, even the shitty episodes.

Okay, those middle two sentences made me laugh.

Yeah, Seinfeld is dated, but it’s easily the best show that’s been on TV in years.
guizot, he was working on that Bee Movie. He’s been doing stand-up sporadically as well.

[gigi]

@Least Original User Name Ever

guizot, he was working on that Bee Movie. He’s been doing stand-up sporadically as well.

Plus, his being a gazillionaire probably allows him to do what many would like to–spend more time with his wife and kids, a family he made after the show was done.

[Larry_Borgia]

Another vote for was funny and still is funny, though I rarely watch the reruns any more since I’ve memorized all the good bits.

It’s interesting to see how quickly technology has changed in a decade or so. Remember the episode where Jerry is all excited about getting a two-line phone? I don’t see why being dated is a bad thing if the jokes still hold up.

I also don’t see why the fact that one of the actors turned into a raging asshole several years after the show ended. It does make me look at fake Kramer in the show-within-the-show in a new light.

I agree that Jerry Seinfeld was actually the weakest player in the cast. Fortunately he had the good sense to act as a sort of straightman. Jason Alexander carried the show and is an underrated actor in my opinion. His expressions of frustration and impotent rage were brilliant. The look on his face when he gets up to do the risk management speech and starts reading the routine Jerry wrote for Bania is a prefect bit of understaed horror.

[AlmondJoy]

I still laugh at it all the time- any time Jerry gets picky about girl friends I end up laughing. and George constantly getting fired/ trying to get fired- still hold up for me. And KRAMER- who doesn’t have a friend that somehow get through life without seeming to really do anything- just like completely off the wall people. I think it’s a classic!

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Larry Borgia

…I agree that Jerry Seinfeld was actually the weakest player in the cast. Fortunately he had the good sense to act as a sort of straightman. Jason Alexander carried the show and is an underrated actor in my opinion. His expressions of frustration and impotent rage were brilliant. The look on his face when he gets up to do the risk management speech and starts reading the routine Jerry wrote for Bania is a prefect bit of understaed horror.

Ooo, ooo, and when he realized he should do everything the opposite if he wanted to succeed in life. To the beautiful woman: “My name is George. I’m stocky, balding, unemployed and I live with my parents.”

And she smiles at him!

[Crotalus]

I’ll vote for classic, and still funny. George’s line in the following exchange gets used a lot where I work (although not for the same transgression). This is from memory, so the set up is not verbatim:

Boss: George, I’m going to have to let you go. You were seen having sex on your desk with the cleaning lady.

George: Was that wrong?