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Society & Culture Seinfeld

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Greatest comedy I've seen in my time, but I struggle to clearly express what makes it so good.

It's something to do with highlighting the little things in everydy life that go unnoticed, in addition to each of the four characters having their own plot and equal amount of spotlight in each episode.

Anyway, I'd love for you to try and put in your own words a well-rounded response about what makes this show one of the greatest of all time.

As you said, it highlights the little things about life that go unnoticed, or more accurately, semi-noticed. You know when something funny, or awkward, or weird, or annoying happens, and you think "damn, somebody could write a show about that!". Seinfeld is that show. It is a near-perfect encapsulation of the everyday humour, frustration and difficulty of that thing called life.

Saying that to the typical airheads that believe Friends is the greatest sitcom of all time is always met with blank stares. They just don't get it. Then again, they are probably a lost cause.

While I agree that Seinfeld is superior, Friends is great. Not fantastic, not in the same league as Seinfeld, but it is a very solidly written show. Sure, it relies on some cheap laughs, but for what it is, it's incredibly well executed. I avoided Friends like a plague for many years, and only recently have come to watch it, and it's genuinely enjoyable.
 
Haha no, Bee Movie was terrible; but it doesn't take anything away from Seinfeld
 
I have a new favourite scene.

Elaine and Jerry smoking Peruvian cigars supplied by Todd Gack

Elaine: These cigars are terrible.
Jerry: It's like trying to smoke a chicken bone.
Elaine: What kind of name is Todd Gack anyway?
Jerry: I think it's Dutch.
 
I have a new favourite scene.

Elaine and Jerry smoking Peruvian cigars supplied by Todd Gack

Elaine: These cigars are terrible.
Jerry: It's like trying to smoke a chicken bone.
Elaine: What kind of name is Todd Gack anyway?
Jerry: I think it's Dutch.

It's a shame JLD wasn't as hot in the last few seasons. I dunno what happened to her, she caught that "i must fake tan and look like an oompa loompa" bug. She should have kept the sexy secretary look.
 

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I have a new favourite scene.

Elaine and Jerry smoking Peruvian cigars supplied by Todd Gack

Elaine: These cigars are terrible.
Jerry: It's like trying to smoke a chicken bone.
Elaine: What kind of name is Todd Gack anyway?
Jerry: I think it's Dutch.


the look on jerry's face when he says this is brilliant
 
My favourite scene is in the Van Buren Boys episode when George pathetically tries to guess their secret sign.

Van Buren Boy: "That's not the sign"

George: "It was when I was bangin"
 
It's a shame JLD wasn't as hot in the last few seasons. I dunno what happened to her, she caught that "i must fake tan and look like an oompa loompa" bug. She should have kept the sexy secretary look.

No argument there. I love a woman in glasses. :thumbsu:

the look on jerry's face when he says this is brilliant

Yeah, just adds to the awesomeness. :thumbsu:
 
I have a new favourite scene.

Elaine and Jerry smoking Peruvian cigars supplied by Todd Gack

Elaine: These cigars are terrible.
Jerry: It's like trying to smoke a chicken bone.
Elaine: What kind of name is Todd Gack anyway?
Jerry: I think it's Dutch.

Reminds me of the Fact Painter episode:

Elaine: Hey, isn't that Alec Berg?
Jerry: Yep, Alec Berg. He's got a good 'John Houseman' name. Alec Beeerg.
Mr. Beeerg.

and later on one of my fave Seinfeld moments, and one I quote all the time:

Jerry: Well what about these nitwits that get on a plane with nothing to read?
You know who these people are?
Elaine: Who?
Jerry: These are the people that want to talk to you. They got nothing else to
do, why not disturb you?
Elaine: I will never understand people.
Jerry: They're the worst.


Then same episode, what a classic:

George: Ok, ok, fine! It's changed, it's not really the point. Anyway, I'm
thinking of making a big move.
Jerry: What?
George: I might tell her that I love her. I came this close last night, then I
just chickened out.
Jerry: Well, that's a big move, Georgie boy. Are you confident in the 'I love
you' return?
George: Fifty-fifty.
Jerry: Cause if you don't get that return, that's a pretty big matzoh ball
hanging out there.
George: Aw, I've just got to say it once, everybody else gets to say it, why can't I say it?
Elaine: What, you never said it?
George: Once, to a dog. He licked himself and left the room.
Jerry: Well, so it wasn't a total loss.
 
Reminds me of the Fact Painter episode:

Elaine: Hey, isn't that Alec Berg?
Jerry: Yep, Alec Berg. He's got a good 'John Houseman' name. Alec Beeerg.
Mr. Beeerg.

and later on one of my fave Seinfeld moments, and one I quote all the time:

Jerry: Well what about these nitwits that get on a plane with nothing to read?
You know who these people are?
Elaine: Who?
Jerry: These are the people that want to talk to you. They got nothing else to
do, why not disturb you?
Elaine: I will never understand people.
Jerry: They're the worst.



Then same episode, what a classic:

George: Ok, ok, fine! It's changed, it's not really the point. Anyway, I'm
thinking of making a big move.
Jerry: What?
George: I might tell her that I love her. I came this close last night, then I
just chickened out.
Jerry: Well, that's a big move, Georgie boy. Are you confident in the 'I love
you' return?
George: Fifty-fifty.
Jerry: Cause if you don't get that return, that's a pretty big matzoh ball
hanging out there.
George: Aw, I've just got to say it once, everybody else gets to say it, why can't I say it?
Elaine: What, you never said it?
George: Once, to a dog. He licked himself and left the room.
Jerry: Well, so it wasn't a total loss.

Yep, another of my favourites. :thumbsu:
 
I have a new favourite scene.

Elaine and Jerry smoking Peruvian cigars supplied by Todd Gack

Elaine: These cigars are terrible.
Jerry: It's like trying to smoke a chicken bone.
Elaine: What kind of name is Todd Gack anyway?
Jerry: I think it's Dutch.
Watched that ep last night. The scene the scene where Jerry gets pulled over by the cop is gold.

Police officer: Do you know what the posted speed limit is on this road?
Jerry: Gotta be 55.
Police officer: That's right it is. Do you know how fast you were going?
Jerry: (laughing) A lot faster than that!
 
Watched that ep last night. The scene the scene where Jerry gets pulled over by the cop is gold.

Police officer: Do you know what the posted speed limit is on this road?
Jerry: Gotta be 55.
Police officer: That's right it is. Do you know how fast you were going?
Jerry: (laughing) A lot faster than that!

Haha, also watched it last night.

Another brilliant line.

J. Peterman: "My neck is one gargantuan monkey fist."
 

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what a spanking button!

http://www.tbs.com/video/index/0,,42470|314580|,00.html :D:thumbsu:

From the same episode...

Kramer: "Well, it's a rare archival print. Twelve extra minutes, full wide-screen CinemaScope, and if you come to the one o'clock show, you can hear Jeffrey Harharwood."
Jerry: "Jeffrey who?"
Kramer: "Harharwood, Jerry. He was the assistant wardrobe man on Spartacus. Some fascinating insights into the production."
 
http://www.tbs.com/video/index/0,,42470|314580|,00.html :D:thumbsu:

From the same episode...

Kramer: "Well, it's a rare archival print. Twelve extra minutes, full wide-screen CinemaScope, and if you come to the one o'clock show, you can hear Jeffrey Harharwood."
Jerry: "Jeffrey who?"
Kramer: "Harharwood, Jerry. He was the assistant wardrobe man on Spartacus. Some fascinating insights into the production."

That episode also has this scene. The Kramer - Braun friendship is hilarious.

LLOYD: Ah, tell you what, they're expecting us though. Lemme just grab a hotdog

here.

KRAMER: Uh, yeah.

Lloyd goes to the counter, and speaks to the attendant.

LLOYD: I'd like a hotdog, please.

The attendant looks to the machine, which contains one hotdog. The appearance of

the article is not pleasant. It's wrinkled, shriveled, and generally

disgusting.

ATTENDANT: Are you outta your mind?

Hearing this, Kramer dashes over.

KRAMER: Wh...wh...wh... what's the problem here?

ATTENDANT: This hotdog's been here since the silent era. You'd have to be insane

to eat it.

KRAMER: No, no, no, no, no. This man is not insane. Now there's nothing wrong

with it or you.

LLOYD: Kramer, maybe...

KRAMER: No, no, no, no. I'll show you. (slams a bill down on the counter) One

hotdog please.

ATTENDANT: (on your head be it) Okay.

KRAMER: Mmm, doesn't that smell good, huh?

The attendant hands over the hotdog.

KRAMER: Yeah, here we go, yeah. (he takes a big bite) Mmm, oh. That's delicious.

Mmm. It's a perfectly sane food to eat. (he takes another bite)

As he chews, it begins to be apparent that all is not as it should be with the

hotdog.

KRAMER: Uhm, interesting texture. It's chewy. (he half-coughs, half-retches) I

gotta get, some air.

Kramer stumbles toward the exit, bits of half-chewed hotdog falling from his

mouth.
 

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One of my favorite scenes:

[youtube]uMFIXy3u4WQ&[/youtube]

Kramer: "I was very upset that day, because I could never become a banker."

Newman: "And this failure to become....a banker, was eating at you, eating eating eating at you inside!"

Kramer: "Uh yah"

The nonchalance of Kramer in this scene is brilliant.


Also, Puddy is a legend. I love the moment from about 2:20 to 3:00 where he and Elaine make-up and then break-up again.

[youtube]m7XlU0j4J3Y[/youtube]
 
One of the things I like about Seinfeld the most is the way perceptions of the Jerry character go through a subtle shift over the course of the show- at first it seems like he is the straight guy to wacky kramer, and to george and elaine's neuroses, but as the series go on, and there are so many instances of him deliberately egging them on, it sort of seems like he is getting off on, and is even reliant on, their weirdness because they create the only activity and distractions in his extraordinarily superficial life.

Odd character, and by far the most unpleasant of the main quartet.
 
One of the things I like about Seinfeld the most is the way perceptions of the Jerry character go through a subtle shift over the course of the show- at first it seems like he is the straight guy to wacky kramer, and to george and elaine's neuroses, but as the series go on, and there are so many instances of him deliberately egging them on, it sort of seems like he is getting off on, and is even reliant on, their weirdness because they create the only activity and distractions in his extraordinarily superficial life.

Odd character, and by far the most unpleasant of the main quartet.

That's a big part of what makes the latter seasons so funny IMO. Jerry gets more caught up in the other's silliness than he did previously, and while the show took a different tone in the non-Larry David era (most of Seasons 7, 8 and 9), it still remains as funny as the earlier seasons.

With the heinsight of having seen how the show evolved, I find it really interesting watching the first season again occasionally, where George is comfortably employed and is seemingly Jerry's social equal (nowhere near as inept, nuerotic and inadequate as he becomes), and Kramer is almost a neanderthal idiot rather than a quirky, eccentric "hipster doofus". Jerry seems like a relatively nice, normal, caring kind of guy, who is somewhat awkward and genuinely unsure of himself at times too (George even gives Jerry dating advice early on), which is a contrast to how his character ended up (even if his later confidence was just bravado) The show wouldn't have been nearly as successful if it had continued in that vein, but it's still interesting to observe it in that early state.
 

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