Seinfeld: Classic or Dud

crossposts

i think you're in part right about this but "splendor" is the wrong word--it's just a slightly exaggerated parody of the meaningless things we find important. i mean people could be smug and watch seinfeld--but then i think they are missing the point, and it's not fair to judge something by its audience, esp a sitcom.

(also -10 million points for the slap bass)

Jerry/Larry is easily the best character on the show.

i think this was true once, back when a lot of the ideas within the show were stand up comedy material, but the sitcom style seemed to actually deify the shallowness it once parodied. i'm not sure sitcoms *have* to do that, just saying that "Seinfeld" did. To me that made it unlikeable and even undermined a sound basic premise - that the meaningless ticks people have really are intrinsically funny.

"jerry seinfeld was always the worst part of seinfeld."

OTM, quite.

" The show could almost do completely without Jerry. "

COMPLETELY FUCKING INSANE.

Youre right, hes not the straight man. But he is completely necessary, he is the equilibrium between George/Neroutic and Kramer/Psychotic. Im not as religious about the show as most people, but the Sienfeld IS classic, no question about it, lock thread, give it up, goodnight.

he's not merely a straight man, tho he is that. well, how does a straight man function? is he a stand in for the audience? a measure of normalcy with which we can identify?

if that's the case i think jerry is something slightly different--think of the "Even Stephen" espisode where everything in Jerry's life balances out--he's completely invincible! no emotions, not a care in the world, completely childish in a sense. those are the best espisodes. that sort of cheerful nihilism (almost a kind of zen!) makes him a pretty unique character because he is totally devoid of "conflicts"--even his clean freak stuff is meant to remove him from us once again, he can't even stand to be around humanity. whenever, esp in the later episodes, jerry becomes more human it's not as convincing, and is probably the source of people complaining about him being a dead weight.

So one for the time capsule, but I doubt I'll ever rent the DVDs.

i want this framed and on my wall:

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/4333/seinfelds6e48sl.jpg

Was a little disappointed with the finales but hey ho.

I think my particular favourite episode would have to be the Merv Griffin show, all the main characters have great plotlines in this one I thought - Jerry's obsession with his girlfriends toys, George and his pigeon problem, Elaine and the sidler, and of course Kramer pretending to host a chat show is just the greatest thing I've ever seen. When he plays the music tape for George's entrance. Hilarious!

ewww!

Classic.

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OMFG I made this connection only recently too after watching this episode several times. GENIUS!

Jay Peterman is by far the funniest sub character ever created in the history of the earth. Costanza obv wins the main prize.

Heh heh heh, yep! I'm not sure if my wife was more amused at making the abortion/pizza connection or the look on my face, which as she describes it was a combination of being impressed with the writing and pissed-off that I didn't figure it out after all these years. :-|

total otm

Torrent of all episodes of Seinfeld ever was at 19.8% when I left for work this morning.

right up to this point, it's the classic sitcom setup, right out of "the honeymooners," and as old as shakespeare.

but now comes the twist: the boss proposes an utterly condescending, mean-spirited toast to "our shrimpy little friend here" whose "antics we've always enjoyed," and so on. george's face freezes in a moment of self-loathing and perverse glee, and he blurts out: "DRINK UP!"

X-post

And surely Larry is a combination of Jerry and George?