Seinfeld: Classic or Dud

Also, I'm fairly sure I would love Larry Sanders, but I've never seen it because of the stupid fucking BBC.

But I do think it's a great show, and sometimes ridiculously funny. And I think the "nihilism" (but it's not that - it's a sympathetic portrait of failed humanity) is what makes it great. Curb Your Enthusiasm does this too, but too much so - we need some real humor and niceness along with the nasty stuff. Also, the particularly New York voice of the show. Complaining about the hackneyed plot lines is like complaining that Buffy has to kill a vampire every week (well, ok, maybe there's something to that).

It's not my personal favorite tv show - I like sentimental, yuppie-sensibility stuff like Mad About You and Northern Exposure, which I won't make greatness claims for. And It's not the greatest tv show ever - whatever that is, it's probably not a sitcom - but I think a good argument can be made for best sitcom of the last 25 years

I totally disagree with this. I've come to HATE the basic attitude of Seinfeld - I watch it every night, it's the only thing on TV in New Zealand - and Jerry's whole, 'My parents love me, aren't I adorable, you all love me, and I'm just gonna be a fucking bastard because I can' thing is really wearying after a while. Seinfeld doesn't even break a sweat. He's always as cool as a cucumber, looking at everyone else - looking at girls - and the sneer is never too far away. Larry David seems much humbler - he can hardly bear to look anyone else in the face, let alone laugh AT them. This makes 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' seem much, much nicer to me.

Seinfeld has ruined me for all other sitcoms: I can't watch any of them without getting bored. I think it's actually gotten better in syndication: the episodes I thought were lame first time around seem funnier to me now. There's also a tragic, hopeless undercurrent to the humor that's perfectly disguised by its breeziness, tho it's probably fatal to take Seinfeld too seriously.

Also, after watching it 53,000,000 times I think I've started to fancy Elaine a bit.

But I'm not entirely without complaint.

They truly should have found someone else to play Seinfeld. In a stellar
comedic cast he stood out as a rank amateur, often botching the
proceedings. The scripts stroke his ego shamelessly, pairing him with
an endless parade of beautiful women and sparing him the severest
discomfort. And his standup was horrible, an unintentional joke.

But he couldn't stop the show from being brilliant! Starting about
halfway through the second season, the writers were so great at
layering several absurd storylines, culminating in these chaotic
comedic orgies that can only be compared to end-of-episode
climaxes in _Fawlty Towers_. How come more sitcoms don't
have this format, instead of a boring linear string of
sometimes-funny wisecracks? Mindless jokes _Seinfeld_
decidedly IS NOT.

Thing is, the early episodes were pretty crappy - that's partly
why I think people don't like them, they got a bad taste in their
mouth early on and never gave it a second chance.

Also, the episodes are highly self-referential, so you have
to watch it from the opening credits, or half the jokes don't
make any sense whatever.

And woah, are there actually people named Shoshanna?
I know a Shoshanna and I thought that her name was a
bizzare hippie side effect.

Oh yeah, and the sight of a pimp Kramer being
arrested for assaulting a prostitute = one of the best
endings ever.

D-U-D garbage!!!!

Seriously, what is UP with all the Seinfeld hate??!!

(ominous music)

Ally with my right hand. N with my left.

the laughter has been sucked out of this thread.