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The Finn
Aug 27, 2004

إنه أصلع في الأسفل، كما تعلم
How are there AD and ST:TNG megathreads but no Seinfeld thread? gently caress that poo poo.

If you've never seen Seinfeld I don't know what the gently caress but here's some Wikipedia stuff:

quote:

Seinfeld is an US television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. The eponymous series was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself. Set predominantly in an apartment block on Manhattan's Upper West Side (but shot mainly in Los Angeles), the show features a host of Jerry's friends and acquaintances, including George Costanza, Elaine Benes and Cosmo Kramer.


And some sample Youtubes.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WsKNvGeNKyE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WsKNvGeNKyE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0u8KUgUqprw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0u8KUgUqprw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

If you have time please watch all the Seinfeld Extras short pieces on Youtube, they are from the DVD box sets and they are full of great behind the scenes stuff. Ok post quotes and discuss.

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explosivo
May 23, 2004

Fueled by Satan

God damnit I love Seinfeld. I love that just about every episode is from a real situation that happened to Larry or one of the writers or something. And holy poo poo are there Seinfeld Extras for every episode on Youtube?

Edit: Holy poo poo, watch the extra for The Fusili Jerry just for Jerry Stiller at the end.

explosivo fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Apr 22, 2010

Caesar Saladin
Aug 15, 2004

Today on the news i saw a story about finding a bunch of trash inside of a dead whale.

There was a golf ball in it!

Gravy Jones
Sep 13, 2003

I am not on your side
It's a pig-man Jerry!

When I originally watched Seinfeld it took me a disturbingly long time to realise that a major part of the premise of the show was that the main characters weren't particularly nice people. I don't know why, maybe my teenage mind just didn't get the humour.

This thread makes me want to buy it all on DVD and watched it again. Whenever I've caught an episode here or there I've always thought it has aged pretty drat well and strikes a good balance between traditional sitcom and more subversive/cringey "I can't believethey went there" type stuff.

Right up there with Arrested Development and more recently, Community, as one of my favouritse sitcoms.

I also have really fond memories because it's a show I always used to watch with my Dad who finds any comedy when people torment others on a regular basis hilarious. Basil Fawltey and Manuel, Hawkeye and Frank Burns... that kind of thing. But I have never seen him laugh as much as he does at anything involving Frank Costanza yelling at or tormenting George. He still sends me a Festivus card every year.

Gravy Jones fucked around with this message at 15:40 on Apr 22, 2010

mojo1701a
Oct 9, 2008

Oh, yeah. Loud and clear. Emphasis on LOUD!
~ David Lee Roth

Gravy Jones posted:

When I originally watched Seinfeld it took me a disturbingly long time to realise that a major part of the premise of the show was that the main characters weren't particularly nice people. I don't know why, maybe my teenage mind just didn't get the humour.

This thread makes me want to buy it all on DVD and watched it again. Whenever I've caught an episode here or there I've always thought it has aged pretty drat well and strikes a good balance between traditional sitcom and more subversive/cringey "I can't believethey went there" type stuff.

Same here. I used to watch it as a kid, and I thought it was very funny, but I had no idea why it was so great (the finale also makes more sense to me now. I'm still not a fan of it, but I get it, whereas my 11-year-old self didn't like the fact that they were going to jail).

And as for extras, the one from The Jacket is very good.

Parachute
May 18, 2003

Gravy Jones posted:

I also have really fond memories because it's a show I always used to watch with my Dad who finds any comedy when people torment others on a regular basis hilarious. Basil Fawltey and Manuel, Hawkeye and Frank Burns... that kind of thing. But I have never seen him laugh as much as he does at anything involving Frank Costanza yelling at or tormenting George. He still sends me a Festivus card every year.

When I was in middle school, during the end of the Seinfeld run (1996-1998) I would call my aunt every week on the phone to have a discussion with her and my dad about the most recent episode. My dad has watched the series at least 4 times (1-2 episodes/night) since it's been released on DVD, and has at least two notebooks with tons of Seinfeld quotes/observations.

OldSenileGuy
Mar 13, 2001
I know a lot of people claim that seasons 8 and 9, aka the post-Larry David seasons, are inferior to the rest of the show, since things got a lot wackier after Larry left, but frankly I don't care and think that some of the series's funniest episodes are from that era. Also a fellow goon and I took advantage of that wackier nature to write an episode where Kramer, after getting out of jail, tries to go to the moon. Good times.

EDIT: Also, if you like Seinfeld, and aren't watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you're really missing out.

Rush Limbo
Sep 5, 2005

its with a full house
Seinfeld always struck me as an excellent example of comedy being best when it's created by a small team of people who have a vision in mind as opposed to comedy by committee that a lot of shows seem to have these days.

You can really tell that the writers had a lot of love for the show and that everything was crafted with a plan in mind rather than there being a random barrage of unconnected gags that are ultimately shallow.

Ehud
Sep 19, 2003

football.

Ddraig posted:

Seinfeld always struck me as an excellent example of comedy being best when it's created by a small team of people who have a vision in mind as opposed to comedy by committee that a lot of shows seem to have these days.

I love that they worked their philosophy about this into the show using George in the episode "The Comeback". After he tells the group about his great "jerk store" comeback, they all start coming up with different ideas for better comebacks and George freaks out and says..

quote:

All right, all right. You see? This is why I hate writing with a large group. Everybody has their own little opinions, and it all gets homogenized, and you lose the whole edge of it. I’m going with jerk store! Jerk store is the line! Jerk store!

Brilliant.

Adam Bowen
Jan 6, 2003

This post probably contains a Rickroll link!
For some reason everyone I know hates Seinfeld, which is a bummer because I mostly watch TV with my girlfriend so I don't get to watch it often, but I try to catch reruns when I can. I really like Curb Your Enthusiasm as well, but it doesn't feel as creative as Seinfeld does, you basically know about 10 seconds into a CYE episode exactly what's going to happen.

I wish I could actually get my girlfriend/friends to actually give the show a chance, because unless you have absolutely no sense of humor it's hilarious, but Seinfeld (the sitcom and the actor) is decidedly uncool now.

The Human Cow
May 24, 2004

hurry up
My dad is an absolutely massive Seinfeld fan, so I grew up watching it every so often with him, and I liked it, but I definitely didn't really "get" it at the time since I was younger. I remember going to a party my uncle had for the finale, though. As I grew older, we'd watch reruns every night - no matter how many times we'd seen them before, and over time they just got funnier and funnier - and I think that that's really the show's strength, that parts of it are so multilayered and tangled with each other that there's always part of a quote that you missed, or a minor character that you passed over, or a facial expression or fake movie title or anything that slipped by the first 10 times that makes it that much funnier.

Just for the record, though, the best minor character is Kenny Bania (with Puddy a close second). How about Mendy's? OOOOOH!

Stare-Out
Mar 11, 2010

Seinfeld is my favorite sitcom of all time, and my second favorite show after Curb Your Enthusiasm. It has such great characters and it's endlessly quotable. Also watching Michael Richards as Kramer never, ever fails to crack me up. The guy is a total method actor and has absolutely no sense of self-preservation when it comes to physical comedy. I mean, just watch this.

I also like that the Seinfeld DVD's got so much support and are just filled with extra material. I think Seinfeld outtakes are the funniest sitcom outtakes I've ever seen.

The Season 7 finale of CYE that had the Seinfeld "reunion show" was amazing as well, and really made me wish the show would come back. :smith:

Ehud
Sep 19, 2003

football.

Adam Bowen posted:

I wish I could actually get my girlfriend/friends to actually give the show a chance, because unless you have absolutely no sense of humor it's hilarious, but Seinfeld (the sitcom and the actor) is decidedly uncool now.



How is that possible? What age group is this that thinks Seinfeld is uncool?

Truther Vandross
Jun 17, 2008

The best blooper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2LdHH0hmHY

Stare-Out
Mar 11, 2010

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the biggest offender when it comes to losing it during takes, but I honestly can't blame her. There are several episodes where you can tell she's been laughing or is struggling to keep it together.

PoopShipDestroyer
Jan 13, 2006

I think he's ready for a chair

Ehud posted:



How is that possible? What age group is this that thinks Seinfeld is uncool?

TheRationalRedditor
Jul 17, 2000

WHO ABUSED HIM. WHO ABUSED THE BOY.

OldSenileGuy posted:

I know a lot of people claim that seasons 8 and 9, aka the post-Larry David seasons, are inferior to the rest of the show, since things got a lot wackier after Larry left, but frankly I don't care and think that some of the series's funniest episodes are from that era.
People with no critical credentials whatsoever love saying this because it's populist and fronts a false aura of superiority while knowing they'll never be asked to qualitatively justify their reasoning. THere are no bad seasons of Seinfeld, and as a crazy fan who knows entire chunks of episodes by rote in dialogue and on-screen antics, several of my favortie episodes are in the final season (The Slicer, The Strike, The Frogger, The Dealership, The Merv Griffin Show).

Davincie
Jul 7, 2008

The marine biologist episode is one of the 4 I have ever seen of this show and it was hilarious. Really wish it still got reruns over here.

Truther Vandross
Jun 17, 2008

hall n oates mom posted:

People with no critical credentials whatsoever love saying this because it's populist and fronts a false aura of superiority while knowing they'll never be asked to qualitatively justify their reasoning. THere are no bad seasons of Seinfeld, and as a crazy fan who knows entire chunks of episodes by rote in dialogue and on-screen antics, several of my favortie episodes are in the final season (The Slicer, The Strike, The Frogger, The Dealership, The Merv Griffin Show).



Exactly. The show was so in the groove by the point Larry David left that it really didn't matter THAT much. It was in good hands and the cast wasn't going to let it going to drop off.

The last two seasons are two of the best IMO. While Larry may not have been writing the episodes, his footprint is ALL OVER the show by that point.

Notsosubtle
Oct 30, 2008
The #1 Funniest Moment in that 10 best moments clip totally missed that best part about that Vandelay Industries gag, with Jerry coming in at the end and ad-libbing "and you want to be my latex salesmen".

That's what I loved about Seinfeld, even when everyone was sticking to the script all of the comedy and situations, even though many of them were completely ridiculous, always felt organic. This is especially true once the writers realized, almost by mistake, that they could start intertwining everyone's story-lines so that the episodes reached a crescendo at the end. Stuff like the Marine Biologist gag intersecting with Kramer hitting golf balls into the ocean: you just don't see anything even approaching that level of genius these days (except maybe on Curb).

I was just watching the episode The Virgin last night. This line really cracked me up out of the blue:

Jerry: Who gave you this idea I would wanna leave?

Marla: Well Elaine said men like to leave after it's over.

Jerry: Listen, I wouldn't put too much stock into what Elaine has to say about relationships. She comes from a broken home, and I mean that literally. A tree fell on her roof and cracked the whole structure. Her parents got along beautifully, but her house was in bad shape.

[edit] also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6jrwzYGUoA

Notsosubtle fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Apr 22, 2010

The Finn
Aug 27, 2004

إنه أصلع في الأسفل، كما تعلم

hall n oates mom posted:

People with no critical credentials whatsoever love saying this because it's populist and fronts a false aura of superiority while knowing they'll never be asked to qualitatively justify their reasoning. THere are no bad seasons of Seinfeld, and as a crazy fan who knows entire chunks of episodes by rote in dialogue and on-screen antics, several of my favortie episodes are in the final season (The Slicer, The Strike, The Frogger, The Dealership, The Merv Griffin Show).

You've probably seen it but everyone else search for Seinfeld Submarine Captain on youtube, it's a 3 part behind the scenes thing where all the writers/directors/producers talk about Jerry and they talk about Larry leaving and seasons 8 & 9 and it's awesome.

As a completely mental fan I have to admit some slight disappointment in the finale AT THE TIME but it has grown on me since and I feel like I get why that had to be the way it ended.

JethroMcB
Jan 23, 2004

We're normal now.
We love your family.

OldSenileGuy posted:

I know a lot of people claim that seasons 8 and 9, aka the post-Larry David seasons, are inferior to the rest of the show, since things got a lot wackier after Larry left, but frankly I don't care and think that some of the series's funniest episodes are from that era.

I wouldn't say they were inferior seasons, they're just...very, very different. Seasons 8 and 9 were ludicrously cartoony, with only the most tenuous grasp on reality, but it was still the funniest live-action show on TV at the time. The plots and situations were insane, but the humor was still there and everybody was having a good time with it.

The Human Cow posted:

How about Mendy's? OOOOOH!

I got the soup! That's not a meal!

Parachute posted:

My dad has watched the series at least 4 times (1-2 episodes/night) since it's been released on DVD, and has at least two notebooks with tons of Seinfeld quotes/observations.

My grandfather was downright obsessed with Seinfeld from the very beginning. For a couple of years, after TBS got the cable syndication rights, he would very proudly state that he watched Seinfeld for at least fourteen and a half hours a week. Twice a night every weeknight on a local station, twice a night on TBS, and a late airing after the news on another local station, and at least two hours on the weekends. We got him the DVD sets as presents, but he didn't even need them thanks to the show's incessant rerun schedule.

Arturo Ui
Apr 14, 2005

Forums Bosch Expert
My favorite comedic show of all time. I think I love every single episode except for a few (the first two episodes, the finale, and The Stranded w/ Michael Chiklis). Aside from that the quality is so drat consistent. In the best episode, it's not just a few lines but every single line in the drat show makes me laugh or at least smile, and most of them aren't even jokes. Just the way they talk matches my sense of humor so perfectly. I just know that when I'm on my death bed, I'll be dragging in these DVDs (or futuristic format of your choice) like Shaq in CYE and watching them all until I drop.

Lord of Laughton
Nov 11, 2008

It's hard to say for certain
But I think I like it here.
Best show of all time. Whoever said that the episodes get funnier and funnier is spot on. No other show makes me laugh like Seinfeld still does, rerun after rerun. Just thinking about some of the moments makes me laugh.

My favorite episode has always been and probably always will be 'The Gum'. Every main character's actions directly affect the story of all the others. That scene where George is trying to explain to the woman that he isn't crazy is priceless.

One thing that kind of struck me as interesting was during the last couple episodes during the trials, half the things that they are being blamed for are not their fault or not what they intended to happen. They may have been terrible people, but often got hosed over by circumstance or things they had no idea about.

Parachute
May 18, 2003

hall n oates mom posted:

People with no critical credentials whatsoever love saying this because it's populist and fronts a false aura of superiority while knowing they'll never be asked to qualitatively justify their reasoning. THere are no bad seasons of Seinfeld, and as a crazy fan who knows entire chunks of episodes by rote in dialogue and on-screen antics, several of my favortie episodes are in the final season (The Slicer, The Strike, The Frogger, The Dealership, The Merv Griffin Show).

Definitely agreeing here, especially since I think my favorite overall episode is "The Voice". George's fallout from Play Now! was just too perfect, not to mention it had a great cheesy running-on-the-pier montage moment with Jerry, too.

McSpanky
Jan 16, 2005






Arturo Ui posted:

In the best episode, it's not just a few lines but every single line in the drat show makes me laugh or at least smile, and most of them aren't even jokes. Just the way they talk matches my sense of humor so perfectly.

I really love character-based humor like that as well, which is also a great strength of Futurama. Even if the episode itself isn't revolving around any particularly funny gag or plot, just watching these goofy characters be themselves is entertaining enough.

The Finn
Aug 27, 2004

إنه أصلع في الأسفل، كما تعلم
sometimes when people ask me stuff I say "yeah that's right" in a monotone while squinting. I don't care if they get it, it entertains me and that's all that counts.

DoYouHasaRabbit
Oct 8, 2007
I was wondering why there wasn't a thread for Seinfeld. I think Seinfeld is the only show I can repeatedly watch without getting tired of. These pretzels are making me thirsty!

feedmyleg
Dec 25, 2004
I've loved it since I fist started watching it as a kid, probably about halfway through the series. I still watch reruns on TBS a few times a week. Some episodes I've seen far too many times and have to change the channel, but others are just so great I can't help but watch.

Having fallen in love with Curb Your Enthusiasm now, Seinfeld feels a little like Curb-lite sometimes, but the characters are so fantastic it doesn't really matter. Kramer storylines can be a little too wacky, but everything with Jerry, George, and Elaine is gold. Especially when Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Elaine as pathetic and helpless :3:

Tiny Fistpump posted:

sometimes when people ask me stuff I say "yeah that's right" in a monotone while squinting. I don't care if they get it, it entertains me and that's all that counts.

Oh I definitely have picked up a few of Jerry's mannerisms like this.

e:

Parachute posted:

Definitely agreeing here, especially since I think my favorite overall episode is "The Voice". George's fallout from Play Now! was just too perfect, not to mention it had a great cheesy running-on-the-pier montage moment with Jerry, too.

I completely agree. I will never get tired of this episode and every plotline is classic. Whenever I watch it I'm surprised at how much iconic material came from that one episode.

"I'm covered in oil! LA LA LAH! I'm just so glad it's back."

feedmyleg fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Apr 22, 2010

TheRationalRedditor
Jul 17, 2000

WHO ABUSED HIM. WHO ABUSED THE BOY.

Tiny Fistpump posted:

As a completely mental fan I have to admit some slight disappointment in the finale AT THE TIME but it has grown on me since and I feel like I get why that had to be the way it ended.
I actually haven't seen those extras - I still have yet to own the entire series boxset because I've never had $300 floating around for it. It's been the solid #1 on my list, though. Thanks for the heads up on the extras, I'll savor them when I get around to it.

The finale actually was pretty lousy. One of the greatest parts about the CYE reunion season was that we had the whole cast out of character casually and unanimously slag off on Larry for writing it as he did. It was like canonical absolution a decade in the making! :roflolmao:

Tiny Fistpump posted:

sometimes when people ask me stuff I say "yeah that's right" in a monotone while squinting. I don't care if they get it, it entertains me and that's all that counts.
I deadpan "That's a shame." all the time. Have answered the phone with "Who is this?"

TheRationalRedditor fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Apr 22, 2010

The Human Cow
May 24, 2004

hurry up
Incorporating parts of Seinfeld into your real life is probably the best part of the show. Anytime my girlfriend and I are arguing about something trivial and one of us convinces the other that we're right, the winning side will usually rub it in with a "ah, here's a fact: I'M THE WIZ! NOBODY BEATS ME!"

I totally do the "yeah that's right" too. It's hard to make a good Puddy face. You have to kind of jut your jaw out, too.

The Finn
Aug 27, 2004

إنه أصلع في الأسفل، كما تعلم

feedmyleg posted:

Oh I definitely have picked up a few of Jerry's mannerisms like this.

That is a Puddy-ism!

mojo1701a
Oct 9, 2008

Oh, yeah. Loud and clear. Emphasis on LOUD!
~ David Lee Roth

DoYouHasaRabbit posted:

I was wondering why there wasn't a thread for Seinfeld. I think Seinfeld is the only show I can repeatedly watch without getting tired of. These pretzels are making me thirsty!

A friend of mine is in Spain right now, teaching English. She posted on her Facebook that she was proud that she had her entire class full of kids keep repeating out loud, "These pretzels are making me thirsty!"

I've never been more proud of anyone in my entire life.

mojo1701a fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Apr 22, 2010

feedmyleg
Dec 25, 2004

Tiny Fistpump posted:

That is a Puddy-ism!

I meant that as "in this same way."

But as for the finale, I've grown to love it in time as well. Aside from the clip show aspect of it, it just serves as a great reminder that no matter what happens to these people, no matter where they go or what they do, they'll always just be the same petty, small, selfish people.

Also, I just love it when we get reminders that Jerry is actually a huge rear end in a top hat. Like when he moves in on Beth in The Yada Yada or when he sells George out at the end of The Bookstore.

e: vvv

Not even personal tragedy, but just every time something goes wrong for them. Especially when it's between Elaine and George.

"Where did [Susan's Parents] get the idea that you have a place in the Hamptons?"
"...From me."
"What did you say?"
"I told them I have a place in the Hamptons. What did you say?"
"I told them you didn't. And I laughed and I laughed."

feedmyleg fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Apr 22, 2010

haljordan
Oct 22, 2004

the corpse of god is love.






I always loved this show just because of how Jerry and the gang straight up laughed in each other's faces when a personal tragedy/loss occurred. Its like there was zero compassion at all amongst the four of them. Glorious.

Stare-Out
Mar 11, 2010

haljordan posted:

I always loved this show just because of how Jerry and the gang straight up laughed in each other's faces when a personal tragedy/loss occurred. Its like there was zero compassion at all amongst the four of them. Glorious.

"That's a shame."

Arturo Ui
Apr 14, 2005

Forums Bosch Expert

haljordan posted:

I always loved this show just because of how Jerry and the gang straight up laughed in each other's faces when a personal tragedy/loss occurred. Its like there was zero compassion at all amongst the four of them. Glorious.

Which came to a climax when Susan died. Elaine's "I'm so...sorry?" is hilarious as is Kramer meta-pondering the strangeness of Susan's death ("Well that's weird...")

Kull the Conqueror
Apr 8, 2006

Take me to the green valley,
lay the sod o'er me,
I'm a young cowboy,
I know I've done wrong
In high school if someone sneezed I would sometimes say "You are so good-looking."

I was not very popular in high school.

Dr_Amazing
Apr 15, 2006

It's a long story
I watched this a lot as a kid and I've probably seen every show at least a few times, but I have almost no concept of complete episodes. I might be able to tell you one character's strand but I don't remember how they all fit together.

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haljordan
Oct 22, 2004

the corpse of god is love.






Arturo Ui posted:

Which came to a climax when Susan died. Elaine's "I'm so...sorry?" is hilarious as is Kramer meta-pondering the strangeness of Susan's death ("Well that's weird...")

Haha yeah it seemed like Elaine was confused as to whether she should mock George or offer her condolences. That's a hosed up group dynamic right there.

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