Seinfeld: Classic or Dud

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i had an eerie realization a while back: seinfeld ended in may 1998, the same month they aired the last episodes of simpsons season 9, which is probably the last gasp of "golden era" simpsons before the rot really sets in. now imagine if seinfeld were still on the air in 2017, with the same cast but all-new writers, and that's how bizarre it really is that the simpsons is still chugging away almost two decades later. puts me in mind of the stephen king story w/ the kid who gets stuck in limbo for millions of years and goes insane.

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, September 27, 2017 2:27 PM (two weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

What's the name of this King story

The Harsh Tutelage of Michael McDonald (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 17 October 2017 02:10 (six years ago) link

(first three eps of Sanders to air were 4, 5 and 6)

shackling the masses with plastic-wrapped snack picks (sic), Tuesday, 17 October 2017 04:09 (six years ago) link

weird name

illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 17 October 2017 06:43 (six years ago) link

lol

"The" Blink-182 (wins), Tuesday, 17 October 2017 06:55 (six years ago) link

It's called "the jaunt"

"The" Blink-182 (wins), Tuesday, 17 October 2017 06:56 (six years ago) link

lol I'm as old now as George was on the first episode of Seinfeld

frogbs, Tuesday, 17 October 2017 13:30 (six years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Now you can own a Seinfeld set replica!

https://seinfeldsetreplica.com/?%3Fcampaign=Festivus

nickn, Friday, 3 November 2017 23:39 (six years ago) link

two months pass...

Jerry Seinfeld and Family Visit Anti-terror Fantasy Camp in West Bankhttps://t.co/GoKMnoH8Kg pic.twitter.com/d83Ub7APye

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) January 8, 2018

ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Monday, 8 January 2018 21:26 (six years ago) link

"Caliber 3 is a counterterrorism and security training academy that in recent years has built on its expertise to create a new line of business: special programs for tourists seeking a taste of the Israeli military experience."

...

♫ very clever with maracas.jpg ♫ (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 8 January 2018 21:36 (six years ago) link

A friend gave me Seinfeldia for Christmas. Looks quite good.

clemenza, Monday, 8 January 2018 22:51 (six years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Seinfeldia was good. Jennifer Armstrong--same author who wrote Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted a few years ago. Maybe this shouldn't have been a surprise, but the amount of material that was right out of the writers' lives--sometimes papered over, sometimes almost verbatim--must have been in the 90-95% range. Frank Sinatra died sometime during the airing of the final episode...may have actually been watching, that was a little unclear.

clemenza, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 02:29 (six years ago) link

One example: Elaine's father, the curmudgeonly author (played by Lawrence Tierney), was based on Richard Yates, father of a writer's ex-girlfriend. Usually, though, it was just some stupid thing that had happened to a writer the day before.

clemenza, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 02:31 (six years ago) link

i should pick that up, looks like a fun read.

i saw a clip of jerry a while back where somebody asked him why his character hated newman so much, and his response was that there really wasn't any reason, it was just funnier that way. if you think about it, there's really no rational reason jerry should despise newman while having no problem with kramer.

(The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 04:36 (six years ago) link

Sinatra died the day the finale aired. I only remember that because there was a news item about how Nancy was mad about not finding out quickly because she was so wrapped in watching the episode.

Never Learn To Mike Love (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 05:12 (six years ago) link

I never figured out if the joke behind Kenny Bania was that he was a terrible comedian or that him and Seinfeld were basically the same

frogbs, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 05:15 (six years ago) link

I think it's just that he's annoying

JRN, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 05:25 (six years ago) link

Kenny's a McGuffin character who's always just a slave to that week's situation. Whatever was needed he was there - following in Jerry's footsteps, or he was dating Jerry's ex or using Jerry as mentor. Often didn't make sense in single episodes that he suddenly he had a cable show or whatever but it just served that week's plot.

everything, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 05:57 (six years ago) link

At least one Bania episode was related to events. The one where he becomes popular riding Jerry's coattails was meant as a joke about all the bad NBC shows that got good ratings because of a time-slot before Seinfeld. (Whatever Jerry/Newman backstory there might be never came up in the book.)

clemenza, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 12:39 (six years ago) link

It's pretty weird that Elaine's dad only appeared that once

very stabbable gaius (wins), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 12:45 (six years ago) link

there's really no rational reason jerry should despise newman while having no problem with kramer

I always say Kramer as well mannered and had good intentions, whereas Newman was just devious and was always out for himself.

In space, pizza sends out for YOU (Ste), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 12:48 (six years ago) link

(from wiki)

His [Lawrence Tierney] performance was brilliant, and they contemplated making him a recurring character. However, when he was caught stealing a knife from the set, and later pulling it on Seinfeld in a threatening fashion, it became clear that he would not be invited back

In space, pizza sends out for YOU (Ste), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 12:52 (six years ago) link

(that was response to Wins re Elaines Dad)

In space, pizza sends out for YOU (Ste), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 12:52 (six years ago) link

Although I recall the DVD commentary version of that being slightly different and not mentioning the threatening part at all, just that he stole cutlery and kept hiding it from Jerry.

In space, pizza sends out for YOU (Ste), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 12:54 (six years ago) link

^^ could've been the inspiration for the guy casted as Kramer for Jerry and George's pilot who stole (or didn't steal) the raisins

♫ very clever with maracas.jpg ♫ (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 12:56 (six years ago) link

Wasn’t it Larry David who dated at some point Richard Yates’ daughter?

licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 13:21 (six years ago) link

Thanks for the heads up on this being a behind-the-scenes thing, clemenza. I'm interested in reading it now that I know it isn't the instantly-clearanced quickie boilerplate pop culture cash-in that it appeared to be at first blush. I love in-depth televisual post-mortems, e.g. Bill Carter's NBC late night books and the Simpsons oral history.

Senior Soft-Serve Tech at the Froyo Arroyo (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 13:29 (six years ago) link

No, she's a good writer--recommend the Mary Tyler Moore Show book too.

The knife-pulling episode comes up in the book, too. (The episode would have been on the air before Reservoir Dogs.) Also: Richard Yates evidently hated the character, although there was some suggestion he was just playing up his gruffness and secretly loved it.

clemenza, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 13:33 (six years ago) link

I think so--it think it was David who dated Yates' daughter.

clemenza, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 13:34 (six years ago) link

just bought this book thanks to the revive. sounds great.

AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 13:43 (six years ago) link

it's mostly all in this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9T7En0N2bg

Heavy Messages (jed_), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 14:24 (six years ago) link

ah thanks Jed

In space, pizza sends out for YOU (Ste), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 15:00 (six years ago) link

two years pass...

🤯 The origin/making of the Seinfeld theme.

So much to unpack here...
First: This dude.
Second: He re-recorded it for every single episode
Third: the bpm set to Jerry’s timing?
Fourth: it wasn’t a real bass?!

source: https://t.co/yMj4bo4FVA pic.twitter.com/KGTRf2GDzn

— Ian Chan (@chanian) February 15, 2020

xyzzzz__, Sunday, 16 February 2020 15:28 (four years ago) link

Amazing.

romanesque architect (pomenitul), Sunday, 16 February 2020 15:33 (four years ago) link

incredible

Good taste, bit Victorian but who isn't? (jed_), Sunday, 16 February 2020 15:45 (four years ago) link

Yeah that is incredible.

Le Bateau Ivre, Sunday, 16 February 2020 15:51 (four years ago) link

ha, awesome. also that video someone posted later in that timeline about them adding nonsense lyrics to the theme for one episode!

Nhex, Sunday, 16 February 2020 15:57 (four years ago) link

Someone should replace all the dialogue in "Seinfeld" with slappy bass sounds, kind of like an update on the "Peanuts" muted trumped grown-up talk.

Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 16 February 2020 16:52 (four years ago) link

I wonder how much money he makes off of those fake slappy bass sounds?

In other news, I just rewatched "The Mosquito Coast" the other day and was surprised to see Jason Alexander pop up as a hardware store employee arguing with Harrison Ford. I know his first movie was that classic slasher flick "The Burning," which was 1981. I guess "Mosquito Coast" was only his second, in 1986, which means there must be so many Jason Alexander screen tests out there.

I also learned, checking imdb, that he was a frequent guest on a show called "E/R." Not "ER," "E/R." Not only was"E/R" *also* about a Chicago hospital, but it starred Elliott Gould as one Dr. ... Sheinfeld.

Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 16 February 2020 17:02 (four years ago) link

The world has turned upside down.

Load up your rubber wallets (Tom D.), Sunday, 16 February 2020 17:03 (four years ago) link

E/R also had George Clooney on it!

Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Sunday, 16 February 2020 17:03 (four years ago) link

This is too much.

Load up your rubber wallets (Tom D.), Sunday, 16 February 2020 17:05 (four years ago) link

omg that soundtrack guy is a hero

babby bitter (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 16 February 2020 17:31 (four years ago) link

two months pass...

thinking about that time somebody asked derrida if he watched seinfeld pic.twitter.com/Acb8UL7ZER

— ▀▀▀▀▀▀ (@immolations) April 19, 2020

mark s, Monday, 20 April 2020 14:18 (three years ago) link

derrida otm

Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Monday, 20 April 2020 16:15 (three years ago) link

what's the deal with différance

mark s, Monday, 20 April 2020 16:21 (three years ago) link

four months pass...

for people itt who love both seinfeld and football

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/sep/01/david-squires-on-lionel-messi-going-full-george-costanza-barcelona

oscar bravo, Tuesday, 1 September 2020 15:51 (three years ago) link

heat map vs bayern funny in and of itself but it being in a file titled 'penske' makes it even better. glad to see the puffy shirt in there too.

oscar bravo, Tuesday, 1 September 2020 15:54 (three years ago) link

thanks for that, love the small details like the penske file and the vanderlay industries boards on the side of the field in the last panel... and just now saw the serenity nou in the first panel

Jibe, Wednesday, 2 September 2020 12:58 (three years ago) link


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