Isn’t that the whole fucking point of the show though? The main characters are terrible selfish assholes?
This whole “young people find everything offensive” narrative is ridiculous, and always has been. It’s very beneficial to those who want to shift the Overton window, though.
Not saying it’s not funny, but there is definitely stuff in the show that wouldn’t fly today. For example there is an episode where George didn’t know black people ate salad.
For example there is an episode where George didn’t know black people ate salad.
We’re still getting asked questions like this and honestly, should be highlighted:
Pure facepalm Questions I’ve overheard or was involved in:
- Can black people use the same shampoo as white people
- If Muslim women wore the hijab in the shower
- Is the southeast asian vagina 90 degrees
I don’t like Seinfeld, but isn’t George supposed to be an utter dunce?
Like, as a Zoomer, people not being able to tell the difference between portraying bigotry and endorsing it IS an actual problem I see.
I am reminded of Sokka’s character in the new version of the Avatar (show) compared to the original animated one. In the original animated one, he portrays sexism and very much feels the consequences of it, and grows as a character when overcoming it (through warranted humiliation). The new show never included any of this and so his character lacks all of this. It’s like the writers think they’re endorsing his sexism if they ever included such a thing.
He is also based on Larry David himself, and many of the most outrageous stunts he does in Seinfeld, David has done in real life. For example, George quitting his job just to regret it immediately and going back the next day as if nothing had happened, is based on Larry David doing exactly that as a writer on SNL. He made a big scene and quit, and just went back after the weekend and pretended like he’d been joking. Larry David is an interesting man to say the least.
I heard on a podcast today that Larry David based the George character on himself. (The podcast is called Good Bad Billionaire, where a couple of people judge various billionaires on their ethics etc. TIL Jerry Seinfeld is a billionaire.)
Not a Seinfeld fan but I did see enough episodes of both it and Curb Your Enthusiasm to be annoyed that I didn’t make this connection.
I did a re-watch in the last couple years. Most of it was fine, even if it would not be a big hit these days. Jerry dates the Asian women? Yea that would get called out most likely. Elaine dates a guy she thinks is black? Pretty sure that still flies. Elaine is scarred she’s dating a murderer? Probs a special two part episode these days. Shocks me how ahead of the curve they were with the Elaine gets gaped episode.