Seinfeld Satire

Seinfeld was a sitcom from NBC that was very popular during the ’90s, and is often referred as “a show about nothing.” It consisted of the life of a fictitious Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York City (IMDb). Seinfeld reached a Nielsen rating of 21.7 percent and number one in the United States ranking during its ninth and final season (“Appendix 3: Top-Rated Programs by Season”). It was unique in the way that it portrayed social life during the ‘90s, and this inspired shows such as Friends, Ellen, and Mad About You (Pierson 49). In Seinfeld episodes, the viewer can observe social customs, fads, social standards, and family portrayals of ‘90s semi-young adults. Seinfeld became extremely popular almost overnight after it was moved from

Some of it is set up in the very beginning of the episode, where Jerry is offered to make a TV show for NBC. George then mentions how the show could be about anything because people “watch junk all the time,” which Kramer then pitches an idea to make a show about freaks; because he claimed that’s what people wanted to see (“The Pitch / The Ticket” 4.3). While this concept might also apply today, these are actually valid remarks because it was in the ‘90s when different kinds of television were starting to appear (Brooks 1). This was an era in which audiences craved watching something different, as there were already too few sources for home entertainment. In order to have some fun, people had to go out more with their friends. Therefore, in this same episode, Kramer trades a broken radar detector for a motorcycle helmet to an oblivious Newman. Radar detectors were popular because it allowed drivers to avoid getting tickets, and they became very popular during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s; where this episode takes place (“The Pitch / The Ticker 4.3; Stratford Gazette). While Kramer and Newman were trading, Seinfeld steps in and tells Kramer that he is “getting gypped” in reference to the “anarchistic” gypsies whose stories were popular during the ‘90s (Daily Mail). Gypsies were known for hitchhiking on roads and

First off, George brings Home Alone in a VHS tape to watch at Jerry’s house. This film from 1990 is the most successful Christmas-themed movie of all time (Barrett). Especially since this episode took place just three years after it came out in theaters, the movie was still really fresh and well-known. Thus, George Constanza stayed at Jerry’s apartment to watch the movie, while Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer left to see a man in the hospital. His name is Roy, and Elaine liked him but left him because he was overweight, so when they got to his room, Elaine was surprised by his weight loss. Elaine and Roy started having a conversation; meanwhile Jerry started playing with his yo-yo. Two things can be observed here: the yo-yo’s appearance, and the “highly discriminating and noncommittal” nature of the ‘90s adult dating scene (Pierson 53). Yo-yos nowadays are rare to come by, but in the early ‘90s, they were once a status symbol among teenagers (Rabinovitz). Kids nowadays rather use electronics for toys, unlike kids then who preferred other toys that required skill. Shortly after that incident, Kramer and the doctor step in the room, and Kramer asks him about a tool used in the operation, in which the doctor replies by asking Kramer, “Are you asking because you saw 20/20 last night?” (“The Junior Mint” 4.19). 20/20 was a very