The Controversial 'Seinfeld' Episode That Vanished from Syndication

The Moment in "The Puerto Rican Day" That Crossed the Line

When Seinfeld reaches its peak, it serves as a prime example of a show that cleverly addresses a wide range of taboo topics. This is accomplished either by subtly avoiding direct references to the subject matter (such as the infamous "I am master of my domain" phrase, alluding to masturbation in "The Contest") or by purposefully exaggerating reactions ("Not that there's anything wrong with that," a cheeky politically correct response to homosexuality in "The Outing"). However, at its lowest points, Seinfeld can be offensive, outdated, and even difficult to watch today. Television shows that navigate the fine line between wit and tastelessness can easily tilt towards one extreme or the other. It is a credit to the creative talents behind Seinfeld that the show consistently straddles this line. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the show is flawless. Throughout its run, there are several instances where Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards) find themselves in situations that were in poor taste even at the time, let alone now. However, one episode stands out from the rest, so controversial that it was removed from syndication: "The Puerto Rican Day" from Season 9.

Image via NBC

"The Puerto Rican Day" ranked as the second highest-rated episode of the series, just falling behind the series finale that aired the following week. In this episode, Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer find themselves stuck in traffic on Fifth Avenue due to the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. Elaine decides to abandon the car and hop into a taxi, but soon realizes that it's not making any more progress than the car she left behind. Desperate to reach her destination, she attempts to walk under the viewing stands, only to become trapped alongside a crowd of other people. Meanwhile, George steps out of the car and is excited to watch a film about the Hindenburg disaster called "Blimp". He plans to deliver his famous line, "That's gotta hurt!" when the Hindenburg meets its catastrophic fate, a line that always brought laughs whenever he saw the movie before. However, this time, his comedic timing falls flat.

Kramer, always scheming, needs to use a restroom. In order to gain access to an apartment for sale, he pretends to be a wealthy industrialist named H.E. Pennypacker. Coincidentally, the final inning of the Mets game is playing on the TV in the apartment, so Kramer invites "Kel Vamsen" (Jerry) and the notorious "Art Vandelay" (George) to watch it with him. With nobody watching the car, a furious crowd surrounds it and shoves it into a stairwell. After the commotion settles down, the group decides to walk home.

The episode's synopsis does not hint at any potential controversy. It is actually a return to the traditional style of the show, similar to episodes like "The Chinese Restaurant" or "The Puffy Shirt." However, what infuriated the public was what was left out of the recap. While leaving the apartment, Kramer unintentionally lights a Puerto Rican flag on fire with a sparkler. He then proceeds to throw it on the ground and stomps on it to extinguish the fire. This act angers parade-goers who approach Kramer, prompting him to escape back into the apartment. As they witness the mob causing damage to Jerry's car, Kramer remarks, "It's like this every day in Puerto Rico."

"The Puerto Rican Day" 'Seinfeld' Episode Led to Outrage

Image via NBC

The Puerto Rican community became incredibly angered by this. They organized protests outside NBC in New York, expressed their anger through strongly worded letters, and flooded Latino radio stations with furious calls. Manuel Mirabal, the president of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, held a news conference demanding an apology and a commitment that the episode would not be broadcast again. Mirabal stated, "I was worried that the portrayal of Latinos on the show was very stereotypical, like in West Side Story. And then Kramer started running around with the Puerto Rican flag... When the flag was burned, I became incredibly angry." Another Puerto Rican leader, Fernando Ferrer, issued a statement denouncing the scene and its implications, saying, "The burning of the Puerto Rican flag as a comedic gag was disrespectful to the millions of people who hold that flag close to their hearts, just like the derogatory depiction of men rioting and vandalizing a car, as if it happens every day in Puerto Rico." Eventually, NBC apologized and responded to public pressure by pulling the episode from syndication.

However, the Seinfeld production company's executive's response to Mirabal indicated that NBC still failed to understand the issue. They suggested that the episode could have been written about any parade, such as St. Patrick's Day or Columbus Day parades. This statement seemed to either imply that other groups wouldn't be as upset or that Puerto Ricans should be grateful that it was their parade chosen, completely overlooking the flag burning incident. There is also a hypocritical aspect to this response. What if it wasn't a Puerto Rican flag that was set on fire, but rather an American flag? The desecration of the American flag had been a reason for conviction for many years before it was considered protected under the First Amendment in 1989 and again in 1990, only eight years prior to "The Puerto Rican Day" episode. In fact, as recently as 2006, there was a proposed amendment to protect the American flag, which actually passed the House but fell short by one vote in the Senate. If the desecration of an American flag is so widely condemned that it narrowly avoids leading to convictions, then Puerto Ricans have every right to react similarly when their flag is burned on national television.

What's interesting is that "The Puerto Rican Day" episode made it to air, despite the existence of two episodes that were never produced due to potential controversy. One of these episodes would have featured George noticing, "You know, I have never seen a Black person order a salad." The other episode, titled "The Bet," revolved around a bet among the friends on whether Elaine would buy a gun for protection, including a scene where Elaine jokes about shooting herself in the head, referencing "The Kennedy." The creative team wisely anticipated negative reactions from African-Americans, both sides of the gun advocacy debate, and those who don't find humor in references to presidential assassinations. Surprisingly, they failed to recognize the potential backlash for "The Puerto Rican Day," especially considering that Mirabal had already campaigned against it months before its airing. However, viewers have the opportunity to form their own opinions about the episode as NBC reintroduced it for syndication in 2002.

The Big Picture

Seinfeld gained its reputation for its witty and exaggerated handling of controversial topics, including self-pleasure and same-sex attraction.

The episode titled "The Puerto Rican Day" sparked anger for its portrayal of a burned Puerto Rican flag and offensive remarks regarding Puerto Rico.

Despite controversy, the episode was eventually aired again in syndication, but it raises questions about the show's handling of sensitive topics.