The Unforgettable Charm of Seinfeld: Exploring the Timeless Appeal

Seinfeld, hailed as one of the greatest sitcoms ever, remains a cherished staple of '90s television. However, there are unsettling realities when revisiting the show. The brainchild of writer Larry David and comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who plays a fictionalized version of himself, this long-running "show about nothing" boasts timeless episodes, memorable characters, and iconic lines. Yet, upon reflection, some moments or prevailing attitudes portrayed by the gang are cringe-inducing at best, and outright offensive at worst.

Seinfeld purposefully rejects the clichéd, feel-good nature of traditional sitcoms, focusing instead on characters who are fundamentally flawed yet oddly relatable. Jerry, accompanied by his closest friend George Costanza, his ex-turned-friend Elaine Benes, and eccentric neighbor Cosmo Kramer, consistently find themselves in the wrong. This often results in uproarious comedic moments, but occasionally, the foundation falters, rendering certain scenes or episodes challenging to endure.

10 Seinfeld's Attitudes Toward Dating Haven't Aged Well

Jerry's love life on Seinfeld is no secret. Throughout the show's nine seasons, he goes out with more than 60 women. It's clear that part of the humor stems from Jerry's immaturity. He is quick to dismiss potential girlfriends over trivial reasons, manipulates them for his wild schemes, and makes fun of their appearance. While Seinfeld doesn't necessarily condone Jerry's behavior, his actions can be annoying or unsettling, depending on the circumstances.

In the show's second episode, "The Stake-Out," Jerry essentially stalks a woman in order to obtain her phone number. In season 4, he involves Elaine in assessing a potential girlfriend's breasts, claiming he could never date someone with implants. And in "The Junior Mint," Jerry struggles to even remember the name of the woman he's seeing. It's clear that Jerry deliberately chooses to have a constant rotation of dates, but this approach and all its implications can be hard to accept at times.

9 Jerry's Stereotypical And Offensive Jokes Are A Problem

Jerry's comedy often revolves around observation, but there are instances where he relies on lazy stereotypes and bigotry for cheap laughs. An example of this can be seen in season 5, episode 10, where Jerry purchases a racist statue of an Indigenous person as a misguided "peace offering" and presents it to Elaine in the presence of her Navajo friend, Winona (Kimberly Norris Guerrero).

Jerry naively believes that this offensive "gift" and the accompanying racist jokes will showcase his goodwill and help him secure a date with Winona. However, Jerry is not the only member of the Seinfeld group to exhibit racist behavior. In season 6, George says something offensive to his Black boss and tries to befriend another Black individual in an attempt to prove that he is a non-problematic white person. At times, Seinfeld blurs the line between situational comedy and the inclusion of vulgar jokes, resulting in a problematic stance.

8 Some Of Jerry's "Childish" Schemes Turn Dark

Jerry, with his selfish and immature actions, is not exactly the kind of person most women would want to date. Though his childish schemes can sometimes provide amusement, there are instances where his exploits become disturbing. In the ninth season's "The Merv Griffin Show," Jerry's behavior takes a dark turn from his usual Superman jokes and fascination with cereal boxes.

This particular episode showcases a disturbing moment that still astonishes viewers, considering it was allowed on a sitcom like Seinfeld. Jerry's girlfriend at the time possesses an impressive collection of vintage toys that remain unopened. However, Jerry fails to comprehend the concept of collectibles solely for display purposes and resolves to find a way to play with them. In a shocking act, Jerry drugs his girlfriend to render her unconscious, allowing himself to freely indulge in the toys. The fact that this date rape allegory is played for laughs is unjustifiable, even for the '90s.

7 Racist Moments Are Played For Laughs

The cast and characters of Seinfeld are memorable, but even though the show intentionally focuses on jerks, it cannot justify its instances of blatant racism. As mentioned earlier, Jerry's offensive gift to Elaine is already problematic, but he also attempts to dismiss Winona's valid concerns about his jokes at the expense of Indigenous people. In another episode, Jerry belittles Chinese women, arguing that it's not racist since he likes their race. These casual dehumanizations of different groups of people highlight one of the many harsh realities of rewatching Seinfeld.

However, Jerry is not the only character involved in racist moments. While the studio audience may applaud Kramer when he bursts into Jerry's apartment, many of his subplots deserve scorn rather than praise. Apart from a scene involving brownface, Kramer adopts African American Vernacular English (AAVE) while interacting with Black characters and reinforces racist stereotypes about Asian men by making his Japanese guests sleep in dresser drawers. The bottom line is that simply portraying a white character in the wrong does not absolve the show's jokes from perpetuating real and lasting harm.

6 Some Episodes Went Too Far For A Joke

"The Puerto Rican Day Parade" episode from the ninth season of Seinfeld has been known for pushing boundaries with its unique storylines. However, due to a highly controversial scene, NBC made the decision to remove it from airing and issued a formal apology. Furthermore, the episode was banned from syndication. Despite this, the episode has since resurfaced on streaming platforms in recent years, with the controversial scene largely unchanged.

The episode revolves around the gang finding themselves trapped in the chaotic traffic caused by the New York City parade. As a result, the entire episode focuses on their comical misadventures to pass the time. George finds himself entangled in a nonsensical plot involving a laser pointer, while Elaine endures the frustration of being stuck beneath the parade stands alongside other discontent New Yorkers. However, it is Kramer who unintentionally ignites a Puerto Rican flag, leading to a riot. In a highly offensive manner, he then proceeds to compare the mob to the everyday life in Puerto Rico.

5 Jerry And George Leer At An Underage Teen

Jerry and George not only exhibit judgmental and inappropriate behavior towards the women they date, but also towards other individuals they come across. A notable instance is their objectifying gaze upon a teenage girl in the episode "The Shoes" from season 4. In a self-referential twist, the friends propose a sitcom akin to Seinfeld, described as a "show about nothing," to NBC. As George and Jerry engage in a conversation with a network executive, the executive's teenage daughter enters their office.

The episode explicitly states that she is only 15 years old, clearly qualifying as a minor. Nevertheless, George cannot help but continuously fixate on the girl's cleavage. Both he and Jerry contend that they should not be held accountable for their inappropriate behavior if something is within their line of sight. In an effort to salvage their show, George and Jerry seek assistance from Elaine, who willingly blames the young girl and implies that her revealing dress is the issue.

4 Immigrants Are Often The Butt of Seinfeld's Jokes

In the "The English Patient" episode, Kramer's love for Cuban cigars takes a dark turn when he asks Jerry to pick up some "Cubans" before his trip to Florida. Jerry assumes he means cigars, but instead, several Cuban immigrants show up at his doorstep. Kramer's misleading remark is meant to be funny, but it raises concerns. Not only does it suggest Kramer's involvement in human trafficking, but he also wants to exploit the labor of the Cuban immigrants by having them roll cigars for his benefit. This situation is reminiscent of the episode where Jerry unwittingly gets a Pakistani restaurateur deported. The portrayal of people of color and immigrants as the target of jokes is problematic, even if Jerry is presented as the main issue.

3 Seinfeld Pretended Its Gay Panic Wasn't Homophobic

In Seinfeld, Jerry and George frequently use the phrase "Not that there's anything wrong with that," comparable to the expression "no homo." In the episode "The Outing" from season 4, Elaine pretends that Jerry and George are a gay couple to liven up their conversation, unknowingly in front of a college newspaper reporter who overhears them.

The episode prominently features the characters' fear of being perceived as gay, while also trying to avoid coming across as homophobic. Jerry's use of "Not that there's anything wrong with that" is fitting for his character, but falls short. George manipulates his fake homosexuality to end his current relationship, effortlessly discarding the identity as he had adopted it. Although celebrated in its time, the episode's progressiveness in the 90s falls short in the context of 2023.

2 The "Man Hands" Episode Is '90s-Style Transphobia

In season 8's "The Bizarro Jerry" episode of Seinfeld, a new phrase entered the pop culture lexicon: "man hands." The phrase is used by Jerry and his friends to describe Gillian (played by Kristin Bauer van Straten), a woman Jerry is dating. According to Jerry, Gillian is attractive but has unattractive hands. This viewpoint is not only immature and superficial, but it also reflects transphobia. The phrase "man hands" can be interpreted as a signal to trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs), and Jerry's exaggerated reaction to someone with larger hands is illogical.

During a dinner scene, Gillian effortlessly cracks open a lobster, which makes Jerry feel emasculated and uncomfortable. Later, she attempts to touch Jerry's face, and he is disgusted by her hands. It is worth noting that the close-up shots of Gillian's hands are actually those of male crew members from the show. While this may seem like just another example of Jerry critiquing his dates for absurd reasons, the enduring "man hands" meme adds frustration to the episode, considering the prevalence of transphobic rhetoric in today's society.

1 Seinfeld Consistently Features Ableist Humor

Seinfeld, along with many other sitcoms of the '90s, faced challenges in accurately portraying disabled characters. Unfortunately, like several other marginalized groups depicted on the show, chronically ill and disabled individuals were mostly used for comedic purposes. One particular episode titled "The Bubble Boy" showcases George engaging in a foolish altercation with Donald, a chronically ill teenager, simply because of a misprinted Trivial Pursuit answer.

In this episode, Susan, George's then-fiancé, accidentally damages Donald's protective medical bubble, putting his life at risk. Initially, this scene appears to be in line with George's character, as someone who would argue with a teenager over a board game. However, the humor soon devolves into ridicule towards Donald's situation. Additionally, in another episode, George and Kramer deliberately provide a woman with a faulty wheelchair, leading to more physical comedy and laughter from the studio audience. However, when observed from a current perspective, this humor feels empty and devoid of empathy.