There are a few ways thatSeinfeldis different from other sitcoms. One main way is that the show is “about nothing” and each episode is about regular life. Unlike other sitcoms with cheesy family storylines or things that always work out perfectly by the end credits, none of theSeinfeldepisodes are meant to teach lessons. It definitely seems like the characters themselves would be upset if someone thought that they were being corny or trying to help other people.
Seinfeldis intelligent, hilarious, and features some of the most well-crafted characters ever seen on a TV comedy, and there are also some lessons apparent in many of the episodes, despite the show’s reputation for being about nothing.
RELATED:Seinfeld: 10 Behind The Scenes Facts You Never Knew
Social Etiquette Is Important
The point ofSeinfeldis that the main characters can be rude, fairly horrible people and that they do what they want, when they want, with no regard for other people’s thoughts and feelings. They especially hate going to a boring party or having to talk to people who they don’t know or don’t like very much.
These scenarios are hilarious, and it’s particularly funny when Elaine and Jerry go to an awful party in the season 3 episode “The Stranded,” as they hate talking to everyone there and want to leave. The friends also get stuck on the way to a dinner gathering in season 5, and they also hate bumping into everyone from acquaintances to family members, as Jerry doesn’t even like saying hi to his Uncle Leo (Len Lesser) when he sees him around NYC.
Even though manySeinfeldstories are all about not caring about being polite, friendly, nice, or having social etiquettes, these scenarios never go well for Jerry and his friends. SeveralSeinfeldepisodes are about true events, which makes sense since the show is about so many realistic social interactions. If Jerry and the others would be nicer and friendlier, it seems like life would be easier for them. They often seem to make things much harder on themselves with their bad attitudes (even though, of course, this is funny).
Some Dating “Red Flags” Aren’t Real
People often talk about red flags in dating and sometimes, there are legitimate and real things that people should look out for. If someone goes on a first date and the other person won’t ask any questions and doesn’t seem interested in them or their life at all, that’s definitely a problem. If someone is rude, conceited, inconsiderate, and just not fun to be around, then it makes sense that the other person wouldn’t want a second date.
But the red flags that are discussed onSeinfeld? They’re definitely not legitimate, real, or even logical. There are severalpopularSeinfeldepisodes, and in many of them, Jerry, George, and Elaine start hating the people who they are just started dating. In the season 5 episode “The Pie,” Jerry’s new girlfriend Audrey (Suzanne Snyder) doesn’t want to eat pie. In the season 7 episode “The Seven,” Jerry hates that Christie (Lisa Deanne Young) wears the exact same dress on each date. Are these real reasons to end a relationship that could be great?
Even thoughSeinfeldis a silly show, it’s also very smart and each episode says something about life, particularly dating. Even when Jerry and his friends explain to each other why they’ve just broken off yet another potential romance, they’re confused about why they would do that.
Hard Work Does Pay Off
WhileJerry’s worstSeinfeldactionsshow that he’s a far from flawless person, Jerry does have an incredibly impressive stand-up comedy career. He’s often traveling for work and he performs sets in New York City all the time.
People often say that it’s a good idea to “work hard and be nice to people” (and this quote is on many motivational/inspirations posters as well). Although Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer aren’t known for being super sweet to other people, Jerry does work hard and he shows how much that can pay off. Jerry is the only character with a steady job and income throughout the show’s 9 seasons. Elaine works in book publishing but has some tough moments along her career path, working for Mr. Pitt (Ian Abercrombie) which doesn’t do much for her happiness or future job prospects.
Jerry and George also put some work into a TV pilot, and while their sitcomJerrydoesn’t last very long, they do get the chance to work on a fun artistic project which is still fairly impressive. Even though a lot ofSeinfeldis about the stuff of real life that can be fairly banal, there are a lot of smart lessons on the show.
