Nothing?

Just for kicks, I thought I'd start this thread:

Seinfeld is one of my favorite shows, and I've been watching it since the very first episode, I believe. But recently, since its popularity and media hype, one thing has bothered me. Everyone says the show is "about nothing." Well, this simply not true. "Seinfeld" is about a lot. What makes it a great show is that it takes everyday things, points them out...then turns them into something wacky and bizarre. So to say that show is about "nothing" is mis- leading, I think. A silly point, I know, but what the hell... - dan

     I see it this way... think about what you say to someone when telling
     them about a TV show you watch and they don't.

     Fraiser is about a radio talk-show host who lives with his father, Mad
     About You is about a newlywed couple, Wings is about a bunch of people
     that work at a small airport, etc...

Seinfeld is basically about a guy and his friends. ??!!??

     (Yeah, I know I am simplifying things to illustrate my point, but I'm
     just contributing to the discussion, really, I suppose.  Who knows.)

-Me

 -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
   The opinions expressed in this article may or may not be based on fact,
 fiction, characters or events (real or imaginary), reality, truth, or logic.
                               So, deal with it.
 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Robert M. Shearman, Jr.  University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
            E-Mail: [email]   "WILL WORK FOR CHOCOLATE"
 -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

I would say Seinfeld is about a single guy and his single friends, living in New York City. I used to think Seinfeld was particularly about New York City, with the double parking problems, everyone living in an apartment, taking taxis, not being able to find a parking space, fighting over a parking space, and the fruit and vegetable stand, rent control. But then maybe most big cities have the same aura.

By the way, Woody Allen's movies are about nothing, in the same way as Seinfeld is a bout nothing, but I find that outside of NY, most people don't appreciate Woody Allen like New Yorkers and ex-New Yorkers do.

Anybody else think there is a correlation with Woody Allen - Seinfeld (although Woody Allen plays a neurotic character more like George)

Deena

A friend and I were working in Canada for three months last summer and we got into Seinfeld and we both think it is excellent - just recently they ran the first series on British TV. I have spoken to a few people here about it but it was on one of the less popular stations so it hasn't got that much exposure and not that many people watched it. I think if they run another series it will begin to catch on.

I think we suffer from most of the same problems as this in London.

I just think the characters themselves are brilliant and brilliantly acted. As for what it's about - "who cares" as jerry might say "Its funny".

I say, tell other people to give it a chance and watch an episode or two. If they don't like it its their tough luck - I tend not to like things anyway once they become too popular - I think programs lose some of their appeal.

Dave.

##########################################################
#                          #                             #
#                          #  University of Westminster  #
#     DAVID WATTERS        #                             #
#                          #    115, New Cavendish St.   #
#                          #                             #
#  [email] #       London W1M 8JS        #
#                          #                             #
##########################################################

In [email] (Dan Saltzstein) writes:

As my sister-in-law once pointed out, it's not as much about nothing as "nothing that matters." Nothing the characters do is at all important, and they go nuts over little things (e.g. wearing a puffy shirt) rather than deep social issues. The original motto for the show was "No Hugging, No Learning," which is closer to the truth. Dave

22 Jan 94 20:51, Dan Saltzstein wrote:

DS> Seinfeld is one of my favorite shows, and I've been watching it since the DS> very first episode, I believe. But recently, since its popularity and media DS> hype, one thing has bothered me. Everyone says the show is "about nothing." DS> Well, this simply not true. "Seinfeld" is about a lot.

AHHHH! Someone that agrees with me! I *always* argue this point with people that raise it. No one agrees except my girlfriend who typically will say, 'I dunno...' I think she's just trying not to argue. :-)

DS> What makes it a great show is that it takes everyday things, points DS> them out...then turns them into something wacky and bizarre. So to DS> say that show is about "nothing" is mis- leading, I think. A silly DS> point, I know, but what the hell...

Not at all a silly point. I think you hit the nail on the head when saying that it's about everyday things. Maybe people take these things for granted and see nothing besides that? They miss the fact that these everyday things are the most important part...

23 Jan 94 03:06, Rob Shearman Jr. wrote:

RSJ> Fraiser is about a radio talk-show host who lives with his father, RSJ> Mad About You is about a newlywed couple, Wings is about a bunch of RSJ> people that work at a small airport, etc...

RSJ> Seinfeld is basically about a guy and his friends. ??!!??

I see your point but I don't see much difference between 'a newlywed couple' and 'a guy and his friends' when you put it that way.

Even your point about Wings being 'about a bunch of people that work at an airport' might be more to the point if you left off where they worked. The shows I saw made very little reference to where they were. They could've been working just about anywhere...