Help with "The Pen"

TV Guide recently included a praiseworthy article about Seinfeld. The article included a list of what they deemed to be the ten best episodes; among these was "The Pen". On a similar note, I have seen people post "The Pen" as their favorite episode, whereas I tend to post it as my choice for *worst* episode.

I do not understand it, so please help me. Whenever I open TV Guide to read the Seinfeld synopsis and read "Jerry and Elaine visit Jerry's parents...", I start to cry, realizing my half-hour of guaranteed amusement has been reduced to virtually nothing. I must confess that I am tickled by the "Stella" line and Jerry's "so you see it's really only two days" type arguments.

Aside from these, the episode simply bores and irritates me. Neither George nor Kramer appears in the episode. They are replaced by bickering old people whose neuroses I cannot identify with. How can an episode without George OR Kramer be considered in the top ten--their absence denies the show of its fabric of success (suede excluded)?

Anyhow, if you sincerely enjoy this episode, please explain why? I am genuinely curious. If you too find no pleasure in this episode, please post to that effect and validate my aversion.

Kirk, I didn't like "The Pen" that much either. How could TV Guide pick as the best? My pick for the best: "The Parking Garage" "The Limo" "The Bubble Boy" need I say more?

P.S. What were the other "Picks" for the best by TV Guide Kirk, anyone?

[email] (Justin Tribble) wrote:

I know "The Contest" was included on the list.

I *believe* "The Subway", "The Bubble Boy", "The Soup Nazi", "The Junior Mint", and "The Chinese Restaurant" were all included, but my memory may be failing me.

How could anyone consider "The Chinese Restaurant" as one of the best???? The ONLY funny part in that is Jerry's dare to Elaine to eat other people's food. Just grab an egg roll and run!

From: Chris Conant

best???? >>The ONLY

Just grab

Kirk Knutson wrote: Whenever I

Agreed. In general I don't care for the episodes with any of the parents for the reasons you identify: lots of bickering and yelling that just irritates me. OTOH the Costanzas are SO annoying that it helps you sympathize with George, which might otherwise be difficult to do.

I don't agree that the parents bickering is annoying. Actually, I think it is one of the funniest parts of the show. Whether it be George's dad screaming at George for a screw-up or Jerry's dad trying to sell raincoats, I think the parents antics are hilarious.

David Marsh wrote:

yeah what he said. The show other then "its only twenty minutes" is a flop from start to finish

jacob

yeah what he said. The show other then "its only twenty minutes" is a flop from start to finish

jacob

The Pen episode can be enjoyed by a very select audience. Since my origins are similar to Jerry's (born in Brooklyn like him), I can enjoy Jerry's parents, Jack Klompus and Evelyn because I've known people in that age group (including my parents) who behaved in similar ways and moved to Florida etc. I can see how individuals from other backgrounds would not identify with these things.

I do think it's one of the funniest. I think the annoying old people in Florida are hysterical, especially Jack Klompus. And it's not totally unrealistic. I've had old New Yorker family members in Florida all my life, and, I tell you, it can get pretty ridicurous.

Also, having slept on a sofa bed for a number of years, I get a kick out of Elaine's problems sleeping on it.

Not to mention her BEGGING Mrs. Seinfeld to turn on the air conditioner. To which Mrs. Seinfeld says, "You're warm?" That's happened to me, not being able to sleep because it's too hot, yet you're a guest and can't adjust the thermostat. TORTURE!

kAThrYN

I can understand why many people are baffled by the popularity of "The Pen." When I first saw it, I fell off the couch laughing, thinking, "Someone has FINALLY captured in a totally genuine way the way elderly Jewish people argue about the most petty. minute GARBAGE, and elevate total trivia to the realm of importance."

I grew up in a Jewish family in New York and saw behavior like this on the part of my older relatives ALL THE TIME! Grudges were held FOR YEARS over the most inane monsense! The concept of magnifying Jerry's offhand admiration for Jack Klompus' pen into a cause celebre that involves the entire retirement community was SHEER GENIUS!

A friend of mine recently commented that it was unusual that "Seinfeld" had achieved such universal popularity, since it appeared to him that you have to be Jewish to really "get" it. I replied that, over the years, the rest of the country has assimilated so much Jewish culture through TV and film that they are totally familiar with the archetypes portrayed on "Seinfeld." However, I believe that "The Pen" represents the exception rather than the rule, being an episode that one almost needs to be Jewish to truly enjoy.

I apologize for "reviving" the "Jewish" thread to some extent, but I truly believe that this is the central key to appreciating "The Pen."

I agree with Lee Salem's posting (below). Being Jewish myself, I have seen family members behave in the same manner all the time, and I think that Seinfeld represents this well. The grudges, the constant bickering back and forth, and other such things are hilarious because they represent something that really happens. I don't think that one necessarily has to be Jewish to enjoy this type of episode, but one must have exposure to those types of actions in real life to catch the humor in it. Remember, Seinfeld is really a show about nothing; that is, the everyday, non-important occurences of a regular life, and that is why people identify with and laugh with the characters. If one doesn't identify with something due to lack of exposure to it, like something that pokes fun at Jewish parents, then one won't think its that funny.

--Ted Weiman

In article Lee Salem writes:>From: Lee Salem

[email] (Ted Weiman) wrote:

I agree Ted. The interaction between these old people is very realistic and kind of a farce of retirment communities. The Pen episode was ingenious, but not the best ever as TV Guide states.

The scene comes to mind when Jerry learns that Uncle Leo failed to pay Jerry's mother $50 from their father's track winnings, and Morty and Helen were figuring out what it would be worth today using different interest rates!

Lee Salem writes:

I apologize for "reviving" the "Jewish" thread to some extent, but I truly believe that this is the central key to appreciating "The Pen."

It's not just a Jewish thing. Most of the people I know who understand the so-called Jewish humour of The Pen are children of immigrants. Their parents are old country, while they themselves are more Americanized. This disparity allows them to identify themselves with Jerry and Elaine, and their parents with Jerry's parents. I think if you lack this kind of identification, you'd find The Pen very irritating and not very funny. I'm curious if there are any people out there who've never associated with people like the Seinfelds who find The Pen funny.

Okay, so it wasn't the funniest episode, but the "STELLA!!!!!!!!" line saves the show.

Kirk Knutson wrote:

I honestly think the reason you don't appreciate those is because your family (I'm assuming) is not from New York. My relatives have inane conversations just like the Seinfelds and Costanzas, where everyone's carrying on about something and nobody listens to anyone else. It's funny to us because we can't believe how perfectly they capture this - you'd swear they knew my family!

-Jen