Fans debate whether Seinfeld is politically correct, noting diverse character representation and equal treatment of flawed characters across genders and races.
think about it - seinfeld is the most political correct show on television. Because:
it is non-sexist - male and female characters in major and minor roles it is non-racist - chinese, pakistanis, italians and jews just to name a few races that have been on the show it is non-agist - there a young people and old people on the show there are horizontally-challenged people - newman there are vertically-challenged people - mickey, kramer's friend
what do other think?
Mark
I'm not sure that merely "having" people on a show makes the show politically correct.
However, the wide-ranging styles of people who get screwed over, and screw others over (heck, that's what this little show about nothing is all about, isn't it!?) does make it a little better than, say, "Friends" (which I actually do like), where, evidently, everyone in New York is a 20-something Caucasian or their parents.
Most often, when people express concern over Seinfeld's portrayal of "ethnicity X", they don't take it within the context of the entire show. That an X is a jerk in an episode (a) doesn't mean that ALL "X's" are jerks and (b) falls perfectly within the behavior patterns of ALL Seinfeld characters. Everyone's a jerk in the SeinWorld!
Are we to believe that because Mickey is a hothead, that all little people are hotheaded? Or all dark-haired men with beards are hotheaded? No. Mickey - who happens to be a little person, and who happens to be dark-haired with a beard - is hotheaded. There's no need to take it further than that.
Jerry's a borderline sociopath. George is pretty paranoid, with occasional delusions of grandeur. Elaine is a self-centred bossy whiner who's pretty promiscuous. And, along with Kramer, Newman, Peterman, Mickey, the Soup Nazi, the Chinese Waiter, and *everyone* else on the show - they're jerks!
Don't define people on the show or off by one small part of them. If the character of Jerry were African American or a little person or a woman - whatever - he/she would still be a jerk. The fact that he's tall, thin, neat, Jewish, fair-skinned, New Yorker - and so on - are individual traits within his character.
Until a character says "that Chinese waiter is a jerk - as are all Chinese people" - the mere fact the Chinese waiter is a jerk isn't a slur. If a remark like that passed unremarked, well then we'd have reason to worry about the various "isms" concern has been expressed over. Until then? Hate/enjoy/laugh at all the characters with all their characteristics. Including their jerk-ness.
Renee (pontificating more than usual)
I agree...equal opportunity discrimination!
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I've only been reading this group a few days (and I love it!), but I've noticed that alot of times people refer to Elaine as promiscuous. Is she any more so than Jerry? George sleeps with his secretary and a Portugese waitress--isn't he promiscuous? Seems like a double standard here! :)
Maria
Maria Rost Rublee wrote:
George even had sex with the cleaning lady at Pendant Publishing, someone he didn't even know. Elaine is no more promiscuouc than the guys. the double standard is clearly evident.
I meant no disrespect by my comments on the show. i merely meant to point out that seinfeld as a tv show cannot be said to only feature certain type of people, like friends. i love the seinfeld - i have about 20 3 hour tapes of seinfeld episodes. i just think it is remarkable that a show essentially abbout nothing can cater for so many types of people.
i agree with what you said. i hope you do not think i am bagging the show. rather i am commending it for not stereotyping its characters. everyone can relate to them one way or another - we know these people, run into these people, have bad experiences with these people, love them, hate them, despise them, envy them.
Mark
How about the show when the reporter did a story on Jerry with George as his gay lover? "Not that there's anything wrong with that."