Unclear about Puerto Rican Day

Hi you guys, I was wondering if anyone here can help me out: I'm sincerely unclear as to why the Puerto Rican Day episode was so objectionable. I'm not posting this question to start a flame war or anything like that--I really am *that* clueless that I have no idea what was so awful about that episode? Is it really the fact that Kramer burned the flag? Or is it the fact that the Seingang was irritated by being caught in traffic on the day of the parade? If it's the flag-burning alone that was so offensive, then could someone offer an analogy that might help me understand why that particular act was so terribly vulgar? The way I read the episode, it seemed that everyone realised how awful it was that Kramer accidentally burned the flag--and that they were playing on that very volatile situation in the episode. They played on a lot of societal mores on that show (remember when Kramer was beaten up for refusing to wear his red ribbon at the AIDS walk by the very same Cedric and Bob who nailed him for burning the flag?). I also thought that they were alluding to past episodes from one of the best seasons ever and to Kramer's physical comedy and clumsiness with cigars (Elaine: "You're not the type who should be playing with matches--seriously, Kramer.").

I'm really confused about the Puerto Rican Day episode. Maybe someone from the other side of this debate could tell me what it exactly was that caused this episode to be pulled from syndication?

Not wanting to be a trouble-maker, just seriously wondering aloud,

Sydney Olerinshaw.

As far as I know it's simply the flag-burning.

In article , AVT Studio wrote:

You must be kidding right? The news didn't orchastrate the burning of any American Flags. They just reported that it did happen. The problems people have with the Puerto Rican Day episode is that the producers made a concious decision to burn the flag.

I remember a movie a while ago where the idea is a "what if?" had the Germans won WWII and took over America. A German teacher had the students cut up an american flag for fun. It was noted at the end that It was not an Actual flag that was cut in production (they created it with an extra stripe and not enough stars, or something to that effect). They should have used a similar method in the show.

-Adam

Adam Sena wrote:

And *now* I think I get it. The issue with the Puerto Rican Day episode, then, is not the fiction of Kramer burning the flag (ie plot device) but the *actual* burning of the flag; the act of burning the flag itself, regardless of the fictional context, is the contentious issue and the root of the objection to the episode. Adam, I thank you for this clarification.

Sydney Olerinshaw.

In article ,

the

episode,

but

root

clarification.

Except they didn't. If you look at the flag Kramer burned, it quite obviously isn't the Puerto Rican flag (no blue in it).

I disaggree, on the news, it is a lot more serious. People actually burn the flag because they hate that country. When the producers of Seinfeld decided to do it, hate wasn't involved at all...just comedy. To the people who think it was wrong to put that in the Puerto Rican Day Parade epidode...GROW UP!!

Sure, the burning of an American flag is news, especially now when Congress continues to try to make flag burning illegal and the fact that the American flag is so highly respected by many Americans.

I personally think it is funny that some Puerto Ricans got so ridiculously upset over the burning of a Puerto Rican flag...

...that they trashed Jerry's car...

...but then, this over-the-top, absurd comic situation repeated itself in *real life* (except they trashed Jerry's tv show instead of his car).

Sometimes reality is stranger (and funnier) than fiction.

wrote in message news:7m5ni1$kpl$[email]...

The thing I find amazing is that there WAS something offensive about that episode, and it WASN'T the flag-burning. At the end, when the Puerto Ricans were trashing Jerry's car, Kramer says something like, "It's like this every day in Puerto Rico."

Now THAT'S offensive -- not enough to ban it forever, mind you, but definitely meaner than similar quips made in, say, the cigar store Indian episode. But everyone complained about the flag burning, which was clearly accidental, while the remark plainly insulted an entire race.

It's a shame that the final ever "regular" Seinfeld episode should fall victim to the P.C. police; I thought it was one of the best ones of the last three seasons.

I just saw it the other night, and I thought Kramer's line referred to the festiveness of the occasion, as did his similar remark earlier on. But maybe you're right.

Actually, the only thing that bothered me was yet ANOTHER Kramer bit. It's early on, when he climbs into a Puerto Rican family's car, looks around and sees them, and says "Sorry--wrong car." It's as if there's something wrong with intermingling or something. It made me uncomfortable.

My theory about the episode and flag-burning is that the writing staff put it in there knowing full well that the inflexible, uptight PC police would scream bloody murder. Just a final "what the hell, we do things on our terms" kind of statement. Kind of similar to Kramer's refusing to wear that AIDS ribbon--he believes in progressive things, but refuses to toe the tired lines of conformity.

On 24 Jul 1999, Murcura wrote:

W. Abelson wrote:

It shouldn't have. Their nationality had nothing to do with it. Kramer was simply embarrassed to discover that the people whose car he leaped into were complete strangers, rather than his friends. Etiquette dictates that if you commit such an error, you don't stick around and chat. You apologize and get the hell out of there.

In article , "W. Abelson" wrote:

the

But

Isn't it a faux pas if you climb into any stranger's car?

put

would

our

wear

toe

ones

In article ,

Like I said, it was kind of fitting for a show that dealt so much with the consequences of breaking even meaningless social taboos.

It's simple, America is full of people who make a big deal out of every little thing...It is stupid that a big deal was made out of this one scene, Kramer sets the P.R. flag on fire...accidentally mind you...and suddenly everyone's crying rape! It was a joke for god's sake, I could see controversy if Kramer stood there, in front of the camera, and actually took a match to the P.R. flag screaming out anti-Rican remarks...Personally, as a New Yorker I thought the episode displayed the hell a parade is well...just last week I was trying to get to my home (in Brooklyn) from Manhatten (I went to the Garden to see a basketball game) and they were having the Gay pride parade...don't get me started, the traffic wasn't enough, but the cleaver costumes half those guys (though the judge is still out on that) were wearing almost killed me...(I wish Seinfeld did an episode about that parade...now there would have been controversy)...it was a great episode, and a damn shame we lost it from syndication...

kpandya wrote:

Fans of The Simpsons may recall the episode where Lisa visited a fortune-teller to see her future. The psychic predicted that as a young woman, Lisa would fall in love with and marry a English fellow. While trying to impress his daughter's fiance, Homer accidentally sets fire to the British flag, and then in an attempt to put out the fire, stomps on it and covers it with manure.

I don't recall and uproar from the British-American population, and I know Fox has re-run that episode many times.

As a wise friend once told me, "Life is full of double standards, and the sooner you realize it and accept that fact, the happier you'll be."

 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

art vandelay wrote:

Even though I do not agree with the PR's trying to Boycott Seinfeld I can explain the difference between The British not complaining and the Puerto Rican's complaining.

"Racism" does not just simply mean "insulting someone". But it really means subjugating a disadvantaged people because of their race, religion, etc.

The fact that The British are not as a "people" discriminated against in America; they are affluent, educated, and are accepted in the upper social classes.

To be fair, people of Puerto Rican decent have a harder time of getting accepted in an English 'white' society in America.

So if you insult a Brit, although it may be rude, it is generally a harmless joke. It does not reflect the same history of a biased society. If you insult a Puerto Rican it hits too close to the suffering they have been subjected to. (real or imagined).

So yes, I can understand why a Puerto Rican would be more offended by seeing their flag burning than someone from the UK. (england? britain? the commonwealth? whatever they call themselves these days :-) )

The News Guy(Mike) wrote:

Here's two other theories on this.

1. Simpsons is animated. You can get away with things in animation that you can't in a live action series. 2. Volume. The British-American population is very small in comparison to the Latin-American population, and doesn't wield nearly as much power.

In article , [email] (Keith Davenport) wrote:

3. Brits don't like to complain. Not to the people they're pissed at, anyway.

Ollie (a Brit)

In article , [email] (The News Guy(Mike)) wrote:

But why would you go to the trouble of insulting a Puerto Rican, when it's so much easier to insult a Brit?

Ollie (a Brit)

If you

I don't know if anyone noticed but people always talk about what "they" have been through or suffered through when it was their ancestors that went through this before they were even alive!

That's not always true. Read the newspapers sometime. Minorities such as Puerto Ricans and blacks continue to be subjected to acts of racism in the United States today. This is not just an historical fact.

I was speaking of the group of people that have been through nothing. Sorry I didn't make myself clear earlier -=)

Chaz