I was wondering what signifigance Art Vandelay's name has to Seinfeld, since they use his name often? Plus these references usually have some meaning to Jerry or another cast member? Is Art a real person and if so what is he famous for?
Just curious...
Adam
In article ,
I'm not sure if this was the first occurance, but in one of the early series episodes Jerry wants to see a lady who he briefly met at a party and would like to get to know better. He knows where her office is and decides to hang out there in the lobby in the hopes of seeing her. But he needs an excuse to be there or he'll look like an obsessed fool. So he gets George to come along and if need be, say that George has an office in the building and that he was in the building to visit him. They DO run into to lady, just like Jerry wanted, and George introduces himself as "Art Vandelay" and says he's an architect with a firm in the building.
The other time Vandelay came up was when George was going to be cut off from social assistance. He needed to prove he really was looking for a job. So he says he was close to getting a job with "Vandelay Industries" to the social worker lady. He gives *Jerry's* phone number to the lady, rushes over to Jerry's and tells him, when she calls, to answer the phone with "Vandelay Industries" and tell them he is considering hiring him as his "latex salesman". Of course nobody tells Kramer this plan and when the lady calls Kramer picks up the phone and innocently says she's got the wrong number. Of course the hilarious part occurs when George hears Kramer and rushes out of the washroom with his pants around his ankles and trips and falls to the floor yelling "Vandelay!!! Vandelay!!"
Then in the recent syndicated episode where Elaine gets George a job at a book company the boss puts George on the spot by asking what authors he enjoys reading.. George only reads the sports section so he makes up an author, "Art Vandelay" the beatnik poet (?) who wrote "Venetian Blinds." hahah..
Anyone know of any other Vandelay references?
There was the Marisa Tomei epiosode a couple weeks ago. When George is going on his date with Marisa Tomei, he needs a story to tell Susan about where he has been. He and Elaine concoct a story about him helping her with a problem involving her importer/exporter boyfriend, named-- of course, Art Vandelay. Jennifer S. Dawson New York, NY 10011
Actually this was the 2nd ever episode, so it would be the first occurance!
Ok. So here's a quick list.
Art Vandelay is the persona George assumes to help Jerry meet a girl about to come out of an elevator.
Art Vandelay is a beatnik poet from the Village who wrote Venetian Blinds and George uses him as an author he reads to get a job at the publishing company Elaine works at.
Art Vandelay runs Vadelay Industries, a latex company that George makes up to provide proof to thw woman handling his unemployment that he is looking for a job.
Art Vandelay is Elaine's boyfriend in a story George made up to cover the fact that he was going to see Marisa Tomei from Susan.
Obviousely George has some fixation on this name. He probably has been making people up for a long time to make up lies, stories, aliasas, or covering up things in his life and this is his favorite. Anymore references to him?
In article , [email] (Ben Violette) wrote:
Actually, George said he was an architect, and Jerry and George was waiting outside of the elevator of the building where a woman Jerry was interested in worked in, eh, was that complictaed? Well, anyway, they said that they were waiting for Art Vandelay, a fictional person running an import/export business, in order to have an excuse for standing there waiting for her to go to lunch...
Art Vandelay was also the name George gave Elaine's fictitious boyfriend. He used meeting Elaine to discuss her and Art's relationship as an excuse to get away from Susan and meet Marisa Tomei.
In article , [email] (Mette Hedin) wrote:
about to
The funny thing about this name, Art Vandelay, is that it's so phony!
People not used to lying always come up with the same material.
Art Vandelay is also the sick friend George and Elaine cook up the story about as a cover for George's tryst with Marisa Tomei.
In Mike Vandenberg writes:
story
I think the first time George used that name was in an early episode where Jerry wants to meet a girl - he finds out were she works and plans on "just being in the area" when she gets off the elevator in her office building. George tells Jerry to introduce him (George) as Art Vandelay.
Jerry: "OK, and what do you do for a living"
George: "I'm an Architect"
Anyway, that's the first time I remember George using the name Art Vandelay - a name that has be recycled in the series many times.
This was actually the 2nd ever episode(the Stakeout), so you're correct.
("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._
`6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`)
(_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-'
_..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,'
(il).-'' (li).' ((!.-'
James Martin
http://www.freenet.hamilton.on.ca/~ab052/Profile.html
[email]Actually, the name started as Art Corvelay. They were waiting in the building for the woman and cooked up the name as someone they were VISITING in the building to have lunch with. There would have been no reason for George to have a different name. (He did, however, claim to be an architect.)
They were trying to come up with a name and George said, "Art Core." Jerry looked at him and George added, "Velay. Art Corvelay." What did he do? He was an importer. Just imports, no exports? All right, he's an importer/exporter. Later, Elaine changed the name to Art Vandelay for no apparent reason.
Of course, that led to Vandelay Industries (and latex), and to the Marissa Tomei episode in which Art Vandelay was again an importer/exporter. George also pretended to be an architect in the episode where he races Duncan, his rival from high school. And he complained, in "The Marine Biologist" episode, about Jerry telling the woman that George was a marine biologist instead of an architect. ("You know I always wanted to be an architect.")
Actually, I think George changed the name in the same episode that he created it in. When he and Jerry see the woman and they are scrampling for the right information, Jerry says Art Corvelay? and George replys Vandelay!
And before anyone nitpicks, I just re-read the message and, yes, I know that it was Jerry who raced Duncan, not George.
In article , Lee Salem wrote:
Actually, it was "You know I always wanted *to pretend* to be an architect."
Hate to nitpick, but I thought this made it even funnier.
Art Vandelay also made an appearance when George was applying for unemployment benefits. He told the bureacrat that he had applied for work at Vandelay industries and gave her Jerry's number to call. He was so desperate he even dated her homely daughter. The scheme backfired when Cosmo was in Jerry's apartment and answered the phone.
Adam Bush wrote:
I believe that you're referring to the Vandelay Industries (makers of latex) guy. George was trying to get a job and said on his resume that he worked for Vandelay Industries - used Jerry's phone number as his "work number"... Jerry was supposed to answer the phone "Vandelay Industries" in case they called to check... well they DID call but Kramer answered it... that was the scene when George runs from the bathroom in his underwear...
I'm certain that he is the CEO of Vandelay Industries.
Rick Fore wrote:
Thank you. I should have known that...
In a previous article, [email] (Adam Bush) says:
He is also one of George's favorite authors.
In reality (or at least the reality on the show), Art is fictitious. Made up by George. Somewhat more original than Buck Naked.
Rick Fore writes:
He's famous for latex, I believe...or is it imports?... but no
exports???
HF
Vanity is the quicksand of reason.
---George Sands