Please help me with my Seinfeld paper.

Hi

I'm working on a paper about "Seinfeld" and I have a couple of questions, which I hoped somebody could help me with. If there is a "Seinfeld" FAQ I should read, feel free to send me the URL. The paper focuses on the narrative aspects of the show, but also a great deal with intertextuality and the self-referential elements. So please look over these questions and if you have any comments, you think I should consider, feel free to let me know.

In which episodes do the main characters use their trademark comments or behaviour for the first time? When does Elaine push somebody and shout "Get out!" and when does George's scenes start endning with him staring at the ceiling, while yelling something? Is it true that George refers to Vandalay in "The Boyfriend" episode?

How early on the show do they start refering to past events an characters? In the last two seasons they do it all the time, but there are also references in the sixth season.

Which was the last season to use Jerry's stand-up act as the shows intro.

Is there anywhere on the Net, where I can find a list of "Seinfeld's" ratings over the years?

I saw an NBC special about "Seinfeld", where Jason Alexander talks about "thirty-something". Does anybody have the exact quote?

I saw a "Dharma and Greg" episode, where they talk about "Seinfeld". Are there other shows, where they have mentioned "Seinfeld"?

Thanks,

John

John Fogde wrote:

Elaine's first "Get Out!" shove occurs in "The Apartment", when Jerry tells her he has gotten her an apartment in his building at a terrific rent.

George's first ceiling stare/yell occurs in "The Foundation". He yells "Khan!" in reference to Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. He does another in "The Dealership", only he yells "Twix!" Elaine does one in "The Susie", yelling "Sooz!"

George introduces the name Art Vandelay in "The Stakeout", and uses the name Vandelay again in "The Red Dot", "The Boyfriend", "The Bizarro Jerry", "The Serenity Now", and "The Puerto Rican Day". (any others, anyone?)

Another trademark- Kramer makes his first Kramer entrance in "The Robbery".

It could be in the fourth season. There are several ongoing stories running through all or part of that season, and the "Jerry" pilot makes several references to things that happened to the gang (George's "it moved" speech upon receiving a massage from a man, Kramer allegedly spotting Joe DiMaggio in Dinky Donuts).

The seventh season, until it was brought back one last time in "The Finale".

Probably, but I don't know where.

In the Wings episode, Helen chides Joe for being unromantic by saying his idea of Valentine's Day is eating a Chunky Bar and watching Seinfeld.

In a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode, Gypsy is laughing her head off over "that Kramer".

In a Suddenly Susan episode, Vicki is annoyed at how much money the actors make and becomes sick of hearing everyone talk about Seinfeld, so she challenges everyone to quit watching it for a few weeks.

Wow. Keith just about covered it, didn't he? Jeez, I don't know if there's anything I can add, so let me just say this. I'm tickled pink that you're using Seinfeld as a basis for a paper. I think that's one of the true tests of acceptance, when a pop culture icon becomes fair game for academic study.

And to answer your first question, yes. There is a Seinfeld FAQ. And I co-wrote it. Load the URL in my .SIG. There's a complete section of Art Vandelay references and, depending on your deadline, there's a massive update due by the end of this week including a complete list of Superman references (another recurring theme). There's also a section on Inconsistancies. Instances where they *tried* to be self-referential, and failed. That might interest you.

Anyway, good luck on the paper. When it's complete, I'd love to have a chance to read it.

Oh, and if you decide to use anything from my FAQ, please include my site in your References Cited list.

That would be cool.

Dave
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Seinfeld FAQ http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7217/faq.html
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Note: My ISP no longer allows posts to go through if there is more "included" text than "new" text (for all posts that are 50 lines or longer), so I'm forced to add a few lines of "ballast" to the bottom of my posts. It's either that or keep snipping "included" text until my post can no longer be understood in context. Please ignore anything after the .SIG. Thank you.

Note: My ISP no longer allows posts to go through if there is more "included" text than "new" text (for all posts that are 50 lines or longer), so I'm forced to add a few lines of "ballast" to the bottom of my posts. It's either that or keep snipping "included" text until my post can no longer be understood in context. Please ignore anything after the .SIG. Thank you.

Note: My ISP no longer allows posts to go through if there is more "included" text than "new" text (for all posts that are 50 lines or longer), so I'm forced to add a few lines of "ballast" to the bottom of my posts. It's either that or keep snipping "included" text until my post can no longer be understood in context. Please ignore anything after the .SIG. Thank you.

Hi

First of all thanks for all the response I've been getting. You've all been a big help.

Isn't there also a ceiling stare/yell in one of the episodes, where George works for Play Now? I'm thinking of the one, where they call him Coco (it might be The Butter Shave).

The tough thing about it is that there hasn't been published any serious analysis of "Seinfeld", so writing about the show you're pretty much on your own. However, I did receive a couple of papers about the show and especially how it reflects the mentality and irony of the 90s, but it wasn't really the sort of thing I was looking for. The most recent analysis of American sitcoms, I have been able to find focus on "Roseanne", and it has been a bit hard to draw parallels between story-lines and characters on the two shows. Obviously, Roseanne and Jerry are both stand-up comedians and some will argue that there off-stage persona doesn't differ much from what we see on TV, but other than that I've had problems seeing the similarities.

I will definitely check it out. Thanks for letting me know about it.

I might put it up on a webpage or something, if more people would like to read it. But I'll wait and see if I pass the exam first, before I broadcast it to the world :)

That goes without saying. I'll give credit, where credit is due.

John

Art Vandelay is first mentioned in "The Stakeout," (original air date 5/31/90).

Coincidentally, I was watching the Simpsons just before reading you post, and in the episode, Patty and Selma suggest changing the name of Springfield to Seinfeld to attract tourists.

I'm not sure about the name of this episode, but I am pretty sure Jerry first says "Hello, Newman" in the episode with Keith Hernandez. Most of the other stuff you requested should be available on standard Seinfeld websites, accessibly through Yahoo or other search engines. Hope I helped a little.

Chris Poehls wrote:

I think you're right. He does say "Hello Newman" in Newman's first onscreen appearance ("The Suicide"), but it's not a "Hello Newman" as we've come to know it. I think the first of those was indeed "The Boyfriend", aka the Keith Hernandez show.

In article , "John Fogde" wrote:

Here are a few of the other shows that have mentioned Seinfeld that I know of. Mad about you- News Radio- The Jackie Thomas Show- Simpsons- One of those Saturday morning shows either Saved by the bell or Hang Time I cant remember which one did a parody of it.- And yes George talked about Vandalay on the boyfriend. Hope this helps.