Breaking the Fourth Wall

I noticed something in today's rerun of "The Race" that may warrent further discussion. At the end, when Jerry is hugging Lois, he turns and winks at the camera, breaking the fourth wall. That got me thinking: How many other times has this happened on Seinfeld? Seinfeld was never really a show that stepped out of its own reality to communicate directly with its audience (unlike Malcolm in the Middle, for example) but has it happened only once?

During the introduction of the clip show that preceeded the finale, the gang was getting ready to leave Jerry's apartment to go to the movies. Jerry spoke directly to the camera as the others stayed in character.

^^^^^^ "Art is often hailed as the grandest expression of human spirit, but we know now ... that the grandest expression of human spirit is whatever it takes for a man or woman to rush back into a burning building to save more people."

Is that when he was taking about thanking someone for the tickets?

East

Art Vandelay wrote:

EastCoastGuyz wrote in message news:...

Doesn't "The 100th Episode", have Jerry talking directly to the camera; introducing the show with something like, "Yeh, we've had some wild times..." (Or something like that.)..And then showing flashbacks, clips, etc. (??)

On Sat, 15 Jun 2002 01:02:33 GMT, Paul Atreides wrote:

I also found that intersting. This was discussed here a few years ago and we think that was the only time anyone in Seinfeld "broke the fourth wall".

The only other time I think there was a close incident like that was when George says to Jerry, something like; every group has one friend they like to make fun of - and George says it is "Elaine" - we all know it is "George" and Jerry makes a slight shake of the head meaning "no, I am not going to correct him" and that could be taken as a subtle communication directly to the audience, not to George.

"The News Guy(Mike)" wrote in message news:[email]...

wrote:

George

make

Jerry

him" and

not to

Or this incident could just be taken to mean that Jerry isn't a great actor. I mean, there are times where he looks rather amused when a line has been delivered, trying not to laugh, and maybe this incident was similar to that. Although it has been a while since I saw that episode.

On Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:55:26 GMT, [email] (The News Guy(Mike)) wrote:

Although, does it really count since it is meant to be a parody of the ending of those old 1930s Superman cartoons?

Scott

I don't know about the 1930s Superman cartoons but it was a takeoff on the old TV series. In the later episodes George Reeves would sometimes end the show with a knowing wink to the audience when Lois Lane would make a reference to Clark about Superman without knowing they were the same person. She might say something like "you should really thank Superman when you see him." And since Jerry's girl's name was Lois he looked at the camera and ended the episode with the same type of short, knowing answer (and wink) that George/Clark/Superman used to give, "Maybe I will, Lois. Maybe, I will." It was a nice little fun tribute to one of Jerry's favorite shows. And by breaking the fourth wall in the same way they used to.

I've been reading this thread and it is interesting...but I can't wait any longer..Where is this reference to the Fourth Wall coming from? What are the first three?

East

[email] wrote:

EastCoastGuyz wrote in message news:...

The 4th wall is the TV screen. In theatre it's the front of the stage - between the actors and the audience. We need to suspend disbelief when we're watching drama or comedy. When the actors break that 4th wall they scuttle that to make direct contact with the audience as if to share a secret that it's all make believe or whatever. Groucho Marx used to do this a lot and they were called "asides". He did it partially as a sendup of Eugene O'Neill plays which used these asides in a dramatic context. Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Woody Allen also use these asides. The old "Jack Benny Program", another great old sitcom BTW, was constantly ripping the 4th wall to shreds and Gary Shandling's old "It's The Gary Shandling Show" (was that the name?) on HBO was patterned after Jack Benny's show.

This is also called deconstruction on occassion.

Hopefully this wasn't too lecturey :-)

<<<<...... The old "Jack Benny Program", another great old sitcom BTW, was constantly ripping the 4th wall to shreds and Gary Shandling's old "It's The Gary Shandling Show" (was that the name?) on HBO was patterned after Jack Benny's show.>>>

I believe you're thinking of George Burns talking to the camera on the old Burns and Allen Show. I've heard Gary Shandling credit that show as an inspiration for his. I don't remember Jack Benny doing it.

^^^^^^ "Art is often hailed as the grandest expression of human spirit, but we know now ... that the grandest expression of human spirit is whatever it takes for a man or woman to rush back into a burning building to save more people."

[email] (Art Vandelay) wrote in message news:...

Well, the two shows were very similar in format. Jack Benny would often do double takes where he'd look directly at the camera and Don Wilson would do commercials in character... well, actually, "Don Wilson" was his character :-) FWIW & IMO, The Jack Benny Program was better and that's why I'm mentioning it :-) Also, "The Jack Benny Program" was a show within a show, not unlike Shandling's next series, "The Larry Sanders Show".

BTW, I think I made mistake: I think Shandling's first series was on Fox, not HBO like the TLSS.

[email] (steve horan) wrote in news:[email]:

It was on Showtime, actually, then re-run in an edited form on the then-new Fox network.

P.S. - This is my first post here in six years. It's nice to be back and see that people are still talking about this show.

While I know it is hard for Jerry not to laugh during the taping of the show and he is trying to stay in character, he also comes across as the person watching all the crazy stuff go on around him. That is very funny, cause that to me is a more natural reaction to the others. Odd as it is, I am sure there are many acting teachers that would tell their students they would be fired or ruin scenes by doing that. I think what helps too, is that Jerry never claims to be an actor in interviews and I heard him say he was just playing himself.

East

Jay wrote:

In article , [email] says...

I remember one sentence, that was said almost directly to camera. George and Jerry were leaving the apartment and Jerry was saying something like "...the whole show stunk real bad, a real stink'aroo. Thanks for the tickets though."

Can't remember the episode.

That's the one I remember. It was the same show with Rochelle, Rochelle.

East

Noone wrote: