Viewers debate whether George's refusal to use Indian bathrooms in "The Betrayal" contradicts his established character trait of being knowledgeable about and comfortable using public restrooms.
Justin has been challanged for saying the new episodes are not true to the establisged characters of the Seinfeld Gang. I have to agree.
In the Betrayal it should be JERRY who does not use the bathrooms in India, not George. George is constantly using other people's and corporations bathrooms in New York. It is Jerry who has the Clean fetish. Just my $0.03 (Canadian $)
I had the exact same thought while watching the episode! Is it because we're both Canadians? ;)
Michel Montreal
On Sat, 22 Nov 1997 08:48:33 -0500, "The News Guy-(Mike)" wrote:
No way. That was the whole joke. George has always been picky about his toilets. The fact that he held it in was hilarious.
Exactly and of course don't forget the fact that George can be a bit of a hypochondriac --so he'd be afraid to catch any diseases.
The News Guy-(Mike) wrote in article ...
Yeah, but George is renowned for knowing where the best public restroom is anywhere in his vicinity. His unwillingness to use Indian bathrooms would, indeed, be backwards.
In article , "[email]"@airmail.net wrote:
Big difference between "public" facilities and modern hotels.
I never really picked up why George would not use the bathroom. All I understood is that the parents told Elaine THEY wouldn't use them, but why not George?
George strikes me as the kind of guy who likes to sit, or meditate, or read in the bathroom for a long time. In a lot of places in India, you can't do that. They have different kinds of toilets there (sorry if this is graphic--you squat to do #1 and #2, not sit, over a floor level toilet). We stayed in some nice hotels that did NOT have western style toilets, so maybe that was why George wouldn't go. Also, they don't use toilet paper in a lot of places, you strip from the waist down and bathe afterward--bathroom floors stay wet a lot over there...more reasons why George would be leary of using a bathroom in India? Just my .02.
Well I grew up in India and I have never used the kind of toilet you describe. Some Westerners do not want to spend even half what they would in The West for a hotel room and think what they get is representative of the whole country.
I did not mean to offend anyone from India--I was reporting what I experienced the month I was there--and we traveled all over the country, so I got a pretty good sampling, so to speak. We stayed in some very nice places with western toilets, but there were just as many which did not, and as I posted previously, some were clean, some were not (in some public places, etc.), just like in America. I was just offering my opinion that George would be recalcitrant to use an eastern type of toilet, because of various reasons, not just cleanliness. I loved my trip to India, and would recommend visiting there to anyone. It's a wonderful country, with great people. Please accept my apologies if I offended you. Carolyne
Well, you can stand up for #1...if your aim is good...
Alex SAN JOSE CLASH RULE!!!!!!!!!
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Tom Servo wrote in article ...
why
My guess is this: Pinter's parents only said they wouldn't use the bathroom in India only as a figure of speech (saying what a lousy place they thought it was), but somehow George misunderstood it. Also, he's really fussy about where he goes to the bathroom...
In article , [email] (Tom Servo) wrote:
Well it just seems that he was scared away by the "its just a hole in the ground you squat over" image. George isn't exactly communal, and besides he wouldn't be able to take his shirt off.
On the other hand, the modern hotels do have things called "toilets"
"My shoelace touched the ground in the men's room..."
"I unbuckled myself kinda sloppy and my belt banged against the side of the urinal so it's...goodbye".
John Klein wrote:
I remember Jerry saying that and didn't think about it at the time but now this has me puzzled: why the hell would Jerry unbuckle himself to take a piss? What kind of sick pervert is he?
Just wondering,
Jonathan
Jerry unbuckled himself because it is hard to do a "hands free" through one's zipper.
Jerry wears button-fly jeans. Bad place for interlocking metal teeth.
John Klein wrote:
"Hands free"? What's he got down there-a cell phone?
Jonathan
For goodness' Sake! Don't you all realize what kind of unspeakable horror Jerry Seinfeld is AVERTING by carefully making sure that he doesn't "drip" all over his clothing?! (Plus, no doubt he prefers bathrooms equipped with air-blowing hand-dryers from hell, too. Probably makes sure every part of him is dry, as departing otherwise, from a bathroom, is a fate worse than death!)
Remember he hangs with a guy who takes off his shirt in the John! :-)
Jonathan Graham wrote in article <
Well, remember, not everyone has the same technique you do in the bathroom. Among the odder methods I've seen:
1. Approach the urinal, unzip, and fixate on a small speck of dust. Do not stop looking at the dust. This causes the most problems when zipping, because you don't dare look down.
2. The opposite: extravagant unzipping, groaning, farting, and repositioning during the process. This is hard to stand next to without laughing.
3. Approach, unzip, aim with one hand, and lean on the wall with the other, as if your balance sensors suddenly went out.
4. The "hands-free." I see old men do this a lot, and it baffles me. Especially when they put their hands behind their back and look around, as if what is happening below is not connected to what the brain is fixated on. What's up? Why can't I do this?
Well, that's the extent of my research.
Joe