Hard to believe that it’s already been 10 years, to the month, since Seinfeld went off the air and into the land of eternal syndication. Newsweek marks the occasion with a debate on whether the show still holds up. It’s not much of a debate, really, as even the writer taking the anti- side concedes the show’s verbal dexterity, the must-see-ness of its best episodes, and its comforting familiarity.
That’s right, "comforting familiarity," a phrase we probably never would have associated with Seinfeld during the supremely cynical sitcom’s run. After all, before Seinfeld, most sitcoms were designed to reassure viewers with messages about how life is ultimately fair and how you can always depend on friends and family for support. (Indeed, many still are.) Seinfeld, whose characters famously refused to grow or learn, had none of that, yet it remains reassuring nonetheless. It’s reassuring, for instance, to be reminded that other people are just as petty as you (or even more so), that they share your frustration with arbitrary social codes, your annoyance with the irritants of everyday life, and your sense that life is, in fact, ultimately not fair.
And there’s also, by now, the reassurance of nostalgia. Life really did seem simpler in the Seinfeld ’90s — the economy was good, New York wasn’t on perpetual Orange Alert, and characters felt free to be as insular and self-absorbed as they wanted, without being concerned with the world beyond the coffee shop. Today, sitcoms from Larry David’s follow-up Curb Your Enthusiasm to Two and a Half Men take a certain bitter, crass, Darwinian selfishness as a given, without much indication that they’re being ironic or satirical about it. Compared to these shows, Seinfeld feels like Leave It to Beaver. This is not a knock on the newer shows, only an acknowledgment that the exploits of Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer (clockwise, from right) feel like warm family picnics next to the free-fire zones of some of today’s sitcoms.
What say you, PopWatchers? Is Seinfeld still the master of its domain, or is it as stale as an old marble rye? Do you like it more or less now than you did during its run?
I always liked it, but my appreciation has grown over the years. I don’t think a week goes by at work without a Seinfeld quote. Amazing how much of it still resonates.
THough I have to agree that if Seinfeld aired today, its situations may be a little different, however, I think that Seinfeld is still a relevant and hilarious comedy. It was one of the first TV sitcoms to show how imperfect and petty people can be; sitting in a roomfull of people and watching an episode, one is sure to hear people shouting out “that is so true!” after seeing “close-talkers” or Jerry getting turned off by a pretty girl he dates with hands that were a little too big and masculine. People are stupid and petty, and Seinfeld showed that in the 90′s, as well as today.
seinfeld still far surpasses anything on tv today. i am a diehard office and 30 rock fan and yet i must admit that seinfeld at its funniest is better than both–but they’re all great!!
There’s not much point debating whether Seinfeld does or not does not hold up. The fact is, it IS holding up. It’s ten years since the series ended, and reruns still play on easy-to-find channels during prime rerun time (7:00, 7:30, 11:00). I don’t think you could find a Cheers or Cosby Show rerun even two years after those shows ended. So you can ask the question, but the TV Guide has already answered it.
the cosby show has been off the air for 16 yrs, and reruns of it run constantly on TV land, nick at nite, etc, and cheers used to be on nick at nite.
Those are niche channels specifically devoted to airing shows from the past. You can watch The Joker’s Wild on the Game Show network if you’re so inclined. My point is that 10 years after Seinfeld ended, you can still find Seinfeld reruns on your local network affiliate at highly viewed times. The same cannot be said of many of other significant shows within two years of those shows ending.
Never really “got” it. (Although it had it’s moments)
Never a big Seinfield fan. I will say though that “The Contest” has got to be one of the best sitcom episodes ever written for television. I still burst out laughing when Kramer slams his money on the counter.
My fiance and I love Seinfeld, we watch it almost every night. And we’re both only 20 years old. We prefer to watch it over a lot of the new tv/reality shows that are on nowadays.
by far the most overrated tv ever!
I am the biggest Seinfeld fan EVER. I use so many Seinfeld quotes – I drive my friends and family crazy. I am watching an episode right now. I feel it does still stand up – it still makes me laugh. Seinfeld, Frasier, Friends – are all still hilarious. There are so few shows now that make me laugh – and only one is a “traditional” sitcom (“New Adventures of Old Christine”).
hellooooooooooooo! of course it’s still funny!
I still watch and enjoy episodes of Seinfeld on a regular basis. But part of the draw of the show when it was airing was the idea that the situations could occur to anyone. But with technology, a lot of the episodes have become obsolete. So the enjoyment of the show has changed to more of a nostalga.
Dan is right; the prominence of Seinfeld reruns is way higher than those other sitcoms. No doubt Seinfeld holds up; it is a true classic. And not simply because of its catchphrases that entered the mainstream lexicon. The plot structures, zaniness of storylines, phenomenal acting (well, beside Jerry himself) – all top notch. Althought to nunya’s point, since I am a major Office fan I think that show may surpass even Seinfeld.
I found I was done with Seinfeld the day after it ended. Haven’t watched an episode since – especially noteworthy as Chicago’s Fox station must have a deal to run the reruns into perpetuity.