- Irwin, William, “Seinfeld and Philosophy: a book about everything and nothing” Open Court Publishing (August 20, 1999)
The authors may not appreciate my letting you in on the secret taht this book is quite a bit more scholarly than I gave it credit for being, before actually reading it. I was expecting something flimsy and silly and hollow, and am quite impressed to find a strong, well-written, eloquent, arguably even *important* collection of intellectual writings.
If you've didn't watch much Seinfeld (that is, never saw it, or didnt see enough of it to know at least a few inside jokes), then you may have trouble appreciating what's here. But as a student, who's seen every episode of the show at least once (given nearly a decade of reruns), I found it refreshing and alive.
- Lavery, David; Dunne, Sarah-Lewis. “Seinfeld: Master of its Domain”, Continuum International Publishing Group (February 2006)
I purchased this book as research for a paper about Seinfeld, and I wish I had found it along time ago. It brought together many of the articles and book chapters I had found before (although some were reedited for maximum Seinfeld discussion)and a bunch that I couldn't find through campus library.
It’s a great read for anyone interested in the cultural aspects of the show. Book also includes a "complete" glossary of Seinfeld terms, a complete listing of the episodes with synopses, and many interesting chapters. I liked this study much better than "Seinlanguage," which I thought less captivating. and because many of these articles come from the original stand-up of Jerry Seinfeld, (more one liners than anything). All in all it was the perfect buy for my research.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seinfeld ."History of Seinfeld"- Charmin, Dan.
In most Seinfeld episodes, one story thread is presented at the beginning, involving the characters in separate and unrelated situations. Rapid scene shifts between story lines move the action forward. Eventually, some or all of the separate story lines converge—often unexpectedly. Despite the separate plot strands, the narratives reveal "consistent efforts to maintain [the] intimacy" between the small cast of characters.
The show kept a strong sense of continuity—characters and plots from past episodes were frequently referenced or expanded upon. Occasionally, storylines would span multiple episodes and even entire seasons. Larry David, the show's head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was celebrated for keeping a close eye on minor details and making sure the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. The show stood apart from other sitcoms of the time for not centering around the characters learning moral lessons. In effect, the characters are often morally indifferent or callous, though nonetheless hilarious. For instance, in the episode "The Sponge" Jerry worries that the woman he is dating is "too good". Seinfeld never explored dramatic themes in episodes, despite the often tragic events that occurred, including the deaths of characters
- http://www.tv.com/seinfeld/show/112/summary.
McDowell, Andrew. Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This Website gives a general breakdown of the episode in which I am writing my final paper on. With so many underlying themes here its is hard to find exactly what to write about.
An increase in the minimum wage is enough to finally meet the demands of the striking employees of H&H Bagels, and as such, Kramer announces that after 12 years, he's going back to work. Jerry meets an attractive woman at a party, but when he later tries to date her, she doesn't look nearly as good. Elaine's use of a fake phone number backfires when she loses a card that will entitle her to a free sandwich. George tries to get away with giving away fake donation cards as Christmas gifts at work, and much to his chagrin, his father decides to revive Festivus, a unique holiday he'd invented years earlier.
- McFedries, Paul "Seinfeldisms: Analysis of Language used in Seinfeld" Publication Date:
It has become a cliché to say that the TV sitcom Seinfeld was "a show about nothing." But to anyone who loves words and appreciates good (and even bad) word play, Seinfeld was really a show about language. The absurd situations and the sight gags in Seinfeld were remarkably language-based. In fact, it's not a stretch to say that no other TV show before or since has been so self-consciously verbal.
This Article was fantastic in the fact that it let me in on the world of Seinfeld. It generated tons of catchphrases, the most famous being "not that there's anything wrong with that"
- Curtis, Brian- Slate Magazine, “Seinfeld: Master of Madison Avenue's Domain”
Seinfeld in its day was rife with product placement: Snapple, Häagen-Dazs, Bosco, Entenmann's, and Junior Mints—all of them held up for the cast's ironic inspection. Indeed, the meta-scrutiny of Seinfeld is well-suited to TV commercials. Seinfeld styled itself as a show about nothing. TV commercials are also about nothing. The last 20 years have seen the rise of the "non-ad ad," says St. Lawrence University sociologist Stephen Papson. Where ads once extolled the virtues of their product (20 percent more absorbent!), they are now more likely to praise lightly, with ironic distance, or never get around to praising at all. The Coors Light ad, which neglects to mention why you should buy the beer, is a good example. "Commercials had become so boring, so formulaic, so predictable, that people would leave unless you addressed those that are more literate," says Papson. It is a fair distillation of why one would want to allude to Seinfeld in a TV ad, not to mention how Seinfeld itself approached the situation comedy.
This Article gave me alot of insight into the marketing aspect of Seinfeld. Finally, there is a subliminal element in Seinfeld ads. Those that merely cite a catchphrase are getting a kind of gratis celebrity endorsement. Those that use both catchphrase and actor, like Chrysler, are making an overt appeal to nostalgia. Seinfeld was one of the few sitcoms to exit to more or less universal acclaim. Holding out hope that Jerry and Co. will one day reunite is the favorite daydream of any Seinfeld addict. Note the words of Larry David in the book Sein-Off: "I also wanted to leave open the possibility that they could come back, that they could emerge from somewhere. Not that they would come back and do the series, but just to perhaps give people some hope," Larry says.
- Seinfeld, NBC Studios, Season 9 Episode 166 “The Strike” Writer: Daniel O'Keefe, Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer, Director: Andy Ackerman, Originally aired:
Begining Synopsis: The episode begins with Jerry, Elaine, and George at Tim Whatley's Hanukkah party, commenting on Whatley still being Jewish. Whatley thanks George for the Yankee tickets. Elaine notices a guy in a denim vest checking her out, and tells Jerry that her fake phone number's coming out tonight. Jerry introduces himself to an attractive woman. Elaine gives her fake number to "Denim Vest".
Again, so much is detailed in this episode it's hard to know what to write. So Jerry and George meet some time later in the coffee shop. George had brought his mail, and begins to open it. George then reads a card, sighs, and proceeds to shove it back into the envelope. Moved by curiosity, Elaine snatches the card out of George's hand, and reads "Dear son, happy Festivus". She's confused as to what Festivus is, so Jerry explains that Frank made up his own holiday due to him hating all the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas. Jerry then mentions a "Feats of Strength" that always left George crying, at which he races out of the coffee shop, leaving Elaine and Jerry laughing. The idea of a made up holiday is to intriguing to pass up.
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