• OR3X@lemm.ee
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    7 hours ago

    Isn’t that the whole fucking point of the show though? The main characters are terrible selfish assholes?

  • BedInspector@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Not saying it’s not funny, but there is definitely stuff in the show that wouldn’t fly today. For example there is an episode where George didn’t know black people ate salad.

    • ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.netOP
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      5 hours ago

      For example there is an episode where George didn’t know black people ate salad.

      We’re still getting asked questions like this and honestly, should be highlighted:

      Pure facepalm Questions I’ve overheard or was involved in:

      • Can black people use the same shampoo as white people
      • If Muslim women wore the hijab in the shower
      • Is the southeast asian vagina 90 degrees
    • angstylittlecatboy@reddthat.com
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      22 hours ago

      I don’t like Seinfeld, but isn’t George supposed to be an utter dunce?

      Like, as a Zoomer, people not being able to tell the difference between portraying bigotry and endorsing it IS an actual problem I see.

      • SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        I am reminded of Sokka’s character in the new version of the Avatar (show) compared to the original animated one. In the original animated one, he portrays sexism and very much feels the consequences of it, and grows as a character when overcoming it (through warranted humiliation). The new show never included any of this and so his character lacks all of this. It’s like the writers think they’re endorsing his sexism if they ever included such a thing.

        • ghen@sh.itjust.works
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          7 hours ago

          I don’t think they are afraid of it, I think they just wanted to portray a more serious character overall. Live action lens itself to that serious tone, where It would be hard to replicate some of the slapstick gags in the anime and trying would fall flat.

        • AreaSIX @lemm.ee
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          10 hours ago

          He is also based on Larry David himself, and many of the most outrageous stunts he does in Seinfeld, David has done in real life. For example, George quitting his job just to regret it immediately and going back the next day as if nothing had happened, is based on Larry David doing exactly that as a writer on SNL. He made a big scene and quit, and just went back after the weekend and pretended like he’d been joking. Larry David is an interesting man to say the least.

          • boonhet@lemm.ee
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            9 hours ago

            He made a big scene and quit, and just went back after the weekend and pretended like he’d been joking.

            Sounds like the whole situation could’ve been avoided by him curbing his enthusiasm

      • ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.netOP
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        5 hours ago

        This was just the 80s-2000s in general.

        There’s a lot of really uncomfortable stuff portrayed for laughs during that era.

    • MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works
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      24 hours ago

      I heard on a podcast today that Larry David based the George character on himself. (The podcast is called Good Bad Billionaire, where a couple of people judge various billionaires on their ethics etc. TIL Jerry Seinfeld is a billionaire.)

      • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
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        11 hours ago

        Not a Seinfeld fan but I did see enough episodes of both it and Curb Your Enthusiasm to be annoyed that I didn’t make this connection.

  • Wolfeh@lemmy.world
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    24 hours ago

    This whole “young people find everything offensive” narrative is ridiculous, and always has been. It’s very beneficial to those who want to shift the Overton window, though.

  • DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    That right there is some clickbait. I’m millennial and I was watching the show when it was on and loved it.

  • BlueFootedPetey@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    I did a re-watch in the last couple years. Most of it was fine, even if it would not be a big hit these days. Jerry dates the Asian women? Yea that would get called out most likely. Elaine dates a guy she thinks is black? Pretty sure that still flies. Elaine is scarred she’s dating a murderer? Probs a special two part episode these days. Shocks me how ahead of the curve they were with the Elaine gets gaped episode.

  • Let's Go 2 the Mall!@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Meh, Jerry Seinfeld has been pushing the “I’m too offensive for young people” and “I’ve been cancelled” nonsense for a while now. He’s just old and not funny anymore. Turns out telling the same jokes for 30 years doesn’t get a lot of laughs. What is the deal with millennials anyway!

    • pyre@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      he unequivocally walked that back recently. said he was wrong to think that and it isn’t a thing. he probably had a talk with his kid or something.

      • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        He probably had a long talk with his PR counselor and was advised that he stood to loose more then he would gain if he stuck to that.

        • pyre@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I don’t care honestly. the message is more important than the motive.

  • A7thStone@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I’m an Xer and I didn’t like Seinfeld, but that’s mostly because I don’t like embarrassment comedy. It’s the same reason I don’t like Will Ferrel and Ben Stiller, but to each their own. I don’t begrudge anyone else finding it funny, it’s just not my vibe.

    • blipcast@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I’m not saying you have to like Seinfeld or anything, but I wouldn’t consider it embarrassment comedy. It’s more about the gang being a bunch of sociopaths, like an early version of IASIP.

    • slingstone@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I agree on the embarrassment humor. Cringey stuff is worse than the most hellacious and gory horror to me most of the time.

      Sienfeld never really hit me that way, though. It just seemed stupid and contrived in a very “look how edgy and relevant I am” sort of way.

  • cobysev@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Millennial here. I tried to watch Seinfeld back in the day, and I thought it was kind of meh. But there was one character I really hated on the show. He had a whiny pathetic voice, was always complaining about something or another, and was just an awful actor, unlike the rest of the cast. I thought, if they just removed that one guy, the show would be great and I’d enjoy it so much more.

    I found out later, that guy was Seinfeld. So… I never really got into the show.

    • neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 days ago

      THANK YOU! I can’t stand that guy. His voice kills me and I never found him funny. Nothing against him personally, he might be a great person, but I can’t understand how people can stand the content he makes.

      • scoobford@lemmy.zip
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        2 days ago

        Good news! Seinfeld is a pedophile and supposedly kind of a sociopath. He’s also tried to hop on the anti-woke train a couple of times in the past few years.

        The man made a major contribution to western cultus as a whole, but man is he a bastard.

        • breakfastburrito@sh.itjust.works
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          2 days ago

          I’ve seen a few episodes of his show where he takes comedians to get a coffee in his fancy cars. He often comes across like an asshole. Sometimes I wonder if he’s in charge of the show why he would want to be portrayed that way? Presumably he could edit some stuff out?

          • Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works
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            1 day ago

            I assume it’s supposed to be part of the comedy, that’s kind of the point of the show, they’re all terrible, so assuming he’s kinda playing the character that could make sense.

            • breakfastburrito@sh.itjust.works
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              1 day ago

              Not Seinfeld the show, I’m talking about an interview show Seinfeld the man does. I dont think it’s scripted. But yea he could just be playing up his persona, idk.

    • expr@programming.dev
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      1 day ago

      Yeah also a millennial and it’s just… not that funny? I get that plenty of shows haven’t aged perfectly, so it’s not that. Friends has plenty of moments that haven’t aged well (lots of gay jokes about Chandler come to mind), but the comedy still holds up really well. Seinfeld… Not so much.

    • MudMan@fedia.io
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      2 days ago

      Hell, I was even old enough when it was airing to think it was overrated then.

        • MudMan@fedia.io
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          2 days ago

          See, that’s the real issue. I don’t have a problem with acknowledging it’s high concept, ocassionally funny and mostly easy watching.

          But everybody insisting it’s endless comedic, best-sitcom-ever brilliance is overrating it. It’s overrated.

            • DankOfAmerica@reddthat.com
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              1 day ago

              Exactly. Seinfeld isn’t funny now because all the shows after it copied it. When Seinfeld came out, it was revolutionary. No one was doing that humor. They invented it. Now, everyone and their mother has copied them, so it’s played out. And since all these newer sitcoms had time and previous examples to improve on, they do it better, so Seinfeld looks lame by comparison. However, when I as a millennial was watching Seinfeld when it was being originally aired, I thought it was great.

            • MudMan@fedia.io
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              1 day ago

              Oh, hell, no. It’s not like Seinfeld invented sitcoms, or even modern sitcoms. It’s not the Model T, it’s the Ford Escort. Maybe.

              And I’m not saying it’s unfunny, I’m saying it’s a solid 90s sitcom that for some reason people are out here saying is the Model T of sitcoms. I feel like the level of hyperbole puts the burden of proof elsewhere.

              And it’s also not a case of it now being standard, because I assure you I’ve had this opinion since it was airing. I very much was of the batch of people who flip-flopped on Family Guy, but I was in the “Seinfeld was mid” camp before anybody ever called anything “mid”.

      • boboliosisjones@feddit.nu
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        2 days ago

        I didn’t necessarily mind it, but Jerry’s awful standup shoved in there on the other hand…

      • Auli@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        Same goes for younger generations. Everyone old is a boomer.

    • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Generational labels tend to divide by arbitrary boundaries more than actually give you insightful information about something exclusive to the group.

    • abaddon@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      The years for Millennials go up to 94-96, Seinfeld finished in 98. I doubt many that young would have seen it. I was born in 86 and I barely watched Seinfeld re-runs.

      • IMongoose@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Seinfeld was hugely syndicated. I was born in the 90s and watched tons of reruns of it. I think they played it after or before the Simpsons which my family always watched.

        • ditty@lemm.ee
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          2 days ago

          Yeah same I watched reruns of Seinfeld every weeknight growing up from '98-05 at least if not later

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        The years for Millennials go up to 94-96

        ?? What do you think millennials were doing after 1996? Did they just phase out of existence?

        I was born in 86 and I barely watched Seinfeld re-runs.

        People had Seinfeld on in my college dorm during the mid-00s. It was one of the most syndicated shows of its era. If you remember 9/11, you remember Seinfeld.

        • abaddon@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I commented on someone who seemed to think that millennials wasn’t the correct generation because millennials must have grown up watching Seinfeld. Many did, but many didn’t. I know many people around my age that didn’t watch it so it’s fairly safe to assume that people who were 2-4 years old when the show ended might not have seen it, even re-runs. Remembering it and watching it enough to have an opinion on it are two different things.

      • synae[he/him]@lemmy.sdf.org
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        2 days ago

        I was born in 84 and have seen every episode multiple times. Except the clip shows, because once you figure out that’s what’s happening you know better next time around and skip them.

    • iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      It’s not like every millennial watched it growing up. It’s not inconceivable that there are millennials who are seeing it now for only the first time and find it offensive.

        • iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works
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          1 day ago

          My partner is a millennial and she had never seen Seinfeld until we first watched it together a few years ago. It’s not that inconceivable to imagine not everyone grew up watching the same things as you.

          • MudMan@fedia.io
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            1 day ago

            No, it’s definitely fine and possible. A thriving industry of Youtube reaction channels hinges on that plausibility. It’s just the concept of the OP’s headline implying it’s a generational thing when it definitely isn’t.

  • jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de
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    2 days ago

    Are we talking about “Seinfeld”, the slightly overrated comedy TV series, or “Seinfeld”, the horrible human being?