(From left to right: George Costanza, Elaine Benes, Cosmo Kramer, Jerry Seinfeld.)
This show is one of my favorites of all time, and I can't imagine another show knocking this one off of it's deserved and glorious pedestal. Being a show about nothing, I felt the four media tool sets might match up uniquely against a program such as this.
Also I get that there might be a struggle inherent in trying to analyze an entire show. I feel like it may be possible with Seinfeld.
For those who are unfamiliar with the show, a basic summary looks like this: There are four main characters - Jerry Seinfeld, George Costanza, Elaine Benes, and Cosmo Kramer - who encounter day to day issues which are parodied or just flat out experienced. Somehow, though, it is hilarious. The show was started by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. Seinfeld stars as himself and the other three usually congregate in his apartment to talk about issues, crack jokes, or have ridiculous commentary with one another.
It is no longer running, and the biggest issue with the show happens to be the final episode or two, but Seinfeld will almost definitely be apart of television history for the rest of time.
The tool sets, then.
The show is by no means dark or anything of the sort, but the show does have the (what I assume to be) recorded audience laughter which can be uproarious and abrupt - thus triggering the fight or flight reflex in my reptilian brain! I can't imagine any genuinely horrifying moments, however. Sometimes an attractive girlfriend might trigger the mating reflex in there, but nothing too significant beyond the laughter.
As is true for all story-telling mediums, the neocortex of my brain is occupied by attempts to keep up with the moving plot, character development (for example: George likes spicy chicken and Jerry has a lot of ceral) and recurring happenings (apparently there is at least one Superman reference in every single episode). My limbic brain, however, is more amused by facial expressions, body language, and the outrageous span of characters - all with their own quirks, antics, and completely bold and unreal actions (for example: George screams, "You know we're living in a society! We're supposed to act in a civilized way!" This is in a Chinese restaurant after the pay phone was taken from him even though he was there first.) The theme music is so catchy and unique as well, it is so perfect for a notable show. I'd listen to it while reading the rest of this, if you aren't already. Click that link to hear it! Or this one.
Look at how easy I made that for you.
In terms of the eight shifts, I have a comment on the technological shift that doesn't apply to the show as a televised program, but rather the content of the show. The shift says from analog to digital. I consider Seinfeld to be an analog show, if you will. By that I mean, the show takes place in a time that predates the saturation of Facebook, laptops, cell phones, and just convergence in general.
That's one of my favorite parts of the show, the technology is low key - the characters use home phones (no way!), pay phones, and are probably never on a computer. That is one of the reason this show also hits more a human side, rather than having popular product placement, snappy hip-pop, or generic plot devices. The plots are generic, but only in terms of real life. The plots are generic in the best way.
I also greatly enjoy how this show appears through the cultural shift. One of the reasons I greatly media research on viewers and audience interests is because due to that very research this show is still shown on TV very often. This show is popular, and that's proven by its ratings and consistent persistence (I love that 'sisten' repetition) in breaking through the layered and formulated 21st century media. So thank you, whoever did the research that kept the show on at the respective stations - you made the right choice.
This show constructs reality in such a recognizable way to the average Joe. That is partially why it is about nothing and so revered. Using that same episode where George was yelling, look at this scene: Jerry and Elaine are trying to figure out who a woman sitting at one of the tables is because Jerry recognizes her but can't identify her. Eventually, the woman says hello to him and they talk. Eventually she says that Jerry "should come by" (presumably to her office, where Jerry's uncle works.) Jerry responds by saying, "Definitely, I plan to..." And after a short pause he finishes, "...and I'm not just saying that."
That's real. That's what people do sometimes, just say things. The show has so many moments like that. The way the viewers relate to the situations establish individual meanings for them. Some people may be like, "Hey, that just happened to me!" or "Meh, I don't know about that." I'm usually laughing and thinking, "boy that's realistic."
Ownership can be a game breaker for what a certain creation of the media is actually trying to say. Seinfeld was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment and distributed etc. by Columbia Pictures Television. However, the people who created the ideas were primarily Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. The show is partially based on Larry David's life but there was certainly input from Seinfeld and some other screen writers. The content, to me, seems from the genius of the two co-creators. Even if there was some corporate influence, it doesn't show because everything in the show seems to be a cultural comment as well as some of the most entertaining writing and acting I've ever seen. As a writing major, and a man who enjoys humor (and a man who enjoys writing humor!) I have been paying more and more attention to what writing in the shows looks like and have honestly noticed that during Seinfeld I will more often be thinking, "That's clever," or, "That's just perfect."
The persuasive techniques are abundant in Seinfeld but there is one that is the dominant. Can you guess what it is? I'll help - it's humor! The characters are funny, the situations are funny, the writing is funny, the development makes everything funnier. The ending could've been different but going along with the "show about nothing" reputation, the ending was fitting. Simple solutions is employed in most conflicts. The four of them usually suggest ridiculous but simple fixes to issues. One time Elaine, Jerry, and George couldn't get a table at a restaurant so they decide to slip the waiter $20 bucks. Easy, right?
Hyperbole is employed to emphasise some minor but widespeard and commmonly known issues in day to day life. A perfect example being when the cable or phone guy tells you they are going to be there between 11:00am and 5:00pm. In another episode, Kramer ends up being chased across rooftops and the city by a cable guy because Kramer was avoiding him. Eventually, the cable guy apologizes and says something along the lines of, 'When we say two o' clock, it's gonna be two o' clock.' He's out of breathe, as this happened just after the lengthy chase, and its hilarious.
Beautiful people has had a big impact on me from this show because I think Julia Louis-Dreyfus (the actress who plays Elaine) is gorgeous. The girlfriends the three guys get are usually easy to look at too.
Nostalgia is used when they reference Superman. This happens often.
Repetition is used to create the 'traditional Seinfeld experience.' By that I mean, most episodes start with a short clip of stand up by Jerry himself. Sometimes there are more than one clip per show, the clip appears in the middle, or the clip doesn't appear at all - but for the most part, a clip of Jerry doing stand up means Seinfeld is on. The theme music, as mentioned before, is completely a product of that show and is hopefully going to be remembered.
Seinfeld is incredible and there are so many moments to show. Below are a couple of videos that are some of the most memorable moments in the series.
This video is of George's answering machine message that he creates. My friends and I in high school had a long time where we would reference that sometimes. It's priceless (forgive the mild advertising):
This next one is going to require a little bit of background. So in this episode, Jerry runs into an old friend of his and George's. He tells her that George is a marine biologist, since she asked about him. George isn't a marine biologist. He also tells her that he is.
At another point in the episode, Kramer wants to go hit golf balls at the beach with George and Jerry. He does so.
When George is on a date with his old friend, they see a crowd on the beach. It turns out there's a beached whale. Someone yells, "Is anyone a marine biologist?!"
The video pretty much picks up from there. At the end of the video you'll hear Kramer respond to George. He says, "Is that a Titleist?"
A Titleist is a type of golf ball.
Kramer was hitting golf balls into the ocean, remember?
Classic.
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