"Parents should be warned: Jerry eats a lot of cereal"- Common Sense Media's description of "Seinfeld"
se...@winning.com
[cut & pasted verbatim]:
Parents need to know that this famous sitcom, which has become a
permanent part of the pop culture lexicon, purposely portrays
characters who are selfish, amoral, and not always likeable. Lying,
cheating, and gossiping are frequent plot elements. Episodes often
center on a character's dating dilemma and include discussions of
contraception, masturbation (though the word is never uttered), and
personal habits. Teens and parents who enjoy cerebral humor will find
much to celebrate in this series, though younger viewers may be bored
or confused by the adult dynamics.
Families can discuss the series' situations and characters. Are the
situations realistic? What makes the characters appealing, even though
they're often mean and selfish? What kind of judgments do the main
characters make about the others in the show? What do these judgments
say about the characters themselves? How does New York figure into the
narrative?
Sexual Content
Lots of discussion about dating. Plenty of innuendo and funny
discussion of sex (sometimes veiled, sometimes less-so). One episode
centers on a birth control device; another on masturbation (though
it's never referred to directly).
Violence
Some slapstick pratfalls and physical violence -- nothing serious, and
always played for laughs.
Language
Mild: "damn," "ass," "hell," "bitch." One episode revolves around
trying to guess a woman's name that rhymes with a part of the female
anatomy (possibilities include "Mulva" and "Dolores").
Message
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
The characters are purposefully drawn as selfish and often amoral in
order to develop funny situations. Some Jewish stereotyping. No main
or recurring characters of color.
COMMERCIALISM
Some mention of specific brands, especially candy. Jerry uses an Apple
computer and is a breakfast cereal fiend.
ALCOHOL
Occasional wine drinking in restaurant or party scenes. Cigarettes
appear in some episodes, though usually for comic effect (Kramer
smokes and drinks at the same time in one episode). Speculation about
drug use, but none shown.
Common Sense Review:
SEINFELD, the smart, immensely popular '90s sitcom (available on DVD
and airing in syndication), follows the lives of four single urbanites
living in New York City. While most sitcoms that came before it
revolved around families or workplaces, Seinfeld was one of the first
to deal with the relationship between friends and was, famously, a
show about "nothing."
The show was created by comedy writer Larry David and stand-up
comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and the show's characters are based on the
two men and their close associates. Seinfeld plays an approximation of
himself: a comedian with a cleanliness obsession whose love life
rarely gets off the ground due to his tendency to turn tiny issues
into huge disasters.
Jerry's best friend is George Costanza (Jason Alexander), described by
another character as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man." George
is neurotic, whiny, and cheap and has terrible luck in relationships,
partly due to his own reluctance to commit. Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-
Dreyfus) is Jerry's ex-girlfriend, a self-involved, occasionally
bitter writer/editor who, much like Jerry, is in constant pursuit of
good-looking dates.
And, finally, Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) is Jerry's wacky
neighbor, whose wild hair and bugged-out eyes match his broad physical
comedy style -- most frequently demonstrated when he flies spastically
into Jerry's apartment unannounced.
The four main characters spend much of their time in Jerry's apartment
or at the corner diner complaining, obsessing, and over-analyzing
others' behavior. While each character pursues and dates others, the
group has a way of unintentionally warding off interlopers and keeping
their foursome intact.
And somehow, despite each of the four's unpleasant personality
characteristics -- no one in the petty, selfish quartet is in any way
an ideal role model -- their continuing follies are delightfully
appealing.
Mature Seinfeld fans should check out David's HBO series Curb Your
Enthusiasm. Arrested Development is another quirky, mature, sitcom,
and Julia Louis-Dreyfus has found another hit with The New Adventures
of Old Christine.
---------------------
Here's a "questions/comments" link: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/about_us/contact_us.php
Mark Mellin
se...@winning.com wrote:
> What Parents Need to Know About Seinfeld:
>
> [cut & pasted verbatim]:
>
> [ snip ]
>
> ALCOHOL
> Occasional wine drinking in restaurant or party scenes.
Hmm. I can easily remember at least three drunk scenes involving spirits
(Elaine in The Betrayal, Kramer and Dick in The Red Dot).
> Cigarettes
> appear in some episodes, though usually for comic effect (Kramer
> smokes and drinks at the same time in one episode).
I guess cigars don't count.
from <http://www.californialung.org/spotlight/phlemmys.html>:
"However, no show has done as much to promote this destructive myth
[that cigars symbolize relaxation and success] as "Seinfeld," which
earned last year's Phlemmy Award and this year's Dishonorable Mention
because Kramer's sad addiction to cigars continues to thrive in frequent
reruns."
Which in turn is odd that this group picks on Kramer, as both Jerry
and Elaine use cigars in the same fashion (The Voice, The Foundation).
- Mark
--
Mark Mellin ULmar 9 - 5470
Mailstop 408-85 Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493 USA
Rerics
> What Parents Need to Know About Seinfeld:
> Violence
> Some slapstick pratfalls and physical violence -- nothing serious, and
> always played for laughs.
>
Tell that to the guy who fell out of the hospital window onto George's
car
888eight888
> permanent part of the pop culture lexicon, purposely portrays
> characters who are selfish, amoral, and not always likeable. Lying,
> cheating, and gossiping are frequent plot elements.
I've never paid attention to the tv ratings at the top of the show
(i.e. TV-14, Mature, etc.)... but it's obviously a show for adults.
Even some people in their 20's might not fully "get it" until their
30's.