As the eighties faded out, a revolutionary television show gripped viewers across America. What did the plot revolve around? Nothing. The show amazingly lacked a central theme. Rather, Seinfeld told the mundane story of four friends in New York City. After its debut in 1990, the sitcom ran for nine years. Seinfeld was ranked the #1 Greatest Show of All Time by TV Guide in 2002. This seems a ridiculous feat for a show that bragged to be "the show about nothing".
The show tracked the events of four average, boring, New York City residents. The main character is the rising comedic star Jerry Seinfeld who plays himself on the show. Most scenes originate in is apartment. His closest friends include Cosmo Kramer
(Michael Richards), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and George Costanza (Jason Alexander). Each episode follows rather normal occurrences in the lives of average New Yorkers, but Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the show's producers, add an entertaining twist to such events.Most people today get the Seinfeld references adults a little past our generation drop in casual conversation. However, their television viewing lives are more directly impacted by shows Seinfeld inspired.
A very popular sho
w today is Modern Family. The show has no riveting plot l
ine, but rather follows the common lives of three families in their day to day endeavors. Also on this bandwagon is The Middle. This show follows a set of average, lower middle class parents as they try to overcome the daily tasks of raising three children. Seinfeld started the idea of turning boring daily events into hysterical plot lines.
A more mature twist on Seinfeld can be seen in the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This show follows five friends as they concoct schemes to earn a quick buck. The influence of Seinfeld can clearly be seen in the show.
Seinfeld producer Larry David continues to make television shows, but few rival the success of Seinfeld. This show, which capitalized on late 80's and early 90's humor, showed how many Americans viewed life during this period. It set the bar for shows Americans can just tune into without any prior knowledge of the story line. Even today Americans tune in to watch re-runs of this classic.
Sites
http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,266,00.html
http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/about/
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/135333-the-best-tv-of-2010/
Images
http://maryloukayser.com/2010/06/04/predictably-irrational-the-keys-to-your-success-may-be-the-opposite-of-what-you-think/
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/living-room/jerry-seinfelds-apartment-then-and-now-095767
http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/A_F/Cq_Cz/Curb_Your_Enthusiasm/season7/curb-your-enthusiasm11.jpg
http://www.tvfanatic.com/gallery/modern-family-cast-pic/
http://img.listal.com/image/786410/600full-the-middle-artwork.jpg
http://elvzonline.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Its-Always-Sunny-in-Philadelphia.jpg
Super job, Larissa. As usual, your knowledge of modern culture enabled you to make connections on your blog. Well done. You should definitely check out Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" show--it is very funny.
ReplyDeleteGreat job, Larissa! It was really interesting to see the influence that Seinfeld had on more modern shows, like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Now that you made the connections, I definitely see them. Great job!
ReplyDeleteNice job, Larissa! It was a very informative blog and I know more about the Seinfeld. It was interesting to see how this TV show influence other modern TV show.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the title of this blog post! I find it so interesting that so many people worldwide take such a large interest in tuning into their favorite television shows that lack a central theme. Although all of us could go out in the world and find people who are shockingly similar to what is portrayed in shows such as Seinfeld and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, we choose to sit in the comfort of our homes and watch the lives of average people. Great post, Larissa! :)
ReplyDeleteSuper Job Larissa! I love the connection between modern day television and culture but also with the older from the past to. I love Seinfeld and it was great to read this blog !
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