Seinfeld: An Analysis
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This paper is an analysis of one of the most popular situation comedies on prime time television, Seinfeld, a program which has been an enormously influential force on TV in the 1990s. The series, which is best-known for its claim to be "about nothing," represents an intriguing reaction to the socially relevant comedies first popularized by Norman Lear's work two decades earlier and the subsequent "real people" trends that followed in the 1980s. Seinfeld is based, as were many other sitcoms of its era, on the routines of a standup comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, even using him to furnish the name and profession of the lead character. Currently in its ninth season, Seinfeld continues to be a ratings leader for NBC; with syndicated showings of earlier episodes, the series can be seen as often as eight times a week in some markets. Although advertisers do not view the program as a platform for atypical commercials or unusual products, Jerry Seinfeld himself has become a commercial spokesman, allowing viewers to watch the same character deliver jokes within the show and then encourage them to get an American Express card during the commercial breaks. When Seinfeld first debuted on NBC in 1989, it was not an instant hit. The network tentatively ordered just a few episodes, allowing the show to develop its voice and slowly build an audience; progress was slow at first, but Seinfeld eventually became one of the defining prime-time situation comedies of its era. Along with the new
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eveloped, is Seinfeld's next-door neighbor, Kramer, who was finally given the first name of Cosmo during the eighth season. As played by Michael Richards, a survivor of such comedy series as Fridays and other lesser-known TV work, Kramer is the show's most original character. From his initial explosive entrance into the apartment wearing a Hawaiian bowling shirt, he is usually the eccentric initiator of some outlandish scheme.
The four create a kind of urban family, supporting one another through numerous minor crises and competing with one another whenever their individual needs conflict. Like many characters in situation comedies, their mistakes, shortcomings, and disappointments make them more endearing to audiences; George is funnier and easier to relate to, for example, because of the fact that he always gets caught at whatever lame attempt he is making to be suave, sophisticated, or successful.
The characters are upper middle-class, all unmarried (and relatively unsuccessful at sustaining long-term romantic relationships), but able to sustain a comfortable lifestyle. The program is set in New York City, though it is filmed entirely in Los Angeles, and has a very East Coast sensibility: fast-paced and hard-edged. Se
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1959
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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