@Scarlett: A lot of people who’ve never watched Seinfeld before look at it now and go “Why is this anything special? It’s just like every other sitcom on TV.” But here’s the thing: in the early ’90s, it wasn’t. Sitcoms had a reputation for being schmaltzy feel-good fluff with some kind of gimmick to make them stand out. Seinfeld was unique in that it had no gimmick, and it didn’t try to warm the audience’s hearts – it was just four amoral schlubs getting hung up on pointless minutiae. NOBODY had ever done a show like this. It changed the entire perception of what TV comedy could be.
Flash forward 30 years, and hundreds of sitcoms have come and gone in Seinfeld’s wake that did all the same tricks. Apathetic protagonists, cynical humor, observational storylines, and a gimmick-free premise that was just “here’s some people’s lives”. For a generation watching Seinfeld for the first time now, it looks like nothing special, because so much of what came after it was trying to copy its success. But at the time, it was a hit for a very good reason.
with this arc coming to a close, I figure I’d share my feelings on Seinfeld just in case this is the last opportunity I have.
I didn’t really like Seinfeld when I first watched it. Granted, that was nearly a year ago, so maybe if I decide to watch it again I’ll find it funnier, but for now it’s just not really my thing. I want to like it but I just…don’t, y’know?
Option 4: everybody at the office is acting like it’s The Best Thing Ever because nobody wants to be the first to admit that they don’t really “get” it and that they’re just going along because they want to fit in.
Joel’s speaking facts here. While hype can be a good way to bring in new audiences to whatever media is being talked about, there is such a thing as OVERhype. Probably not as bad in the short run, when the show is still fresh, but in the long run, that’s where hype backlash or hype aversion starts to set in.
So if you hear someone say that something is one of the best things you’ll ever see, you better watch it like RIGHT away before you start to hear others express the same statements.
The studio. Audience. Loved it. The one that’s a laugh track, or the one that laughs when the sign tells them to?
I can sympathize with William in the first panel though. Law of averages, no one can be wrong all the time…
DM’ed you again
@jbwarner86 – thus came the “Seinfeld is Unfunny” trope, which you can read about here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunny
@Scarlett: A lot of people who’ve never watched Seinfeld before look at it now and go “Why is this anything special? It’s just like every other sitcom on TV.” But here’s the thing: in the early ’90s, it wasn’t. Sitcoms had a reputation for being schmaltzy feel-good fluff with some kind of gimmick to make them stand out. Seinfeld was unique in that it had no gimmick, and it didn’t try to warm the audience’s hearts – it was just four amoral schlubs getting hung up on pointless minutiae. NOBODY had ever done a show like this. It changed the entire perception of what TV comedy could be.
Flash forward 30 years, and hundreds of sitcoms have come and gone in Seinfeld’s wake that did all the same tricks. Apathetic protagonists, cynical humor, observational storylines, and a gimmick-free premise that was just “here’s some people’s lives”. For a generation watching Seinfeld for the first time now, it looks like nothing special, because so much of what came after it was trying to copy its success. But at the time, it was a hit for a very good reason.
with this arc coming to a close, I figure I’d share my feelings on Seinfeld just in case this is the last opportunity I have.
I didn’t really like Seinfeld when I first watched it. Granted, that was nearly a year ago, so maybe if I decide to watch it again I’ll find it funnier, but for now it’s just not really my thing. I want to like it but I just…don’t, y’know?
Option 4: everybody at the office is acting like it’s The Best Thing Ever because nobody wants to be the first to admit that they don’t really “get” it and that they’re just going along because they want to fit in.
As far as I’m concerned Seinfeld will always have a special place in my heart.
Well, at least William did watch Seinfield.
Nice little arc, even if it was a diversion arc.
Small note, but I appreciate you didn’t have Katy say she doesn’t like Seinfeld in this iteration lol
Joel’s speaking facts here. While hype can be a good way to bring in new audiences to whatever media is being talked about, there is such a thing as OVERhype. Probably not as bad in the short run, when the show is still fresh, but in the long run, that’s where hype backlash or hype aversion starts to set in.
So if you hear someone say that something is one of the best things you’ll ever see, you better watch it like RIGHT away before you start to hear others express the same statements.
It took me a second to realize that “yellow chinless freaks” was referring to the Simpsons lol
The studio. Audience. Loved it. The one that’s a laugh track, or the one that laughs when the sign tells them to?
I can sympathize with William in the first panel though. Law of averages, no one can be wrong all the time…