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Seinfeld is the Unfunniest Sitcom of All Time

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P

Poimandres

Member
I can see why Seinfeld would seem somewhat average coming from Curb. I still think it's pretty damn good though. Much better than Friends, which I always disliked.

Really though, none of the popular shows that people like to hate can be considered "the worst". I don't have any time for Two and Half Men or Big Bang Theory or Friends, but all of them can conjure up the odd chuckle from me. For a sitcom to truly be "worst ever" it would have to be blatantly and unfalteringly unfunny, and as much as I dislike the shows I mentioned they all have redeeming traits.

Also, OP, you want funny? Go watch Archer.

Another "funny" observation is that the OP is talking about a previous generation while brandishing a FF7 avatar. If that doesn't scream "90's" I don't know what does!
 
Johnny Cage In The Shower

Johnny Cage In The Shower

Member
SpartanAGM said:
Just curious....Are you a teenager?
Click to expand...

This.. I cannot imagine any one under 21 years of age now getting or understanding Seinfeld for what it really is. A great show!

It's funny how much a generation gap changes the taste and perception of people and what they consider entertaining.

Also, I'm waiting for the....

"Wire is the worst TV show ever" thread

"Hi guyz, so I just turned 12, so this classic show from the early two thousands, called the Wire? It's terrible drama, nothign happens, why do people like it?"
 
SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
Johnny Cage In The Shower said:
This.. I cannot imagine any one under 21 years of age now getting or understanding Seinfeld for what it really is. A great show!

It's funny how much a generation gap changes the taste and perception of people and what they consider entertaining.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's so much the generation gap as much as it has to do with age. Seinfeld will still be around in 30 years and it will still be making people laugh.
 
M

mickcenary

Member
Help me out here. The episode where Jerry wagers that Elaine will get back with Putty, despite her being adamant that she won't; which episode is this?

The scene during the 'paying up montage' where he has his legs kicked up on the table with a cigar in his mouth and laughing is fucking incredible.
 
K

KrymynalChylde

Banned
Oh god, I'm overloaded with terrible and rude things to say to the OP. I won't go into WHY Seinfeld is the best show ever (well, among them) as many other intelligent and awesome people already have, I just want you to know that I hate you, and I hate your opinion.

The only thing that hasn't aged well about the show is the fashion. If you took a script from almost any classic episode and updated the look of the cast it would still be hilarious and you godamn youngsters would be eating it up.

Edit: I can't believe how silly I feel about being so mad about this, I feel like you've insulted me personally. I would literally slap you right in the face if you said that post to me in person.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
KrymynalChylde said:
Oh god, I'm overloaded with terrible and rude things to say to the OP. I won't go into WHY Seinfeld is the best show ever (well, among them) as many other intelligent and awesome people already have, I just want you to know that I hate you, and I hate your opinion.

The only thing that hasn't aged well about the show is the fashion. If you took a script from almost any classic episode and updated the look of the cast it would still be hilarious and you godamn youngsters would be eating it up.
Click to expand...
A lot of the fashion seemed weird and outdated even when the show was current, IMO.
 
K

Korey

Member
NewLib said:
If what you are saying is correct, you have seen the following episodes:

The Pen
The Parking Garage
The Red Dot
The Suicide

and you dont think the show is funny? No hope for you my friend. Also the next two episodes might be the best episodes of the show ("The Boyfriend Part One and Two")
Click to expand...

I actually found The Parking Garage to be horrifically unfunny. I think at that point I was realizing how small the budget for this show was. And I understand what they're trying to do with the humor (similar to Curb) but unlike Curb it seems really forced and unnatural.

- The goldfish joke, where were they going with that?
- I get it, parking garages are big and it's difficult to remember where you parked. Not funny.
- Peeing in the corner and getting caught. Not funny.
- Using the same excuse to the guard. Not funny.

I'm honestly trying to understand what you guys find utterly hilarious about these episodes. I don't get it.
 
S

starchild excalibur

Member
Skiesofwonder said:
I'm not trying to pick at people in general with this opinion (I'm being on the offensive here because of the troll-baiting, hyperbolic OP), but to me (someone who has watched each episode of each series countless amounts of times) it's like someone on the gaming-side saying "I hated Super Mario Galaxy, but I loved Super Mario Galaxy 2". It just doesn't make sense.

I would love to hear your detailed opinion on why Seinfeld is not funny while CYE is.
Click to expand...

Forgive me if I'm wading into an issue of semantics here, but I never said the show is not funny. I said that I just don't find the show very funny. And I differentiate the two things because I see the first as commenting that the show is inherently bad, whereas the second is more like "The humor never clicked with me." I know the Costanza character is based on David, but perhaps the reason I've always preferred Curb is because David is more the focus. I feel like there's more of an everybody vs. Larry setup that's entertaining to see play out. When I've watched Seinfeld I haven't found any of the main characters particularly amusing. Maybe having multiple characters splits the focus too much for me. Maybe Seinfeld just feels too episodic. I'm really not sure. All I can say is I find myself more invested in David while watching Curb than I do in any of the characters while watching Seinfeld.

It doesn't mean I think Seinfeld is an abomination, but that like the popularity surrounding a billion other shows, musicians, films, etc, it just has never clicked with me in a way it obviously has with many in this thread. My favorite comedy shows include Home Movies, IT Crowd, Peep Show, Louie and others that have varying degrees of obscenity to them. I just took offense to the notion that shows are so identical that anyone who doesn't like them equally is just someone who gets off on hearing "fuck" all the time. It's simply not true.
 
M

mickcenary

Member
KrymynalChylde said:
Oh god, I'm overloaded with terrible and rude things to say to the OP. I won't go into WHY Seinfeld is the best show ever (well, among them) as many other intelligent and awesome people already have, I just want you to know that I hate you, and I hate your opinion.

The only thing that hasn't aged well about the show is the fashion. If you took a script from almost any classic episode and updated the look of the cast it would still be hilarious and you godamn youngsters would be eating it up.
Click to expand...

I dunno. It's still very lacking in that certain je ne sais quoi of of modern sitcoms; Tina Fey-ness, if you will. And look, 30 Rock is decent, but that fact is nearly 100% due to Baldwin's character/delivery.
 
B

brianjones

Member
Korey said:
I didn't say it wasn't funny. I said Americans can't understand it (what they were saying, not the humor) and I proved it in that thread. I pointed out one of the first lines of the show and the British people couldn't understand it either.
Click to expand...

ok so you didnt exactly say it wasn't funny in those words

Korey said:
It would be great if we could understand anything the UK Office cast was saying

Gave it a try, turned it off after 15 seconds
Click to expand...
 
Tathanen

Tathanen

Get Inside Her!
Seriously though OP, wade through the hate here to some genuine help. Skip another couple seasons. 3 is weak, 4 gets better, 5 I love, but skip even more. Just jump to 7 or some shit. It is much more digestible, particularly if you aren't feeling it right now. Going forward just one season or so isn't gonna change it enough to Move You.
 
O

Ollie Pooch

In a perfect world, we'd all be homersexual
Korey said:
I actually found The Parking Garage to be horrifically unfunny. I think at that point I was realizing how small the budget for this show was. And I understand what they're trying to do with the humor (similar to Curb) but unlike Curb it seems really forced and unnatural.

- The goldfish joke, where were they going with that?
- I get it, parking garages are big and it's difficult to remember where you parked. Not funny.
- Peeing in the corner and getting caught. Not funny.
- Using the same excuse to the guard. Not funny.

I'm honestly trying to understand what you guys find utterly hilarious about these episodes. I don't get it.
Click to expand...
I agree that the earlier seasons are kinda forced. It doesn't become 'effortless' until about Season 4 or 5, imo. At some point they drop the forced standup bits too, which improves the show.
 
M

mickcenary

Member
Korey said:
I actually found The Parking Garage to be horrifically unfunny. I think at that point I was realizing how small the budget for this show was. And I understand what they're trying to do with the humor (similar to Curb) but unlike Curb it seems really forced and unnatural.

- The goldfish joke, where were they going with that?
- I get it, parking garages are big and it's difficult to remember where you parked. Not funny.
- Peeing in the corner and getting caught. Not funny.
- Using the same excuse to the guard. Not funny.

I'm honestly trying to understand what you guys find utterly hilarious about these episodes. I don't get it.
Click to expand...

"And you wanna be my latex salesman..."
 
Johnny Cage In The Shower

Johnny Cage In The Shower

Member
SonicMegaDrive said:
I don't think it's so much the generation gap as much as it has to do with age. Seinfeld will still be around in 30 years and it will still be making people laugh.
Click to expand...

You're right actually, sorry I actually used the wrong terminology by saying "generation gap"

A true testament about Seinfeld being somewhat a timeless show is whenever I try to watch 2 minutes of Married with Children today, I just cringe and reach for the remote, where as back in the 90's when I was a teenage boy, for every 10 Married with Children episodes I watched and actually found it funny, I barely sat through one Seinfeld episode.

And now when Seinfeld is on TV, I stop whatever I am doing and end up watching the entire Ep, laughing my ass off. If that doesn't speak volumes about the quality of a show, I donno what does.
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Seinfeld is a sitcom about neurosis and characters who are perpetually unreflective no matter how big of a clue bat the universe tries to hit them over the head with.

The humor lay in examining how far the characters go to justify and defend their own self delusion. I don't think it's something everyone can get into, and I'm also not sure how well younger people would get it at all. (One could argue that headstrong young people are, themselves, still too unreflective about their own obsessions and ego to get why it is funny to see it mocked.)

But the thing is, what does make it more timeless that a lot of comedy is how well written and constructed it is. A Seinfeld plot is pretty clinical and detailed in how it takes apart the inner workings of neurosis. And how people set themselves up to be hoisted by their own petard. A lot of comedy ages badly because it's based on getting chuckles out of whatever sheer stupidity happens to be socially relevant in its particular era. What is trendy. Seinfeld is about the inner workings of the common, every day insanity we all have, so once you get acclimated to the characters and their environment, it makes sense no matter the year.
 
K

KrymynalChylde

Banned
Korey said:
I actually found The Parking Garage to be horrifically unfunny. I think at that point I was realizing how small the budget for this show was. And I understand what they're trying to do with the humor (similar to Curb) but unlike Curb it seems really forced and unnatural.

- The goldfish joke, where were they going with that?
- I get it, parking garages are big and it's difficult to remember where you parked. Not funny.
- Peeing in the corner and getting caught. Not funny.
- Using the same excuse to the guard. Not funny.

I'm honestly trying to understand what you guys find utterly hilarious about these episodes. I don't get it.
Click to expand...

Just a question, and I'm sorry if it's been asked, and I'm NOT trying to be all Gran Torino here....how old are you?

Honest question, just curious

Also, you like Friends more? REALLY? What the hell dude!?
 
S

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Devolution said:
No because Friends was shit.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't go that far. For me, it's something I can turn on at night before going to bed and enjoy watching. I'll laugh a few times here and there, but nothing like Seinfeld of course. For me, it was like the grown up version of Saved by the Bell, and, for nostalgic reasons, it still holds a special place in my heart.

Compared to most of the real shit that are sitcoms: no, I don't think Friends is shit.
Poimandres said:
I can see why Seinfeld would seem somewhat average coming from Curb. I still think it's pretty damn good though. Much better than Friends, which I always disliked.
Click to expand...

Going from Seinfeld to CYE is hard because a lot of the same jokes are being repainted there. Seinfeld was a fricken innovator.

Johnny Cage In The Shower said:
This.. I cannot imagine any one under 21 years of age now getting or understanding Seinfeld for what it really is. A great show!

It's funny how much a generation gap changes the taste and perception of people and what they consider entertaining.

Also, I'm waiting for the....

"Wire is the worst TV show ever" thread

"Hi guyz, so I just turned 12, so this classic show from the early two thousands, called the Wire? It's terrible drama, nothign happens, why do people like it?"
Click to expand...

I don't know.... I mean, I knew in middle school that Seinfeld was the funniest show ever. Maybe for some people their humor 'matures' during college, but for me it was the best from the start.
 
C

Carcetti

Member
So this is the future generation. People who hate Blade Runner and Seinfeld but love Katy Perry, Dubstep and saying #YOLO.

Where's that .gif of getting off this planet?
 
C

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
If you seriously think Seinfeld is the worst sitcom ever, you can't have watched utter trash like Yes, Dear or According to Jim.
 
K

KrymynalChylde

Banned
Carcetti said:
So this is the future generation. People who hate Blade Runner and Seinfeld but love Katy Perry, Dubstep and saying #YOLO.

Where's that .gif of getting off this planet?
Click to expand...

Hey now, I'm an opinionated, older (slightly) fellow myself but I love Dubstep.

Combichristoffersen said:
If you seriously think Seinfeld is the worst sitcom ever, you can't have watched utter trash like Yes, Dear or According to Jim.
Click to expand...

If you ever want to really hate Jim Belushi even more, read David Cross's book "I Drink for a Reason" He really makes JB out to be quite the piece of shit.
 
K

Kjellson

Member
Rochelle, Rochelle - A young girl's strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk
Bob and Cedric
"My name is George. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents"
The Contest
Mulva
Crazy Joe Davola
The Urban Sombrero
"Wow, that's a lot of potatoes!"

You could go on and on with Seinfeld's classic moments. Greatest show of all time.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
I swear Korey is a troll/joke character. I've had this suspicion for well over a year now. Are he and blame space friends of moderators or something? They seem to be some of the only two (besides drinky crow, Wario64, etc.) that get away with such rampant idiocy that is obviously written only to stir up a reaction from other posters (ie. for the lulz).
 
S

SkyMasterson

Member
Korey said:
So after hearing from my older friends about how great Seinfeld is for years, and as a Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, I finally took the time to give it a go. Some people recommend skipping the first season or two to get to the good stuff, so I started at Season 3.

I'm 16 episodes in ("The Fix-Up") and I've laughed maybe two times. Laugh is a strong word. Maybe "chuckled" is more appropriate. I just don't get it. What is funny about this series? Obviously Curb Your Enthusiasm is much more modern so it's more relatable, but Seinfeld just seems utterly unfunny to me. Like, on Two and a Half Men levels.

And what's the deal with Jerry Seinfeld's comedy routines interspersed in the episodes? Was he actually a stand up comic back then or is it just for the show? I actually feel terrible for people who lived back then if that's what passed for stand up comedy. It's just so corny and unfunny that it's not even funny (no pun intended). He makes Dane Cook seem like the most hilarious person alive.

It's CRAZY how unfunny this show is.

Just...gah. Sorry, I can't express in words how unfunny this show is. It's just terrible. Between this and Blade Runner I'm almost convinced there's something wrong with everyone from that generation
Click to expand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5j4DIellR4

Good luck with alll that haha.

Seriously though. I could probably see how current generations think the show is corn considering current shows on TV are so vulgar. Not that I mind. Take Workaholics for instance. That show makes Seinfeld look like Leave it to Beaver.
 
Johnny Cage In The Shower

Johnny Cage In The Shower

Member
Skiesofwonder said:
I don't know.... I mean, I knew in middle school that Seinfeld was the funniest show ever. Maybe for some people their humor 'matures' during college, but for me it was the best from the start.
Click to expand...

You may be the minority ( a mature person at a very young age) but generally speaking, Seinfeld is more appreciated by the older, more mature crowd.

Like I said in my earlier post, when I was a teenage boy during the mid 90's (the hay days of Seinfeld) I never understood the humour much, not until I graduated high school and went to college, I started discovering the genius comedy of the show.
 
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