20170610

SEINFELD

The "World's Theory" was explored in the November 1995 episode of the TV sitcom 'Seinfeld'. 'The Pool Guy', written by David Mandel and directed by Andy Ackerman was the No. 2 most watched program that week attracting 22.0% household ratings and 33% audience share. Some 33.4 million viewers were counted watching. In the episode, Elaine was trying to find a date to accompany her to the historical clothing exhibit at "the Met" (the Metropolitan Museum of Art). 

Jerry suggested Elaine invited George's fiancee Susan. Kramer immediately told Jerry it was a bad idea pointing out, "Jerry, don't you see? This world here (George's inner circle), this is George's sanctuary. If Susan comes into contact with this world, his worlds collide." George added, "Yes! It blows up! You couldn't figure out the 'World's Theory' for yourself? It's just common sense. Anybody knows, ya gotta keep your worlds apart. You have no idea of the magnitude of this thing. 

"If she is allowed to infiltrate this world, then George Costanza as you know him, ceases to exist! You see, right now, I have 'Relationship George' (George with Susan), but there is also 'Independent George' (George with Jerry, Elaine and Kramer). That's the George you know, the George you grew up with - Movie George, Coffee shop George, Liar George, Bawdy George. If 'Relationship George' walks through this door, he will kill 'Independent George'! A George, divided against itself, cannot stand!" 

The theory being when 'Independent George' was around Jerry, Elaine and Kramer, he behaved in a certain way than when the 'Relationship George' was around Susan. Hence if the two separate Georges became one George or as the "worlds are colliding", one George would cease to exist. For a generation, 'Seinfeld' was regarded "an institution". 

Marianne Moody Jennings of the 'Arizona Republic' observed, "'Seinfeld' has been to television what Versace was to fashion. Coco Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Christian Dior aside, Versace was fashion. Carl Reiner, James Brooks and Norman Lear aside, Jerry Seinfeld is television comedy. 'Seinfeld' was as vulgar as Versace's fashions. 'Seinfeld' was the '90s. 'Seinfeld' was Andrew Lloyd Webber glitziness and Bill Clinton comfort. 

"'Seinfeld' rose to its peak about the time Bill Clinton was elected President. The simultaneous success is easily understood. Folks watch 'Seinfeld' for the same reason they voted Clinton into office twice." Marty Ozer, the general manager of Channel 11 in Reno, Navada at the time maintained, "Life is basically about nothing, when you break it down to the simplicities of it. I think that grabs people's attention." 

Terry Jackson of 'Knight Ridder Newspapers' begged to differ, "It's not a show about nothing. Using the wonderfully warped characters of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, 'Seinfeld' is a window on a world where there are no happy endings, no neat little morality lessons told in 22 minutes plus commercials. Its setting is Manhattan's Upper West Side, but it looks pretty familiar no matter where you live." 

TV critic Gail Pennington offered, "The fact: As a TV viewing nation, we have connected with 'Seinfeld' in a way that is unique for a sitcom. In nine seasons (1989-1998), ‘Seinfeld’ has struck chords that have resonated deep in us and are still resonating. The puzzle: Why? Probably, nothing can really explain the alchemy that made 'Seinfeld' more than just a sitcom. But in large part, we may love 'Seinfeld' because we realize, guiltily, that these four selfish, superficial, perpetual adolescents are us. 

"They're the worst of us; they're the devil sitting on our shoulders, suggesting that, instead of the right thing, we do the wrong thing. We always found out, because the worst always happened, whether Jerry and his friends took the low road or the high. In fact, the occasional noble impulse invariably caused more harm than good. The show captured something universal that we all can recognize, yet it also poked holes at a lot of life's conventions in an unapologetic way." 

1992 Q&A. Question: Are there any episodes or incidents in your life growing up or growing older that help you lock into the characters you play? 

Answer: Growing up or growing older – that pretty much covers our whole lives. And that has been a help to us, that we have grown up and older. It's been research for us in playing our characters, being human beings all this time.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus played Selina Meyer in 'Veep', the comedy on HBO created by Armando Iannucci. She spoke to Jane Mulkerrins of the U.K. 'Telegraph' in May 2016, "Politics is just such an incredibly intriguing landscape. You're up, you're down; you're alive politically, you're dead politically, then you're resurrected. It has so many challenges and pitfalls that it's great for telling a story.

"I like to think that if we incorporated some of the things (Donald) Trump (before elected President) is saying in a script, we'd get notes from HBO saying it was too broad, too cartoony, too over-the-top. Malcolm Turnbull, in Australia, his campaign slogan is Continuity and Change. We wrote what we thought was the most empty, banal, moronic political slogan we could come up with – Continuity with Change – and then he came up with that on his own. Politics is wild and woolly stuff.”

Seinfeld made the observation, "To me, the difference between being single and married is the form of government. When you are single, you are the dictator of your own life. You have complete power. When I give the order to fall asleep on the sofa with TV on in the middle of the day, no one can overrule me! When you're married, you are part of a vast decision-making body. Before anything is accomplished, there's got to be meetings, committees have to study the situation."

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