The Joke/Reality Chart

So the great affair is over but whoever would have guessed 

it would leave us all so vacant and so deeply unimpressed 

It's like our visit to the moon or to that other star 

I guess you go for nothing if you really want to go that far. 

—Leonard Cohen,

"Death of a Ladies' Man"

Towards the beginning of my writing I hoped to instigate a dialogue with the outside world concerning my thoughts on Seinfeld—the show would be the slightly awry button and I would be Jerry positing to the world that it was too high and the conversation would begin.  It only seemed appropriate to discuss a show that exists entirely in social dialogue in a manner that was not an entirely insulated monological ranting; though if I was to hole myself up in my parents’ house and explicate my approach to the show alone with my written words that was all I would get.   

            One night while watching Taxi Driver by myself I composed an email that would bring in these outside voices: 

In an effort to make my study more objective I am asking amateur experts such as yourself to give me somewhat scientific analysis of the course of the series of Seinfeld.  I am asking you to rate what I consider to be the best to examples of every season under a specific criterion I will outline.  If you consider another episode that exemplifies the season better, list it and rate it in the same way.  The scale is 1 to 10; 1 means the episode is entirely sincere, realist in that it attempts to refer to the outside world and to tell some lesson concerning it, unaware of the fact that it is a situation comedy—in short, it accomplishes the initial concept of the show to illustrate how Jerry Seinfeld comes up with his material in a near documentary-like fashion; 10 means the episode is entirely insincere, surreal in that it attempts to refer solely to the world of the situation comedy and make a joke about it, aware that it is a situation comedy—in short that it is a show dedicated to the illustration of the absurdity of considering a situation comedy as a moralizing force that has anything to do with reality.  A five would be the perfect non-joke/joke middle point.  Feel free to send any questions or clarifications to andrews@lclark.edu and to forward this to any other amateur experts you know.   In the reply use the numbering system I have given you and put your rating next to it.

I then included a list of 18 episodes with a short synopsis, or none at all if its title was sufficiently indicative in describing what transpires.[1]   I set up an excel file to document the results, and waited. 

The idea was not as sincere as simply wanting to bring in outside perspectives.  One night a month earlier, while staying with my friend Kimberly in Portland, I had composed some notes for my upcoming big project which included a chart that represented what I, at the time, considered a breakthrough: as the show “progresses” it becomes more of a joke to itself.  To the best of my recollection the chart went like this:

I don’t recall the content of the rest of the notes but I recall the thinking behind the joke/reality chart very clearly: the initial premise of the show became enveloped in ever-expanding circles of irony that, by the show’s end, squeezed any remaining sincerity out of its premise.  This is what I wanted my excel chart to reinforce with the objectivity that outside opinions would provide me. 

            As it turned out I received two replies: one from my friend Mac who wrote predominantly on another subject and, as an after thought, responded with numbers that wholly contradicted my theory; and one from Kimberly who contradicted the entire premise:

Andrew;



I fear a number of things pertaining to this study, first of all, that it would seem to test my powers for retention and accurate placement of my favorite Seinfeld moments, as, while I am familiar with all stated episodes, there are some of them rather distant in my memory.  Also, I have a hard time even imagining rating something on the scale you have presented, because it seems insane.  It also ignores the fact that while Seinfeld is indeed an "ironic” response to the sitcom format, it is one. You can only do something ironically so far, and then you end up simply doing it really well.  So the joke is really that it's not even a joke, in that sense.  And I also cling to my earlier stated opinions that Seinfeld's resonance comes from the exaggeration of reality and the analysis of coincidence, providing narrative viewpoint on caricature versions of daily life that is perceived as familiar to the viewer, when really it's quite distant . . . and that's why it's funny . . . My final fear comes in that I don't understand
1. Your hypothesis
2. Your intent in proposing said hypothesis.
 As such, I cannot reply until my questions are answered.  Screw the scientific method!  I also cannot give appropriate time to the query now because I have to go to school soon.



Love, Kimberly


 

After my reply[2] I gave up this tack and came the grips with the inevitable difference between my book and their sitcom.

---

[1] 1.  “The Seinfeld Chronicles”—A woman Jerry met when he was doing stand-up in Michigan wants to stay with him, but he is unsure what the significance of this is.

2.  “The Stock Tip”—Jerry and George put money on a stock and it loses money; and then Jerry goes to Vermont.

3.  “The Revenge”—George tries to unquit and gets fired and asks Elaine to slip his boss a Mickey; Jerry loses money in a laundromat and Kramer puts cement in a machine.

4. “The Chinese Restaurant”

5. “The Alternate Side”—George moves cars and everyone says “These pretzels are making me thirsty.”

6. “The Boyfriend, part 1”—Keith Hernandez, Baseball Spit Story, Vandelay Industries, etc.

7.  “The Pitch”—Jerry and George conceive and a pitch a show about “nothing.”

8. “The Contest”

9. “The Marine Biologist”

10. “The Opposite”—George decides to do the opposite of every instinct he has.

11.  “The Big Salad”—Elaine’s request for a big salad ends George’s relationship; Jerry dates a girl rejected by Newman; Kramer causes the murder of Pinkus the drycleaner.

12.  “The Switch”—George helps Jerry figure out how to date his girlfriend’s roommate.

13.  “The Gum”—Lloyd Braun has gum and is into Elaine.

14. “The Invitations”—George kills Susans.

15. “The Bizarro Jerry”—Elaine makes new friends that are completely different, yet not so different, from her friends.

16. “The Summer of George”—George is a slob; Kramer is a seat-filler.

17.  “The Slicer”

18. “The Finale”

 

[2] Kimberly,


I appreciate your thoughts, but will not tell you my hypothesis.  I would also
like to argue that my scale is not insane, but actually includes your opinions
of the show.  So, concerning coincidence and exaggeration of reality: a 1 would
be a believable exaggeration of reality (in many cases resulting from incidents
in Larry David's life) or coincidences that ring true with the viewer; whereas
a 10 would be an unbelievable exaggeration of reality or coincidences that seem
surreal or absurd.  That the show "provid[es] narrative viewpoint on caricature
versions of daily life that is perceived as familiar to the viewer, when really
it's quite distant" is certainly essential to Seinfeld.  Though what interests
me is the extent to which this varies, for I contend it is in no way constant. 
Being at once perfectly familiar and distant as you describe would be the show
at its best, i.e. a five, where it is neither entirely reality nor caricature.
I hope this clarifies.

Thanks for your prompt reply. My hypothesis is on the piece of paper in your
garage, which I would still like for you to scan and send to me, if you are
interested.


Love,
Andrew