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Seinfeld Liberals
The American Thinker ^ | 6/26/05 | Ed Lasky

Posted on 06/27/2005 7:58:15 AM PDT by Kitten Festival

Seinfeld was a television marvel. Perhaps the most successful situation comedy series of all time, it ran from 1989 to 1998, and has become an omnipresent aspect of our lives as it continually runs in syndication and lives on in best-selling DVD box sets, making fortunes in the hundred millions for both of its co-creators.

But there is yet another facet of Seinfeld at which we can marvel: the cast of characters on the show weirdly foreshadowed the rise to prominence of a large component of the dominant urban liberal wing of the Democratic Party. With a nod to Brian Anderson’s South Park Conservatives and a quick glance backward at yesterday’s Matt Bai New York Times Magazine article King of the Hill Democrats, let us join the craze for television series politics, and call them Seinfeld Liberals.

Their emergence has not been beneficial for our nation.

Hollywood has long provided role models and templates for Americans – just as books and stories always have (Washington and the Cherry tree, Abe Lincoln studying by candle, the always-inventive Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison, the heroic obstinacy of U.S. Grant and George Patton).

In recent decades, a certain cynicism about the character of Americans seems to have taken hold, at least in the filmed and televised entertainment we see.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Philosophy; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: anythingwrongwithit; bosco; canyouspareasquare; cosmokramer; culture; davidpuddy; dingoesatemybaby; dontberidiculous; dontlickthestamps; elainesbighead; festivus4therestofus; germaphobe; hellonewman; heybuddy; hollywoodleft; imanarchitect; imgeorge; jujubes; juniormints; keithhernandez; kennyrogersroasters; lainey; latexsalesman; looktothecookie; manzeir; marblerye; masterofhisdomain; monks; mrpitt; mrsteinbrenner; nosoupforyou; notthattheres; onemagicloogie; politics; poppisalittlesloppy; realandspectacular; rollingmyeyes; seinfeld; serenitynow; shrinkage; somenighthuh; somesnugglybaby; someuglybabyhuh; spongeworthy; supermanpajamas; thebro; theseawasveryangry; vandelayindustries; wasitatitleist; whatever; yadayadayada; youvegottoseethebaby
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To: yarddog
Actually I couln't think of better examples to make my point.

Then I guess you're watching a different show than I am.

SD

81 posted on 06/27/2005 10:03:54 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: Bossy Gillis

I watched one episode just long enough to realize that, in the real world, Kramer would be living in a box in an alley.

After that I knew the show had no connection with reality, even though some snippets I saw while channel surfing were superficially funny.


82 posted on 06/27/2005 10:06:35 AM PDT by PLMerite ("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
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To: Cagey; MotleyGirl70

One of the best examples of poking fun at all sides was the Poppy's restuarant episode. Elaine made a big issue out of Poppy's pro-life stance, and half the patrons supported Poppy and half supported Elaine's call to boycott. When Elained gushed about her perfect new boyfriend, Jerry asks about his stance on the issue, causing her to smear her lipstick and say lamely "He must be pro-choice, because he's so cute." Of course, he turns out to be staunchly pro-life.

Also, Elaine makes a comment one time about the anti-fur thing being overdone.


83 posted on 06/27/2005 10:17:50 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: PLMerite

Hey, that coffee table book probably got him some handsome royalties, as well as the Calvin Klein underwear ad. And don't forget the all the free coffee he can drink!


84 posted on 06/27/2005 10:19:04 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: DManA

One episode that COULD have been turned into a political "statement" was the 'Donald O'Brien' episode where George and Jerry jump into a limo thinking they are getting a free ride to MSG for a basketball game. But politics was completely left out of even that episode and it was maybe my favorite Seinfeld episode.


85 posted on 06/27/2005 10:20:30 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: A_perfect_lady

> Barney Miller was the only sitcom I ever watched because I loved the characters. There's never been another like it.

Taxi?

Count me as another who just didn't get the humor of Seinfeld. The first one I saw, he had a blind date with a girl called Lisa Chang, and the joke was, But you're not Chinese! Other episodes I don't remember because they were pretty much about nothing.


86 posted on 06/27/2005 10:21:00 AM PDT by cloud8
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To: RockinRight

Same here.


87 posted on 06/27/2005 10:21:47 AM PDT by TheForceOfOne (My tagline snapped the last time the MSM blew smoke up my ass. Now its gone forever.)
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To: Larry Lucido
Hey, that coffee table book probably got him some handsome royalties, as well as the Calvin Klein underwear ad.

Well, Kramer certainly deserves some royalties from Calvin Klein since Calvin stole his cologne idea, 'The Beach'.

88 posted on 06/27/2005 10:22:14 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Kitten Festival
I just always thought the show was just ok. I did not find it that humorous. However, their is one liberal show I will watch and laugh at. It comes on HBO. Its called Curb your Enthusiasm. Its pretty funny.
89 posted on 06/27/2005 10:23:51 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: Kirkwood; MotleyGirl70

Kirkwood: It was hard to take the show seriously when George had girlfriends who were actually hot.

Me (pitching the show): Yes, but that's what makes it so funny.

Kirkwood (in voice of Japanese television executive): You must go now.

(Sunshine Carpet Cleaners employees enter)


90 posted on 06/27/2005 10:24:09 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: mnehrling

I read somewhere where Kramer was a Republican. It was last year sometime.


91 posted on 06/27/2005 10:24:46 AM PDT by Sprite518
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To: Lancey Howard

LOL!

"Are you sure you want to open with that?"


92 posted on 06/27/2005 10:25:09 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: altura

> He wasn't talking about politics per se, but about a general attitude about life--eerily similar to that of many liberals

True. But the article (at least what of it that I read--too many Freepers trying to get on the server at once) also points out the show's use of Country Mouse vs. City Mouse theme (even if he didn't articulate it too well)...that urban liberals are totally unequipped to deal with with life in Flyover Country.


93 posted on 06/27/2005 10:26:33 AM PDT by cloud8
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To: A_perfect_lady
Barney Miller was the only sitcom I ever watched because I loved the characters. There's never been another like it.

Wow!!
I have to chime in with an "amen" to that. 'Barney Miller' was my favorite sitcom ever.

Remember the one with that crazy guy who was running for city council? He asked Harris if he wanted to hear his motto and a reluctant Harris says, "Okay.... What is it?" The guy responds, "Vote for Royce, the people's candidate."

94 posted on 06/27/2005 10:27:25 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Bossy Gillis

Never saw it either. I always heard it was one long inside joke.


95 posted on 06/27/2005 10:27:44 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: HEY4QDEMS

Even Beavis and Butthead had non-left wing tendencies.


96 posted on 06/27/2005 10:27:48 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("All my own perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded upon Our Lady." - Tolkien)
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To: AppyPappy

LOL, guess we aren't in on it then, but looks like we didn't miss anything.


97 posted on 06/27/2005 10:32:27 AM PDT by Bossy Gillis
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To: RockinRight

Same here. But one of the things I liked about the show is that not once while watching it did I ever feel as though my values were being blatantly insulted. The way that I looked at it, the main characters often came off looking worse than the people they were always making fun of.


98 posted on 06/27/2005 10:33:03 AM PDT by jpl
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To: Bossy Gillis

Who shot JR in the shower, with Bobby dreaming that JR shot... Um, what was the storyline again??? LOL ;-P


99 posted on 06/27/2005 10:33:32 AM PDT by MortMan (Mostly Harmless)
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To: SoothingDave
Then I guess you're watching a different show than I am.

Yep, sure sounds like it.

100 posted on 06/27/2005 10:34:57 AM PDT by yarddog
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