Psychology Today Blogs - Media Stew

Has It Really Been 10 Years Since the Last Original Episode of Seinfeld?

Tim Delaney, Ph.D. — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:55:09 -0700

On May 14, 1998, the final original episode of Seinfeld aired. It was watched by more than 76 million viewers that evening-the third-highest figure for a series finale in the history of television. Only M*A*S*H (with 105.4 million viewers in 1983) and Cheers (80.4 million in 1993) attracted larger audiences.

The Seinfeld series conclusion was actually a two-part retrospective of the nine-year run of the show. Initially, most Seinfeld fans, including myself, were disappointed with the ending, as it did not provide anything "new." Most fans would have preferred something far cleverer like the other, now classic, episodes that aired that final season; for example, "The Wizard," "The Frogger," or the controversial "The Puerto Rican Day" episodes.

Nonetheless, Seinfeld lives on in syndication. Loyal Seinfeld fans still watch the show and they are joined by a new generation of young adults who are watching for the first time. It is safe to say that Seinfeld continues to entertain more Americans and Canadians today than the majority of lackluster shows aired on television today. No wonder TV Guide ranked Seinfeld as the number one show on its list of the "50 greatest TV shows of All-time."

Seinfeld is a sociological phenomenon and much of its success is due to the keen sociological imagination demonstrated by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David (co-creators) and the often brilliant writing on the part of a wide variety of writers. The topics discussed on each episode deal with the everyday activities that many of us encounter.

Although the show was immortalized by the Smithsonian Institute when it entered the Seinfeld "puffy shirt" into the National Museum of American History in November, 2004; it is the famous catch-phrases that have had the greatest impact on American popular culture. Among the more celebrated phrases: "Not that there is anything wrong with that," "You double-dipped the chip," "Festivus, a festival for the rest of us," "Serenity now," and "Yada, yada, yada."

So, what have the four main characters been up to since the last Seinfeld episode aired? Well, Jerry has not done much beyond his Bee Movie, although there is talk that he may actually start another sitcom on NBC. However, such rumors have persisted for years. Jason Alexander tried two other sitcoms that were cancelled shortly after they began. Although I must admit, I actually liked the show Listen Up a spoof on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. Michael Richards, unfortunately, has gained most of his post-Seinfeld fame for his racial tirade during a Laugh Factory standup performance in November, 2006. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has found the most success in her critically acclaimed The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Such is the life of actors who find unprecedented success on one show. It is nearly impossible for lightning to strike twice. Although, they say, statistically speaking, that people are more likely to get hit by lightning twice in their life than they are to win the lottery and some one does win the big lottery regularly. Consequently, who knows, maybe the Seinfeld characters will find success again.

Until that happens, I will join millions of others who still enjoy watching Seinfeld in syndication. I know all the plots by heart and can repeat nearly all the lines by memory, but let's face it, funny is funny. And Seinfeld is the funniest TV comedy of all-time...Not that there is anything wrong with that!

Oops...she did it again!

Tim Delaney, Ph.D. — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:25:07 -0700

Oops...she did it again!

Britney Spears reprised her guest role as "Abby," a bubbly secretary, on May 12th's How I Met Your Mother episode. During her first appearance on March 26, Spears was credited with increasing Mother's viewership by more than one million viewers. Britney also garnered positive reviews by TV critics as Abby.

It's nice to see Britney as a shadow of her former sweet and lovable self. Let's face it; she has been through a lot. Most of her troubles are self-inflicted, of course, but she has made so many bad decisions in life, one would have to wonder about her mental health. Certainly her mental health has a great deal to do with the fact she does not have full custody of her children.

Mental health refers to the ability to function effectively, physically, mentally, and socially. Mental illnesses then, are medical conditions that disrupt a person's ability to function properly, including their way of thinking, feeling, ability to relate to others, and their moods. A person who has a mental illness may have trouble coping with emotions, stress, and anger. They may also have trouble handling such things as daily activities, family responsibilities, relationships, or work and school responsibilities. Mental illness does not discriminate and can affect any a person of any race, age, religion, gender, or income.

It is impossible for me to determine whether or not Britney Spears suffers a mental illness as I have not had a chance to meet her. Dr. Phil has met her and he seems to think she is suffering from some sort of disorder.

That Britney looks cute and "normal" as Abby is actually kind of reassuring. After all, do we really want to watch someone slowly fall apart? And finding joy in the demise of this once teen star seems wrong, doesn't it?

Britney's second appearance on How I Met Your Mother finds her Abby character plotting with "Barney" (played by Neil Patrick Harris) the womanizer. Both Abby and Barney are upset with Ted (Josh Radnor), the leading character; Abby because Ted dumped her and Barney because Ted has shun his friendship.

Barney and Abby appear at the local bar wearing matching sweaters. They profess to have "couple love." They are both trying to make Ted jealous but he sees through their ploy. Barney proposes love to Abby on a lark, but Abby takes his proposal seriously and calls her mother. By the end of the episode Barney frees himself from Abby at Ted's expense. Abby is led to believe that Ted is in love with her. She goes off to find her happiness.

Here's hoping Britney finds her happiness, in real life.

I am Iron Man!

Tim Delaney, Ph.D. — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:02:50 -0700

I am Iron Man!

Have you ever dreamed of being a superhero? Most of us have, I would suppose. Imagine how cool it would be to have superpowers. Who wouldn't want the ability to see through walls, bend steel, possess super strength, or best of all, have the capacity to fly?

There are plenty of superheroes to emulate. Spiderman has the ability to shoot out webs that allows him to swing from building to building and he has super strength-proportionate to a spider! Batman is clever, has a fast car, and as the Joker (played by Jack Nicholson) states, he has lots of "great toys" (in his utility belt). The Incredible Hulk is so powerful he can crush tanks with his bare hands. But, Superman would have to be the coolest of all. He can fly, leap tall buildings, repel bullets and he is so fast, that he once spun the earth against its natural rotation causing time to go backwards. Yes, Superman can do it all. So, why do we need another superhero? And one named "Iron Man?"

Those of us from a certain generation, or fans of a certain genre of music, may think of "Iron Man" in terms of the old Black Sabbath (featuring Ozzy Osbourne) song with the eerie opening lyric, "I am Iron Man..." I have to admit, when I first heard the promotion for Iron Man the movie, I would sing those Black Sabbath lyrics to myself. (Imagine how happy I was during the start of the closing credits!) But of course, Iron Man means something else to others. For some people, he was already a Marvel favorite. And now, for many others, Iron Man represents a movie blockbuster earning $200 million worldwide in opening weekend revenue.

So, who is this Iron Man and why does this movie hold such an appeal to folks? Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr.-who does a wonderful job acting, as usual-is the alter ego of Anthony "Tony" Stark, son of industrialist Howard Stark. Stark Industries produces weapons of destruction, and unbeknownst to Tony, many of these weapons are being sold to enemies of the U.S. Similar to other superheroes, Stark decides to rid the world of evil-doers. The special effects alone guaranteed that this film would be a blockbuster. Creating a lovable superhero, however is the real reason this film will continue to earn hundreds of millions of dollars. For you see, most of us love the idea of being a superhero that is powerful enough to fight for "justice."

Heroes have existed in society since ancient times. The study of heroes in any given culture is very revealing, as the people proclaimed as heroes gain such a status because they reflect cultural ideals and values. Heroes, then, reflect the character traits most desired by members of a society. In this regard, heroes help to reaffirm and maintain the social structure of a society by perpetuating cultural values and norms.

The ancient Greeks, who coined the word, had a precise meaning and limits for "hero." A hero was a person who was descended from a god or goddess on one side of the family, either by father or mother, and a mortal on the other side. This definition is flawed, of course, as Greek gods do not exist. However, heroes do exist in contemporary society. Today, a hero may be viewed as a person of distinguished courage or ability who is admired for brave deeds, noble qualities, achievement, dedication, integrity, and/or skill. Firefighters, police officers, athletes, and teachers, often serve as heroes. Each of these people, however, have their own limitations. Maybe this helps to explain why we, as with the ancient Greeks, turn to mythical creatures for shining examples of heroes. Characters such as Iron Man are, indeed, superheroes. They support cultural idealism of proper behavior (e.g., fighting evil). And, they do it in an entertaining manner. No wonder movies like Iron Man do so well at the box office.

Oh, and by the way, as the usher at the movie theatre said to me, "Be sure to stay until after the credits run...the movie continues-in superhero tradition!

TV's Best Comedies

Tim Delaney, Ph.D. — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:21:01 -0700

“TV’s Best Comedies”

Perhaps you have seen the recent online listing of “TV’s 50 Best Comedies—Ever” compiled by Kimberly Potts. Potts, for the unacquainted, is a New York-based entertainment/pop culture writer who has written articles for such publications as Inside TV, TV Guide, US Weekly and Daily Variety.

Any listing of the “best of” is certainly open for debate and discussion among friends and media “experts.” As a connoisseur of TV comedies myself, a listing of TV’s Best Comedies certainly drew my attention.

Potts lists a number of shows that would not make my Top 10, let alone a Top 50 list. Consider, for example, these shows: The Golden Girls (43), Will and Grace (32), and Maude (28).

It is important to consider, what qualities help to determine a timeless comedy. On the one hand, joking about contemporary issues will resonate with original- and recent-aired audiences, but they risk becoming obsolete when viewed by future ones. Comedy that seems timeless, on the other hand, provides a common thread among viewers across different generations. This helps to explain why shows like I Love Lucy and M*A*S*H manage to remain relatively popular across generations.

Fans of comedies generally agree on a number of shows that they feel are flat-out funny. And, I certainly agree with Potts on many of her top selections; albeit, with a different ranking order. Thus, I have put together my “Top 10 TV Comedies of All Time” list. So, stew on this!

Starting with number ten and moving to my all-time favorite are: Frasier, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, Sanford & Son, Welcome Back Kotter, Soap, Cheers, The Simpsons, Married With Children, and at number one…Seinfeld.

Seinfeld was once criticized as a show about nothing. However, as I have argued previously (see Seinology: The Sociology of Seinfeld), Seinfeld was really a show about everything. And many catchphrases used in this brilliant show have become popular discourse in contemporary popular culture: “Yada, yada,” “Not that there is anything wrong with that,” “Happy Festivus,” and “You double-dipped the chip!” TV Guide named Seinfeld as the number one show of its “Greatest TV Shows All-time.”

Married With Children holds a special place in my heart because of the gorgeous Christina Applegate who played the adorably trampy Kelly Bundy. And who will ever forget that Al Bundy once scored four touchdowns in a single game?!

The brilliance of The Simpsons is very evident. Going back to the Tracy Ullman days, The Simpsons have been on the air for 21 years. Imagine, twenty-one years! Simpsons’ merchandizing can be found around the world. And Time named The Simpsons the best show of the twentieth century. (Potts, by the way, named The Simpsons number 1 and Seinfeld number 2).

Everyone is free to compile their own ranking of top TV comedies, but one thing unites us all—we love to laugh and we love to be entertained. Sociologically speaking, laughing is a good thing, especially in light of rising gas prices and economic uncertainty that confronts so many people. Television provides us with a chance to escape the problems of the world. Comedies, of course, give us something to laugh about.

Krusty the Clown, among the favorite characters on The Simpsons, helps to sum up our love affair with television in the “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming” episode, “Would it really be worth living in a world without television?’