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November 23, 2005
The Chronic Curmudgeon Pop Culture Influences: Number Two
There's never really been any doubt as to what the top two pop culture influences of the past 25 years would be, has there? It's only been a question of what order I'd put them in. Well, wait no longer. (Not that anyone's really been waiting, but I hate leaving things unfinished.)
2. Seinfeld. For a show famously about "nothing," Seinfeld delivered not only great laughs, but some of the most widely used/borrowed lines and references of the last 16 years, since the show debuted in 1989. Think about it: how often has someone you know dropped a Seinfeld line into conversation? How many SportsCenter anchors? How many bloggers (myself included) trying to be witty or hip tossed a Seinfeld reference into their posts? "Not that there's anything wrong with that." "Master of my domain." "Yada, yada, yada." "NO SOUP FOR YOU!" "I was in the pool! There was shrinkage!" "Hello.....NEWMAN." "These pretzels are making me thirsty." "Can you spare a square?" "My boys can swim!" "Maybe the dingo's got your baby." "Hel-LOOOOO!" "I think it moved." "They're real... and they're spectacular."
And the references... without Seinfeld, we wouldn't ever have referenced man-hands, puffy shirts, low talkers, close talkers, The Bubble Boy, double-dipping, sponge baths, male bimbos/mimbos, sponge-worthiness, the Bro/manssiere, Vandelay Industries, Festivus (along with the Airing of the Grievances), Mulva, re-gifting, or a dozen others. When one show and one set of writers can make that many contributions that reach the public consciousness, it's a pop culture achievement at a rarely-reached level. (Not to mention that "The Contest" is the single funniest and most brilliantly written single episode in sitcom history.)
Perhaps the most amazing thing about "Seinfeld," however, is that it took four inherently unlikeable characters, and made us like them and keep tuning in for more. The first rule of writing is to develop characters the audience will like and root for and be interested in. Seinfeld gave us four self-centered, careless people -- and we loved them anyway. A great TV comedy, and the number two pop culture reference/influence of the past 25 years.
As for number one... could there have been any other?
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Comments
I think in the tradition of several of the influences you have mentioned, you should do a fast re-cap of of 25-2. My guess for #2 was grossly innaccurate, and I would like to see if you mentioned it at all during the countdown.
Posted by: Cuzin Jose at November 23, 2005 07:03 AM
We were just about to break out the aluminum pole too! How timely.
It shrinks?
Posted by: eden at November 23, 2005 10:56 AM
nice write-up...I'd also add that part of the brilliance of 'Seinfeld' was its namesake's commitment to cast the other three main characters in leading roles. Show after show, his colleagues stole the show, yet there was never a sense that Jerry had to be funnier, deliver more lines, or be more central than the rest of them.
That...was brilliant
Posted by: Marquette Hoops at November 24, 2005 10:52 AM
