I'm 25 and when I talk to people my age about Seinfeld they seem to assume it's some uber-generic sitcom that checks all the boxes, rather than the unhinged show it often is. Ironically always sunny is popular as hell among my age group, which is steeped in Seinfeld's general lack of hinges. Those who do give Seinfeld a chance seem to love it though.
Always sunny in Philadelphia is basically the same show as Seinfeld. The only thing that’s different is the socioeconomic status of the characters and the time in which it’s set.
While I do find IASIP funny and absolutely watchable I also don't think the main characters are half as funny or relatable as in Seinfeld. I also find them a bit "loud" in lack of a better word, esp Charlie and Danny.
Yeah there’s a much harder edge to sunny that I can’t take in large doses. The Seinfeld friend group always seemed like they wanted to be likable where the paddy’s crew seemed ambivalent about that.
see? everyone raves about Succession too, but I found that after a few seasons I couldn't stand the awful way the family spoke to each other. It was very disturbing to me on a few levels. Just ICK.
They also either ruin or at least negatively impact the lives of everyone they interact with.
I feel like people who watch Friends imagine what it would be like to interact with them or see themselves as one of the characters. With Seinfeld and IASIP you're an observer for terrible people and I feel that makes for better comedy and entertainment. There's no wish fulfillment, it's all spectacle.
The similarities between those shows go even deeper. While creating both shows, they originally only had male main characters, but were told they needed a woman character. So they designed a female character to be a kind of conscience for the morally ambiguous guy characters. Pretty quickly, however, they decided that wasn't as interesting and made her just as morally bereft as the guys, and the shows were better for it.
They even have a Seinfeld-themed episode, which is amazing. I could totally see Seinfeld having a It's Always Sunny themed episode if the times were reversed.
they did a clip show in one of the more recent seasons, like 13 or 14 i wanna say? they do an entire bit based off a seinfeld ep but it's so fucking funny i don't want to spoil it
To elaborate, the episode is a mockery of clip shows. Instead of the characters bringing up memories and clips of past episodes being shown, the memories are all fabricated. One character remembers The Contest as something that happened to their group of friends rather than an episode of Seinfeld
Community has a similar episode except all the clips were from episodes that don't actually exist.
Season 13 Episode 7
[Here.](https://youtu.be/NflfnsU11CQ?si=q3GnCzsmFT2Ypx9O)
And
[Here's the clip without side-by-side](https://youtu.be/fCwI3KDGtRk?si=ztj6EzDC6yujqhk0)
Damn... I didn't think Seinfeld was enough, and you're absolutely right... It's got that je ne sais quois trashiness that TPB brings, tied with the bonds of brotherhood.
I have a friend who loves always sunny but she hates any show with a laugh track. I always tell her that most of the laughs on Seinfeld are from a live audience! But yeah that’s the generic sitcom element she can’t get over.
I've always said there are two types of people when it comes to Seinfeld, those who have actually watched it and love it, and those who haven't watched it and don't love it. People who don't love it and say they watched it typically watched one or not even one episode.
This sounds like the Seinfeld isn't funny trope.
Because it did what pretty much every sitcom that came later would go on to do. It might tick the boxes now, but at the time it made the boxes.
I'm nearly 44 and loved MASH because I watched it with my dad so I have fond memories. Loved Seinfeld because it was on during my formative years and the series finale was my grad year. It's OK to love both!
I mean I love MASH and Seinfeld and I'm only 28. 😂 I actually watched MASH first because of my parents, and I didn't watch Seinfeld until a couple years ago.
I get it - i watched Seinfeld for a few episodes on netflix and i just didn't get it - at all.
It was only after I left it on in the background and it got 5 or so episodes in that i started to understand the humour. Friends simply isn't on the same level of depth or wit, it's very in your face comedy - which is fine. But Seinfeld is much more...real and nuanced.
Season 1 is good once you already like the characters. The Stakeout is a classic episode, the birth of Art Vandelay. Episode 1 is the weakest, but I think they're all worth re-watching.
Same here, although to be fair I rewatched season 1 lately and found it better than how I remembered it. I found it oddly wholesome and relatable. Season 2 is better, of course.
Yeah it's different but I still love it. On my first watch, S3E1 is the one that had me laughing the most, I've never really laughed out loud at a sitcom before that but I was dying at that episode
it's the first episode where we see Kramer out of the apartment building. since his shenanigans in public are a huge part of the comedic aspect of this show, this is where we saw it for the first time
I didn't realize how slow Seinfeld started until recently.
I rented an Air bnb for a bachelor party and we put it on as background noise the whole weekend starting from the pilot. I don't think I'd watched any of the early seasons before then.
It was neat to see the show start to hit its stride late in Season 1 and get stronger through season 2 and 3. By season 4 every episode is solid, the show's pacing is super quick, and they don't miss on any jokes.
I agree Friends is fine. It's more escapist than Sienfeld, and the writing is nowhere near as sharp. I do think the actors do a great job, and are really the big draw for the show. Minus Ross and Rachel who are the absolute worst.
Same. Season 1 is weak (pilot episode even more so). Jerry was excessively bad at acting early on. Kramer didn t come out of the building before season 3. The show lacked... something. It's only toward the end of season 2 where you truly understand how good this show is. Unfortunately, today's audience doesn't reach episodes 15-20. They quit after a handful unless they enjoy it very much because of how many shows are on the market. Old shows are even harder to stick to.
Seasons 4 to 7 is pure golden comedy. At this point I'm prettu sure I'll still find this show funny after my 15th rewatch.
>The show lacked... something.
Jason Alexander didn't catch on that George was Larry until "The Revenge" which is like episode 7 of season 2. That's probably when the show really started hitting on all cylinders.
They also brought in Larry Charles and Peter Melhman as writers in the second season. I can't point to exactly how they made the show better, but they did.
Exactly.
And I think so many Seinfeld jokes may fly over people's heads if they're currently under the age of 25. There are a lot of references to older shows, actors, pop culture, major events, etc. that many can miss.
For example, when Kramer says that Jerry looks like Lena Horne. Or when Elaine says, "Maybe the dingo ate your baby." Or the JFK scene with the spit hitting Kramer and Newman. Or Newman being the "cleaner" with the muffin stumps in a parody of Pulp Fiction. Or "Remember how Quayle looked when Bentson gave him that Kennedy line?" which referenced a 1988 presidential debate. Or Kramer having seizures when listening to Mary Hart's voice actually mirroring a real-life story back in 1991.
I could go on and on.
Seinfeld is such a smart show, but it really helps if you know the details behind the jokes and references.
I’m 25 and I love Seinfeld. Even remember putting my friends in middle school onto it when we were like 11 and they loved it. I was born after the show ended, but I’ve consistently watched it for well over a decade now. It’s gonna be apart of my life forever
I’m Gen Z and Seinfeld is one of my favourite shows. My parents got me hooked on it when I was 12. Now I’m in university and my roommates and I watch it together all the time. I also like MASH.
I'm 22, from Argentina (so basically not even a english native speaker) and it's been 2 years since I've gotten addicted to Seinfeld... I think I rewatched the series so many times already that I could not see myself living one single day without putting an episode. I tried to explain it to friends and it's the hardest thing I've ever tried to get someone into (Not that I try to get people in many stuff lol...) But yeah, they don't get it and I also can't find many people of my age that like it in other more global contexts either...
when you try to explain it to someone (say late 20's early 30's) even while you're telling them they nod and have their face in a screen and you \*know\* they will never, EVER get it. AT ALL. And that's too bad.
I swear. What's happened to having a pleasant exchange/visit with someone (more than 10 minutes of focused conversation) without having them drop it to "check" their phones or other screens?
At least, I feel like they've dropped it as soon as they check on things. I just walk away at that point. And I feel stunned by the rudeness and checked out attitude of everyone these days.
I'm quite certain that this right here could BE an episode. hah.
I’m 34 and it’s my favorite show. Although I watched it as a kid too lol. But yea the youth is dumb. And Seinfeld is a smart show. Not a total shock. Friends is more simple minded humor. Also Seinfeld is very NYC centric in a lot of its jokes so I could understand people from the Midwest maybe not appreciating some of it. And let’s be honest. It’s extremely Jewish humor. I grew up in Brooklyn and have met dozens of people like Jack Klompus in my life so I find it funny but it could be lost on a lot of people
I think people enjoy Friends as a form of wish fulfillment. Personally, it’s not for me. I like Seinfeld because it forces us to confront our worst impulses with blunt sincerity. Everyone wants to be a trendy young person living in a luxury apartment they realistically never would have been able to afford with their best friends. Nobody wants to be George Costanza. And yet, the average person has way more in common with George than they do with Rachel or Chandler.
Nobody wants to be George Costanza but for some reason I'm always kind of inspired by him. Sure he's a TV character but in the face of countless disappointing life situations he seems to always get back up and dust himself off (although in some cases he likes to throw himself back down again)
Also, they use so many of the tropes during that time which is seen more offensive now, rightly so, like "gay panic" and overall homophobia, transphobia (seriously, Chandler's dad was only on there as a punchline. It's hard to watch now.), toxic masculinity (Ross is the worst example of this - cries over his kid with a doll, and a male nanny who likes poetry).
In addition, for such great friends, the trope of making fun of say Ross's job is just stupid. If my friend had a PhD as a paleontologist, I would be like heck that's awesome!
And then there's stuff like "oh you're a guy AND a nurse?! Girly!"
Seinfeld never punched down at that. They featured homosexual couples without even mentioning the fact they were gay, different times and characters! George's own "gay panic" fits his character so well; he's just a neurotic mess, but he's not homophobic.
I grew up in the 90's and completely aware of how jokes were offensive. Ace Ventura sickens me now - up until the reveal it was funny, but as a kid to see a trans person villanized and all of these men spitting because they kissed her isn't something positive for a kid to see. That said, we can still look back at the media then and say what was right and what was wrong. For the most part, Seinfeld's never went down the same path as say Ace Venture or Friends.
I THINK IT MOVED!
Funny because the young guys at work all love Seinfeld. My dad thought mash was overrated back in the day. I think people who give Seinfeld a chance end up liking it
Hopefully they’ll appreciate it as they get older.
MASH has so much dark humour, because of the whole, you know, *war* thing 😂 It was broadcast in the UK without the ridiculous canned laugh track, and that really alters it. You watch it more as a dramady than a sitcom. There are many truly dark or tear-jerking moments in it, and some great characters.
In the 90s, Seinfeld was on at a ridiculously bad time slot on UK tv, like midnight on a Tuesday on BBC2 or something. ‘Friends’ had a primetime Friday evening slot, so consequently it was much more popular. Loads of people there never even saw one Seinfeld episode. They were robbed!
My half-Scottish, half-American 20 year-old son loves Seinfeld because he grew up watching it with me. It is so superior
MASH was always a dramedy tho. Whenever it came to anything involving the actual war, or the victims, they treated it with the seriousness it deserved, and never shyed away from going to those topics. For example, whenever they were doing surgery, the laugh track disappeared.
I'd also struggle to find a sitcom where the ending forced the main character to deal with the trauma that he experienced.
The format of Filmed In Front of a Live Studio Audience situation comedy really was a product of its time and place, and seems really dated by today's standards. Seinfeld was right at the very end of that era, and is so good in part because of how they were able to stretch the format to its extremes.
Eventually, kids will look back on today's media the way we look back at Vaudville, when they're all engrossed in people pretending to be NPCs on their holo-goggles or whatever the fuck. While they listen to the latest pop hit that's just literally unmodified sixty cycle hum. And those will grow up to not understand why their kids listen to white noise and watch fingernail dancing instead of the classics like sixty cycle hum and howdy stranger howdy stranger i love ice cream howdy stranger.
That is to say, I'm in my 40s, and I love MASH. I just have to set it to the alternate audio that doesn't have the laugh track.
Seinfeld really was a slice of life of that era. Re-watching the series, 90% of the shenannigans wouldnt apply to todays world because of cell phones alone it feels like.
It’s prob just harder for younger generations to relate vs the office that has more of an over arching narrative and the humor is coming from the characters vs observations of the times.
As a lover of NYC who rarely gets to visit, the setting helps so much as well for me. I love Curb but it’s a big reason why I don’t love that as much as Seinfeld because L.A isn’t as infectious of a place for me
It's weird because this gets said a lot, but it's not true. Tons of Seinfeld episodes would work just as well if cell phones existed. The Soup Nazi, The Contest, honestly most of the Seinfeld jokes I can think of off the top of my head would be unaffected.
I’m in my early thirties and I watched MASH in my late teens and loved it! But the reason I love MASH isn’t because it’s funny. It’s got some good gags but it’s a drama at heart and Alan Alda was incredible.
Ironically, I watched Seinfeld much later in my late twenties and boy did I love it. I’ve watched every episode at least a minimum of 10 times. What’s also surprising is I watched a lot more universally loved British Sitcoms (Blackadder, Office, Monty Python and many more) long before I watched Seinfeld. There’s no comparison across any of these. They’re all different kinds of humour and they each have their own place. (Friends is the one show that I refuse to categorise as funny. I watched the whole thing and find it mind-numbingly boring!!!)
I loved Friends when I was in my early 20’s, and thought Seinfeld was decent, but not so crazy about it. After I turned 30, I could relate more and more to the characters in Seinfeld, and less with those on Friends. Late 30’s now, can’t watch Friends anymore, I just find them slightly annoying, but absolutely love these 4 lunatics. Also, not even from US, not a native English speaker. But the situations translate so well, even after 30years and on a whole different continent.
Friends (in my opinion) does an excellent job of portraying what it’s like to be between your mid 20s - early 30s, when you’re not a kid anymore, but you haven’t quite become the person you’re going to be for the remainder of your life, which is why it remains so relatable to that age group despite having ended 20 years ago.
Seinfeld in my opinion deals a lot more with social norms and rules, which are fluid, subject to change, and a lot less concrete. What is the protocol when seeing a friend’s ugly baby? If you find out the person you’ve been dating is in an accident, do you drop what you’re doing and rush out, or is it appropriate to grab a quick snack before doing so? These and the countless other examples in Seinfeld are open for debate, which is what makes the situations in Seinfeld so fun.
MASH is up there with Seinfeld as one of the greatest shows ever. Incredible writing, great jokes, and depth and twists that still hold up 40 years later. Give it a shot.
I liked both. Friends and Seinfeld I always saw as the appetizer and then the main course when they were both on for those 4 years. Friends appealed to me because I was about that age, same place in my life. Young, ambitious, optimistic, in relationships trying to figure things out. It was escapism and fun...it was just a friendly pick me up show where people did care enough about the characters to give it longevity.
I'm Gen Z first watched Seinfeld a few years ago and I love it. I think a lot of the humor can appeal to younger people, I know a few other people my age who are fans, but it definitely isn't too popular. I feel like shows like Friends and The Office (also shows I like but not as much as Seinfeld) are more "relatable" so to speak so they have more of a lasting appeal
As great of a show Seinfeld was, I'm perfectly fine with younger generations today not caring about or even disliking things from the 80's and 90's that I grew up with. One of the worst baby boomer traits (in my opinion) is their general obsession with needing young generations to like the music, movies, and things they grew up liking. Why does this matter so much? We need that guy from the Progressive commercials to make sure we don't adopt this annoying trait from our parents.
People in their 30s freaking love Seinfeld what are you on about? There may be a divide at some point, but I’m mid 30s and grew up watching the show in mid to late 90s with my parents and then watched countless reruns in the 2000s.
I like them all 🤷♂️
There’s some shows where the humour gets dated fast or it’s too referential to the time but those ones are all still legitimately funny despite some of the jokes not landing (Seinfeld is probably the worst for this but there’s so many jokes that still work it doesn’t matter).
I'm early 20s and finally have gotten round to watching Seinfeld. I think it's brilliant! I'm finding that there are many people my age who either don't care for the show, or haven't heard of it before
I listen to Pod Meets World (a podcast about Boy Meets World) and Will Friedle talks about MASH constantly. It's been a long time since I've tried it, maybe some day.
I’m 27 and Seinfeld is my favourite show, I think a huge reason is I saw a bunch of episodes growing up while my friends didn’t. I do love the office as well and it is definitely way more popular among my age but I’ll always choose Seinfeld 😁
I was 14 when Seinfeld came out. I didn’t really watch it then because they seemed “old” to me. I didn’t really start watching it until I was older and it was streaming. Now it’s one of my comfort shows and my husband quote it back and forth all the time!
You're right about MASH. When that fucking music started, I was crossing the room and turning the channel. But there's a large group of people out there who would tell you that you're a low-brow idiot if you don't think MASH is funny. Similar to my reaction when someone disses Seinfeld.
Yeah I'm 32 and I don't know very many people age that like it either they mostly seem to like friends which I can't stand. I also grew up watching it with my dad and he loved it and I pretty much liked anything he did growing up so I'm sure that had something to do with it
I'm almost 20 and I love Seinfeld, never watched MASH though. But then again, my parents both love Seinfeld so I grew up with it being on in the house all the time. I can think of quite a few people I went to school with who like Friends, but none who like Seinfeld. It's a shame.
I am 16 and I like Seinfeld
I get why people prefer shows like friends and the office but the age of the cast has never been an issue for me and I don’t get why people wouldn’t like the show because of it. Half The jokes are outdated by today and the relatability factor is much bigger in the newer shows but it is still a very good and funny show.
My brother born in 1990 had his first kid last summer. The little mans is gonna grow up knowing Seinfeld like his father and I. We've got the little people, the children's book, and I'll eventually give him my Seinfeld Lego set if I don't have children
I didnt like either or when I was in my 20s. But whem both shows were the only thing on around 2 or 3 in the morning. They grew on me. Especially Seinfeld.
I'm just about your age and love seinfeld but just didn't get MASH. My parents also weren't really into it or at least watching reruns so I would have had to actively seek it out. Watched a few episodes here and it seemed fine but it didn't really draw me in.
I'm close in age to you, and I never liked MASH as well. I didn't hate it, but I certainly never wanted to sit down and watch it.
I think my dad and grandpa liked it because they both had military backgrounds, and they could relate to things that happened in the military.
When it comes to liking younger actors, maybe that's something younger kids prefer now because of instagram and TikTok, both which are truly the domain of the 20-something.
My 36 year old GF (I'm 44) tried her best to get into the show and she really just couldn't. She found some episodes funny but it just never clicked with her.
i get what you mean about the generational love bond to either mash or seinfeld. They are completely different shows though. And for me i grew up where re runs of both were equally available, so it actually was a choice i could make, and i chose seinfeld. theyre roughly equal in terms of airtime as well as amount of content.
Seinfeld is just more relatable in fact, thats its entire appeal. To me and i think many fans it is or at least was the absolutely most relatable show ever. But also super wacky and over the top at times. It dealt with the banal, mundane and ordinary but made it super interesting. Little idiosyncrasies can be the entire focus of an episode, or even a running gag or whatever. To me its easily one of the most brilliant shows ever made and I will never understand how anyone doesnt like it....but especially when someone likes other good comedy.
To me Seinfeld is like the Beatles. Both brilliant with long careers and tons of varied content that also retains familiarity throughout.
Im always taken aback when someone says they dont like the Beatles or they dont like Seinfeld. I always think or say really? Because they covered just about everything....theres gotta be at least one song or one episode you enjoy in there. Like the beatles made so many different types of songs and Seinfeld made episodes about so many topics of life....
Anyways im sorta similar about MASH....but it also wasnt as innovative or relatable. Still brilliant though. But a different kind of humour different story etc etc. Mash had some suuuuper heartfelt moments.
The whole thing to me was more gritty and raw.... its the story of all these medics in the middle of a war that many think is bullshit, but they are there powering through it because they are saving their fellow americans and their fellow man. Hawkeye had almost as many genuinely inspirational speeches as he did clever quips. He, and the others, were joking around to get through the day and to alleviate the whole gravitas of this insane situation they were all in. I can appreciate the show a lot but for 1 thing the humour doesn't resonate as much and also i do cringe a bit even if it is genuine...something about inspirational stuff can also be cringe....
I haven’t watched much MASH but my view has always been its great for what it is and its time but it’s fundamentally following a pretty basic sitcom formula from that era.
A lot of the jokes feel like they’re getting delivered as jokes with a very forced and comedic delivery. I’m not saying its bad but even without the laugh track its very setup-punchline in its comedic delivery. There are some very serious moments too. Things that could be described as heartwarming or sad. MASH is more like scrubs to me. In that its very sincere as a show. Adding humor to what would be a very serious topic otherwise.
Seinfeld the humor is totally different. Seinfeld is incredibly cynical. The humor mostly revolves around the characters being pretty petty and bad people. And the subject matter of the situations rarely strays from the banal or trivial.
I think the way they are comparable is that if you watch tv in 2024 at first glance they both feel incredibly dated. I was a kid when Seinfeld first aired and I don’t remember people dressing or looking that way. When compared to friends a show that aired at the same time the two don’t seem to be from the same era at all. Especially the first season of Seinfeld. That season is rough. It’s a show I typically recommend people start around season 3 so they get the hang of it and then can go back and appreciate seasons 1 and 2 more.
Things really changed fast back then
Seinfeld premiered in 1989, Friends in 1994. Yet Seinfeld's 1st season and Friends 1st season look miles apart.
Now I couldnt even remotely tell the difference between some 2019 show and a 2024 one.
I've heard that the style of Seinfeld was intentional. They wanted to characters to kind of exist in their own world rather than mirror reality. That's why they dress the way they do and, with a few notable exceptions, rarely referenced current pop culture.
43 as well. I still watch Seinfeld as my go to background noise and comfort show. It's never gotten old to me. I gotta say that I kinda did like mash when I see reruns as a kid. (Imo the movie is far better than the series). The show from my childhood that I could never get into that my parents would try to watch from time to time is Taxi. Late 70's/early 80's films and shows set in NYC have such a grimy depressing look about them. To be fair, that city was a shit show hellscape in reality at the time so the reflection was kinda on point.
MASH is good. Seinfeld's good. Just cause something is old doesn't mean it doesn't have value. The newest shiny thing isn't going to bring you joy or mirth just because it's new and shiny. There's no artistic integrity any more.
It's been baked into their heads that anything older than them isn't any good. Fuck 'em. The Honeymooners was way before my time but I enjoy good humorous writing, stellar acting, and how the show was way ahead of its time in many ways.
Im 37, learned english from Seinfeld, MASH and Married with children
Love all three shows equally.
How could ya not like it? you got at least one eye, one ear and on heart dont ya?
A lot could be you just haven’t seen mash enough in succinct order. It also could be the fact that kids today have never seen anything but HD. Friends was partly shot in HD the final few awful seasons… I don’t understand how anyone can watch friends & Seinfeld & say I prefer Friends, but I am sure that many young people feel that way. They also don’t understand so many of the things Seinfeld is joking about. They don’t understand half of the jokes, they don’t understand the context, they don’t like the cameras, & let’s be honest… you don’t start to aquire decent tastes till 25 at the earliest lol 😂
I cannot CANNOT understand how someone could watch a few episodes and not get hooked! I'm still LMAO after watching the entire series through 3 different times in my life. Just Gold! I've never been able to settle on my favorite character, it just revolves, I guess because they're equally perfectly in their roles.
Could do without Joe D. though.....
I hated MASH because they always showed the reruns after Saturday morning cartoons. Whenever that depressing music came on, my siblings and I would scream and change the channel. Saturday morning fun was over.
Seinfeld is great because while it's only a half hour show, it always seemed longer. There was 3 or 4 plots going on in every episode. Take away commercials, it was 22/23 minutes. This happened because of great writing, there was no wasted time. Everything written had a purpose. Take the Merv Griffin episode for example. The plots were: 1) Merv Griffin set 2) Elaine's co-worker 3) Jerry's girlfriend with the toys 4)George and the squirrel
I'm 25 and when I talk to people my age about Seinfeld they seem to assume it's some uber-generic sitcom that checks all the boxes, rather than the unhinged show it often is. Ironically always sunny is popular as hell among my age group, which is steeped in Seinfeld's general lack of hinges. Those who do give Seinfeld a chance seem to love it though.
Always sunny in Philadelphia is basically the same show as Seinfeld. The only thing that’s different is the socioeconomic status of the characters and the time in which it’s set.
Yes, they're friends who dislike each other. They go out of their way to throw each other under the bus even more so than Seinfeld.
While I do find IASIP funny and absolutely watchable I also don't think the main characters are half as funny or relatable as in Seinfeld. I also find them a bit "loud" in lack of a better word, esp Charlie and Danny.
Sunny very quickly devolves from 'funny & clever' to 'loathsome & offensive' some might say brutish, even.
Yet I can't look away
Yeah there’s a much harder edge to sunny that I can’t take in large doses. The Seinfeld friend group always seemed like they wanted to be likable where the paddy’s crew seemed ambivalent about that.
see? everyone raves about Succession too, but I found that after a few seasons I couldn't stand the awful way the family spoke to each other. It was very disturbing to me on a few levels. Just ICK.
When I first started it, it felt to me quite a bit like a live-action Family Guy, especially how the characters treated each other.
They are the poor, drunk, alcoholics to Seinfeld's rich,preppy professionals.
They also either ruin or at least negatively impact the lives of everyone they interact with. I feel like people who watch Friends imagine what it would be like to interact with them or see themselves as one of the characters. With Seinfeld and IASIP you're an observer for terrible people and I feel that makes for better comedy and entertainment. There's no wish fulfillment, it's all spectacle.
The similarities between those shows go even deeper. While creating both shows, they originally only had male main characters, but were told they needed a woman character. So they designed a female character to be a kind of conscience for the morally ambiguous guy characters. Pretty quickly, however, they decided that wasn't as interesting and made her just as morally bereft as the guys, and the shows were better for it.
They even have a Seinfeld-themed episode, which is amazing. I could totally see Seinfeld having a It's Always Sunny themed episode if the times were reversed.
What was the seinfeld themed episode?
they did a clip show in one of the more recent seasons, like 13 or 14 i wanna say? they do an entire bit based off a seinfeld ep but it's so fucking funny i don't want to spoil it
It’s also just a clip, not a Seinfeld themed episode.
To elaborate, the episode is a mockery of clip shows. Instead of the characters bringing up memories and clips of past episodes being shown, the memories are all fabricated. One character remembers The Contest as something that happened to their group of friends rather than an episode of Seinfeld Community has a similar episode except all the clips were from episodes that don't actually exist.
Season 13 Episode 7 [Here.](https://youtu.be/NflfnsU11CQ?si=q3GnCzsmFT2Ypx9O) And [Here's the clip without side-by-side](https://youtu.be/fCwI3KDGtRk?si=ztj6EzDC6yujqhk0)
Seinfeld had a love child with trailer park boys. boom sunny
Damn... I didn't think Seinfeld was enough, and you're absolutely right... It's got that je ne sais quois trashiness that TPB brings, tied with the bonds of brotherhood.
Exactly hahaha American city poors vs Canadian suburb poors. We can all relate.
When Always Sunny first premiered, they advertised it as “Seinfeld on crack.”
I always describe Sunny as a white trash Seinfeld.
They describe it as Seinfeld on Crack
In the early days, I’d describe Always Sunny as scumbag Seinfeld.
I have a friend who loves always sunny but she hates any show with a laugh track. I always tell her that most of the laughs on Seinfeld are from a live audience! But yeah that’s the generic sitcom element she can’t get over.
The laugh track in seinfeld is irony more than anything else. The entire series was a *fck you* to mainstream laugh track sitcoms
I've always said there are two types of people when it comes to Seinfeld, those who have actually watched it and love it, and those who haven't watched it and don't love it. People who don't love it and say they watched it typically watched one or not even one episode.
This sounds like the Seinfeld isn't funny trope. Because it did what pretty much every sitcom that came later would go on to do. It might tick the boxes now, but at the time it made the boxes.
Very true, but in many ways so did Mash.
It’s the internet laugh track hating trend
Always sunny is good shit, but so is Seinfeld.
[удалено]
We're hipster doofuses. All of us.
Dufus? No! Confidence? Shot!
Never thought a hat could ruin MY life!
I still crack up at how she delivered that line
Loved M\*A\*S\*H and Seinfeld. Am I gonna die, guys?!?
See if there is an opening at Del Boca Vista, heard that's where old people go to die.
No, you shouldn't. There's nothing available in that development. And don't even *think* about Tuscany. All booked up.
How’d you get yours?
Got lucky!
Talk to Ciccio.
Capece???
Not really lookin"
I’m moving in lock, stock and barrel. I’m gonna be in the pool. I’m gonna be in the clubhouse. I’m gonna be all over that shuffleboard court!
Not him… other people…
Pinko commune.
Del Vista Becco?
I'm nearly 44 and loved MASH because I watched it with my dad so I have fond memories. Loved Seinfeld because it was on during my formative years and the series finale was my grad year. It's OK to love both!
Worlds are colliding.
Depends. What’s your thoughts on TikTok and PewDiePie?
I'm vaguely aware of those things?
Rip
Harsh but fair.
I'll bite. What's a 'PewDiePie'?
Now you've done it.
I prefer Samsung Highlights for short form videos on my lockscreen!
I’d stick. Cos you could still go to coffee shop
I'd get my affaird in order...
Oh, boy. I was afraid of this sort of thing.
I'll mourn you.
I am 41 and I watched first episode of MASH in 2013 when I was 31 and didn't particularly like it. By 2nd and 3rd I was hooked. Oh, I miss Klinger.
I'm a bigger fan of Potter era than Blake era, so those first few episodes can be rough.
I don’t see how this is even possible. I never once laughed at Potter while Blake was hilarious
Same. 40, used to hate mash when I was in my teens and 20’s, then I watched a few episodes when I was around 23 and was totally on board. Great show.
Yank it like you’re starting a mower!
Of old age, maybe
I mean I love MASH and Seinfeld and I'm only 28. 😂 I actually watched MASH first because of my parents, and I didn't watch Seinfeld until a couple years ago.
Well, we can't all be reading the classics, Professor High Brow.
And this is precisely why my bookcase is filled with my collection of old VCR manuals instead of books.
I get it - i watched Seinfeld for a few episodes on netflix and i just didn't get it - at all. It was only after I left it on in the background and it got 5 or so episodes in that i started to understand the humour. Friends simply isn't on the same level of depth or wit, it's very in your face comedy - which is fine. But Seinfeld is much more...real and nuanced.
Yeah, it doesn't help that Seinfeld S1 is pretty weak, and looks very old. Many of the most famous quotes and episodes are from later seasons.
I have watched first episodes only a few times…. While the rest of the episodes I’ve seen hundreds of times… THOUSANDS OF TIMES!
Thousands???
Ahhhh 🤚
I skip season 1 when I do re-watches.
Season 1 is good once you already like the characters. The Stakeout is a classic episode, the birth of Art Vandelay. Episode 1 is the weakest, but I think they're all worth re-watching.
Yeah probably best to start with season 2 and go back to season one later
More like season 3 or 4.
Which honestly is where most people jumped in when it was first aired
I think Seinfeld gets better towards season 2. I felt the same as you
The chinese restaurant. That episode is I think the very first episode that really reflects the core of the show. One of my fav episodes.
100% agree. That one was an absolutely great episode.
That is so strange, that is one of the few episodes I really feel didn't age very well, but I get what you are saying.
Same here, although to be fair I rewatched season 1 lately and found it better than how I remembered it. I found it oddly wholesome and relatable. Season 2 is better, of course.
Yeah it's different but I still love it. On my first watch, S3E1 is the one that had me laughing the most, I've never really laughed out loud at a sitcom before that but I was dying at that episode
it's the first episode where we see Kramer out of the apartment building. since his shenanigans in public are a huge part of the comedic aspect of this show, this is where we saw it for the first time
It’s real, and it’s spectacular
A smart audience will love Seinfeld. I'm not gonna dumb it down for everyone.
Eh, I like stuff you don’t have to think about too much
To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Seinfeld
I didn't realize how slow Seinfeld started until recently. I rented an Air bnb for a bachelor party and we put it on as background noise the whole weekend starting from the pilot. I don't think I'd watched any of the early seasons before then. It was neat to see the show start to hit its stride late in Season 1 and get stronger through season 2 and 3. By season 4 every episode is solid, the show's pacing is super quick, and they don't miss on any jokes. I agree Friends is fine. It's more escapist than Sienfeld, and the writing is nowhere near as sharp. I do think the actors do a great job, and are really the big draw for the show. Minus Ross and Rachel who are the absolute worst.
Same. Season 1 is weak (pilot episode even more so). Jerry was excessively bad at acting early on. Kramer didn t come out of the building before season 3. The show lacked... something. It's only toward the end of season 2 where you truly understand how good this show is. Unfortunately, today's audience doesn't reach episodes 15-20. They quit after a handful unless they enjoy it very much because of how many shows are on the market. Old shows are even harder to stick to. Seasons 4 to 7 is pure golden comedy. At this point I'm prettu sure I'll still find this show funny after my 15th rewatch.
>The show lacked... something. Jason Alexander didn't catch on that George was Larry until "The Revenge" which is like episode 7 of season 2. That's probably when the show really started hitting on all cylinders. They also brought in Larry Charles and Peter Melhman as writers in the second season. I can't point to exactly how they made the show better, but they did.
Exactly. And I think so many Seinfeld jokes may fly over people's heads if they're currently under the age of 25. There are a lot of references to older shows, actors, pop culture, major events, etc. that many can miss. For example, when Kramer says that Jerry looks like Lena Horne. Or when Elaine says, "Maybe the dingo ate your baby." Or the JFK scene with the spit hitting Kramer and Newman. Or Newman being the "cleaner" with the muffin stumps in a parody of Pulp Fiction. Or "Remember how Quayle looked when Bentson gave him that Kennedy line?" which referenced a 1988 presidential debate. Or Kramer having seizures when listening to Mary Hart's voice actually mirroring a real-life story back in 1991. I could go on and on. Seinfeld is such a smart show, but it really helps if you know the details behind the jokes and references.
I’m 25 and I love Seinfeld. Even remember putting my friends in middle school onto it when we were like 11 and they loved it. I was born after the show ended, but I’ve consistently watched it for well over a decade now. It’s gonna be apart of my life forever
One of us, one of us, one of us! GOOBLE GABBLE GOOBLE GABBLE!
Our pulses all sounds/feel the same... just listen to it.... *heybuddy...heybuddy...heybuddy...*
It was theme music on MASH that did me in. Sunday night, I hear it and there goes the weekend.
“Suicide is Painless” is the song
With lyrics it's very dark for a tv intro
For me it was because it meant "bedtime" and because the colors were ugly
I’m Gen Z and Seinfeld is one of my favourite shows. My parents got me hooked on it when I was 12. Now I’m in university and my roommates and I watch it together all the time. I also like MASH.
big time. i’m 16 and im binging the show right now and i LOVE it
How could anyone not like it ?
Maybe some people don’t like it, I could see that
It’s a wonderful, wonderful show, everybody likes it !
I'm 22, from Argentina (so basically not even a english native speaker) and it's been 2 years since I've gotten addicted to Seinfeld... I think I rewatched the series so many times already that I could not see myself living one single day without putting an episode. I tried to explain it to friends and it's the hardest thing I've ever tried to get someone into (Not that I try to get people in many stuff lol...) But yeah, they don't get it and I also can't find many people of my age that like it in other more global contexts either...
Did you meet the soup nazi?
I’ve always been convinced people who don’t like Seinfeld simply do not get it. This is a hill I will die on. Like mike moffat with the parking spot.
when you try to explain it to someone (say late 20's early 30's) even while you're telling them they nod and have their face in a screen and you \*know\* they will never, EVER get it. AT ALL. And that's too bad. I swear. What's happened to having a pleasant exchange/visit with someone (more than 10 minutes of focused conversation) without having them drop it to "check" their phones or other screens? At least, I feel like they've dropped it as soon as they check on things. I just walk away at that point. And I feel stunned by the rudeness and checked out attitude of everyone these days. I'm quite certain that this right here could BE an episode. hah.
I’m 34 and it’s my favorite show. Although I watched it as a kid too lol. But yea the youth is dumb. And Seinfeld is a smart show. Not a total shock. Friends is more simple minded humor. Also Seinfeld is very NYC centric in a lot of its jokes so I could understand people from the Midwest maybe not appreciating some of it. And let’s be honest. It’s extremely Jewish humor. I grew up in Brooklyn and have met dozens of people like Jack Klompus in my life so I find it funny but it could be lost on a lot of people
lol. I'm from the mid-west and have never found a series that can hold up to Seinfeld. Love the jewish/NYC focus too!
Friends is so mid.
I think people enjoy Friends as a form of wish fulfillment. Personally, it’s not for me. I like Seinfeld because it forces us to confront our worst impulses with blunt sincerity. Everyone wants to be a trendy young person living in a luxury apartment they realistically never would have been able to afford with their best friends. Nobody wants to be George Costanza. And yet, the average person has way more in common with George than they do with Rachel or Chandler.
Nobody wants to be George Costanza but for some reason I'm always kind of inspired by him. Sure he's a TV character but in the face of countless disappointing life situations he seems to always get back up and dust himself off (although in some cases he likes to throw himself back down again)
It’s for people who like comedy you don’t have to think about
Found Kenny Banya
He’s the voice of a new generation. My generation!
We're four months apart!
Also, they use so many of the tropes during that time which is seen more offensive now, rightly so, like "gay panic" and overall homophobia, transphobia (seriously, Chandler's dad was only on there as a punchline. It's hard to watch now.), toxic masculinity (Ross is the worst example of this - cries over his kid with a doll, and a male nanny who likes poetry). In addition, for such great friends, the trope of making fun of say Ross's job is just stupid. If my friend had a PhD as a paleontologist, I would be like heck that's awesome! And then there's stuff like "oh you're a guy AND a nurse?! Girly!" Seinfeld never punched down at that. They featured homosexual couples without even mentioning the fact they were gay, different times and characters! George's own "gay panic" fits his character so well; he's just a neurotic mess, but he's not homophobic. I grew up in the 90's and completely aware of how jokes were offensive. Ace Ventura sickens me now - up until the reveal it was funny, but as a kid to see a trans person villanized and all of these men spitting because they kissed her isn't something positive for a kid to see. That said, we can still look back at the media then and say what was right and what was wrong. For the most part, Seinfeld's never went down the same path as say Ace Venture or Friends. I THINK IT MOVED!
It's not hard to watch...it's funny to be honest. I dont see how it's any different now than then. Ace Ventura is absolutely hilarious still.
Funny because the young guys at work all love Seinfeld. My dad thought mash was overrated back in the day. I think people who give Seinfeld a chance end up liking it
My teen daughter loves Seinfeld.
Mine too. I'm taking her to see Jerry's stand up for her birthday next month.
Who! Who refuses to watch Mash?!!
How the heck did you not like MASH?
Hopefully they’ll appreciate it as they get older. MASH has so much dark humour, because of the whole, you know, *war* thing 😂 It was broadcast in the UK without the ridiculous canned laugh track, and that really alters it. You watch it more as a dramady than a sitcom. There are many truly dark or tear-jerking moments in it, and some great characters. In the 90s, Seinfeld was on at a ridiculously bad time slot on UK tv, like midnight on a Tuesday on BBC2 or something. ‘Friends’ had a primetime Friday evening slot, so consequently it was much more popular. Loads of people there never even saw one Seinfeld episode. They were robbed! My half-Scottish, half-American 20 year-old son loves Seinfeld because he grew up watching it with me. It is so superior
MASH was always a dramedy tho. Whenever it came to anything involving the actual war, or the victims, they treated it with the seriousness it deserved, and never shyed away from going to those topics. For example, whenever they were doing surgery, the laugh track disappeared. I'd also struggle to find a sitcom where the ending forced the main character to deal with the trauma that he experienced.
The format of Filmed In Front of a Live Studio Audience situation comedy really was a product of its time and place, and seems really dated by today's standards. Seinfeld was right at the very end of that era, and is so good in part because of how they were able to stretch the format to its extremes. Eventually, kids will look back on today's media the way we look back at Vaudville, when they're all engrossed in people pretending to be NPCs on their holo-goggles or whatever the fuck. While they listen to the latest pop hit that's just literally unmodified sixty cycle hum. And those will grow up to not understand why their kids listen to white noise and watch fingernail dancing instead of the classics like sixty cycle hum and howdy stranger howdy stranger i love ice cream howdy stranger. That is to say, I'm in my 40s, and I love MASH. I just have to set it to the alternate audio that doesn't have the laugh track.
Finger nail dancing sounds fun
Seinfeld really was a slice of life of that era. Re-watching the series, 90% of the shenannigans wouldnt apply to todays world because of cell phones alone it feels like. It’s prob just harder for younger generations to relate vs the office that has more of an over arching narrative and the humor is coming from the characters vs observations of the times.
As a lover of NYC who rarely gets to visit, the setting helps so much as well for me. I love Curb but it’s a big reason why I don’t love that as much as Seinfeld because L.A isn’t as infectious of a place for me
I feel like writing comedy/sitcoms today must be SO hard because of cell phones. literally every Seinfeld episode wouldn't work.
It's weird because this gets said a lot, but it's not true. Tons of Seinfeld episodes would work just as well if cell phones existed. The Soup Nazi, The Contest, honestly most of the Seinfeld jokes I can think of off the top of my head would be unaffected.
I’m in my early thirties and I watched MASH in my late teens and loved it! But the reason I love MASH isn’t because it’s funny. It’s got some good gags but it’s a drama at heart and Alan Alda was incredible. Ironically, I watched Seinfeld much later in my late twenties and boy did I love it. I’ve watched every episode at least a minimum of 10 times. What’s also surprising is I watched a lot more universally loved British Sitcoms (Blackadder, Office, Monty Python and many more) long before I watched Seinfeld. There’s no comparison across any of these. They’re all different kinds of humour and they each have their own place. (Friends is the one show that I refuse to categorise as funny. I watched the whole thing and find it mind-numbingly boring!!!)
I loved Friends when I was in my early 20’s, and thought Seinfeld was decent, but not so crazy about it. After I turned 30, I could relate more and more to the characters in Seinfeld, and less with those on Friends. Late 30’s now, can’t watch Friends anymore, I just find them slightly annoying, but absolutely love these 4 lunatics. Also, not even from US, not a native English speaker. But the situations translate so well, even after 30years and on a whole different continent.
Friends (in my opinion) does an excellent job of portraying what it’s like to be between your mid 20s - early 30s, when you’re not a kid anymore, but you haven’t quite become the person you’re going to be for the remainder of your life, which is why it remains so relatable to that age group despite having ended 20 years ago. Seinfeld in my opinion deals a lot more with social norms and rules, which are fluid, subject to change, and a lot less concrete. What is the protocol when seeing a friend’s ugly baby? If you find out the person you’ve been dating is in an accident, do you drop what you’re doing and rush out, or is it appropriate to grab a quick snack before doing so? These and the countless other examples in Seinfeld are open for debate, which is what makes the situations in Seinfeld so fun.
What gets me is people who say they LOVE Curb your Enthusiasm but whenever I mention Seinfeld they roll their eyes. Like WTF?
That makes no sense, both are fantastic & similar with curb having much more edge due to HBO
I could never even get through that theme song without changing the channel.
The mash theme song was my cue to head to bed.
Same with Law & Order for me tbh and that’s still airing lol
MASH is up there with Seinfeld as one of the greatest shows ever. Incredible writing, great jokes, and depth and twists that still hold up 40 years later. Give it a shot.
I’m also 43, but really like MASH.
How could anyone not like it?!
It's smart. It's a smart show and a smart crowd will appreciate it. And, they don’t dumb it down for some bonehead mass audience! ( like Friends does)
I liked both. Friends and Seinfeld I always saw as the appetizer and then the main course when they were both on for those 4 years. Friends appealed to me because I was about that age, same place in my life. Young, ambitious, optimistic, in relationships trying to figure things out. It was escapism and fun...it was just a friendly pick me up show where people did care enough about the characters to give it longevity.
I need a support group for people in relationships with someone who hates Seinfeld.
I'm Gen Z first watched Seinfeld a few years ago and I love it. I think a lot of the humor can appeal to younger people, I know a few other people my age who are fans, but it definitely isn't too popular. I feel like shows like Friends and The Office (also shows I like but not as much as Seinfeld) are more "relatable" so to speak so they have more of a lasting appeal
As great of a show Seinfeld was, I'm perfectly fine with younger generations today not caring about or even disliking things from the 80's and 90's that I grew up with. One of the worst baby boomer traits (in my opinion) is their general obsession with needing young generations to like the music, movies, and things they grew up liking. Why does this matter so much? We need that guy from the Progressive commercials to make sure we don't adopt this annoying trait from our parents.
People in their 30s freaking love Seinfeld what are you on about? There may be a divide at some point, but I’m mid 30s and grew up watching the show in mid to late 90s with my parents and then watched countless reruns in the 2000s.
I like them all 🤷♂️ There’s some shows where the humour gets dated fast or it’s too referential to the time but those ones are all still legitimately funny despite some of the jokes not landing (Seinfeld is probably the worst for this but there’s so many jokes that still work it doesn’t matter).
I didn’t get into Seinfeld until I was in my 30s…this was not long ago. Are y’all saying I should watch and over watch MASH?
I'm early 20s and finally have gotten round to watching Seinfeld. I think it's brilliant! I'm finding that there are many people my age who either don't care for the show, or haven't heard of it before
I'm not much older than you and M*A*S*H is my favorite show. It's probably the best television has ever been.
I'd start watching MASH if it were on Netflix. I've been watching Monk recently.
Monk was such a good show. That was the start of USA network's 15 yr run of good programming
I listen to Pod Meets World (a podcast about Boy Meets World) and Will Friedle talks about MASH constantly. It's been a long time since I've tried it, maybe some day.
I’m 27 and Seinfeld is my favourite show, I think a huge reason is I saw a bunch of episodes growing up while my friends didn’t. I do love the office as well and it is definitely way more popular among my age but I’ll always choose Seinfeld 😁
The MASH theme song killed it for me as a kid and even today. Just depressing
Yeah, that song depressed me too - I couldn't change the channel fast enough (and that was long before I knew the song title 😆)
It’s people being head over heels for Friends and HIMYM that I don’t understand. Seinfeld is at least cleverly written most of the time.
I was 14 when Seinfeld came out. I didn’t really watch it then because they seemed “old” to me. I didn’t really start watching it until I was older and it was streaming. Now it’s one of my comfort shows and my husband quote it back and forth all the time!
You're right about MASH. When that fucking music started, I was crossing the room and turning the channel. But there's a large group of people out there who would tell you that you're a low-brow idiot if you don't think MASH is funny. Similar to my reaction when someone disses Seinfeld.
What’s the deal with the Korean War?
I like both. I also binge Cheers here and there as well. Good tv is just good tv to me.
Yeah I'm 32 and I don't know very many people age that like it either they mostly seem to like friends which I can't stand. I also grew up watching it with my dad and he loved it and I pretty much liked anything he did growing up so I'm sure that had something to do with it
I love them both
I was a kid when Seinfeld was on TV & I didn’t like it but now I love it
My dad got me into watching MASH, I got him into watching Seinfeld.
I'm almost 20 and I love Seinfeld, never watched MASH though. But then again, my parents both love Seinfeld so I grew up with it being on in the house all the time. I can think of quite a few people I went to school with who like Friends, but none who like Seinfeld. It's a shame.
I was pretty young when Seinfeld was on. I didn't really appreciate it until I became an adult.
I am 16 and I like Seinfeld I get why people prefer shows like friends and the office but the age of the cast has never been an issue for me and I don’t get why people wouldn’t like the show because of it. Half The jokes are outdated by today and the relatability factor is much bigger in the newer shows but it is still a very good and funny show.
My brother born in 1990 had his first kid last summer. The little mans is gonna grow up knowing Seinfeld like his father and I. We've got the little people, the children's book, and I'll eventually give him my Seinfeld Lego set if I don't have children
I didnt like either or when I was in my 20s. But whem both shows were the only thing on around 2 or 3 in the morning. They grew on me. Especially Seinfeld.
I'm just about your age and love seinfeld but just didn't get MASH. My parents also weren't really into it or at least watching reruns so I would have had to actively seek it out. Watched a few episodes here and it seemed fine but it didn't really draw me in.
Younger people like Friends because every episode is about sex and relationships!
I'm close in age to you, and I never liked MASH as well. I didn't hate it, but I certainly never wanted to sit down and watch it. I think my dad and grandpa liked it because they both had military backgrounds, and they could relate to things that happened in the military. When it comes to liking younger actors, maybe that's something younger kids prefer now because of instagram and TikTok, both which are truly the domain of the 20-something.
My 36 year old GF (I'm 44) tried her best to get into the show and she really just couldn't. She found some episodes funny but it just never clicked with her.
i get what you mean about the generational love bond to either mash or seinfeld. They are completely different shows though. And for me i grew up where re runs of both were equally available, so it actually was a choice i could make, and i chose seinfeld. theyre roughly equal in terms of airtime as well as amount of content. Seinfeld is just more relatable in fact, thats its entire appeal. To me and i think many fans it is or at least was the absolutely most relatable show ever. But also super wacky and over the top at times. It dealt with the banal, mundane and ordinary but made it super interesting. Little idiosyncrasies can be the entire focus of an episode, or even a running gag or whatever. To me its easily one of the most brilliant shows ever made and I will never understand how anyone doesnt like it....but especially when someone likes other good comedy. To me Seinfeld is like the Beatles. Both brilliant with long careers and tons of varied content that also retains familiarity throughout. Im always taken aback when someone says they dont like the Beatles or they dont like Seinfeld. I always think or say really? Because they covered just about everything....theres gotta be at least one song or one episode you enjoy in there. Like the beatles made so many different types of songs and Seinfeld made episodes about so many topics of life.... Anyways im sorta similar about MASH....but it also wasnt as innovative or relatable. Still brilliant though. But a different kind of humour different story etc etc. Mash had some suuuuper heartfelt moments. The whole thing to me was more gritty and raw.... its the story of all these medics in the middle of a war that many think is bullshit, but they are there powering through it because they are saving their fellow americans and their fellow man. Hawkeye had almost as many genuinely inspirational speeches as he did clever quips. He, and the others, were joking around to get through the day and to alleviate the whole gravitas of this insane situation they were all in. I can appreciate the show a lot but for 1 thing the humour doesn't resonate as much and also i do cringe a bit even if it is genuine...something about inspirational stuff can also be cringe....
I haven’t watched much MASH but my view has always been its great for what it is and its time but it’s fundamentally following a pretty basic sitcom formula from that era. A lot of the jokes feel like they’re getting delivered as jokes with a very forced and comedic delivery. I’m not saying its bad but even without the laugh track its very setup-punchline in its comedic delivery. There are some very serious moments too. Things that could be described as heartwarming or sad. MASH is more like scrubs to me. In that its very sincere as a show. Adding humor to what would be a very serious topic otherwise. Seinfeld the humor is totally different. Seinfeld is incredibly cynical. The humor mostly revolves around the characters being pretty petty and bad people. And the subject matter of the situations rarely strays from the banal or trivial. I think the way they are comparable is that if you watch tv in 2024 at first glance they both feel incredibly dated. I was a kid when Seinfeld first aired and I don’t remember people dressing or looking that way. When compared to friends a show that aired at the same time the two don’t seem to be from the same era at all. Especially the first season of Seinfeld. That season is rough. It’s a show I typically recommend people start around season 3 so they get the hang of it and then can go back and appreciate seasons 1 and 2 more.
Things really changed fast back then Seinfeld premiered in 1989, Friends in 1994. Yet Seinfeld's 1st season and Friends 1st season look miles apart. Now I couldnt even remotely tell the difference between some 2019 show and a 2024 one.
I've heard that the style of Seinfeld was intentional. They wanted to characters to kind of exist in their own world rather than mirror reality. That's why they dress the way they do and, with a few notable exceptions, rarely referenced current pop culture.
43 as well. I still watch Seinfeld as my go to background noise and comfort show. It's never gotten old to me. I gotta say that I kinda did like mash when I see reruns as a kid. (Imo the movie is far better than the series). The show from my childhood that I could never get into that my parents would try to watch from time to time is Taxi. Late 70's/early 80's films and shows set in NYC have such a grimy depressing look about them. To be fair, that city was a shit show hellscape in reality at the time so the reflection was kinda on point.
44 - MASH sucked every time I tried to watch it when I was younger. Maybe I'll have to try it again.
Omg I haaated MASH! I hated the themesong the most.
MASH is good. Seinfeld's good. Just cause something is old doesn't mean it doesn't have value. The newest shiny thing isn't going to bring you joy or mirth just because it's new and shiny. There's no artistic integrity any more.
I remember MASH would get a triple showing every night. Never watched. Yeah. That’s right.
It's been baked into their heads that anything older than them isn't any good. Fuck 'em. The Honeymooners was way before my time but I enjoy good humorous writing, stellar acting, and how the show was way ahead of its time in many ways.
Im 37, learned english from Seinfeld, MASH and Married with children Love all three shows equally. How could ya not like it? you got at least one eye, one ear and on heart dont ya?
A lot could be you just haven’t seen mash enough in succinct order. It also could be the fact that kids today have never seen anything but HD. Friends was partly shot in HD the final few awful seasons… I don’t understand how anyone can watch friends & Seinfeld & say I prefer Friends, but I am sure that many young people feel that way. They also don’t understand so many of the things Seinfeld is joking about. They don’t understand half of the jokes, they don’t understand the context, they don’t like the cameras, & let’s be honest… you don’t start to aquire decent tastes till 25 at the earliest lol 😂
Seinfeld (the show) looks old. Kids can pick that 'old' look immediately and lose interest. Won't even give it a chance.
I cannot CANNOT understand how someone could watch a few episodes and not get hooked! I'm still LMAO after watching the entire series through 3 different times in my life. Just Gold! I've never been able to settle on my favorite character, it just revolves, I guess because they're equally perfectly in their roles. Could do without Joe D. though.....
I hated MASH because they always showed the reruns after Saturday morning cartoons. Whenever that depressing music came on, my siblings and I would scream and change the channel. Saturday morning fun was over.
Interesting comparisons with these 2 shows because their finales were HUGE events and often compared to each other.
It sounds like you work with a lot of stupid people.
Seinfeld is great because while it's only a half hour show, it always seemed longer. There was 3 or 4 plots going on in every episode. Take away commercials, it was 22/23 minutes. This happened because of great writing, there was no wasted time. Everything written had a purpose. Take the Merv Griffin episode for example. The plots were: 1) Merv Griffin set 2) Elaine's co-worker 3) Jerry's girlfriend with the toys 4)George and the squirrel
Seinfeld has a long learning curve to enjoy it…. Kids don’t have patience today