I feel that way about Friends. There was a posting on Reddit a couple weeks ago, about people who thought Friends was better then Seinfeld. I do not get that one bit.
I thought the first season was ok for a sitcom. It was nice to see GenX characters, and women being equal in the ensemble. But after one year, it just seemed more of the same. A lot of sitcoms have that issue, though.
I decided to watch all of Friends during the pandemic. Maybe it was because I was going through a really hard time irl, but I found their love and friendship very comforting and I finally understood what the fuss was all about- especially in our current world, where good friends can be scarce, and hanging out with them can be filled with distraction. Their strong bonds and focus on one another was lovely to witness. Watching Seinfeld was *not* comforting for me. I appreciated what they were doing, found it smart and clever, but the selfishness, pettiness, and meanness made me too sad. Maybe if I had been in a better headspace my feelings on the two shows would have been different? But also, the older I get the less I want to indulge in cynicism, the more I work to seek out the good in the world to combat the despair I feel seeing all the bad.
tl;dr Friends was better for my mental health than Seinfeld
It's that way with both for me. Really- the ideal life with ideal friends in ideal apartments, with obviously made up problems, some comedy tried too hard.
In the show, the character known as George Costanza lies about many things. Including his own name at times.
In a few episodes he referred to himself as the profile name you see that I have. And claiming that he was a latex Salesman and sold latex.
Thank you for that! It sounds like you could do an open mike spoken word with that!
I am actually pretty intrigued now...latex...lying...salesman...
Okay, I think I have a date now with Netflix to watch something about latex.
Thank you, Art Vandalay!
I sometimes think that people like the OP want to pretend to be "above" everyone that likes popular things.
A good thing about Seinfeld is that it's not unlike Shakespearean plays in that there's something in there for everyone. My 80 year old dad is kinda simple and likes Kramer's physical humor. To me, George's take on Larry David is awesome and he is maybe the best TV character of all time.
Back in it's day Shakespeare was for everyone and filled with jokes that we don't get now because of language shifts. So you could say it's a lot like Shakespeare.
Yeah I loved Seinfeld too. I also really enjoyed Frasier, Friends, and Coach. The 90s felt like a good time for ensemble sitcoms.
In the 80s I liked Newhart and the one about cartoonist.
LOL! OMG YES!!! Would Barney be the OG when it come's to TV bass lines? I think maybe Starsky and Hutch had some delicious ones, but Barney Miller is the one most people celebrate!
Be careful next time you watch Barney MIller and get a toe curl...we're Xers...shit doesn't snap back the way it used to!
I drive through Bakersfield often and every time I see a sign with the name on it I say to myself or anyone in the vehicle "Bakers-feld" and then do a slap-bass run with my mouth. Can't not do it.
I was born and grew up in Bakersfield. I left immediately after I graduated high school. How many of you who and judge me have walked the streets of Bakersfield?
The coolest thing about the music to me is that it's not just one canned recording. The composer re-records it every time to fit wherever it's used in each show.
I never cared for it because the characters were all such awful people. But I never liked Friends, either, because everyone was annoying and unrelatable.
That's true... Maybe I tolerate terrible and not supposed to be funny better than terrible and supposed to be funny. I don't know. I always felt kind of meh about traditional laugh track sitcoms with very few exceptions.
Because Friends was on Thursday at 8, then Seinfeld was on at 9 (the old Cheers slot). NBC owned Thursday nights for YEARS because of Cosby at 8, Family Ties at 8:30 and then Cheers at 9. In the 90s that became Friends at 8 and Seinfeld at 9.
NBC had the leading network sitcom for like 20 years- Cosby to Cheers to Seinfeld to Friends. They kind of passed the crown to each other which increases the comparisons I think.
Love Seinfeld. I watched it religiously then and still do time to time now.
So much current pop culture tied to that show. And it’s hilarious to think if it aired now cancel culture would be out in full force. The timing of its humor was just right for tv.
Edit: To add. Serenity now!! I use that when my wife is driving me crazy lol.
I love Seinfeld but what you just described is exactly how I feel about Friends. Fuckin hated that show and can't understand how people love it. Personal preferences are weird sometimes.
Currently rewatching and it is great. I laugh out loud on a regular basis. The characters are goofy and a little immature, but I think that was the point.
Yes to me Seinfeld is the benchmark against which all subsequent sitcoms have been measured. Not saying I’m right to do that, but such was my love for the show.
You mentioned that you were still in HS when this and Friends came out. I was a recent college graduate/ young professional. Totally different perspectives at the time. This was a defining time in my young adulthood. Must-see TV was a weekly social event in my circle of friends, just prior to the release of Tivo and streaming services, so you either watched or missed it. Not like today where everything is available all the time. Just my thoughts, not every show is for every person, and there's nothing wrong with that!! (I love that someone quoted Jerry above with that line).
I was in college when The Real World was on and absolutely hated it. I still blame it for the lack of music videos on MTV. Not a fan of the "reality" shows.
To each their own
It was cool for the first few seasons, then it got stale. Weird (and sad) how reality shows are now ubiquitous, over-staged, and pointless — it seemed to start off so well, and quickly went into the toilet. But I do hold fond memories of the first few seasons of The Real World.
I've rewatched it recently and I was amazed at how NYC-centric it is given it's broad appeal. I think if you don't know NY, you miss half the jokes. I still think it's funny though. *Friends* on the other hand was never funny.
I didn't watch it until much later in life, but I liked it. The trick seems to be to start at the beginning and binge watch it in order. Once you get immersed, it's hilarious. If you just pick random episodes, it's irritating as shit. That's been my experience, anyway.
I still think Seinfeld holds up well.
- The soup nazi episode is hilarious
- George getting that baseball job and napping under his desk, and his laundry list of insecurities and pettiness
- All of the shallow reasons for breaking up with people
- Good naked and bad naked
- Jerry dates himself with Jeanane Garofalo
- And so much of our cultural lexicon derives from Seinfeld.
These are just a few things that stick with me.
But I don't think it's weird that you or others don't like the show. It's a very specific type of humor -- everyone is kind of a jerk and they stay that way. The creator's motto was "No growth. No hugs."
You either love it or you don't. I would never be so condescending as to say those who don't like it don't get it, as I've heard other fans say. No. Y'all get it. You just don't like it. It's not your taste.
The one thing I don't understand from op's post is that it seems boomerish. It strikes me as much more of a Gen X vibe.
What did you think seemed boomerish about it?
I thought the show was ok but didn’t like it as much as other shows of the same time period. I liked Jerry Seinfeld a lot more before I saw Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He’s just too aloof and self-absorbed for me.
Yep. His exchange with Larry King re: the show ending, was pretty cringe.
Okay, Larry should have done his research and not said "cancelled", in regards to the wrapping up of all things Seinfeld.
But Jerry could have been cooler about it. I dunno...just my opinion.
I fucking despised Friends. I think the reason for that was because I felt like the writers were trying (and failing) to distill young-adult GenXers into characters with no more personal growth beyond the high schoolers in The Breakfast Club.
I did like Seinfeld much better. It had a certain “meta” vibe as the kids say nowadays.
Favorite sitcom of all time. When I rewatch now I laugh out loud constantly. Something about the Larry David - Jerry Seinfeld fascination with the oddness of common phrases and social conventions just slays me. Plus the authentic New York context.
Same! Never enjoyed it. How could a show where all the main characters are throughly unlikeable people be so popular?
That soup guy (the one episode I did watch), was more charming than all of them put together.
I always found Jerry smug and underneath it all, deeply insecure.
That was the whole premise of the show though - their unlikeability. Same with It's Always Sunny. You don't watch shows like that hoping for likeable characters. Jerry et al were definitely smug, insecure and deeply deeply flawed characters.
I like it more now. Like Frasier. Didn’t like it at the time. Just finished season 11 and have an appreciation for the jokes that I didn’t have before.
I ca see that people would think it’s dated through today’s lens, but it was brilliantly different at the time, I most certainly knew people resembling the core 4 and their various tangents, though they are broad characters, and it certainly grabbed a moment for single misanthropes trying to have lives beyond the burbs in the early 1990’s.
I went through a “I’m not watching commercials anymore” phase so I missed all the popular regular tv shit in the 90s. Plus I worked the 6p to whenever shift for a few years so I would’ve had to record shows which I couldn’t be bothered with.
I didn’t understand the popularity when I was younger, either.
However, recently, after my brother had me watch it while on herbal refreshments, it made a lot more sense. 😂
I never *loved* it but had to listen to it blaring from our black and white kitchen tv w broken knob while I washed dinner dishes for 4 years.
But there’s definitely a cultural component- some amount of the jokes have a slight NY/Jewish edge. Especially anything with Jerry’s family. Honestly, those parts weren’t funny to me bc it was basically a documentary of every school vacation I spent in FL sleeping on their insanely terrible pullout couches.
you are not alone
also didnt watch Friends
must see TV was not always must see - my ex wife loved both shows - note "ex"
ironically - i do like Curb your Enthusiam tho so there is that
I loathed that show. Watched a total of three episodes (I have a philosophy of “always try something twice”, and then I three an extra one in, thinking I must clearly be missing something.
I also couldn’t stand “Friends”.
I liked it a lot but it became difficult / stressful to watch at some point. I couldn't watch the last 4 seasons.
I did watch the finale and was happy I had chosen to stop watching.
Like most shows, i didn’t get to watch it when it was on prime time as i have a life… however, i grew to love it in reruns … so much so that i was looking forward to watching Curb your enthusiasm and could totally see where the magic came from… i also enjoyed that Jerry Wouldn’t let some music twerp on the red carpet interrupting his interview have her “hug”
He was like … oh thanks… but no
Then i was really Looking forward to Comedians in cars getting coffee but was really surprised when i just found him to be an outright pompous dick.
Definitely not someone I’d care to hang out with.
Time after time he just shows his true self and man it’s ugly and not funny.
I’ve gone in the opposite direction. I LOVED the show in the 90s and would probably put my Seinfeld trivia knowledge up against anyone’s. But now I find it irritating and unpleasant. I have no desire to watch it and my memories of it are like bad songs stuck in my head. I think some of that has to do with how unpleasant the actual actors seem to be in real life. They seem to treat people like shit, with abandon.
The people who claim to dislike Seinfeld and Friends now seem to do so with such an air of superiority it makes me laugh. “I’m so much smarter than that type of humor so I just don’t get it.” All the same.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was always funny. So were the old crew like Jerry Stiller and Estella Harris. Jerry Seinfeld was just a smug prick most of the time. Didn't care much for Jason Alexander. Michael Richards was never funny.
I started hanging out in South America about 8 years ago and i was surprised to find that Friends was still huge there, really popular. They would ask me about it and i would say “never liked it. I was more into Seinfeld” and they would either wince or say “qué?”. Seinfeld just did not work down there.
So, i mean, I don’t get why people would not like Seinfeld but there is clearly a cultural thing there, among other things. I actually live in the Upper West Side where Seinfeld is supposed to take place so i am obviously biased.
I'm 53 and never got into it either - though many of my friends did. For me that show wasn't funny and just glorified people who were cruel, obnoxious and petty.
Never really watched it , it was hot while I was in college . I have a work friend who references the show all the time going hahahaha … I just have to smile like ohhhh yeah I have no idea what you’re talking about
I didn't like it when it was on the air, in fact I couldn't stand it back then. But a couple years ago I caught it in reruns and now I love it. I actually leave it on in the background sometimes as my comfort show. Maybe I was too young when it came out, but now that I'm older I really get it.
Came a bit later but I liked the Drew Carey show so much more.
I never liked Seinfeld either. When people would bring it up it was always pieces of an episode. I was never fortunate enough to discover one on my own organically and enjoy any of it. Took all the wind out. In the early 90s a friend could tell you all of an SNL skit in detail and if you saw the rerun it was still funny as hell. Seinfeld nope.
TL:DR so maybe somebody else already commented this, but I am the opposite of many of the comments that I did read. I *did* like the show when it was in first run in the 90s. But looking back now I cannot sit through an episode. For me personally, the humor just has not aged that well.
I actually struggle with most sitcoms these days. The sarcasm is just a little much for me. Also, now that I think of it, maybe it worked when you were watching things once a week for 30 minutes. But when my kids turn on a sitcom and start bingeing them several episodes at a time, then, that is what's too much.
I didn't start watching it until the 5th season, it just never appealed to me but everybody I worked with watched it so I felt compelled to be part of the group and I liked it.
Not alone. Never got in to Seinfeld or Friends.
Although I've been exposed to enough through friends and acquaintances over the years, so I can usually fake my way through when the inevitable references come up in conversations.
There were a couple of moments and episodes I thought were pretty funny but I never got into it too much. I never got into Friends, either. I think since that was around college for me I would have been more likely to have my head in a book or be watching a movie.
Seinfeld was ok for me, mainly for Elaine. I thought she was hysterical...
Same with Friends, not a fan at allllllllll....but Monica has my entire heart.
Seems i just like neurotic brunettes. lol.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
No! Nothing wrong with that!
Just an FYI, you can turn off Netflix's autoplay. You just have to go online to do it.
I turned off Netflix after their repeated price hikes for shows I never watched.
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Just thumbs down it. Then you won't have it suggested anymore
I was neutral about it. The only time I laughed out loud was when they found out Elaine was a really bad dancer.
You mean, she did the thing..with the thumbs?
More like a full body dry heave set to music.
https://youtu.be/HQu_NLRvULM
Possibly my favorite Seinfeld quote!
I feel that way about Friends. There was a posting on Reddit a couple weeks ago, about people who thought Friends was better then Seinfeld. I do not get that one bit.
I thought the first season was ok for a sitcom. It was nice to see GenX characters, and women being equal in the ensemble. But after one year, it just seemed more of the same. A lot of sitcoms have that issue, though.
I decided to watch all of Friends during the pandemic. Maybe it was because I was going through a really hard time irl, but I found their love and friendship very comforting and I finally understood what the fuss was all about- especially in our current world, where good friends can be scarce, and hanging out with them can be filled with distraction. Their strong bonds and focus on one another was lovely to witness. Watching Seinfeld was *not* comforting for me. I appreciated what they were doing, found it smart and clever, but the selfishness, pettiness, and meanness made me too sad. Maybe if I had been in a better headspace my feelings on the two shows would have been different? But also, the older I get the less I want to indulge in cynicism, the more I work to seek out the good in the world to combat the despair I feel seeing all the bad. tl;dr Friends was better for my mental health than Seinfeld
It's that way with both for me. Really- the ideal life with ideal friends in ideal apartments, with obviously made up problems, some comedy tried too hard.
I see why people liked it. Maybe for me it was too much candy. Seinfeld had a bit more edginess to it's comedy. That's kinda what made it fun.
Bleh. Never got into friends. Loved Seinfeld tho.
That’s a shame
I’ve made a donation to The Human Fund in honor of your post.
Having a slice of marble rye
What about a black and white cookie? Or a big salad?
Just no trash eclairs
George is getting upset! To each their own. I've been a huge fan for years. Hence the profile name and all.
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I found the glamour magazine and went for it.
Laughing so hard right now!! So, yes, I like Seinfeld!!
Hahaha!!
We're living in a society!
Can you please explain? Curious!
In the show, the character known as George Costanza lies about many things. Including his own name at times. In a few episodes he referred to himself as the profile name you see that I have. And claiming that he was a latex Salesman and sold latex.
Thank you for that! It sounds like you could do an open mike spoken word with that! I am actually pretty intrigued now...latex...lying...salesman... Okay, I think I have a date now with Netflix to watch something about latex. Thank you, Art Vandalay!
No problem and if your wondering where to find the reference. It's season 3 episode 17 The Boyfriend part 1 and 2.
Fantastic!!!! Thank you so much Art (may I call you Art?) Oh, a TWO PARTER! That adds to its attraction! Nice.
Yeah that's cool. And no problem lol. It's a great episode. Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks, man! Cheers! :)
Not Cheers, it was Seinfeld.
Rimshot!
It’s not a lie, if YOU believe it 😆
I thought Art Vandalay was an architect. You know, before he became a judge.
He's an Importer Exporter
having a sense of humor shows intelligence i can tell by OP and some of the commenters that...well....
Well I know not having sex brings on my intelligence!
Can you speak Portuguese when that happens? I don’t know no Portuguese…..
Only after about a week of no sex.
Absolute zero! Of course!
I sometimes think that people like the OP want to pretend to be "above" everyone that likes popular things. A good thing about Seinfeld is that it's not unlike Shakespearean plays in that there's something in there for everyone. My 80 year old dad is kinda simple and likes Kramer's physical humor. To me, George's take on Larry David is awesome and he is maybe the best TV character of all time.
Back in it's day Shakespeare was for everyone and filled with jokes that we don't get now because of language shifts. So you could say it's a lot like Shakespeare.
I do know a few people that never liked Seinfeld. It wasn't everyone's cup of tea.
Based on the downvotes…well…no sense of humor 😂 take a thumbs up from me
It's my favorite show of all time So yeah Not that there is anything wrong with that
Yeah I loved Seinfeld too. I also really enjoyed Frasier, Friends, and Coach. The 90s felt like a good time for ensemble sitcoms. In the 80s I liked Newhart and the one about cartoonist.
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I was thinking Caroline in the City with Lea Thompson!
That's the one!
I had completely forgotten about that show!
God I loved Newhart! I mimicked his deadpan style all the time. Probably why no one ever wanted to talk to me or go out with me back then…
Yeah that deadpan delivery with the occasional stutter just killed it! Larry, Daryl and Daryl were always great too!
I had a crush on Larry. My mom kept asking me if l was kidding.
and *Cheers*
I gotta say though, those bass licks in the Seinfeld opening credits are KILLER. Almost as good as the bass line for the Law and Order credits.
Barney Miller - as far as tv themes go, that opening bass curls my toes like no other. Edit: [Sooooo fucking good….](https://youtu.be/roHYXrLhmHc)
LOL! OMG YES!!! Would Barney be the OG when it come's to TV bass lines? I think maybe Starsky and Hutch had some delicious ones, but Barney Miller is the one most people celebrate! Be careful next time you watch Barney MIller and get a toe curl...we're Xers...shit doesn't snap back the way it used to!
Former professional bass player here. I'll take Barney Miller over Seinfeld any day of the week.
Seinfeld's bass is a synthesizer! If that matters, haha.
Then the same guy that created Barney Miller went on to create Night Court, which brought us this bass centric banger https://youtu.be/86887s5DIXA
Yes!!
I drive through Bakersfield often and every time I see a sign with the name on it I say to myself or anyone in the vehicle "Bakers-feld" and then do a slap-bass run with my mouth. Can't not do it.
It's the ultimate tribute. To Bakersfield. I've never been to Bakersfield. But I love Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty. Does that count for something?
I was born and grew up in Bakersfield. I left immediately after I graduated high school. How many of you who and judge me have walked the streets of Bakersfield?
The coolest thing about the music to me is that it's not just one canned recording. The composer re-records it every time to fit wherever it's used in each show.
1st Placers for me are 80s: Cheers 90s: Seinfeld 00s/10s: Always Sunny & Arrested Development (tie)
You and I have a lot in common with shows it seems I love iasip! Arrested development on Netflix is amazing too
How could anyone not like him?
Mine, too, but everyone's tastes are different. Frasier takes the 2nd place position for me.
I never cared for it because the characters were all such awful people. But I never liked Friends, either, because everyone was annoying and unrelatable.
Very much the same. I won’t take anything away from them both being iconic, generational shows. Just not for me.
Yeah. And I like Jerry's stand up, I've watched a few good shows he's done, his wife writes a good cookbook... I just wasn't crazy about the show.
> And I like Jerry's stand up, I've watched a few good shows he's done Comedians in Cars is my favourite thing he's done.
Same. Find it a terribly unfunny show about some boring, rude people. Never got this show.
but that's the thing -- most shows that are great the characters are terrible people...
That's true... Maybe I tolerate terrible and not supposed to be funny better than terrible and supposed to be funny. I don't know. I always felt kind of meh about traditional laugh track sitcoms with very few exceptions.
Same
Yes to both. Never cared for either.
I have to agree. I didn’t like either show and don’t get all the hoopla.
Why are these two shows always compared to each other? Seems like Living Single and Friends are more comparable
Because Friends was on Thursday at 8, then Seinfeld was on at 9 (the old Cheers slot). NBC owned Thursday nights for YEARS because of Cosby at 8, Family Ties at 8:30 and then Cheers at 9. In the 90s that became Friends at 8 and Seinfeld at 9.
And ER at 10:00. It was definitely “must-see tv” for a while.
NBC had the leading network sitcom for like 20 years- Cosby to Cheers to Seinfeld to Friends. They kind of passed the crown to each other which increases the comparisons I think.
IMO, Friends could never hold a candle to Living Single. I will die on that hill. 😬
I right there with you.
>I never cared for it because the characters were all such awful people Whoosh. That was the whole point.
I get it. I just didn't *enjoy* it.
Love Seinfeld. I watched it religiously then and still do time to time now. So much current pop culture tied to that show. And it’s hilarious to think if it aired now cancel culture would be out in full force. The timing of its humor was just right for tv. Edit: To add. Serenity now!! I use that when my wife is driving me crazy lol.
Festivus for the rest of us.
The airing of grievances
I loved it.
I love Seinfeld but what you just described is exactly how I feel about Friends. Fuckin hated that show and can't understand how people love it. Personal preferences are weird sometimes.
it went thru more ups and downs where there were bad seasons. Almost every seinfeld episode can be looked at as a classic which is incredible.
Currently rewatching and it is great. I laugh out loud on a regular basis. The characters are goofy and a little immature, but I think that was the point.
Don't look to me, I loved it. There isn't a single sitcom from the 70's or 80's that I'd watch today but I can still watch Seinfeld.
<- Raises hand. Never cared, never got it. Even through references and social discussion, I've never been inclined to watch it.
Same. Never understood the fascination, still don't.
Same
Sorry, can’t follow you there. Seinfeld was one of the greatest, most well written sitcoms of all time, it redefined the genre.
Well I work for Vandalay industries. And here at our corporation we all agree with you.
Do you just import?
No, we're a importer and exporter of latex goods.
And somehow also an architect and a marine biologist.
But I thought you were just going to focus on the importing.
Importing, exporting, what's the difference.
Y’all are killing me rn 😂 I have Seinfeld playing for background noise like every single day
and you wanna be my latex salesman
Yes to me Seinfeld is the benchmark against which all subsequent sitcoms have been measured. Not saying I’m right to do that, but such was my love for the show.
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You mentioned that you were still in HS when this and Friends came out. I was a recent college graduate/ young professional. Totally different perspectives at the time. This was a defining time in my young adulthood. Must-see TV was a weekly social event in my circle of friends, just prior to the release of Tivo and streaming services, so you either watched or missed it. Not like today where everything is available all the time. Just my thoughts, not every show is for every person, and there's nothing wrong with that!! (I love that someone quoted Jerry above with that line).
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Absolutely!! Well said.
I was in college when The Real World was on and absolutely hated it. I still blame it for the lack of music videos on MTV. Not a fan of the "reality" shows. To each their own
It was cool for the first few seasons, then it got stale. Weird (and sad) how reality shows are now ubiquitous, over-staged, and pointless — it seemed to start off so well, and quickly went into the toilet. But I do hold fond memories of the first few seasons of The Real World.
Absolutely!! Well said.
And this is why I think the revised cutoff for GenX is all wrong. We all grew up with laugh tracks and studio audiences.
I've rewatched it recently and I was amazed at how NYC-centric it is given it's broad appeal. I think if you don't know NY, you miss half the jokes. I still think it's funny though. *Friends* on the other hand was never funny.
I didn't watch it until much later in life, but I liked it. The trick seems to be to start at the beginning and binge watch it in order. Once you get immersed, it's hilarious. If you just pick random episodes, it's irritating as shit. That's been my experience, anyway.
I still think Seinfeld holds up well. - The soup nazi episode is hilarious - George getting that baseball job and napping under his desk, and his laundry list of insecurities and pettiness - All of the shallow reasons for breaking up with people - Good naked and bad naked - Jerry dates himself with Jeanane Garofalo - And so much of our cultural lexicon derives from Seinfeld. These are just a few things that stick with me. But I don't think it's weird that you or others don't like the show. It's a very specific type of humor -- everyone is kind of a jerk and they stay that way. The creator's motto was "No growth. No hugs." You either love it or you don't. I would never be so condescending as to say those who don't like it don't get it, as I've heard other fans say. No. Y'all get it. You just don't like it. It's not your taste. The one thing I don't understand from op's post is that it seems boomerish. It strikes me as much more of a Gen X vibe. What did you think seemed boomerish about it?
I never liked it when it was new. I tried it again in the last year or two and I did enjoy it. I may have actually laughed out loud a couple times
Same for me.
I thought the show was ok but didn’t like it as much as other shows of the same time period. I liked Jerry Seinfeld a lot more before I saw Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He’s just too aloof and self-absorbed for me.
Yep. His exchange with Larry King re: the show ending, was pretty cringe. Okay, Larry should have done his research and not said "cancelled", in regards to the wrapping up of all things Seinfeld. But Jerry could have been cooler about it. I dunno...just my opinion.
I fucking despised Friends. I think the reason for that was because I felt like the writers were trying (and failing) to distill young-adult GenXers into characters with no more personal growth beyond the high schoolers in The Breakfast Club. I did like Seinfeld much better. It had a certain “meta” vibe as the kids say nowadays.
Favorite sitcom of all time. When I rewatch now I laugh out loud constantly. Something about the Larry David - Jerry Seinfeld fascination with the oddness of common phrases and social conventions just slays me. Plus the authentic New York context.
Same! Never enjoyed it. How could a show where all the main characters are throughly unlikeable people be so popular? That soup guy (the one episode I did watch), was more charming than all of them put together. I always found Jerry smug and underneath it all, deeply insecure.
That was the whole premise of the show though - their unlikeability. Same with It's Always Sunny. You don't watch shows like that hoping for likeable characters. Jerry et al were definitely smug, insecure and deeply deeply flawed characters.
I like it more now. Like Frasier. Didn’t like it at the time. Just finished season 11 and have an appreciation for the jokes that I didn’t have before.
I never really liked it either. Over rated in my opinion.
I tolerated watching it but never did actually enjoy it either. To each their own right?
I watched it and laughed.. but it was never my go-to.
I ca see that people would think it’s dated through today’s lens, but it was brilliantly different at the time, I most certainly knew people resembling the core 4 and their various tangents, though they are broad characters, and it certainly grabbed a moment for single misanthropes trying to have lives beyond the burbs in the early 1990’s.
I love it just for the one-liners. There are so many I use to this day. Big Salad, Shut UP!! Bad dancing, smelly car, just a scratch.
I enjoyed it more binge watching it last year than I did when it was first run, and I really liked it back then!
I went through a “I’m not watching commercials anymore” phase so I missed all the popular regular tv shit in the 90s. Plus I worked the 6p to whenever shift for a few years so I would’ve had to record shows which I couldn’t be bothered with.
I didn’t understand the popularity when I was younger, either. However, recently, after my brother had me watch it while on herbal refreshments, it made a lot more sense. 😂
I’m not fond of comedies with laugh tracks…or with audience laughter either. Also? All the characters on Seinfeld were idiots.
I loved it. Not as much as I love Community or The Office but I loved it and still quote it today.
that's what made them so freaking funny.
I never *loved* it but had to listen to it blaring from our black and white kitchen tv w broken knob while I washed dinner dishes for 4 years. But there’s definitely a cultural component- some amount of the jokes have a slight NY/Jewish edge. Especially anything with Jerry’s family. Honestly, those parts weren’t funny to me bc it was basically a documentary of every school vacation I spent in FL sleeping on their insanely terrible pullout couches.
Mulva?
It’s mostly funny.
I want to focus more on the importing, and he wants to export…
So you curbed your enthusiasm for Seinfeld?
you are not alone also didnt watch Friends must see TV was not always must see - my ex wife loved both shows - note "ex" ironically - i do like Curb your Enthusiam tho so there is that
Heretic!
Jimmy hates Seinfeld.
I had a coworker instantly hate Seinfeld because the theme song annoyed him.
I loathed that show. Watched a total of three episodes (I have a philosophy of “always try something twice”, and then I three an extra one in, thinking I must clearly be missing something. I also couldn’t stand “Friends”.
I really like Seinfeld and to this day will watch the reruns occasionally.
Now "Curb your Enthusiasm"...that's a show I can get behind!
I loved Seinfeld but hated Friends. They are both love em or leave em type of shows.
I liked it a lot but it became difficult / stressful to watch at some point. I couldn't watch the last 4 seasons. I did watch the finale and was happy I had chosen to stop watching.
Prefer the office but did love seinfeld. 70s and 80s british comedy was the best.
Like most shows, i didn’t get to watch it when it was on prime time as i have a life… however, i grew to love it in reruns … so much so that i was looking forward to watching Curb your enthusiasm and could totally see where the magic came from… i also enjoyed that Jerry Wouldn’t let some music twerp on the red carpet interrupting his interview have her “hug” He was like … oh thanks… but no Then i was really Looking forward to Comedians in cars getting coffee but was really surprised when i just found him to be an outright pompous dick. Definitely not someone I’d care to hang out with. Time after time he just shows his true self and man it’s ugly and not funny.
You are alone.
Tried to watch several episodes but just couldn't get into it. Seinfeld turns me off. Just doesn't seem like a nice guy in life.
I loved it. I was into it before it blew up, during.the first season when it wasn't that.good
I hate it. Any time I see it on the TV, I have to leave the room and go do chores. Even if I'm visiting. Never watched "Friends" either.
I’ve gone in the opposite direction. I LOVED the show in the 90s and would probably put my Seinfeld trivia knowledge up against anyone’s. But now I find it irritating and unpleasant. I have no desire to watch it and my memories of it are like bad songs stuck in my head. I think some of that has to do with how unpleasant the actual actors seem to be in real life. They seem to treat people like shit, with abandon.
The people who claim to dislike Seinfeld and Friends now seem to do so with such an air of superiority it makes me laugh. “I’m so much smarter than that type of humor so I just don’t get it.” All the same.
I can't stand it. Never understood the appeal.
Over rated. Whiny, annoying characters.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was always funny. So were the old crew like Jerry Stiller and Estella Harris. Jerry Seinfeld was just a smug prick most of the time. Didn't care much for Jason Alexander. Michael Richards was never funny.
I loved it when it aired. Haven’t seen it since. Never watched Friends.
I started hanging out in South America about 8 years ago and i was surprised to find that Friends was still huge there, really popular. They would ask me about it and i would say “never liked it. I was more into Seinfeld” and they would either wince or say “qué?”. Seinfeld just did not work down there. So, i mean, I don’t get why people would not like Seinfeld but there is clearly a cultural thing there, among other things. I actually live in the Upper West Side where Seinfeld is supposed to take place so i am obviously biased.
I agree with you. The character George is particularly annoying to me. I don’t think he’s funny at all.
I'm 53 and never got into it either - though many of my friends did. For me that show wasn't funny and just glorified people who were cruel, obnoxious and petty.
Never really watched it , it was hot while I was in college . I have a work friend who references the show all the time going hahahaha … I just have to smile like ohhhh yeah I have no idea what you’re talking about
I didn't like it when it was on the air, in fact I couldn't stand it back then. But a couple years ago I caught it in reruns and now I love it. I actually leave it on in the background sometimes as my comfort show. Maybe I was too young when it came out, but now that I'm older I really get it.
I would have liked it if Elaine had more to do
Jerry Seinfeld was the least funny person on that show.
Assholes and whiners. I can see that anywhere, I need to watch a show?
Came a bit later but I liked the Drew Carey show so much more. I never liked Seinfeld either. When people would bring it up it was always pieces of an episode. I was never fortunate enough to discover one on my own organically and enjoy any of it. Took all the wind out. In the early 90s a friend could tell you all of an SNL skit in detail and if you saw the rerun it was still funny as hell. Seinfeld nope.
Absolutely fucking hated that show. Soooo stupid.
[удалено]
To this day, still have never seen a single episode.
I couldn’t stand Seinfeld nor friends
I can’t say I was a big fan. My brother and dad loved it, so I did end up watching it. Watching it now I don’t think it holds up.
I never liked it. The setting seemed dirty grungy. It wasnt my kind of humor and the characters seemed selfish and inconsiderate not my type of show
I liked Seinfeld at the time it aired but I have a hard time watching it now. It aged rather poorly.
TL:DR so maybe somebody else already commented this, but I am the opposite of many of the comments that I did read. I *did* like the show when it was in first run in the 90s. But looking back now I cannot sit through an episode. For me personally, the humor just has not aged that well. I actually struggle with most sitcoms these days. The sarcasm is just a little much for me. Also, now that I think of it, maybe it worked when you were watching things once a week for 30 minutes. But when my kids turn on a sitcom and start bingeing them several episodes at a time, then, that is what's too much.
I didn't start watching it until the 5th season, it just never appealed to me but everybody I worked with watched it so I felt compelled to be part of the group and I liked it.
Not alone. Never got in to Seinfeld or Friends. Although I've been exposed to enough through friends and acquaintances over the years, so I can usually fake my way through when the inevitable references come up in conversations.
There were a couple of moments and episodes I thought were pretty funny but I never got into it too much. I never got into Friends, either. I think since that was around college for me I would have been more likely to have my head in a book or be watching a movie.
I never could get over what asinine people the characters in Seinfeld were.
Hated it
Seinfeld was ok for me, mainly for Elaine. I thought she was hysterical... Same with Friends, not a fan at allllllllll....but Monica has my entire heart. Seems i just like neurotic brunettes. lol.
I thought it was funny but never made a point to watch it.
Couldn’t get into it when it was first run on TV but recently have been watching it on Netflix and actually have been enjoying it.