Millennials Watching ‘Seinfeld’ For The First Time Are Saying It’s Super Offensive

The number of racist, sexist, and homophobic jokes in the venerable '90s sitcom Seinfeld has apparently outraged millennials who are just watching it, demonstrating that some things simply don't age well.

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Bustle published a list of Seinfeld jokes that wouldn't pass on current network TV. While they are absolutely correct, many people objected to picking on one of the most well-known sitcoms ever produced. There's no doubt that, among many others, the Soup Nazi, the "Indian giver" joke, and the "joke" about Jerry and George dating today probably wouldn't be written.

Are the Jokes Not Funny Anymore?

Seinfeld is famous for being “a show about nothing.” However, it seems like the classic ’90s sitcom had plenty of content that made fans laugh out loud and awkwardly cringe in equal measure.

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For example, remember the scene where Kramer stomps on the Puerto Rican flag after it catches fire? Back in 1998, the National Puerto Rican Coalition president called the scene an “unconscionable insult.”

Objectifying Women

Now that we are arguing whether the scene should have been made or not, the scene of Kramer stomping on a Puerto Rican flag was bound to upset at least some people. According to the website Bustle, Seinfeld is a problematic show for Millennials for many reasons, including its objectification of women.

This is one issue that comes with this show. For example, there is an entire storyline that revolves around George getting caught staring at a teenager’s chest.

Objectification Does Not End Here

Another one of the most cringe-worthy moments from the show was when one of the characters asks a woman on a date for the strangest of reasons. In Season 4, Costanza decides to volunteer with his friends to help the elderly.

However, he becomes sidetracked when he realizes that the housekeeper doesn’t speak English. While most would be alienated by an inability to communicate, Costanza is attracted to a woman who can’t talk to him. This is disturbing on the next level. 

Culturally Insensitive?

Seinfeld has been accused of being insensitive to people of many races and backgrounds. One of the episodes shows Jerry dating a woman named Winona. When Jerry gives Elaine an “Indian” statue as a gift, he doesn’t realize that Winona happens to be of Native American background herself.

The two then start dating and Jerry gets caught on numerous occasions preventing himself from saying something offensive. But when Jerry almost uses the term “Indian giver” in front of her, this is the ultimate deal breaker.

Offending the LGBTQ Community

The LGBTQ community might also take offense to certain scenes in Seinfeld. In Season 4, Episode 17, Jerry and Costanza become the subject of an article, with the writer assuming that they are in a relationship. The mistake spurs a number of jokes throughout the episode.

In fact, the show more or less shows what people used to say about the community 30 years ago. People have come a long way since then and now these scenes will surely be looked at differently.

Scathing Article

Online publisher Bustle claims to be “the largest premium publisher reaching millennial women.” While many popular shows of yesteryear have been accused of having dated jokes that are no longer funny, Bustle considers Seinfeld to also fall under that category.

One of their recent articles, it sheds some light on some of the jokes that are considered to be dated due to offensiveness. “It’s less common these days to find jokes like the offensive ones that often played out on Seinfeld,” the site wrote. But is this really true?

Still The Best Comedy Show?

There is no denying that Seinfeld is one of the most popular sitcoms of the last thirty years. First airing in 1989 and remaining at the top of the ratings until the end of the ’90s, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld’s creation is a pop culture phenomenon.

We all know that all the biggest hit shows have had content that was either graphic or violent and Seinfeld proved to be no different. Let's see some of their controversial jokes in detail. 

No Soup for You!

One of the most iconic jokes from the show is the 1995 episode involving a certain soup chef. At the time, fans didn’t bat two eyelids and simply found the episode funny.

You know the one, when Jerry and Costanza go to buy soup, but the chef decides not to give the latter any. Bustle says we should strive for political correctness at every opportunity and, therefore, the term they used to describe the chef (hint: it’s related to the German army in WWII) is no longer funny. 

Hypocrisy?

It’s easy to point the finger at Seinfeld for using the term from the infamous “soup” episode in an insensitive manner. However, Brobible was quick to point out that despite Bustle condemning the scene, the website has in fact used the term previously to describe someone who incessantly corrects people’s grammar.

While we would never condone using the term for comedic purposes, we do believe that comedy should be a platform for expression and practicing jokes. The word used isn’t what’s funny about the scene – it’s the scene itself. But the controversy does not end here. 

Stereotypes Filled The Show

The show was built on poking fun at others and stereotyping them which is always a dangerous game to play in the world of fiction.

Two classic examples of stereotyped characters in Seinfeld are the same-sex couple Cedric and Bob, who shows up in three episodes, including the aforementioned one when Kramer stomps on the Puerto Rican flag. This smoothly brings us to the next issue that Seinfeld presents…

Crude Much?

While some of the Seinfeld jokes that Bustle pointed out are easier to define as offensive, others seem to be more a matter of taste.

In theory, there’s nothing too devastating in the episode where Kramer has his Japanese guests sleep in his drawers due to his lack of space. However, it’s understandable why people watching the episode today might find the scenes to be, at best, uncomfortable to watch. However, we don't think that in today's world, anyone would have the audacity to film such shows anymore. 

Racist Show

Another racist storyline showed the one involving Jerry and Babu Bhatt, a Pakistani restaurant owner.

Jerry accidentally getting Bhatt deported after having his Visa renewal sent to the wrong address does play out in a funny way in the episode. While this might not be the most offensive moment in the show’s history, the joke doesn’t land well in today’s climate, when subjects such as security and immigration have never been more serious.

Racial Dating Preferences

Though there is not a clear definitive answer, racial dating preferences are touched upon in Seinfeld, when Jerry admits to Elaine that he “loves Chinese women.”

“If I like their race, how can that be racist?” Without a doubt, there are definitely issues with that statement. And while people will inevitably be attracted to certain types of people for different reasons, Seinfeld approaches the idea in a way that many will deem as insensitive and borderline offensive.

Making Jokes On Mental Health

Another one of the storylines that is less obvious but is offensive is the “Pigman” storyline. In an episode in Season 5, Kramer is walking around a hospital before seeing what he claims to be a “pig man.”

By the end of the episode though, he realizes that what he saw was actually a “fat little mental patient.” The fact that he labeled the person this way shows how insensitive the show could be at times.

Poking Fun At The Disabled

Another community that Seinfeld ended up poking fun at was the disabled community. In Season 4, Kramer and Costanza decide to park in a handicapped spot at a parking lot.

But as they are about to leave, someone tells them that there is a person in a wheelchair who had an accident after seeing that the spot was taken. While this sounds like a serious matter, which it is, the moment is framed as funny, with the audience even laughing out loud when the accident is described.

Why Kramer?

Another offensive moment in the show comes in season 3 when Kramer points out that the woman Costanza is dating has a large nose.

Not only this, he goes on saying that she needs a nose job to which she listens. While it’s times like these that we need to remember that it’s just a comedy and we shouldn’t take any of this too seriously, Bustle believes that this is one of the many jokes on the show that just isn’t funny anymore. Do you think they are right?

Do You Think The Show Is Defensible?

It is quite clear that many of the show's jokes do not land well and are mostly offensive, but there are plenty of reasons to defend the show.

For a start, while their depictions might not always be in the best taste, there is no denying that the characters on the show are extremely diverse. Japanese, Pakistanis, Native Americans, Ukrainians, and Puerto Ricans are all depicted on the show. Defenders of the show will also argue that it is indiscriminately offensive to everyone…

Are We Missing A Point Here?

One thing to consider about Seinfeld is that all the nasty behavior makes sense within the framework of the show. “The entire point of Seinfeld was to show four terrible people interacting in a world full of kind, thoughtful people,” Comedian Tim Young said.

“The humor was in how terrible they were. After all, they ended up in jail at the end of the series for violating a good-Samaritan law when they chose to laugh at an obese man getting carjacked rather than help him.”

Different POV

It’s important to note that Seinfeld originally aired at a time when it passed NBC’s Standards and Practices. Moreover, it was never given a fine from the Federal Communications Commission – also known as the FCC.

30 years later, the world has changed in many ways, and views on many matters have also changed so much so that some would like to see the sitcom banned. But it’s not just Seinfeld that people take issue with…

Others Shows Facing The Same Fate?

While we are discussing Seinfeld in this specific article, it should also be clarified that Larry David’s creation isn’t the only show to be heavily scrutinized in recent times.

Some would say that some of the humor of fellow classic sitcom Friends also hasn’t aged well. With an excessive amount of homophobic and chauvinist jokes, many younger people who have been introduced to Friends are struggling to come to terms with this sort of humor. What do the actors have to say?

Fans Still Support Seinfeld

While new audiences believe that Seinfeld‘s humor could be, in large parts, considered to be dated, there are others who believe that time is wasted focusing attention on a show that stopped airing over two decades ago.

Many also believe that had the show been aired today, its jokes and overall storyline would have been more in line with societal norms. In fact, many praise the show for the way it handles serious matters such as racism and homophobia.

It’s Just a Show!

One can also look at it this way, what one finds offensive could be viewed differently by another person. It all depends on perspective. 

One person might choose to never watch Seinfeld again, while another might want to see what all the fuss is about. This also poses a bigger question about whether a show is a depiction of society or is just a form of escapism. Or can it be both? For a show that claims to be about “nothing,” there are still so many discussions on it. 

What Opinion Jerry Holds?

With someone as loud and as charismatic as Jerry Seinfeld at the center of so much belated controversy, it only makes sense that the comedian would have some thoughts on the subject.

Jerry believes that pushing boundaries is what makes comedy a great genre. He also acknowledges that society has changed in the last couple of decades and believes that judging the show based on today’s code of ethics isn’t completely fair.