‘Seinfeld’ Is The Latest TV Classic To Offend Millennials Over Jokes About ‘Soup Nazi,’ Same-Sex Relationships
“Seinfeld” might offend young people, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Millennial-focused website Bustle is taking heat for publishing a listicle that examines all the reasons why “Seinfeld” would be a little too edgy in the modern climate of policing everything that isn’t deemed politically correct.
Comedian and author Tim Young told Fox News that the article is “ridiculous,” and that it blows his mind how desperate people are to be offended, with the attack on “Seinfeld” the latest example. “Seinfeld,” which aired from 1989-1998, is widely considered one of the best programs in television history — but Bustle doesn’t exactly feel that way.
Angelica Florio’s piece, headlined “These 13 jokes from ‘Seinfeld’ are offensive now – Yes, that includes the ‘Soup Nazi,’” was published on New Year’s Eve and claims that watching the classic sitcom in 2019 will “hopefully” make viewers realize how much times have changed.
“Hopefully most people can agree that comedy, even ‘edgy’ comedy, doesn’t need to alienate marginalized groups in order to make people laugh,” Florio wrote. “Thanks to more modern understandings of what political correctness entails — and why being PC is important — it’s less common these days to find jokes like the offensive ones that often played out on ‘Seinfeld.’”
The Bustle reporter went on to condemn the “Soup Nazi” because, according to Florio, “using the term ‘Nazi’ to label someone as a joke doesn’t sit so well anymore.”
“It’s not the fault of ‘Seinfeld’ that the media 20 years later gave constant attention to a small group of radicals and gave them outsized importance. It’s also not ‘Seinfeld’s’ fault the media has made the term “Nazi” meaningless because it uses the label on anyone to the right of Nancy Pelosi,” Daily Wire reporter Ashe Schow wrote in a piece criticizing the Bustle article.
“The entire point of Seinfeld was to show four terrible people interacting in a world full of kind, thoughtful people. 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,” Young said.
Other “Seinfeld” jokes the Bustle article considers taboo include calling a Native American an “Indian Giver,” Kramer accidently burning the Puerto Rican flag, Japanese businessmen sleeping in Kramer’s dresser drawers, Jerry mistakenly getting someone deported and “a whole episode’s worth of bad jokes” when a reporter thought Jerry and George were gay.
I feel like somebody is missing the whole point of the show.
It's also another example of how America is losing its sense of humor.
It's all about intent. If a joke is meant to hurt, it's not funny. If it's meant to make commentary, then it is. Seinfeld is all about social commentary. What would happen if these kids watched "All in the Family" or "The Jeffersons" or " Maude"? Would they have a stroke?
Would Dave Chapelle send them into a tizzy?
The would become catatonic!
I wish they WOULD become catatonic. Unfortunately, they damn well make sure they're being heard.
I was watching an All In The Family episode a few weeks ago. Archie uses the words "spic" and "spade" and "hebe" as a matter of course.
I think you are right. Someone would have a stroke today.
What bothers me the most, John, is that they have stopped using critical thinking. These shows were meant to make you think and challenge your own ideas. All these young folks hear are words that offend them. I am shocked that they don't try to look into the context of the show.
I agree.
I think All In The Family is a good example of how it's all in the context. Carol O'Connor was playing a character who was deeply racist, much like many Americans of that time, and today frankly. Carol himself was anything but, all the testimonials say he was about the most warm hearted beloved actors to ever grace our screens, but Archie was a cantankerous old bigot who allowed the audience to see that character they all knew and diffuse their bigotry with some humor, most often coming from his wife Edith. Speaking of which there are many misogynist themes they deal with in that show as well. I think if you were to clean up all the non-PC speech in the show you'd lose the impact it had which actually made Americans more aware of that sort of offensive language and thus moved us away from its use. Archie Bunker was not someone people were emulating, he was often the butt of the joke, the dinosaur who just couldn't evolve, couldn't adapt to the changing times.
So with the Seinfeld episodes that often do the same, it's all about context. The show was certainly not endorsing Nazi's by having a soup Nazi , using the term "Indian giver" actually brought attention to something that most grew up with believing it innocuous and no one was advocating for flag burning. As for the Japanese businessman bit, I'm not quite sure who is offended by what. It's certainly not anywhere close to Michael Richards repetitive use of the "N" word in his stand up show that got him in hot water. In the context of the show reflecting societies idiosyncrasies or mirroring some peoples prejudice we shouldn't be offended. In context of a stand up show where the stand-up gets heckled so he starts calling the hecklers offensive racist names because he's angry, we should all be offended so he was rightly ostracized after that incident.
Human history is full of sexual abuse, rapes, murders, racism, deceit, treason, genocide, incest and every manner of debased act. It's also full of self sacrifice, love, empathy, courage, honor and the irrepressible power of the human spirit. Our movies, books, TV shows and art reflect both sides of human history. What makes the difference isn't whether or not you display some uncomfortable aspect of history like genocide, it's how you display it. If you make a movie showing the horror of the holocaust so that hopefully no one ever repeats such atrocities, then that's perfectly acceptable. If you make a movie defending the Nazi's actions, proclaiming Hitler as one of the greatest men for trying to make Germany Great Again, claiming the tactics used were justified, well then you better get ready for some serious backlash.
Excellent analysis, DP.
Good comment. He was also the bigot who people saw themselves to be if they looked in their own mirrors.
"All in the Family" was a fantastic show on many levels, but it and its spin-offs would never work today because too many people would be "offended" and not understand that the shows were realistic statements and reflections of human nature.
It is not just the kids … being offended seems to be a new club that a swath of Americans have joined … 'All in the Family' would bring the 'kids' to their knees and crush their delicateness ….
Wonder what has influenced the many millennials over the years to be so easily offended? As opposed to prior generations.
I have NO answer .. I do have 2 sons 27 and 18 … neither is easily offended, but both see life through different lenses..
My oldest is more likely to jump on the band wagon of a 'cause' .. where as my youngest is more like me and sees the world in a panoramic view .. there are so many thing that add up to make a whole picture...
Those that are easily offended are not looking for a whole picture .. but an instant gratification based on the attention the 'thing' deemed offensive can bring them....?
Happy New Year Sunshine …
Is not labeling individuals a necessity these days?
well the articles addresses "millennials"...what would you like them to be called?
I don't know....the young generation of the sixties and fifties where the ones who broke ground and pushed for better racial relations, feminism, etc. You know, peace and free love regardless of sexual orientation. The pill became available and acceptable, abortion became legal in the 70's.
Perhaps these kids need some real issues to combat instead of manufacturing stupid outrages over tv shows.
Wonder what has been going on the last 20 years to influence their self-worth?
Thank you Colour...Happy New Year to you too!
seems to be...we have Generation X, Baby Boomers.
I think there has been a number of things …
As far as real issues, they are simply quite different … my youngest son does not know a life pre 9/11 and the freedom that was taken away from Americans that day, he was a year old ... young people were the ones cheering in the streets when Osama bin Laden was finally assassinated... my youngest does not know a time that the US has NOT been at war .. my youngest does not know a time when gays were dieing from a mysterious disease, he knows only the battles that have been waged to reach the point of same sex marriage.... nor a time without instant gratification of a cell phone or internet. ..
I would not trade places with the young people of America today .. I knew a totally different America than they do - I got to be a kid.. young people do not know a world that was not global connected … I will give you that a large'ish swath of young people are a bit 'soft' .. but they are far more tolerant than 'we' could ever pretend to be ….
It is not their fault that at some point, it was decided that 'kids' could be coddled and remain at home indefinitely while not contributing … parents have allowed a certain amount of 'soft' .. at 18 I was out the door .. always knew I had a home to return to, but I had zero intentions of returning to live .. when my oldest left home, I quickly turned two small bedrooms into one large master bedroom turning my house into 2 bedrooms .. he has a home to return to .. but it will be bunking with his lil brother - not living in my basement.... : )
All that said .. I will never understand this need individuals seem to have when it comes to 'taking offense' .. being offended seems to be a TREND .. that knows NO bounds …. All individuals, all ages, sexes, race, religions and sexual orientations are all welcome to the 'Get Offended Club'
Thanks for allowing me to babble!....
I wouldn't either...not sure if I would want to raise a child either. I watch my daughter raise her two, an amazing mother. She doesn't coddle her children but protects them from bad influences at the same time. Glad I didn't have to deal with cell phones and social media.
I must have raised my kids wrong or something because they find shit like this funny.
And they're millenials
My kids think the same way, also millennials.
I want to make sure I have the definition right. My kids are 26 and 24....does that make them millenials? What's the age range?
Mine are 30 and 26. Most people think of millennials as those that have reached adult hood in the first decade of the new millennium. Or at least that is what my kids told me.
There is nothing stopping millenials complaining about Seinfeld in 2019. It is on TV every day (TBS) , Hulu, local syndication. Seinfeld is seen twice in a row every night on a local Chicago station (10 and 10:30 pm) and has been for over a decade.
It probably is true that some of their themes , such as "soup nazi" might get some pushback in the '19 climate, but I don't think they would derail the show.
Seems to me the only 'entities' that constantly bring up things to be 'offended by' are conservatives. All in all, who really gives a crap. The only thing that is important is the fact that The Cable Companies charge far more than what their product is worth.
I got rid of cable about a year and a half ago. Signed up for Sling and immediately saved myself a hundred bucks a month for what is close to the same content. No one should be with cable anymore if they have wi-fi in their house. You can get a streaming service like Sling, Netflix, Hulu, and numerous other channels and still be paying likely half of what you were paying to cable.
That sounds good John and I've thought about it but a lot of providers in my area - if you try to cut the cord - it seems they charge you twice as much to get internet/wi-fi.
I have Hulu, Netflix, and I'm building my DVD collection - and it was my hopes to do away essentially with cable - but they still found a way to screw us over
We got rid of the cable about a year or so ago and I don't miss it since Sling pretty much does what cable did. And I have Netflix and Hulu, too
You're right, you do pay more for wi-fi.
More than with cable - which makes no damned sense.
I get a free 7 day trial of sling with the new TV that I just got. I'm going to check it out.
Conservatives care a lot more about "political correctness" than liberals do. Personally, I pay almost no attention to it. Referring to someone as a Nazi (left or right) doesn't bother me, the word has a secondary meaning beyond literally referring to Germany in the 30's and 40's, and if people don't understand that it is their problem.
The Baby It's Cold Outside protest was just stupid, and I think those "liberals" who complained about the song made themselves look silly.
I don’t think it was the conservatives that get butthurt from watching the Dukes of Hazzard.
Oh, you are referring to the giant confederate flag on the top of the car? That's a little different.
19 Kids and Counting, Duck Dynasty...liberals are masters of PC outrage
Where are they now?
LOL!
Making boat loads of money off of spinoffs and reruns.
LOL
being Charger of course I like the General Lee
What about "Grey's Anatomy? " The attending doctor was called "The Nazi" because she was so tough. it's a joke. Get over it.
Hence, I said .....
Why did you address your comment to me?
Because I was agreeing with you.
oh. sorry.
I wonder how the Social Justice Warriors feel about "Tootsie".
If everything that offended somebody was done away with there would be nothing left
LOL. Hear, hear.
Don't like a TV program, don't watch it - don't like a song switch stations... As if we do not have enough issues in the world they have to make them out of entertainment venues.
They'd probably fall over dead if they ever listen to Lenny Bruce
Or Richard Pryor or Red Fox or . . . . . . .
"Friends" is next...pretty sure.
The men had professional careers but the women where portrayed as ditzes, aimlessly going through life at low paying jobs.
These people have become desperate to be significant. It must be exhausting to be outraged everyday.
Seinfeld is offensive????
Is there something wrong with me? Because I didn't find anything offensive about that show
Seems someone is always looking for a way to be offended.
Seinfeld is classic.
Pretty soon the only options left will be on the Hallmark channel.
In 2019 millennials are expected to become the largest living age demographic surpassing the baby boomers...Get used to it folks...LOL.
... and very few of them are white supremacists, homophobes, xenophobes, or religious knuckle draggers.
But disagree with them on even the slightst thing and YOU are the white supremacists, homophobes, xenophobes, or religious knuckle draggers.
adapt or perish has been the first rule on this planet and millennials evolving culturally and socially beyond their generational predecessors is a good thing, especially in some parts of America.
It's a good thing and a bad thing. It's good that they are finding their direction but at the same time, for many, they have no coping skills for things that counter their point of view. How many times have we seen video of them breaking down like a toddler because somebody had a differing opinion or because they didn't get their way.
I recently watched an episode of Good Times and James said the N word, I was surprised it was not censored.
These people would have a stroke listening to one of the greatest comedians to ever live:
One article does not a movement make.