Seinfeld's Gay Crisis: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

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Жыл бұрын

Of all of Seinfeld’s iconic catch phrases, one of the most iconic is made up of just seven little words: “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” It may be hard to believe now, but in its early years Seinfeld was a struggling show that was nearly canceled more than once -- and to make matters worse, there was a rumor following its creator and star. In the years before Seinfeld aired, gay rumors were a huge problem for celebrities, and just the sort of pressure that could spell disaster for a struggling show. So what did the creators of Seinfeld do about it? This is the story of how a struggling show confronted a risky rumor and coined one of TV’s most famous catch phrases … and how it almost never happened.
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Thanks to GLAAD for supplying the footage of the 1994 award ceremony!

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@cynthiaignisdivine Жыл бұрын

Ah the 90s, Jerry possibly being gay could ruin his carreer, but Jerry dating a 17 year old girl when he was 38 and no one batted an eye.

@gwenc1371 Жыл бұрын

The brilliant thing about "not that there's anything wrong with that!" is that it refocuses their panic into being more about maintaining their reputation than anything else. What could be a very homophobic moment becomes just another example of the same hilariously inept self-serving cynicism that the characters approach every situation with, with them trying to find a way to dodge both accusations of homosexuality AND homophobia.

@ecnalreleam Жыл бұрын

I love how Kramer was upset because he felt like Jerry was disrespecting their friendship by not telling him something so deep and personal and not because he was homophobic.

@aych33 Жыл бұрын

Jerry isnt gay, people just never saw him with his girlfriend because she was always busy attending high school or doing homework

@rambosimpson Жыл бұрын

I came out to my parents as a lesbian bc they’d always said there was nothing wrong with being gay throughout my whole life… nope turns out they’re just huge Seinfeld fans and had been quoting this episode 😂

@starofcctv94 Жыл бұрын

Love the fact that a rumour he was gay was an issue but nobody had a problem with him openly dating a minor.

@wellesradio Жыл бұрын

My favorite bit from this episode is after they say the line Jerry doubles down with a “some of my best friends are gay” claim when George in his desperation to add to this bursts out with, “My father’s gay!”

@Rmlohner Жыл бұрын

Another one that really stuck out to me, even as a kid, was the discovery that Susan's father had an affair with John Cheever, which is never referenced again simply because they couldn't figure out a way to keep it being funny and not just playing everyone's discomfort as if that was the whole joke. And his line is actually quite moving: "He was the most wonderful man I've ever known, and I loved him deeply, in a way you could never understand."

@EyesOfTheInternet

I'm nearly 40 and this is the first I have heard about Seinfeld being rumored to be homosexual.

@augustosolari7721 Жыл бұрын

Seinfeld is just pure gold. I like it's cynism much more than the naivity of Friends. It suits me better.

@glennschmidt3187 Жыл бұрын

I think it’s interesting to contrast the attitudes depicted in this episode with an episode that came 3 years later, “The Wig Master”. In that one, there’s a scene where Jerry is having drinks with a gay guy, and another guy comes over to the table and asks the gay guy out. Jerry is offended, saying “Are you asking him out right in front of me? How do you know we’re not together?”

@tyrant-den884 Жыл бұрын

"This is all well and good but I am still bald."

@frankiefonzie8851 Жыл бұрын

Kinda wish Matt had added the clip from this episode where Jerry says "People's personal sexual preferences are nobody's business but their own" I feel like that was very bold for the time and really touched me upon rewatch

@bawoman Жыл бұрын

I love the "not that there's anything wrong with that" line that is repeated by everyone because it is so refreshingly self aware and honest (and funny). It was written about the exact type of people who would watch the show, progresive and "gay friendly" people who nevertheless still couldnt help have a deep uncomfortableness with being considered gay, whether true or not. It was a great wink at that audience who in turn recognized themselves in that joke and realized how silly they were being with that slight hipocrisy.

@haruruben Жыл бұрын

A lot of these sitcoms from the 90s helped to change the rather barbaric treatment of gay people and that accusation of being gay was really a curse. My music teacher in grade school was said to be gay by some parents and they got him fired. Makes me

@craigcharlesworth1538 Жыл бұрын

The interesting thing about this episode is that I don't think it could have worked at any time other than the 90s. That was the decade when attitudes started to reach a tipping point, where a lot of people were still not completely accepting of homosexuality but overt homophobia was itself becoming socially unacceptable. Thus Jerry and George are trapped on the horns of a dilemma, afraid of the reputational damage that would come from gay rumours but also realising that being branded homophobic would be just as bad. For me the need for them to navigate their way out of this situation without upsetting anyone is where all the comedy comes from, I don't think this episode would have worked at all without that angle.

@scarlettmi Жыл бұрын

"Not that there's anything wrong with that" did have a positive impact on me. Surrounded by people who very much did think there was something wrong with that, I appreciated the idea that the default, bare minimum attitude was that there wasn't anything wrong with that.

@mrmistyeyed_ Жыл бұрын

Reporter: And what about your parents, do they know?

@gosnooky

I was a closeted teenager when this episode came out. Out of the many ways I partition my life into "before X" and "after X", this episode marks the end of thinking my mom would disown me if I ever came out. When I finally did come out years later, my mom threw out another iconic Seinfeldism from "The Cheever Letters"... "I KNEW it!!"