from 2017…..
I miss Jerry…
and Elaine, George, and even krazy Kramer.
The Seinfeld show went off the air in 1998, but there are still so many ways the show impacts our society to this day. Let me explain the history behind this blog piece.
Yesterday morning at the gym I got into a discussion with the lovely Planet Fitness worker I see every morning when I check in, about watching television. We both stated how much we like Seinfeld. Now, this young lady is a good 25 -30 years younger than I am. She watches reruns of Seinfeld. I watched it when it actually ran, from 1989-1998. Yeah…I know. I feel a little old too.
But I digress…
We talked about how that show had so many relevant and timely sayings and situations that still hold up today and are even used in today’s vernacular. For example, Seinfeld introduced us to the annoying and embarrassing fact of “shrinkage.”
Remember that one?
How often do you use the phrase “yada yada yada?” Well, it came from a Seinfeld episode.
Ever heard of the forgotten and wildly misrepresented holiday Festivus?
And speaking of holidays, have you ever Re-gifted? Or ever been accused of being a re-gifter? Thank Elaine for that one.
And remember the first time you ever heard of the “BRO?”
Would you consider yourself Spongeworthy?
Have you ever double dipped?
God, there were so many words, phrases, holidays, expressions that show made popular, it’s a wonder Jerry Seinfeld and the writers didn’t get royalties from Webster’s dictionary for all the new words they made trendy.
In addition to Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer, the other wacky neighbor – Jerry’s archenemy Neumann
– also had some tidy tidbits and knew how to turn a phrase.
The true test of classic work of art- be it music, a television show, a powerful book – is how it plays to future generations and how they can see its relevance in their lives. I can watch an old episode of I Love Lucy and quote the entire thing from beginning to end. Lucy still makes me laugh out loud almost 70 years after her show went on the air! Seinfeld is almost 20 years out of the box but an entirely new generation is enjoying it and understands the lexicon the show invented.
And you know what? THAT’S what I want to do with my writing. I want to be relevant in the future. Being relevant right now would be nice, too, I have to say! But I want to – in some small way- have an impact on the people who discover my books in years to come. A positive impact, for sure, but an impact all the same. I want them, when they read the words I’ve written, to get it. Just like we still get Jerry…and Lucy…and Abbot and Costello, and all the greats that came before.
When I’m not -yada yada yada – (you know the drill!)
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
Peggy Jaeger, Author 
