“Seinfeld” finale no reason to quit living
Editorial
Unless you’ve been on sabbatical from reality for the past few months – and weren’t one of the estimated 80 million Americans who tuned in – you either witnessed, or at the very least have been acutely aware of the fact, that last night was the series finale of that paragon of ’90s television, Seinfeld.As of this writing it’s still t-minus three hours and counting until the episode storms the airwaves, replete with record-breaking advertising rates and the sardonic humor which has garnered the show the distinction as one of the best television comedies ever produced. Because of this, we are in no position to comment on whether the episode should be heralded as an instant classic, or derided as a tremendous let-down.What we are in a position to offer is a bit of observation and commentary on the Hollywood-created/cult of celebrity phenomenon which invariably accompanied the show from the very minute the cast members announced that this season would, in fact, be the series’ last.Is Seinfeld a good show? Yes. Is Seinfeld a great show. Yes. Does the show deserve to be remembered as a watershed moment in both television and comedy? Mmm, probably. But is the hoopla surrounding the show’s end an honest and impartial judgment of its impact on American culture? Of course not.Many are hoping and expecting that this finale’s ratings will top the pinnacle of television history by replacing the last episode of MASH as the highest rated television show of all time. And if it does, so what? After the marketing blitz NBC unleashed upon the country, anything less would be a profound disappointment to network television executives. Hell, 10 million people who’ve never seen the show before will probably tune in just to see what all the fuss is about.However, no matter who walks away with the distinction of having drawn the most viewers to their show at a single time, comparing Seinfeld to MASH in terms of content and cultural impact is absolutely ludicrous.Consider: MASH was a show based in the politics of its time. It was humorous, yes, but the reason the show resonated with the public was that millions of viewers could identify and connect with the characters on an emotional level. For a country still reeling from the numbing shock of the Vietnam War, MASH provided an outlet for sentiments many had long felt, but were unable to express. After all, the show may ostensibly have been set in the Korean War, but its message was clearly straight out of the Mekong Delta.Comparing the immeasurable political and social impact this anti-war series had upon the nation puts the Seinfeld catch phrases “yadda-yadda-yadda,” “master of my domain,” and “get out of here!” in their proper perspective.As was once observed, most of the time television truly is a medium: it’s so often rare or well-done. In this instance, we have at least two examples of an outstanding product. But that said, we find the hand wringing over tonight’s finale to be little more than a self-indulgent manipulation of the public’s emotions. Don’t be duped into assigning more importance to the event than it warrants.For our part, we’re going to skip the finale in the hopes of catching a classic episode of MASH on channel 53.
