“Seinfeld” went to fairly dark places during his race. He sent his main characters to prison for a year. He killed George’s fiancé (Jason Alexander) Susan (Heidi Swedberg), and in a very cold way, I could add. There was even an episode – resolutely bad – where Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) may or may not have been attacked by his dentist. Most sitcoms in the 90s kept things in safety and sweet, but Seinfeld, its co-creator Larry David, and the other writers of “Seinfeld” had no interest in this kind of thing.
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Given the free “breast” similar with limits, it is surprising to hear about moments when NBC managers have decided to draw the line. For example, there was supposed to be an episode of season 2 entitled “The Bet” or “The Gun”, but it was never filmed because NBC found it too dark. The episode may have too much humor linked to firearms, including a moment when Elaine points to a pistol on his head and joking with the JFK assassination.
Fans can generally understand why NBC cut “The Bet”, even if it is fun to imagine an episode “Seinfeld” where the program becomes full nihilist. Maybe that’s why The “Seinfeld” script “The Twin Towers” written “ was so popular when published online in 2016. It is a script filled with many standard tropes and scenarios, except that it takes place in the immediate consequences of terrorist attacks on September 11. Is it horrible, but also funny? Let’s just say that it could never have been a real episode, even if “Seinfeld” had continued in the early 2000s.
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What fans find it difficult to understand, however, which is why NBC cut a scenario that did not seem that Energy, well considered. THE 2017 Tell-All Book, “Seinfeld Journal of Facts: History of Nothing”, “ explained the situation:
“The Censors of NBC almost left Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David to get away with everything they wanted ‘Seinfeld. One of the rare exceptions was an proposed episode in which George was in trouble to observe: “You know, I have never seen a black person ordering a salad”. UH-UH, said NBC. An entire episode on masturbation? Well by us. But there will be no joke on the eating habits of African-Americans in this program. The script was Nixé. “”
Why did NBC have such a problem with the salad joke?
Fans have speculated a lot over the years on the reasons why this proposed scenario was a problem. Was it more uncomfortable than what happened in “The Diplomat’s Club”, where George continues to try in vain to prove to his boss that he is not racist? Again, this episode was released in season 6, when “Seinfeld” had already become a successful program which no longer danger of premature cancellation. The episode of the salad was a scenario of season 2, at the time when the series was still struggling with audiences and the writers had much less power when they deal with the leaders of NBC.
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For fans being in agreement with NBC, the main argument is that “Seinfeld”, with its entirely white distribution and its white writing room mainly, it was probably preferable to stay away from this kind of racial humor. “The only taboo that” Seinfeld “did not collapse was the race”, the critic of television David Free Written in 2010. “Unlike ’30 Rock ‘, the show had no members of the permanent black distribution. It was therefore poorly placed to challenge the ultimate non-no-nowood.”
The greatest racial controversy of the show occurred in “The Puerto Rican Day” in season 9, in which Kramer lights a Puerto Rican Fire flag and then tries to trample the flames in the middle of the Portorican day parade. Kramer lights the flag on fire by course, of course, but good luck to the crowd.
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“We do not think that the show lends itself to harmful ethnic stereotypes, because the public of` `Seinfeld ” knows that humor is derived from looking at the central group of characters getting into difficult situations,” NBC said in a press release at the time. “Our appreciation of the large comedy of ‘Seinfeld’ in no way details the respect that we have for the Puerto Rican flag.” The episode was then removed from the reruns of NBC.
Seinfeld was not big on racial humor, but Larry David’s next show was
Larry Charles, who wrote both the episode of the pistol and the salad, has long argued that cutting them was an error in the network. “If he was on” Louie “, you don’t think about it twice,” he said Crossing In 2014. “I think” Louie “proved and” slowing down your enthusiasm “has also proven that these subjects are worthy of exploration and comedy. I reject the idea that certain subjects should not be discussed.”
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Indeed, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” by David would continue to give us an entire joking episode on the stereotypical food habits of blacks. In “The Watermelon” of season 11, David discovers the greatest secret of his friend of his friend Noir Leon (JB Smoove): he likes to eat watermelon, but is too ashamed of eating the fruits in the presence of whites. Larry sympathizes with Leon and encourages him to abandon his shame, which led to a triumphant scene in the supermarket in which Larry encourages people of all breeds to eat any stereotypical food they would like.
The episode, written by several writers “Seinfeld”, seems to be almost an answer to the reaction to the salad joke offered 30 years earlier. When Larry begins to talk about blacks eating watermelons in the supermarket, viewers fully expect other customers in the line to have the bad idea and assume the worst of Larry’s comments. Instead, customers understand exactly what Larry is talking about and is 100%with him. We almost have the impression that the writers arguing: “You see? People are more open to that than you think.”
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