How Seinfeld Impacted America

Seinfeld, the hit sitcom that premiered in 1989 and continued for 9 seasons throughout most of the 90s, without a doubt left an everlasting impact on American culture. This "show about nothing" follows four oddball characters during their everyday lives in New York City (Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer). There isn't necessarily an underlying plot or life lesson (hence, the "show about nothing"), but what made Seinfeld so popular was that it was relatable. For example, one entire episode involved the four friends looking for their car in a parking garage. It was something people could relate to, with the added bonus hilarious conversations. The show was basically just talking, and that was a radical idea at the time.


Not only did Seinfeld revolutionize the sitcom, it utilized a new and different way of filming. It was filmed using a combination of a multi-camera and single-camera approach. The traditional way to film sitcoms at the time was through the multi-camera approach, which involves a live audience. A single-camera approach, a radical new method, does not involve a live audience and makes the episodes more film-like. Seinfeld used a combination of the two tactics, which revolutionized television.

Seinfeld was also a massive hit financially. Even though the show wrapped over 20 years ago, re-runs and streaming deals mean it continues to rake in money. By the ninth season, Jerry Seinfeld (who plays one of the friends as himself) was making $1 million per episode. Sound familiar? The cast of Friends, another wildly popular sitcom later on, made a famous request: none of them would sign unless all of them got $1 million per episode. They likely took after Seinfeld, showing just how much the show impacted the industry.

Seinfeld also definitely had an impact on American culture. One example of this is Elaine Benes's style. Elaine Benes, the one female of the four friends played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, can be considered the original 90s trendsetter. She was known for her blazers, leather, denim, oversized button-ups, floral and aztec prints, and mini backpacks. All of these allowed the character to give off both an eclectic and "I've given up" feeling that defined the gender-challenging norms of the early 90s.

Overall, Seinfeld had a major impact on America in more ways than one, and we love it.

Sources:
https://schoolworkhelper.net/seinfeld-television-series-cultural-impact-review/
https://www.businessinsider.com/seinfeldia-how-seinfeld-changed-tv-2016-8#seinfeld-changed-the-way-tv-shows-are-filmed-1
https://www.indiewire.com/2014/02/how-seinfeld-revolutionized-the-sitcom-29472/
https://fashionmagazine.com/culture/elaine-benes-90s-trendsetter/
https://screencraft.org/2016/06/21/differences-single-camera-multi-camera-tv-pilot-scripts/