" The Seven " is the 123rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld . This was the 13th episode for the seventh season, originally airing on February 1, 1996. In this episode, Elaine and Kramer turn to Newman to resolve a dispute over which of them is rightful owner of a bike, George wants to name his first child Seven, and Jerry dates a woman who seemingly never changes her clothes.
114-397: Elaine strains her neck trying to get a bike down from the wall in an antiques store. Jerry had been oblivious to Elaine's struggles, as he was working on getting the phone number of a woman, Christie. Elaine impulsively vows to give the bike to whoever fixes her neck. Kramer claims to be skilled in shiatsu technique and relieves her aching neck. He then demands the bike despite it being
228-431: A Bialetti moka pot is one of his must-haves. He described the process of making coffee with a moka pot as complex and time-consuming, but a pleasurable way to "waste time". Seinfeld is Jewish and has incorporated elements of his Jewish identity in his work. Although he shared that his mother was born into a large family of Syrian Orthodox Jews, he admitted to being non-religious himself. Seinfeld stated that he took
342-447: A Hindu altar. Furthermore, in " The Pick ", Elaine is horrified when she realizes she sent a Christmas card which features her nipple to "Sister Mary Catherine" and "Father Chelios". In multiple episodes, including " The Strong Box " and " The Wizard ", she can be seen wearing a crucifix . In multiple episodes, including " The Soup ", she is seen wearing cross earrings. In " The Postponement " and " The Fatigues ", Elaine states that she
456-578: A Scientology course when he was in his 20s; he said that he found it interesting but that he did not pursue it any further. Seinfeld expressed support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war , saying "I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people." Seinfeld and his family previously drew criticism, travelling to the West Bank in 2018 to participate in a terrorism simulation camp. Seinfeld also visited
570-492: A "Critic's Pick" with Anne Nicholson describing it as a "full-fledged, fully ridiculous feature comedy targeted to the audience’s sweet-and-salty dopamine receptors". David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote that the "comedy never heats up" and "it’s a movie about so many different things at once that it comes to feel like a movie about nothing". Seinfeld appeared as a guest on John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA where he joked that it
684-441: A 2024 interview with The New Yorker , Seinfeld claimed political correctness was destroying comedy, saying, “This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people. When you write a script and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups — 'Here's our thought about this joke' — well, that's the end of your comedy.” Months later, he walked back those comments on
798-754: A Moron . Seinfeld also wrote the foreword to the Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook . In October 2020, Seinfeld released his new book Is This Anything? . The book chronicles Seinfeld's 45 years working in comedy and contains many of his best bits that span from various decades. Seinfeld has stated, "On the Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy, there are four faces, in my opinion: Richard Pryor , George Carlin , Bill Cosby , and Don Rickles ." Seinfeld has also cited as his influences Jean Shepherd , Mad Magazine , Jonathan Winters , Jerry Lewis , Robert Klein , and Abbott and Costello . He stated, " Monty Python
912-616: A PC" advertisements and run the Seinfeld ads on the Microsoft website as a series of longer advertisements. In March 2009, it was announced that Seinfeld and the entire cast of Seinfeld would be appearing for a reunion in Larry David's HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm . The fictional reunion took place in the seventh season's finale and starred most of the original cast, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Jason Alexander , Michael Richards , in
1026-428: A Rising Star , which led to an appearance in a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special. In 1980, he had a small recurring role on the sitcom Benson , playing Frankie, a mail-delivery boy who had comedy routines that no one wanted to hear. Seinfeld was abruptly fired from the show due to creative differences. Seinfeld said that he was not told he had been fired until he arrived for a read-through session and found that there
1140-548: A botched medical procedure. Seinfeld signed a deal with Netflix in January 2017 that included placing Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on their streaming service as well as two new Seinfeld stand-up specials and the development of scripted and non-scripted comedy programming. As part of the deal, all episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee were made available on the streaming service, in addition to
1254-434: A brief conversation, Lonstein gave Seinfeld her phone number. Lonstein was still a senior in high school and would turn 18 at the end of that month. Seinfeld and Lonstein dated for approximately four years, until 1997. She transferred from George Washington University to UCLA , in part to be with him, and cited constant press coverage and missing New York City as reasons for the relationship ending. Seinfeld never married
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#17329016531521368-541: A capacity to address family poverty in three focus areas: supporting new mothers, investing in early childhood, and engaging fathers. GOOD+ Foundation has donated over $ 42M worth of items through its partner network across the United States. Seinfeld has also participated in Jon Stewart 's charity event, Night of Too Many Stars . According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from Seinfeld as of 2004
1482-451: A comedy special, titled I'm Telling You for the Last Time . The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was chronicled in a 2002 documentary, Comedian , which also featured fellow comic Orny Adams and was directed by Christian Charles. Seinfeld has written several books, mostly archives of past routines. In the late 1990s, Apple Computer came up with
1596-418: A conductor who insists on being called "Maestro". They eventually go to Tuscany together. In " The Bizarro Jerry ", she dates Kevin, the nice, kind antithesis of Jerry whose friends Gene, Feldman and Vargas are polar opposites of George, Kramer and Newman, respectively, each described as coming from the backwards Bizarro World of Superman comics. In " The Checks ", her boyfriend Brett is so obsessed with
1710-471: A daughter and two sons. In 1999, Seinfeld auctioned a Breitling Chronomat watch as part of the "Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity" event in New York City. This watch sold for $ 11,000. In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld created the charitable organization The Good+Foundation after their first child was born. Good+Foundation grants donations of products and services to programs that have demonstrated
1824-657: A destructive effect on her relationship with her friend Noreen. It is revealed that over the course of their friendship, Elaine has convinced Noreen to join the Army, then go AWOL , break up with one boyfriend for being a "high-talker", then later break up with another for being a "long-talker". Eventually, Kramer steps in and forbids Elaine to have any more contact with Noreen. In " The Muffin Tops ", Elaine convinces her ex-boss Mr. Lippman to start his own business selling just "muffin tops". However, they soon run into problems when no one will take
1938-399: A different color, and the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder , the same model and pearl-grey color that actor James Dean had been driving before he crashed that car and subsequently died. The Discovery Channel television show Chasing Classic Cars claimed that Seinfeld owns the first and last produced air-cooled Porsche 911s. The centerpiece is a $ 700,000 Porsche 959 , one of only 337 built. He
2052-559: A farewell tribute video for the Obamas before the President left office, Seinfeld stated, "That knocking on the Oval Office window. That probably was the peak of my entire existence." In 2014, Seinfeld told David Letterman he invited Woody Allen to be on the show but hadn't heard back. That same year he also revealed Joan Rivers was supposed to be a guest on the show before she died due to
2166-463: A fortune-teller in " The Suicide ". However, in " The Calzone " and " The Foundation " she is seen smoking a Cuban cigar. Jerry revealed in the episode, " The Pilot ", that Elaine's favorite film is Shaft . Elaine is a breathtakingly poor dancer. Her performance at a J. Peterman company party, the central plot theme of " The Little Kicks ", causes George to describe it as "a full-bodied dry heave set to music." The moves are repeated in her bedroom in
2280-489: A game of Catchphrase , which Obama and Fallon won to Seinfeld's dismay. On September 19, 2017, Netflix released the stand-up comedy special Jerry Before Seinfeld . It follows Seinfeld as he returns for a stand-up routine at the New York City comedy club, Comic Strip Live , which started his career. It is intercut with documentary clips and his stand-up special. It was later released as an LP, CD and download album, and
2394-476: A girl's model. Elaine reluctantly gives it to him, but the next day, her neck pain returns worse than ever, so she demands the bike back. Kramer refuses. They appeal to Newman as a neutral third party to resolve the dispute. He declares that they should cut the bike in half, so Elaine and Kramer can both have it. Elaine scoffs at the proposal, whereas Kramer tells Newman to give the bike to Elaine, saying he would rather it belong to her than be destroyed. Newman gives
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#17329016531522508-413: A gruff novelist named Alton Benes ( Lawrence Tierney ), was featured in " The Jacket ". In " The Wait Out ", Elaine reveals to David Lookner that Alton left her and the rest of her family when she was nine years old. Elaine is the only main character in the series whose mother never makes an appearance. Elaine has a sister, Gail, and a nephew; they are first mentioned in " The Pick ". In " The Airport ", it
2622-552: A major promotion instead of the more qualified Elaine. Elaine's abortion argument with restaurateur Poppie gets him so angry that he loses control of his bladder in " The Couch " and again in " The Doorman ". In " The Understudy ", after she thinks her Korean manicurists are making fun of her, she angers them by bringing in Frank Costanza, who is fluent in Korean, to eavesdrop on them. In " The Soup Nazi ", Elaine refuses to abide by
2736-571: A multiple-episode arc. Seinfeld appeared on an episode of the Starz original series Head Case . As was the case in many of his previous guest appearances on sitcoms, he played himself. In Australia , Seinfeld appeared on a series of advertisements for the Greater Building Society , a building society based in New South Wales and southeastern Queensland . His appearance in these ads
2850-498: A nervous breakdown. Jerry and Elaine dated for a while before the show started. They started dating in 1986 (as revealed in " The Truth ") and dated until 1990. In " The Deal ", Elaine states they only had sex 37 times. In "The Stakeout", Jerry tells his parents that the reason for the break-up had to do with fighting too much and "physical chemistry". In "The Deal", Jerry and Elaine create a set of rules whereby they can be sexually intimate but remain only friends. However, their theory
2964-494: A new 24-episode season. The series was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards and won three Webby Awards . It's very important to know what you don't like. A big part of innovation is saying, "You know what I'm really sick of?" For me, that was talk shows where music plays, somebody walks out to a desk, shakes hands with the host, and sits down. "How are you?" "You look great." I'm also sick of people who are really there to sell their show or product. "What am I really sick of?"
3078-470: A particular affection for A Streetcar Named Desire . In " The Pen ", Elaine shows her love for the movie when she becomes unintentionally high on muscle relaxers and repeatedly screams "Stella" at a fancy awards dinner for Morty Seinfeld in Florida. In " The Boyfriend ", Elaine reveals her disgust for smokers, which leads to a breakup with Keith Hernandez . Her dislike of smoking also leads to an argument with
3192-472: A personal archives website at JerrySeinfeld.com and appeared in the HBO special Talking Funny with fellow comedians Chris Rock , Louis C.K. , and Ricky Gervais in the same year. In 2012, Seinfeld started a web series titled Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee , in which he would pick up a fellow comedian in a different car each episode and take them out for coffee and conversation. The show originally aired on
3306-490: A personal assistant to the eccentric, demanding Justin Pitt , starting in " The Chaperone ", but later is fired when Mr. Pitt thinks she and Jerry are conspiring to kill him in " The Diplomat's Club ". After meeting J. Peterman on the street in " The Understudy " in season 6, she becomes an editor at his J. Peterman Catalog , where she remains employed for the rest of the series. Starting in " The Foundation ", she takes charge of
3420-468: A semi-fictionalized version of himself in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), which he co-created and wrote with Larry David . Seinfeld earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1995. The show is one of the most acclaimed and popular sitcoms of all time. He has since created and produced the reality series The Marriage Ref (2010–2011), and created and hosted
3534-522: A short scene of " The Slicer ". Both clips appear in " The Clip Show, Pt. 1 ". In " The Andrea Doria ", Elaine dates Alan, a "bad breaker-upper", who makes her feel insecure about having a big head. In the episode she describes herself as a "walking candy apple" after a bird flies into her "giant, freak head." In " The Smelly Car ", Elaine repulses her boyfriend Carl when her hair smells of body odor from riding in Jerry's car. She goes to extreme lengths to get
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3648-545: A sign painter, was from Hungary and collected jokes that he heard while serving in World War ;II . His mother, Betty (née Hosni) and her parents, Selim and Salha Hosni, were Mizrahi Jews from Aleppo , Syria . Their nationality was stated as Turkish when they immigrated in 1917, as Syria was under the Ottoman Empire . Seinfeld has an older sister, Carolyn. Salha's mother Garez Dayan, Seinfeld's great-grandmother,
3762-668: A specially recorded interview for the Today show. On November 18, 2004, Seinfeld appeared at the National Museum of American History to donate the "puffy shirt" he wore in the Seinfeld episode of the same name . He also gave a speech when presenting the "puffy shirt," saying humorously that "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life." On May 13, 2006, Seinfeld had a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live as host Julia Louis-Dreyfus' assassin. Louis-Dreyfus in her opening monologue mentioned
3876-466: A stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy . Seinfeld has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award , a Golden Globe Awards , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards . In 2004, Comedy Central named him the 12th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. In 2017, Rolling Stone named him the 7th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. Seinfeld gained stardom playing
3990-462: A surprise guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show , ending the feud the two had in the early 1990s. Seinfeld toured the U.S. in 2011 and made his first stand-up appearance in the United Kingdom in 11 years. In July 2011, he was a surprise guest on The Daily Show , helping Jon Stewart to suppress his urge to tell "cheap" "Michele Bachmann's husband acts gay" jokes. Seinfeld also launched
4104-453: Is Czech in origin (see Edvard Beneš ) and the Czech people are, for the most part, historically Catholic. It is strongly suggested in the show that Elaine is Catholic when she is seen making the sign of the cross before entering Jerry's apartment to retrieve a manuscript while the apartment is being fumigated in " The Doodle ", and crosses herself again in "The Betrayal" after turning her back on
4218-527: Is a fan of the New York Mets , and periodically calls Steve Somers ' show on WFAN -AM, a sports talk radio station, as "Jerry from Queens." Seinfeld called four innings of a Mets game on SportsNet New York on June 23, 2010, reuniting with analyst Keith Hernandez , who appeared in the Seinfeld two-part episode entitled " The Boyfriend ." According to Seinfeld, he thinks about baseball "all day" and has said "when I think of retirement, all I would think of
4332-413: Is able to recover her job by agreeing to live temporarily in a remote cave in the desert of Tunisia . In " The Sponge ", Elaine is desperate to buy a cache of discontinued contraceptive sponges before existing stock is exhausted. She coins the word "spongeworthy" debating her then-boyfriend's prospects of intimacy at the expense of her inventory. In “ The Cafe ”, Elaine took an IQ test for George, who
4446-682: Is about to be taken away to prison, she emotionally tells Puddy to "not wait for her". Puddy answers back with a simple, casual, "Alright." Elaine dates baseball player (and Kramer and Newman's nemesis) Keith Hernandez in " The Boyfriend ". Over several episodes in Season 4, she dates Joe Davola , who is—unbeknownst to Elaine—simultaneously stalking Jerry. In " The Sniffing Accountant " she dates Jake Jarmel , an up-and-coming writer and star client of Pendant Publishing. She dumps him because of his reluctance to use exclamation points. In " The Non-Fat Yogurt ", Elaine dates Lloyd Braun. Since Lloyd works for
4560-468: Is about to crash, Elaine says "I've always loved y...", but the pilot is able to steady the airplane. Elaine later explained in court that she was going to say "I've always loved United Airlines." During her interview on Inside the Actors Studio , Julia Louis-Dreyfus said she believed Jerry and Elaine were soul mates but would never end up together because they were both too "insane and messed up." In
4674-399: Is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer . Louis-Dreyfus received critical acclaim for her performance as Elaine, winning an Emmy , a Golden Globe and five SAG Awards . She reprised the role during season 41 of Saturday Night Live in 2016. Unlike her three close friends, Elaine is absent from the pilot episode . Previously the female role was supposed to be Claire,
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4788-484: Is arrested along with Elaine's coworker Anna. Elaine says to Frank, "I could drop you like a bag of dirt." Frank replies, "You want a piece of me? You got it." Later, when Jerry chides her for fighting with an old man, she says, "Hey, he wrote the check. I cashed it." In " The Fire ", Elaine reveals her hate for her overly energetic, always-happy colleague Toby. Then, when Toby loses her pinky toe in an accident (caused by Jerry), an outpouring of office sympathy leads Toby to
4902-465: Is episode co-writer Alec Berg . Newman's means of determining the bike's rightful owner is based on the Judgment of Solomon , a Biblical story in which Solomon determined which of two women is the mother of a child. The ending of the episode's George story was abbreviated during editing. Among the cuts were George telling the hospital staff that he is the father of Carrie's child so that he can fill out
5016-468: Is going to a baseball game every day." Seinfeld is left-handed and the first joke he ever wrote was about the topic. In a 2014 interview with NBC News , he made statements suggesting that he believed he was on the autism spectrum . However, following criticism for his alleged self-diagnosis , he later clarified that he is not autistic and had been commenting on a play about the condition that he "related to [...] on some level." Years before Seinfeld
5130-471: Is not Jewish. Though her ethnicity is never made clear, the name Beneš is a common Czech surname. Her boyfriend incorrectly assumed that she was Hispanic in " The Wizard ". In " The Wink ", her cousin Holly repeatedly mentions a "Grandma Mema" who apparently shared a mutual dislike with Elaine's side of the family. Elaine claims to have an IQ of 145 (although her scores range from 85 to 151). Elaine's father,
5244-460: Is primarily an adaptation of his stand-up material. The title comes from an article in Entertainment Weekly listing the numerous catchphrases for which the show was responsible. In 2002, he wrote the children's book Halloween . The book was illustrated by James Bennett. Seinfeld wrote the forewords to Ted L. Nancy 's Letters from a Nut series of books and Ed Broth 's Stories from
5358-578: Is revealed that Gail lives in St. Louis . Elaine has a cousin, Holly, who appears in " The Wink ", where reference is made to Elaine's grandmother Mema, from whom Holly inherited a set of cloth napkins. It is not revealed if Mema is her maternal or paternal grandmother. In " The Stock Tip ", Elaine mentions she has an Uncle Pete. In " The Secret Code ", she mentions an uncle who worked in the Texas School Book Depository with Lee Harvey Oswald . Whether
5472-544: Is ruined when Elaine is furious over Jerry giving her $ 182 as a birthday gift. In " The Mango ", Jerry is shocked to discover that Elaine had feigned her orgasms while they were together. In " The Serenity Now ", Jerry's uninhibited, exaggerated emotional state causes him to ask Elaine to marry him. Shocked, she makes an excuse and leaves. She returns later to accept his proposal, but Jerry has by that time settled to his usual stable emotional state and says "I don't see it happening." In " The Finale ", when they think their airplane
5586-521: Is shown to be a fan of the Baltimore Orioles . She attended finishing school and completed her undergraduate education at Tufts University , revealed to be her safety school in " The Puerto Rican Day ", as a French literature major. In " The Dog ", she tells George she moved to New York in 1986, which, by coincidence, is the year Jerry moved into his apartment across the hall from Kramer. She started dating Jerry later that year. In " The Doodle " it
5700-428: Is stated by George that Elaine takes a drawing class at The New School with his girlfriend Paula. Elaine's religious beliefs are never fully confirmed, and she appears to have little interest in religion. She expresses shock when Puddy is revealed as a devout Christian. She views saying " God bless you " as a "silly superstition" in " The Good Samaritan ". It is likely that Elaine was raised Catholic , as her last name
5814-517: Is where innovation begins. –Seinfeld, talking about his process of innovation. In June 2013, Seinfeld appeared on rapper Wale 's album The Gifted , on the song "Outro About Nothing." Seinfeld received coverage for his speech at the 2014 Clio Awards ceremony, where he received an honorary award, as media reporters said that he "mocked" and "ripped apart" the advertising industry; his statement that "I love advertising because I love lying" received particular attention. In 2014, Seinfeld hosted
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#17329016531525928-423: Is white and he thought Elaine was Hispanic. In " The Visa " she and Jerry anger Pakistani immigrant Babu Bhatt after she fails to notice Babu's visa application in Jerry's mail that she is picking up for him. In " The Cigar Store Indian ", Elaine angers Frank Costanza by taking his TV Guide without asking and then spilling her gyro on it. Then, in " The Little Kicks ", she and Frank come to blows after George
6042-428: Is with David Puddy ( Patrick Warburton ), an auto mechanic turned car salesman. Elaine begins dating David in the latter half of Season 6, and later for the majority of Season 9. Puddy has a casual approach to their relationship as seen in " The Voice " when Puddy claims he just likes her for the sex. In the same episode, when Elaine tells him that they're back together, he answers "Oh, no". In " The Finale ", when Elaine
6156-499: The 79th Academy Awards as the presenter for "Best Documentary." Before announcing the nominations, he did a monologue about the unspoken agreement between movie theater owners and movie patrons. On October 4, 2007, Seinfeld made a guest appearance as himself in the 30 Rock episode " SeinfeldVision ." On February 24, 2008, at the 80th Academy Awards , Seinfeld appeared as the voice of his Bee Movie animated character Barry, presenting Best Animated Short Film . Before announcing
6270-463: The Associated Press reported that Jerry Seinfeld would be the pitchman for Windows Vista , as part of a $ 300-million advertising campaign by Microsoft. The ads, which were intended to create interest for Windows in support of the subsequent "I'm a PC" advertisements, began airing in mid-September 2008. They were cut from television after three installments; Microsoft opted to continue with the "I'm
6384-744: The Crackle streaming service and then was bought by Netflix . The initial series consisted of ten episodes lasting from 7 to 25 minutes each. The show has continued to get high-profile guests such as Alec Baldwin , Mel Brooks , Bill Burr , Dave Chappelle , Louis C.K. , Larry David , Ellen DeGeneres , Tina Fey , David Letterman , Jerry Lewis , Steve Martin , John Mulaney , Eddie Murphy , Carl Reiner , Don Rickles , Chris Rock , Howard Stern , and Jon Stewart . The show has also hosted Seinfeld alums Larry David , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Jason Alexander , and Michael Richards . Season seven featured its most high-profile guest, then-President Barack Obama . In
6498-477: The Curb finale is meant to rewrite the Seinfeld ending in any way, it’s during that first scene between Jerry and Larry. They’re playing out the kind of scene they used to write for Jerry and George, and getting that silly, joyful spark between two TV legends — even for a moment — is pure bliss". Seinfeld wrote the book SeinLanguage , released in 1993. Written as his television show was first rising in popularity, it
6612-552: The State University of New York at Oswego , and transferred after his second year to Queens College, City University of New York , from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in communications and theater. Seinfeld developed an interest in stand-up comedy after brief stints in college productions. He appeared on open-mic nights at Budd Friedman's Improv Club while attending Queens College . After graduation in 1976, he tried out at an open-mic night at New York City's Catch
6726-402: The "Breaking Bread" podcast, stating "I don't think, as I said, 'the extreme left' has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I'm taking that back officially." Seinfeld said he regrets his previous comments because changing cultural attitudes are "not [his] business." In December 2012, Seinfeld said that he had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. He promoted the use of
6840-948: The "Questions from the Audience" segment, which included cameos from Michael Douglas , John Goodman , James Franco , Larry David , Ellen Cleghorne , Dakota Johnson , Tim Meadows , Bob Odenkirk , and Sarah Palin (who Seinfeld initially mistook for Tina Fey ). On May 20, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on David Letterman 's final Late Show episode. Seinfeld joined guests including Alec Baldwin , Barbara Walters , Steve Martin , Jim Carrey , Chris Rock , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Peyton Manning , Tina Fey , and Bill Murray who all participated in The Top Ten List segment, "Things I've Always Wanted to Say to Dave." In January 2017, Seinfeld went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and joined Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Fallon in honoring outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama , and played
6954-401: The "Seinfeld curse." While talking about how ridiculous the "curse" was, a stage light suddenly fell next to her. The camera moved to a catwalk above the stage where Seinfeld was standing, holding a large pair of bolt cutters. He angrily muttered, "Damn it!" upset that it did not hit her. Louis-Dreyfus continued to say that she is indeed not cursed. On February 25, 2007, Seinfeld appeared at
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#17329016531527068-407: The $ 17,000 Elektra Belle Epoque and two machines manufactured by Slayer and Breville . Seinfeld described his single-group Slayer machine, which costs upwards of $ 8,500, as a "beautiful machine." When NPR asked him about the influence of coffee culture in the U.S. , Seinfeld responded in 2013: I never liked [coffee] and I didn't understand it and I used to do a lot of stuff in my stand-up set in
7182-404: The '80s and '90s about how I don't 'get' coffee. And then something happened about five years ago. I started touring a lot, and we would have these great big, fun breakfasts in the hotel and [coffee] just seemed to go really well [with breakfast]. [Now], I've just started this espresso thing. In a May 2024 GQ interview titled "10 Things Jerry Seinfeld Can't Live Without", Seinfeld revealed that
7296-604: The 17-year-old high school student, Lonstein, as some news media are wrongly posting. (His current and only wife, Jessica, was 28 years old when they got married.) The age difference led to intense media scrutiny. While Seinfeld was a guest on Howard Stern 's talk show, Stern said, "so, you sit in Central Park and have a candy bar on a string and pull it when the girls come?" at which point Seinfeld replied, "she's not 17, definitely not." A few months later, in his second Howard Stern interview, Seinfeld insisted, "I didn't realize she
7410-556: The 1990s for storage of some of the vehicles in the collection. In 2002, Seinfeld purchased property on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City where he built a $ 1.4 million two-story garage to store part of his Porsche collection on the East Coast. One tally has Seinfeld owning 43 Porsches. Paul Bannister has written that Seinfeld's collection includes Porsche 911s from various years, 10 Porsche Boxsters each painted
7524-517: The February 2004 issue of Automobile , reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT . In 2008, Seinfeld was involved in a car accident when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat 500 failed and, to avoid an intersection, he pulled the emergency brake while turning sharply, ultimately causing the car to flip onto its side. No one was hurt. A coffee aficionado, Seinfeld owns multiple espresso machines , including
7638-579: The Northern New South Wales television market, where the society has most of its branches. Seinfeld was the first guest on Jay Leno 's talk show The Jay Leno Show , which premiered on September 14, 2009. Seinfeld was featured on Saturday Night Live ' s Weekend Update sketch to do the "Really!?!" segment with Seth Meyers . He executive produced and regularly appeared as a panelist in The Marriage Ref . On August 30, 2010, Seinfeld made
7752-559: The Opera (1935), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). Those influenced by Seinfeld include John Mulaney , Ellen DeGeneres , Jim Gaffigan , Judd Apatow , Issa Rae , Nate Bargatze , and Mark Normand . On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , Steve Martin described Seinfeld as one of his "retro heroes" saying "[He's] a guy who came up behind me and is better than I am. I think he's fantastic, I love to listen to him, he almost puts me at peace. I love to listen to him talk". Seinfeld
7866-477: The advertising slogan " Think different " and produced a 60-second commercial to promote the slogan. This commercial showed people who were able to "think differently," such as Albert Einstein , Mahatma Gandhi , Martin Luther King Jr. , and many others. It was later cut short to 30 seconds and altered such that Seinfeld was included at the end, although he had not been in the original cut. This shorter version of
7980-524: The bike to Kramer, stating that the bike's true owner wouldn't want it destroyed. Kramer starts keeping a record of what he takes from Jerry's fridge, asking Jerry to bill him. At the end of the week, the bill is more than he can pay, so he sells the bike to Newman. Finding Newman riding the bike on the street, Elaine tries to reclaim the bike by grabbing his scarf as he rides away. George tells Susan that he wants to name his future firstborn child Seven (after Mickey Mantle 's jersey number) but Susan finds
8094-451: The cast as a condition for commissioning the show, as revealed in the commentary on the Season 1 and 2 DVD . In addition to the first episode, Elaine does not appear in " The Trip " (Louis-Dreyfus having been in the late stages of pregnancy at the time of filming) and therefore appears in fewer episodes than George and Jerry. After it was discovered that Jerry Seinfeld once dated writer and comedian Carol Leifer , speculation grew that Elaine
8208-402: The catalog when Peterman suffers a nervous breakdown and flees to Burma . Once Peterman returns in " The Money " she is demoted back to her former position. Peterman also fires her twice: first when her penchant for poppy seed muffins causes her to fail a drug test in " The Shower Head " and later in " The English Patient " when she expresses her hatred for the movie The English Patient . She
8322-485: The character, including Rosie O'Donnell , Megan Mullally , Jessica Lundy , Patricia Heaton , Mariska Hargitay , and Amy Yasbeck . On the DVD commentary for the season-1 episode, “The Stakeout”, Larry David says that Elaine was based on, “…every ex-girlfriend [Jerry] and I ever had.” Unlike George, Jerry and Kramer, Elaine is not a native of New York City , having grown up in the affluent Baltimore suburb of Towson , and
8436-460: The children's book Halloween (2002), and the comedic compilation book Is This Anything? (2020). He is an avid fan of coffee and automobiles . He practices transcendental meditation . He is married to author and philanthropist Jessica Seinfeld , with whom he has three children. Seinfeld was born on April 29, 1954, to a Jewish family in Brooklyn , New York City. His father, Kalmen Seinfeld,
8550-585: The commercial aired only once, during the series finale of Seinfeld . In 2004, Seinfeld appeared in two commercial webisodes promoting American Express , titled The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman . In these, Seinfeld appeared with a cartoon rendering of Superman , to whom reference was made in numerous episodes of Seinfeld as Seinfeld's hero, voiced by Patrick Warburton (character David Puddy on Seinfeld ). The webisodes were directed by Barry Levinson and aired briefly on television. Seinfeld and "Superman" were also interviewed by Matt Lauer in
8664-559: The future of comedy during the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2024 he directed, co-wrote, and produced in the Netflix comedy film Unfrosted , a satirical spoof about the creation of Pop-Tarts . Seinfeld also starred in the film alongside Melissa McCarthy , Jim Gaffigan , and Hugh Grant . The film earned mixed reviews with The Hollywood Reporter writing the film received a "sharply divided reaction from critics". The New York Times labeled it
8778-587: The greatest companion technique of living that I've ever come across, and I'm thrilled to be part of this movement that seems to have really been reinvigorated by Bob [Roth] and David Lynch ," Seinfeld said. "I would do anything that I could to promote it in the world, because I think it's the greatest thing as a life tool, as a work tool and just making things make sense." Writing credits for Seinfeld The list below only includes episodes mainly written by Seinfeld, as he (and Larry David in Seasons 1 through 7) rewrote
8892-430: The headquarters of Abducted and Missing Families Forum where he met with representatives of the families and with abductees who returned from Hamas captivity, and listened to their stories. On May 12, 2024, Seinfeld gave a commencement address and received an honorary degree at Duke University . During his speech, a number of students booed, waved Palestinian flags and walked out in protest. In June 2024, Seinfeld
9006-498: The leftover stumps, and only by calling in "The Cleaner" (who turns out to be Newman) can they get rid of them. In " The Non-Fat Yogurt ", Elaine suggests to Lloyd Braun, an advisor to Mayor David Dinkins , that everybody in the city should wear name tags. Lloyd Braun suggests this idea to the mayor, who likes it so much that he adds it to his campaign, subsequently leading to his loss in the mayoral elections. In " The Gum ", it's revealed that Lloyd Braun also loses his job and later has
9120-444: The mayor, she tells him that the city would be a better place if everybody wore name tags. He mentions this to the mayor, who eventually loses re-election as a result. In " The Masseuse ", she dates a man named Joel Rifkin, who shares the same name as a notorious serial killer . In " The Stall ", her boyfriend Tony, dubbed a male bimbo or "mimbo" by Jerry, becomes George's new idol. In " The Maestro ", Elaine starts dating Bob Cobb,
9234-450: The name ridiculous. When Susan tells her expectant cousin Carrie and her husband Ken about the argument, they love the name and decide to give it to their child. Feeling that the name will lose its appeal if it is not unique, George follows them to the hospital as Carrie is going into labor, to no avail trying to get them to switch to a different name. Jerry is mystified that Christie is wearing
9348-473: The nominees, he showed a montage of film clips featuring bees, saying that they were some of his early work (as Barry). On June 2, 2008, amidst his spring 2008 tour, Seinfeld performed in his hometown of New York City for a one-night-only show at the Hammerstein Ballroom to benefit Stand Up for a Cure , a charity aiding lung cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center . In August 2008,
9462-542: The off-screen personality of Julia Louis-Dreyfus herself. According to Jerry Seinfeld's biography (written by Jerry Oppenheimer ), Elaine was based in part on Susan McNabb (who was dating Seinfeld when the character was created), though eventually named after friend and fellow comic Elayne Boosler . The character was also partially based on Monica Yates (daughter of novelist Richard Yates ), whom Larry David once dated; they remained good friends after they broke up. It has been reported that other actresses were in line to play
9576-482: The paperwork which identifies the child's name, and a scene in which Jerry and Susan admire the infant Seven while George continues to brood. Elaine Benes Elaine Marie Benes ( / ˈ b ɛ n ɪ s / ) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by former SNL cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus . Elaine's best friend in the sitcom is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld , and she
9690-401: The reunion episode featured in Season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm , it is revealed in the years since the finale Jerry has donated sperm to Elaine that results in her having a daughter, who has taken to calling Jerry "Uncle Jerry", but by the episode's end, it is said she now refers to him as "daddy" to Jerry and Elaine's clear discomfort. Elaine's longest relationship, besides that with Jerry,
9804-461: The rules of a strict soup stand owner nicknamed "The Soup Nazi" and therefore becomes the subject of his ire. When she finds his secret recipes that he accidentally left in an armoire, she hints that she will drive him out of business, gloating that he's "through." Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( / ˈ s aɪ n f ɛ l d / SYNE -feld ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian , actor, writer, and producer. As
9918-400: The same dress every day he sees her. When he wrangles a visit to her apartment, he sees a 1992 photo of her wearing the same outfit. Consumed with curiosity, he starts rummaging through her closet looking for other outfits. She catches him and insists that he leave. The next day she breaks up with him over the phone, denying his pleas for an in-person breakup. The man in the photo with Christie
10032-507: The show starred Saturday Night Live alumna Julia Louis-Dreyfus and established actors Michael Richards and Jason Alexander . Alexander played George, a caricature of Larry David . Seinfeld is the only actor to appear in every episode. After he ended his sitcom, Seinfeld moved back to New York City and returned to stand-up comedy instead of staying in Los Angeles and furthering his acting career. In 1998, he went on tour and recorded
10146-512: The smell out but nothing works, and he continues to be grossed out. In " The Postponement ", Elaine confides in a rabbi that she is jealous of George's engagement to Susan Ross because George would be getting married before her and she considers George a loser. The Rabbi proceeds to tell everybody in Elaine's apartment complex and later on his cable TV show about her insecurity. In " The Chinese Woman ", Jerry describes how Elaine's influence has had
10260-522: The song " Desperado " that she feels ignored whenever it comes on. She tries to find a song that they can share and comes up with " Witchy Woman ", but it does not work. Both songs are by the Eagles . In " The Junk Mail ", Elaine dates Jack, the TV pitchman for The Wiz . In " The Wizard ", Elaine is not sure if her new boyfriend Darryl is black or not and gets mixed signals when she tries to find out. It turns out he
10374-634: The special Don Rickles: One Night Only at the Apollo Theatre . The event celebrated Don Rickles and his career, but also served as a roast among friends. Those who participated in the event included Jon Stewart , David Letterman , Tina Fey , Amy Poehler , Nathan Lane , Regis Philbin , Robert De Niro , and Martin Scorsese . On February 15, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special , where he hosted
10488-672: The technique in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation in December 2012 on Good Morning America , and also appeared at a 2009 David Lynch Foundation benefit for TM, at which Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared. On November 5, 2015, the David Lynch Foundation organized a benefit concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall called "Change Begins Within" to promote transcendental meditation for stress control. "It's been
10602-441: The two uncles are the same person is not revealed. During Seasons 2 to 5, Elaine works at Pendant Publishing under her boss Mr. Lippman, where she served as a copy editor . She loses her job at the end of Season 5 when the company goes bankrupt and a misunderstanding resulting from her penchant for chewy, speech-impairing Jujyfruit candies thwarts a merger that might have saved the company. (" The Opposite "). Elaine then becomes
10716-407: The waitress at Pete's Luncheonette played by Lee Garlington , but Monk's Cafe replaced the luncheonette and Garlington was dropped from the role. Elaine first appears in " The Stake Out ", but in production order she appears in a final scene eating M&Ms in " Male Unbonding ". NBC executives felt the show was too male-centric, and demanded that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David add a woman to
10830-616: The web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012–2019), the latter of which earned him three Webby Awards . He also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the DreamWorks animated film Bee Movie (2007) and the Netflix comedy Unfrosted (2024). He has released four standup specials his first being Stand-Up Confidential (1987) followed by I'm Telling You for the Last Time (1998), Jerry Before Seinfeld (2017) and 23 Hours to Kill (2020). Seinfeld has also written three books starting with SeinLanguage (1993), followed by
10944-439: The world's highest-paid comedian during those 12 months. In 2013, Forbes documented Seinfeld's annual income as $ 32 million. In mid-2013, Seinfeld disputed Forbes 's claims regarding his income and net worth on The Howard Stern Show . Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the highest-paid comedian for 2015, the second-highest-paid in 2016, and the highest-paid again in 2017. Seinfeld's income between June 2016 and June 2017
11058-563: Was "the weirdest talk show I've ever been on in my life". He also embarked on a new tour starting with his first show in Singapore in June 2024 followed by a number of stops in Australia and North America. Seinfeld returned to Curb Your Enthusiasm in its final season reuniting with Larry David where they poked fun at the controversial ending of Seinfeld . Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, "If
11172-399: Was "thrilled". He concluded, "if she's 18, if she's intelligent, that's fine". In March 1994, Seinfeld again defended their age difference in an interview with People , stating that "Shoshanna is a person, not an age." Julia Louis-Dreyfus said in a 1998 New York interview that she was in favor of the relationship, as "it was a happy one for him", and added that she did not believe there
11286-530: Was $ 267 million, placing him at the top of the celebrity earnings list that year. He turned down $ 5 million per episode, for 22 episodes, to continue the show for a 10th season. Seinfeld earned $ 100 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances in 2004, and $ 60 million in 2006. He also earned $ 10 million for appearing with Bill Gates in Microsoft 's 2008 advertisements for Windows . Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $ 85 million, making him
11400-590: Was $ 69 million. In 2024, Bloomberg declared Seinfeld a billionaire, with a net worth standing at more than $ 1 billion, thanks to various syndication deals his sitcom signed, with $ 465 million coming from those deals. Seinfeld is an automobile enthusiast and collector, and he owns a collection of about 150 cars, including a large Porsche collection. He rented a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica , California, for an extended period during
11514-539: Was a gigantic influence on me. They were just about silly, funny things that meant nothing, and that’s the stuff I love. There’s a wonderful childlike freedom in those kinds of things." In the Netflix comedy special, Jerry Before Seinfeld , he displayed his personal comedy albums collection from when he was a teenager. These albums included: In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Seinfeld stated his five favorite films are The Heartbreak Kid (1972), The Graduate (1967), The In-Laws (1979), A Night at
11628-799: Was a member of the Dayan rabbinic family, who claim ancestry back to the Medieval Exilarchs , and from the Exilarchs back to the Biblical King David . Seinfeld's second cousin is alternative metal musician and actor Evan Seinfeld . Seinfeld grew up in Massapequa, New York , and attended Massapequa High School on Long Island . At 16, he spent time volunteering in Kibbutz Sa'ar in Israel. He attended
11742-538: Was anything wrong with it. In August 1998, while at a Reebok Sports Club, Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar , a public relations executive for Tommy Hilfiger who had just returned from a three-week honeymoon in Italy with then-husband Eric Nederlander, a theatrical producer and scion of a theater-owning family . Unaware of Sklar's marital status, Seinfeld invited her out. When Sklar eventually told Seinfeld about her relationship situation, she said, "I told him I didn't think this
11856-434: Was based on Leifer, though that was later largely denied. Leifer, who wrote or co-wrote a number of episodes for the show, has said only some elements of the backstory of the character — that she and Seinfeld had dated and have remained good friends since the relationship ended — relate to her. Leifer has said some elements of the character of Elaine, especially her assertiveness, intelligence and sense of humor, are drawn from
11970-407: Was created, Seinfeld dated Carol Leifer . She was a fellow comedian, and one of the inspirations for the Seinfeld character Elaine Benes . On national television with sex therapist and talk show host Dr. Ruth Westheimer , he mentioned that he was engaged in 1984 but called it off. In May 1993, days after his 39th birthday, Seinfeld met 17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park. After
12084-795: Was heckled by protesters during a comedy show in Sydney, Australia . Seinfeld responded joking, "You’re really influencing everyone here. We’re all on your side now, because you’ve made your point so well, and in the right venue, you’ve come to the right place for a political conversation". Seinfeld has made several political contributions, including to George W. Bush 's and Al Gore 's presidential campaigns in 2000 , and subsequently to four Democratic Party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004 . Seinfeld has expressed his distaste for what he views as political correctness . In 2015, Seinfeld stated that he avoids performing on college campuses because students have become too easily offended by his comedic routines. In
12198-561: Was highly publicized and considered a coup for the society, being the third time Seinfeld had appeared in a television commercial. The advertisements were filmed in Cedarhurst, Long Island , with the street designed to emulate Beaumont Street in Hamilton , where the Greater's head offices are located. Seinfeld also wrote the scripts for the 15 advertisements that were filmed. The ads largely aired in
12312-553: Was no script for him. In January 1981, he performed stand-up on An Evening at the Improv . In May, Seinfeld made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , impressing Carson and the audience, leading to frequent appearances on that show and others, including Late Night with David Letterman . On September 5, 1987, his first one-hour special Stand-Up Confidential aired live on HBO . Seinfeld created The Seinfeld Chronicles with Larry David in 1988 for NBC . It
12426-462: Was nominated for a 2018 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album . In 2020, it was announced that Netflix would be releasing Seinfeld's first original stand-up special in 22 years, 23 Hours to Kill . The special premiered on May 5. In October 2020, Seinfeld joined Steve Martin in a discussion about comedy at The New Yorker Festival . They discussed subjects ranging from the creative process, Netflix , and The Oscars , to their comedy backgrounds, and
12540-460: Was originally not allowed to drive it, because the car was "not street legal ." U.S. emissions and crash tests had not been performed for the model because Porsche refused to donate four Porsche 959s for destruction tests. Seinfeld imported the car " for exhibition purposes ," on the stipulation that it may never be driven on U.S. roads. The car was made U.S. street legal in 1999 under the " Show or Display " federal law. Seinfeld wrote an article for
12654-425: Was renamed Seinfeld to avoid confusion with the short-lived teen sitcom The Marshall Chronicles . By its third season, Seinfeld had become the most watched sitcom on American television. The final episode aired in 1998, and the show has been a popular syndicated re-run ever since. NBC offered Seinfeld $ 110 million—a record $ 5 million an episode for a 22-episode tenth season—but he declined. Along with Seinfeld,
12768-580: Was so young. This is the only girl I ever went out with who was that young. I wasn't dating her. We just went to a restaurant, and that was it." Early in their relationship, Spy magazine referred to Lonstein as "a legal voter". In an October 1993 Playboy interview, Seinfeld described the reactions to the relationship as ranging "from horrified to just busting buttons with pride that they know me", noting that his female acquaintances had overall reacted more negatively than his male ones. He said that his assistant "was so mad" she punched him, whereas his mother
12882-499: Was the right time for me to be involved with anybody." Two months later, Sklar filed for divorce and began dating Seinfeld. The pair married on December 25, 1999. Comedian George Wallace was the best man at the wedding. After the nuptials, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld bought Billy Joel 's house in Amagansett , Long Island , for US$ 32 million after news of the couple's interest in the property became public in 2000. The Seinfelds have
12996-406: Was worried about being embarrassed by the score. On her second attempt, she received a score of 151, a genius-level IQ. In " The Stall ", Elaine is dating Tony, a very good-looking athletic type. After a rock climbing accident mangles Tony's face, Elaine admits to Jerry that she cannot date somebody who is unattractive and wonders how long she is obligated to stay with him post-accident. Elaine has
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