Seinfeld
1989 · TV Series
Comedy
Seinfeld presents itself as a simple sitcom about four friends in New York, but it's actually a deeply cynical examination of how self-absorbed people navigate modern life. This isn't warmhearted comedy—it's surgical precision applied to human pettiness.
How it feels
Watching Seinfeld feels like being trapped in conversations with people who are simultaneously fascinating and insufferable. The show creates a specific kind of comedic anxiety where you're laughing at situations that would be genuinely stressful to experience. It's comedy that makes you slightly uncomfortable about laughing, because these characters are genuinely awful people who never learn or grow.
What makes it work
The relentless commitment to selfishness. Every character operates from pure self-interest, creating a moral vacuum that somehow becomes hilarious. The show finds comedy in the exact moments where normal people would feel empathy or shame, turning basic human decency into a punchline.
Compared to shows you may know
-Friends → Where that show wraps you in warmth, this one dissects friendship with a scalpel
-The Office → Both mine awkwardness, but this one never offers relief through genuine connection
-Curb Your Enthusiasm → Larry David's later work feels like Seinfeld with the volume turned up and the safety net removed
-It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia → Both feature terrible people, but this one pioneered the art of making narcissism feel universal
If Friends felt like hanging out with people you'd want to know, this feels like eavesdropping on people you'd cross the street to avoid
Worth knowing
If you need characters to be fundamentally good people, Seinfeld will feel genuinely alienating. The humor depends entirely on finding these people's selfishness amusing rather than repulsive.