Ok. An interesting trivia it might be, but what does it have to do with passion (or compassion!), or technology, or with the types of writeups this blog has been providing?
Not much, really. But what it does offer is some perspective on the society, and for this reason alone, it belongs here. That, and the fact that I happen to really enjoy the show!
When Seinfeld began its run, entertainment was predominantly provided by the top three networks (ABC, NBC, CBS - in no particular order). Okay, let's also count Fox, and make it three-and-a-half! Cable TV was just beginning to find its footing on our television dials.
The channels carried exclusively by cable may have continued operating in this relative darkness if not for the decision of President Bush Senior to invade Kuwait. Suddenly, the notion of 24-hours news coverage became a national need, which could not be fulfilled by the network-controlled channels because they needed the daytime talk shows and soap operas to pay their bills.
Thus was born CNN - effectively providing a compelling reason for consumers to throw away the rabbit ears and sign up for the cable connection.
Continued advancement in technology and broadband availability meant more and more offerings being made available to consumers. This trend has continued to date, when we have access to 500+ channels at any given point.
What does it mean for programming? For starters, it means that it is increasingly hard for a show to garner the following that shows of yesteryears could muster, which effectively had the power to empty up the streets. The final episodes of M.E.S.H. and the Thorn Birds anthology were prime examples of this effect.
Many believe that Seinfeld was the last show that attained such a following - that you could mention last night's episode at the water cooler the next day, and be relatively sure that the next guy had seen it. That the show was about nothing just adds to the mystic irony!
During its run, the show provided an ongoing commentary on the society, often at the expense of its own characters, presented as weak, frivolous and immoral beings. And during the process, some of the lines (or themes) became a part of our daily vernacular. Who doesn't remember the Soup Nazi and "Yadda Yadda Yadda."
So, this, dear friends, is the contribution this show has made to the society - not necessarily a positive or negative one (this piece is not to editorialize its contents) - but a contribution in the sense of getting us all to be tuned at the same time, to the same message.
Things haven't been the same again.
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