Seinfeldwas a constant presence in my home growing up, as I would watch re-runs of the mega-hit sitcom on TBS all the time, always transfixed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Elaine Benes. My parents were huge fans of the show and watched Seinfeld in its original run during the 1990s, and I continue to binge it on Netflix — yes, sometimes until 2 in the morning. Not all of it is fun, as there are manyparts ofSeinfeldthat haven’t aged well. But for the most part, I find myself laughing along as much as I did when I was a kid.
All of the core four — Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine — give the sitcom its magic, but honestly, Elaine has never gotten the love she deserves. This is wild because, in my eyes, Elaine was always the best. While Louis-Dreyfus has gone on to have a successful post-Seinfeldcareer, I’ll always most celebrate her role asElaine the terrible dancerwho made me feel seen. Unfortunately, there’s much of theSeinfeldfandom who dismiss her as an unlikable female character. That sentiment couldn’t be farther from the truth. Elaine is a funny feminist who was truly ahead of her time.
She Celebrated The NYC Single Woman Life Long Before Carrie Bradshaw
Elaine wasSeinfeld’s only female main character, with most of the other women in the show — aside from Jerry and George’s respective mothers — being the men’s love interests.Elaine and Jerry dated before the events ofSeinfeld, and though they did sleep together in the series, they never got back together or even showed an interest in rekindling their romance.
Not making Elaine Jerry’s, (or George or Kramer’s) love interest is a great way to make her more likable. Elaine isn’t vying for the men’s affections like so many female characters in sitcoms at the time.No, Elaine is free to take on any role she wants, whether that’s a friend, a confidant, a businesswoman, or a lover. But what makesSeinfeldso funny is thatElaine can be a total jerk, just like her male counterparts, and she’s completely unapologetic about it.
The Worst Thing Each Main Character From Seinfeld Has Done
Though the characters of Seinfeld always make us laugh, they’ve done some pretty terrible things. We look at their worst crimes on the popular sitcom.
There’s a common misconception that women are often more morally upright than their male counterparts, but Elaine proves that’s not true. Elaine can be just as awkward, selfish, and obnoxious as her male friends, which makes her more relatable. I’ve often compared Elaine’s morality to that of Dee Reynolds fromIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. On the surface, the two women have a lot in common.Both Elaine and Dee are the only female in the main cast and neither serve as one of the main character’s love interests.
Elaine can refuse to spare a square of toilet paper out of petty spite, just as George can scam the unemployment office.
Both women can also be just as cruel as the men and get plenty of laughs to boot. Elaine can refuse to spare a square of toilet paper out of petty spite, just as George can scam the unemployment office. Dee can take advantage of a couple by pretending to be a surrogate, just as Charlie and Mac can fake their deaths. In a way,by making the female characters just as despicable as the male characters, bothSeinfeld, andIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiaperpetuate gender equality in comedy.
Elaine also, arguably, normalized women being friends with men instead of only other women. Yes, we had seen male and female friendships on television beforeSeinfeld, but they usually became romantic or pushed a will-they-or-won’t-they storyline that kept viewers watching. ButSeinfeld, thanks to its great writing,never had to rely on romance to shape Elaine’s character.She was her own woman, leading a New York City single lifestyle well before Carrie Bradshaw. Plus, Elaine did it with the help of some often problematic (albeit hilarious) male friends.
Elaine Is A Feminist
Since Elaine doesn’t serve as a love interest, she is free to pursue romance on her own. Her romantic escapades have led to some ofSeinfield’s most memorable moments and best episodes. Remember when Elaine’s favorite birth control method, The Sponge, went off the market, and she had to determine if her new partner was “sponge-worthy”?Also, Elaine ducked out of the infamous “Contest” after seeing John F. Kennedy Jr. at the gym.This iconic plot defies social expectations, as female masturbation is often seen as vulgar or shameful, especially for the time and when compared to men.
Seinfeld: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Episode ‘The Contest’
Considered one of the most iconic episodes of television, Seinfeld’s The Contest broke the comedy barrier. Here are some little known facts about it.
At the beginning of the episode, Elaine even has to pay more to buy into the contest because, as Jerry says, “women don’t have to do it.” Elaine losing the contest ultimately makes this already hilarious. At the time, sexuality from a female point of view was rarely seen on screen.
I would even argue that the mechanics of female birth control and sexual expression are still hardly seen on screen. Elaine was ahead of her time as a female character in a male-dominated show. Yes, before Elaine, we saw female characters in sitcoms and some were even given the chance to be funny, but Elaine broke the mold.
She was also given some great lines and visual gags that are still considered an integral part ofSeinfeld’slegacy. One of my favorite moments in the series is when Elaine threatens George’s dad, Frank, after she implies that George isn’t too bright, and threatens to drop Frank “like a bag of dirt”. A fistfight then ensues, but the credits roll before we can see what would have been an unforgettable fight between Elaine and Jerry Stiller’s iconic sitcom character.
The Backlash Against Elaine Is Sexist
She Deserves So Much More
As an adult, I relate to Elaine more than I ever thought possible.Whether she’s busting out her terrible dance moves or trying to snag an egg roll at a Chinese restaurant, Elaine symbolizes a work-in-progress woman who, despite being flawed, is still likable.
She especially resonates with me because, like Elaine, I’ve had mostly male friends for a lot of my life. Yet, what I love about Elaine is that she never lets her male friends define her or make her think that she’s less. She fits right in with the otherSeinfeldleads and, in my opinion, shines even brighter than Jerry, Geroge, and Kramer because she is a woman who does not exist to pleasure men.
She’s a mess in the best way possible. She doesn’t want to go out if she has to talk. She doesn’t deserve to be considered unlikable, and I think that the backlash around her character is sadly rooted in sexism. In reality, Elaine is one of the best parts of his most famous creation because she offers an unedited version of femininity. WatchingSeinfeldas an adult, I can see that she’s a fiercely feminist and funny character I relate to every time she’s on-screen.
Seinfeld
Cast
Seinfeld is a television sitcom that follows stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his three eccentric friends, George, Elaine, and Kramer, as they navigate everyday life in New York City during the 1990s. Premiering in 1989, the series humorously explores the mundane and often trivial aspects of social interactions.
