As I was channel surfing last night I chanced upon the opening credits for an episode of Girls, the HBO series that just won a couple of Golden Globes. I’d never seen it before so decided to give it a try.
It immediately reminded me of Seinfeld — clever, funny, sharply observed stuff about vapid, self-absorbed losers. Watching Girls I had the same feeling I used to have watching Seinfeld (in the rare times I did watch it) — that if I ever recognized myself or any of my friends in the characters on the show I would have to change my life radically or commit suicide.
Do the people who enjoy shows like this identify with the people depicted in them, or do they revel in feeling superior to and laughing at them? Hard to decide which would be worse.
The thing about Seinfeld is, you’re in a motel, you have nothing to do but watch what’s on the motel TV, and you’ve got a half hour to kill — and Seinfeld is always on, and it’s something that’s amusing enough to kill a half hour. I have never known Seinfeld not to be on some channel of a motel television any time you turn it on.
As for the show itself, it was warmed-over Neil Simon, served up on a weekly basis.
Good way of summing it up. Today, if I chance upon a “Seinfeld” episode I can’t resist watching it — it’s always funny and well-written. But when I come to a commercial I can’t resist flipping to something else. For me, it’s just not good enough to justify sitting through a commercial break.