Top 10 Greatest Seinfeld Moments
#10: Festivus
"The Strike" After Frank Constanza fought another man for a Christmas toy, he invented this anti-consumerist holiday. An old tape recording and other hints proved this unique family tradition deeply scarred his son George. When Kramer convinces Frank to revive the celebration, the younger Contanza initially refuses to attend. But after George is caught giving out fake donations to a made-up charity, he has to take his boss to Festivus to get out of this sticky situation. Watching this ridiculous holiday play out was hilarious. We loved learning about everything from the airing of grievances to the Feats of STrength. While Geroge may hate this holiday, it was great to see him experience it.
#9: Jerry & George Explain a Shrinking Phenomenon
Top 10 Times Jerry Seinfeld Said What We Were All Thinking
“The Hamptons” While on vacation in the Hamptons, Jerry’s girlfriend Rachel accidently walks in on George as he changes out of his bathing suit. Thanks to the cold water, a certain part of his body appears smaller than normal. But Rachel thinks this is normal for George and even laughs before running off. The debate on whether women are aware of how cold temperature can affect men is great on its own. But the best part of the scene comes when Elaine walks by. She seems clueless of the cold phenomenon known as shrinkage. When Elaine finally gets what Jerry and George are talking about, she delivers a perfect punchline that we’ll never forget.
#8: George’s Mother Catches Him at a Bad Time
Top 10 Times George Had the Worst Luck on Seinfeld
"The Contest" As Jerry, Elaine and Kramer are hanging out in their go-to restaurant, a sullen George enters and explains his mother caught him while he was trying to spend some time alone. The scene he describes is tragic...and absolutely hilarious. Even his friends can’t help but laugh. This leads George to vow to abstain from certain adult activities from now on. While most of the episode focuses on an infamous contest, the episode’s high point comes from Estelle Constanza. She gives an absurdly funny recounting of the incident from her perspective. Not only does she humiliate him about what he did, but she also even gets in some digs about his employment status. George’s humiliation was ultimately a great foundation for an iconic “Seinfeld” story.
#7: The Switch
Top 10 Greatest Unscripted Seinfeld Moments
"The Switch" While a comedian would ideally be with someone who likes to laugh, Jerry’s new girlfriend Sandy never even chuckles. However, her roommate Laura has the perfect giggle. Their differing reactions make Jerry want to date his girlfriend’s roommate instead. Despite George’s insistence that it can’t be done, they brainstorm how to make Jerry’s dream a reality. They eventually settle on an elaborate scheme that involves the comedian asking to spend time with both women at once. Jerry thought his girlfriend Sandy would cut things off for suggesting the idea. In a surprising twist, she and Laura are totally game. But Jerry isn’t. Hearing the comedian freak out about this plan succeeding made for a surprising and memorable end to this plotline.
#6: Elaine’s Angry Inner Monologue
Top 20 Hilarious Elaine Moments on Seinfeld
"The Subway" Since Seinfeld is set in New York City, we were bound to get an episode set on the sprawling subway system. Each character’s mission leads them unique and quirky journeys. But Elaine’s storyline arguably has the best pay off. While she’s trying to get to a wedding where she’s supposed to be the best man, her train gets stuck. Elaine immediately starts worrying she’ll miss the ceremony and ruin everything. As Julie Louis-Dreyfus delivers a fantastic silent performance, we hear increasingly over-the-top narration that represents her thoughts. The scene crescendos with a side-splitting and very vulgar exclamation from Elaine.
#5: George’s Reverse-Ahab
Top 10 Worst Things George Costanza Has Done
"The Marine Biologist" Jerry starts this wild plotline when he bumps a woman named Diane. When she asks about George, the comedian says his aimless friend is a marine biologist. Naturally, George keeps up this pretense when she calls. He even manages to meet Diane and take a romantic stroll along the beach. Everything goes great until they come upon a crowd of people gathered around a distressed whale. In what may be Mr. Costanza's finest hour, he bravely proceeds to save the animal in order to keep up his ruse. As if that wasn’t funny enough, the moment ends with George epically recounting his triumph at the coffee shop. Jason Alexander’s incredible range and precision nail this scene like a blowhole in one.
#4: A New Euphemism
Top 20 Unscripted Seinfeld Moments
"The Yada Yada" This episode created one of the most famous interjections in television history. George’s new girlfriend Marcy cuts out long or explicit details in her story by saying “Yada yada yada”. Afterwards, he makes the baffling decision to use this phrase to skip over the specifics of what happened to his deceased fiance. From this point on, “yada yada” is used by several characters to gloss over things that should definitely be discussed openly. Watching the characters try to figure out what’s really being said makes for a ton of great comedic moments. Once again, Julie Louis-Dreyfus steals the show with a pitch perfect delivery and usage of “yada yada yada”.
#3: Kramer's Talk Show
"The Merv Griffin Show" The show’s talent for meta-humor reached new heights when Kramer stumbled across the set of an old talk show in a dumpster. He manages to get everything set up in his apartment and proceeds to act as if he’s hosting an actual television program. When Jerry, Elaine or George pop in, Kramer treats them like guests. While this fourth-wall-shattering bit is great on its own, the best part of his fake show comes when he invites an animal trainer over. Just as Kramer’s meta-episode spirals out of control, George arrives with a squirrel. This prompts the hawk the animal trainer brought to attack the poor Constanza. The expression on his face as the bird flies in made for one of the show’s funniest endings.
#2: "No Soup for You"
The Funniest Moment From Every Season Of Seinfeld
“The Soup Nazi” Of all the show’s episodic antagonists, this mustached purveyor of liquid lunches is one of the most iconic. This episode sees the gang try out the hottest new lunch spot in Manhattan. But they can only eat if they make it past the restaurant’s owner. This harsh chef doesn’t allow customers who break his specific rules to eat his soup. Unfortunately, George draws the ire of this culinary expert. When he realizes his bread is missing, Jerry’s tries to warn his friend against saying a word. But George’s attempts to get bread results in his soup getting taken away. The perfect comedic timing, ridiculous setup and excellent performances add up to a delicious scene almost as good as the gazpacho. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
George’s Comeback Fail, "The Comeback"
10 Times George Cooper Sr Was Nothing Like Sheldon Described on The Big Bang Theory
His Rehearsed Retort Instantly Fails to Impress
Can you Spare a Square?, "The Stall"
Top 10 Awkward Date Moments on Seinfeld
We’ll Never Forget When Jerry’s Girlfriend Refused to Share TP With Elaine
Elaine's Awful Dancing, "The Little Kicks"
Her Dancing Horrifies & Entertains Us
George Loses His Hair, "The Beard"
Watching Elaine Toss George’s Toupee Out the Window Was Amazing
Jerry’s Puffy Shirt, "The Puffy Shirt"
Top 10 WTF Jerry Springer Show Moments
Jerry Accidentally Agrees to Wear a Goofy-Looking Shirt for a TV Appearance
#1: Kramer Loses the Contest
"The Contest" During a contest where the gang sees who can remain master of their domain the longest, Jerry and Kramer get a new neighbor. She just so happens to have a penchant for walking around her apartment in her birthday suit without curtains. The guys are immediately stunned when they learn about her apartment habits. While Jerry and George remain frozen, Kramer makes an uncharacteristic and quiet exit. We almost forget about him while Elaine teases the boys. Suddenly, Kramer reenters, slams his money down and declares he lost the contest. This surprising punchline caused us to erupt with laughter. While Kramer lost the contest, the character won over audiences with this simple and very effective joke.
