The PC Police Come After Seinfeld

When it comes to pop culture ─ or at least today’s millennial version of it ─ I’ll readily admit I’m not “hip.”  Probably because I’m hip to other things that interest me and my generation more (and millennials less).  But isn’t that what diversity is all about?  So, excuse me for coming a little late to yet another attack on common sense in the name of political correctness that has only recently come to my attention.

Back in December, Angelica Florio wrote an article for the Bustle website titled, “These 13 Jokes From ‘Seinfeld’ Are Super Offensive Now ─ Yes, That Includes the ‘Soup Nazi.'”  

The Soup Nazi from “Scouring past episodes of Seinfeld over its 10-year run from 1989-1998, Florio labored to draw up a damning list of offenses and insensitivities she described as “alienating marginalized groups in order to make people laugh.”  Among them were Kramer convincing Georg“Indian Giver” joking about a Native American, Jerry and George correcting a journalist who thought they were a gay couple (with Jerry uttering the famous line, “not that there’s anything wrong with that”) and George dating a woman that Kramer described as having a large nose.  You get the drift.

In another episode on Florio’s hit list, Jerry tells Elaine that he loves Chinese women and asks “If I like their race, how can that be racist?” 

As for the “Soup Nazi” episode, that became a Seinfeld classic, the target of that label was a nasty proprietor who abused his customers crowding in-line for delicious offerings at a take-out soup shop.  As the dictator of the soup kitchen he would shout, “No soup for you!” to anyone who incurred his disfavor.  

The episode in which Jerry and George explained that they were just friends not a gay couple actually won a media award from the gay-activist group, GLADD, for its positive treatment of gay and lesbian relationships.

CompleteColorado.com