By Ethan Franke
There are not many shows to have graced cable television in the same way as Seinfeld. The hit 90’s sitcom was strange to some, but loved by many, and my mother Maureen Franke most definitely LOVED Seinfeld.
“I’ve watched the same episodes over and over, and I still always find myself laughing,” Franke said, recalling her love for the popular Emmy award-winning show.
It was as if my mum could picture herself sitting there, cackling at the TV, when I asked how impactful Seinfeld was upon her first watch.
Franke was just 19 when she moved from Indonesia to Australia to study at uni in Sydney.
“I started watching because at my student accommodation, there was only one comedy channel on the TV, but when I first saw Seinfeld, I was hooked,” Franke said.
Many years later, my mother would find herself watching episode reruns on Channel 11, sometimes with her son cheekily sat beside her.
“I’d always look forward to us watching Seinfeld together after you’d finished your homework. It was nice having tea and dessert with you and watching almost every night.”
Even if it was getting late and I had school the next day, Franke would often be holding back tears, too busy guffawing at the screen to notice I was up past my bedtime.
Even now at 48, there’s not many shows that Franke could recall enjoying as much as Seinfeld.
“The scenes felt natural, I never liked shows like Friends because of how dramatic the acting was. With Seinfeld, it felt genuine, the issues they talked about were relatable and I’d go: ‘Oh yeah, sometimes I do that too’.”
Franke could recall many memorable scenes and quips over Seinfeld’s decade-long airing. From George’s parallel parking standoff, to the iconic “Cartwright” Chinese Restaurant scene. Of course, like many others, one of her favourites was the infamous Soup Nazi episode.
On a regular basis throughout my childhood, Franke would struggle to hold back from randomly spurting out the phrase “NO SOUP FOR YOU!”, which just went to show the continuous relevance the show had for her.
When I asked her about her favourite character, Franke’s response was quite interesting.
“I love Kramer because he’s so silly and so annoying,” she said.
“It’s funny because I know if I was Jerry, I wouldn’t be able to put up with him, but that’s what makes it even funnier. I can laugh knowing that he is Jerry’s neighbour and not mine.”
There is no doubt that Seinfeld is and always will be one of Franke’s favourite shows, a series that she will always come back to for a good laugh.
It’s safe to say that the next time my mother sits down to watch Seinfeld on the TV and laugh her heart out, I’ll probably be sat there grinning beside her.
Featured image: The iconic comedy’s core four. Photo: Flapa/CC/flickr
