Politixia
Some people sleep peacefully most nights and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Others toss and turn, replaying conversations in their minds, and wishing they had spoken up or said something funnier or more interesting. Most would probably agree that George Costanza (Jason Alexander), one of the hilarious main characters from the 1990s comedy Seinfeld, fits the latter description. Unlike his friends Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Kramer (Michael Richards), and Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), who move confidently through life, George is never convinced that he measures up or that he’s on the right path.
George’s funniest Seinfeld quotes shine a spotlight on his insecurities and make us think about our own lives. While most of them are so funny that I could have included them, I want to talk about one particular line that many still quote, almost three decades since the episode aired.
George Has a Perfect Quote in the ‘Seinfeld’ Episode ‘The Comeback’
While George rarely gets along with coworkers or has a good time during any social interaction, he has a particularly awful experience in Season 8, Episode 13, “The Comeback.” When George eats a lot of shrimp during a meeting, his coworker says, “Hey George, the ocean called; they’re running out of shrimp.” George doesn’t know what to say, but later, he thinks:
“Well, the jerk store called, and they’re running out of you.”
Anyone who has left a party or get-together with friends or family and thought of the best comeback can relate to George. For some strange reason, many of us freeze when we’re in the moment, and only come up with something clever or humorous later on. I think this George quote is so funny because it speaks to a fascinating topic: the anxiety that results from overthinking. This is a theme that comes up often on the sitcom. Whether George is telling a unique story or dreaming of being an architect, he never seems to relax and think that everything is fine.
Of course, since this is George, whose life often quickly spirals out of control, things get worse. When he does come up with his “jerk store” comeback, he tries to say it, but the situation becomes truly embarrassing. He keeps saying the wrong thing and insults his co-worker’s wife, who is in a coma. When most people find themselves in this situation, they can simply shrug and vow to be more confident next time. Or maybe they’ll decide that life is too short to worry so much about saying the perfect thing all the time. That’s definitely a healthier approach. I like that even when we watch a silly episode like “The Comeback,” Seinfeld can encourage us to not be so concerned about the little things in life that don’t matter.
On the one hand, we could say that George’s life never gets better on the still popular TV show, and that’s unsettling to think about. On the other hand, we could say that he still has more than a lot of people. Sure, he might famously say that he’s unemployed and living with his parents. But he also has good friends, some interesting jobs, and an exciting life in New York City filled with random adventures and new experiences. I think George can teach us to be optimistic and not put so much pressure on ourselves.
Even though we can learn from George, he never learns any big lessons throughout all nine seasons. This was on purpose since Seinfeld co-creator Larry David decided there would be “no hugging, no learning” on the 1990s series. We never see him figure out the smartest response or feel that he’s thriving. I’m probably not the only one who enjoys watching George no matter what he’s doing, and when I think of this episode, I like remembering his hilarious “jerk store” comment.
- Release Date
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1989 – 1998-00-00
- Network
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NBC
- Writers
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Darin Henry, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Bill Masters, Bruce Kirschbaum, Steve O’Donnell, Tom Leopold, Don McEnery, Greg Daniels, Jon Hayman, Kit Boss, Lawrence H. Levy, Matt Goldman, Matt Selman, Billy Kimball, Fred Stoller, Charlie Rubin, Steve Lookner, Steve Skrovan
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