If an award had been to be given to the most effective pretend vacation of all time, it will absolutely go to Festivus, the Christmas various made well-known by Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller) within the basic 1997 Seinfeld episode, “The Strike.” And the way might it not? With zany Festivus traditions just like the Airing of Grievances, the Feats of Energy, and an aluminum pole rather than a standard Christmas tree, Festivus is unparalleled when it comes to each humor and sheer ridiculousness.
Nevertheless, the occasions of “The Strike” aren’t as fictitious as they could seem. In actual fact, Seinfeld author Dan O’Keefe based mostly the episode (and Frank’s antics) on the precise vacation created and celebrated by his father (Daniel O’Keefe) within the early Nineteen Seventies, proving that reality is usually stranger than fiction. Regardless of not that includes vacation heat, sappy classes in regards to the significance of household, or postcard-perfect winterscapes suited to a Hallmark film, the episode stays important vacation viewing for displaying that simply because the vacations roll round does not imply that everybody ought to instantly flip chipper and nice, nor do all our detrimental, unwholesome traits merely simply disappear. That is proven via the conduct of George (Jason Alexander), Kramer (Michael Richards), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) all through the episode.
The Airing of Grievances
George is the epitome of cheapness and laziness, and these dominant traits particularly floor throughout the Christmas season. When his buddy, Tim Watly (Bryan Cranston), offers him a card stating that, “a donation has been made in your identify to the Youngsters’s Alliance,” George is appalled to have obtained a “pretend” reward. “Don’t you see how fallacious that’s?” he says, aghast. “The place’s your Christmas spirit? A watch for an eye fixed!” However relatively than sucking it up, George decides to start out handing out comparable donation “reward” playing cards to his co-workers from a charity known as The Human Fund. The one drawback? The Human Fund is not an actual charity. He invents the pretend charity as a way to get credit score for giving items with out truly spending any cash, all of the whereas gathering actual items (like cigars and fancy cufflinks) from his co-workers. Right here, George reveals that simply because Christmas comes round does not imply that he has to alter his low cost and lazy methods.
However George is not the one character whose shameful traits persist via the vacations. Kramer’s irritation and indifference in direction of societal norms are on full show when he resumes working at H&H Bagels after a 12-year strike. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm for bagel-making and getting his palms “again in that dough” shortly disappears when Frank introduces him to Festivus. “Frank,” he says, “this new vacation of yours is scratching me proper the place I itch.” He turns into so enamored with Festivus that he goes on strike — once more — when his boss refuses him break day work to have a good time it.
Does he present concern for his employment or the place his subsequent paycheck is coming from? He positive would not! He is Kramer, in any case. What he does present is his annoyance and outrage by picketing outdoors the bagel store with a wacky signal studying, “Festivus Sure! Bagels No!” Regardless that it is solely two days earlier than Christmas, he would not change his true colours, going as far as to take his antics a step additional by sabotaging the bagel machine. Ultimately, his buffoonery has penalties when he is fired from H&H. However in true Kramer trend, not solely is he unconcerned, however he is grateful to be free of the pressures of the working world.
Even Elaine is not resistant to revealing her true colours throughout the holidays. She matches Kramer’s quirks, irritation, and indifference along with her dishonesty. When she is hit on by an retro denim-vest-wearing man named Steve (Kevin McDonald), she offers him her normal pretend telephone quantity, hoping by no means to listen to from him once more. “I received Denim Vest checking me out,” she says, laughing. “Faux telephone quantity’s popping out tonight.” However her fast (although heartless) repair grows into a clumsy state of affairs when she realizes that she wrote the pretend telephone quantity on the again of her Atomic Sub loyalty card. Except she will get it again, she will not get her free sub. “I’ve eaten 23 dangerous subs,” she says, “I simply want another.” And so begins her quest to trace down Steve — to not apologize for her dishonesty, however to get again her Atomic Sub card so she will acquire her free sandwich. Whether or not her pals agree along with her conduct or not, Elaine is aware of what she needs, goes after it, and would not really feel responsible about it. She reveals that Christmas spirit or not, we do not have to really feel pressured to be additional form, sincere, or utterly change our personalities just because that is how society tells us we’re supposed to behave and really feel throughout the month of December.
Jerry is arguably probably the most level-headed and least neurotic of Seinfeld‘s fundamental characters, although his less-than-stellar character traits come into focus when he begins courting Gwen (Karen Fineman). Over the course of a number of dates, Jerry is horrified to seek out that she’s a “two-face,” somebody who seems to be engaging sooner or later and unattractive the following. “So, if I ask her out once more,” Jerry worries, “I do not know who’s displaying up: The great, the dangerous, or the ugly.” However Jerry solves this challenge by solely being seen along with her in locations the place the lighting is finest, just like the again sales space of the espresso store. Gwen is none the wiser. She believes that the change of surroundings is as a result of Jerry is dishonest on her and needs to maintain his “actual” girlfriend from discovering them. “That is why we’re at all times hiding in that espresso store!” she says. “He is afraid of getting caught.”
Jerry’s deal with his girlfriend’s look heightens his excessive vainness and obsession together with his many girlfriends’ bodily magnificence. Whereas it might be the season of giving, it is not the season of creating judgmental observations about your important different. However as cringe-worthy and important as Jerry’s conduct is, the Christmas season has no sway on him persevering with to indicate his much less admirable traits. He would not really feel responsible about it. And if we discover ourselves harboring comparable detrimental emotions within the lead-up to Christmas, “The Strike” tells us that we should not both.
With its pessimistic and Grinch-like view of the vacation season, “The Strike” is half-hour of memorable (and cringe-worthy) humor that does not match the mould of the sappy and heart-warming Christmas specials that normally inundate the month of December. It tells us it is acceptable — and offers us permission — to really feel the detrimental emotions we could really feel all all year long. Whether or not we determine with George’s cheapness, Kramer’s indifference, Elaine’s dishonesty, or Jerry’s vainness, it is all okay. As a result of though the climate grows chilly, Christmas lights line the streets, and everybody maxes out their bank cards to purchase items for family and friends, it does not imply that our whole outlook on life has to alter together with the season. It is a releasing realization, one which Seinfeld‘s fundamental characters appear to have realized early on. And if we’re capable of do the identical and minimize ourselves some slack for not being 100% heat, welcoming, and chipper all via the vacation season, nicely…that might be an everyday Festivus miracle.
