Seinfeld: 5 Times Jerry Was An Overrated Character (& 5 He Was Underrated)
Originally, Seinfeld's pilot episode did not garner much confidence from the execs at NBC, and remained in limbo for months. No matter, because it soon tore through television like a firestorm, creating vast territories for more shows of its kind to take over.
The four main characters are largely intolerable, and Jerry is least so — he acts more like a neutral observer rather than take part in the many, many misadventures. There are many things about him that place him on a pedestal, but an equal number that show why his presence is overvalued.
10 Overrated: His Comedy Career
Jerry is a funny guy, enough to make a comfortable living through his stand-up routine. Unlike his real-life counterpart, however, his comic stylings are limited to the stage (as the show-about-nothing within the show-about-nothing doesn't pan out.) Jerry's profession is mocked in Seinfeld itself, when various events collude to mess up his performances.
The best one is when goes to perform at his junior high school, but gets bumped and booed off-stage. Later, the scenario repeats itself when he gets bumped by David Letterman — the reason being his pathetic act at a school assembly.
9 Underrated: His Love For His Parents
Jerry can't stand Uncle Leo's constant neediness (but more importantly, the unwarranted praise he heaps on his mediocre son.) But he sure does love his parents a lot. In fact, he has tried to buy expensive things for them in several episodes, from Cadillacs to couches, but Helen and Morty always turn him down.
Unlike George, who has a love-loathe relationship with his parents, Jerry is always happy to see his own come stay with him in NYC, and even visits them in Florida on a regular basis.
8 Overrated: The Pirate Shirt
Jerry only wears the frilly white monstrosity in The Puffy Shirt, because Kramer's girlfriend is a "low talker", and he had no idea what he was getting himself into. The outfit in question is, indeed, a (repulsive) sight to behold.
His appearance on the Today Show is an unmitigated disaster, with Bryant Gumbel needling him about his fashion choice until Jerry angrily criticizes the pirate shirt. This results in Leslie losing all her retail contracts, leaving her a total mess. In the end, at least the homeless men get some clothing to wear.
7 Underrated: His Lack Of Personal Problems
Surrounded by bunch of animals in human form, Jerry's peaceful life offers a stark contrast to his friends' perennial fiascos. He is generally cheerful, mainly because he knows when not to get involved (for the most part.)
In The Opposite, Jerry endures a fluctuating series of events that somehow result in him "breaking even." He is wealthy enough to afford his place, as well as casually invest in expensive stocks, and lend Elaine $5000 (the reason is irrelevant.)
6 Overrated: His OCD
Mental disorders are nothing to make fun of, least of all ones like OCD — a condition that leaves afflicted people completely exhausted. Jerry's "condition" is being a little too anal, at best, but other characters accuse him of being a Nazi for his insistence on specifications.
His hygiene overcompensation has led to some funny moments, however, like when he throws away belts and shoelaces because they happen to touch unsanitary surfaces.
5 Underrated: His Nicknames For Himself
The flair for wordplay is strong in Jerry Seinfeld. In addition to coming up with inventive names for random objects (like Golden Boy), he often creates some for himself. For instance, he is so confident of winning The Contest, that he refers to himself as the "Lord of the Manor", perhaps a little prematurely.
While showing Elaine how much his luggage organization skills have improved in The Robbery, he proudly announces that he is "The Master Packer". Sometimes, though, his ego gets in the way, like when he requests that he be called "Jerry the Great" because he is jealous of all the attention given to The Maestro.
4 Overrated: His Serial Dating Habits
Like George, Jerry loves to date (without the burden of a long-term relationship.) In fact, when his mother asks him how long he plans to "look" for a girlfriend, he says, "I'm going for the record."
Aside from Jeannie, he has not dated the same woman for longer than a couple of episodes: he flits, like a fussy butterfly, from flower to flower without settling on one. Jerry's choices in women are borderline questionable, for instance he dates Marla simply because she is a virgin, a fact that excites him immensely.
3 Underrated: His Guest Star Girlfriends
Though he seems allergic to serious relationships, the women (well, actresses on the show) that Jerry has been involved with are downright phenomenal.
Some of the celebrities include Courteney Cox (Friends), Debra Messing (Will & Grace), Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), Lori Loughlin (Full House), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) and Jane Leeves (Frasier), all of whom were either stars already or went on to make a name for themselves in TV and film. It is truly a most impressive list.
2 Overrated: Hello, Newman!
The bad blood between Jerry and Newman is exaggerated beyond belief. There is no real reason for their feud, except that it just... exists, almost as if he is playing Lex Luthor to Jerry's Superman.
Jerry never fails to show his disdain for Newman's postal worker job, calling him his "sworn enemy". The only time they work together is when Kramer acts as a buffer for their animosity, and knowing him, he doesn't really do a good job of keeping the peace.
1 Underrated: He Appears In All 180 Episodes
Kramer, George and Elaine have all missed appearing in an episode or two, but not Jerry. He is the central character, the unbiased base on which the framework for the entire narrative rests. As a testament to this fact, the first name of the show was The Seinfeld Chronicles.
Strangely enough, his pervasiveness doesn't quite preclude the other three from having their own shining moments. All four main roles were nominated for numerous Primetime Emmy awards (but only Kramer and Elaine came out victorious.)