Seinfeld's Elaine Benes, Explained: Comedy’s Unconventional Feminist Heroine

Seinfeld Delaine Bennis is one of the most iconic and hilarious characters of the 9s played by the comedy Legend Julia Lou Gus she stood out for being the only woman of the friend group but also because she was at least at first also less cynical than her friends her confidence and Unapologetic attitude were refreshing and radical and her character opened the door for so many of our faves that followed after so let's turn back the clock and analyze what made Elaine so different why she became such an iconic and beloved character and how even if she wasn't always a great person she still managed to be a new kind of role model originally introduced as Jerry's ex-girlfriend with a humanitarian but somewhat snobbish personality elain occupies a strange position in this cynical crew of professional Slackers for starters she isn't a New York native like Jerry George and Kramer Elaine grew up in Maryland and according to Jerry had a fairly cushy upbringing how about our little Elaine huh tended the finest finishing schools on the Eastern seat board equestrian competitions Debbie conon Falls look at her now interviewing Moes Ela is emblematic of a certain kind of City transplant she's an educated privileged white woman with liberal values not afraid to stand up for what's right even when her pleas fall on deaf ears tuna oh the dolphin thing they're dying in the nest you know the whole concept of lunch is based on tuna over time we begin to see the cracks in elain's external moral righteousness revealing her to be just as narcissistic and judgmental as the rest of her friend group ela's character Arc is on brand for co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's sardonic sense of humor The Secret Sauce in David and Seinfeld's comedic prowess is that everyone is fair game especially those in society who care more about appearing ethical to further their own agendas sound familiar no no don't don't touch the hair so why do we love Elaine despite all her character flaws she speaks her mind regardless of the consequences and isn't afraid to challenge societal or gender norms even if it makes her somewhat of a pariah they act as if having a baby takes some kind of Talent come on you want to have a baby why because I can she's an agent of chaos and behaves in a way that was considered radical for women on television in the '90s oh all right you think I've got germs I'll give you some germs in other words Elaine Benz was a character ahead of her time she's ambitious honest confident in her sexuality and utterly self-serving when Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld pitched the series to NBC the network said it was two male Centric and would only green light Seinfeld on the condition they add a female cast member which explains why Elaine appears in the second episode and not the pilot typical of male writers Elaine's Journey Begins in close proximity to Jerry as his ex-girlfriend now friend and there's a feeling of tension between them as they navigate a new platonic terrain Wall Street ah hi Finance Bulls Bears people from Connecticut and he happens to be pretty good-looking all right sir as the show goes on Elaine and Jerry grow more comfortable talking about their dating lives and through Jerry Elaine becomes friends with George and Kramer as the only woman in a prominantly male friend group Elaine falls into the potential trappings of the pikme girl archetype which has become a mem worthy term for women who prioritize male validation by Framing themselves Superior to other women elain the mollusk travels from Alaska to Chile just for a shot at another mollus you think you're any better yes I think I am better than the MLL and while it is ECT that Elaine doesn't have any close girlfriends on the show she doesn't really fit into the pickme girl Trope either especially given the fact that she bullies Jerry George and Kramer relentlessly and often puts them in their place when they deserve it Ela what is wrong with my body chicken wing shoulder blades that being said Elaine is also far from a girl's girl and is more concerned about advancing her own career and Personal Agenda than lifting up other women you know what I don't have one female friend left oh no of course you don't they're a man's woman you hate other women and they hate you which is what makes her such an enigma and arguably a Trailblazer in the sitcom landscape which allowed for more morally flawed female characters that were also beloved for their relatability girls are so pretty it's should smile elen's character defies the categories that women are often put in comedy such as the bimbo or nag stereotypes which allowed her to move on in equal place play field with the men on the show rivaling Jerry Elaine has a rotating Rolodex of men she dates who she typically breaks up with at the end of each episode over Petty grievances like the way I'm talking right now I will put exclamation points at the ends of all of these sentences on this one and on that one you can put one on this one I'm leaving and while her love life is Central to her story lines Elaine ultimately always chooses herself which is rare for a female character in a TV genre that often relegated women to desperate for love stereotypes what am I doing I'm on a date with this guy because he didn't remember me he's demented listen to him Elaine never compromises she goes after what she wants no matter what it can be hard for us in real life to do the same when it seems like there are so many things in life you have to compromise on like finding a nice apartment but with a neighbor learning to play drums at all hours of the night or finding a new favorite show and just having to Hope hope it doesn't get cancelled but the one place you shouldn't have to compromise is your health so don't skip out on making an appointment because there's such a hassle to book or go back to that one doctor who doesn't even seem to listen to anything you have to say during the appointment 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72 hours and you can even score same day appointments using Zach do has made finding and booking a doctor so much easier for me if you want to give them a try go to Zach do.com thetake and download the Zach do app for free then find and book a toprated doctor today that's zocdoc.com thetake ZD do.com thetake Seinfeld constantly pokes at society's assumptions about people ESP differences concerning men and women these binary assumptions often come up in conversation between elain and the Gang where Elaine dispels them of their ignorant Notions with me well you faked with me yeah you faked with me yeah in one episode the group makes a bet with each other on who can stay abstinent the longest the guys of course assume elain won't participate in the game because they believe women aren't as sexual as men we have to do it it's part of our lifestyle it's like like a shaving oh that is such a baloney I shave my legs not every day ironically elain is the first to lose the bet when she catches the eye of John Kennedy Jr at a yoga class and nearly goes mad with desire I think you made quite an impression on him yesterday what what who me me me I made an impression what impression let me just put this back no no no tell me now the show at times plays with the classic sitcom Dynamic of the woman being desired by her male friend group especially with Jerry and ela's will they won't they situation early on but to the show's credit Jerry and Elaine don't end up together it's clear that Elaine despite having a history with Jerry has no intention of being with him or any of the other men in their friend group as a character she was given her own agency to go out and date and sleep with guys in a way that at the time was usually reserved for male characters you don't think she'd yada yada sex I've yada yaded sex what you y yed over the best part no I mentioned the bisque Elaine didn't need to be in love let alone in life with the men she dated sometimes her desire to be with a man was just as shallow as Jerry's or George's motives aim he's an exciting charismatic man who just happens to have a perfect face Oh I thought you didn't care about his looks I lied and it's worth noting her on andof relationship with David putty who she didn't even like that much was purely physical that's so sweet all right come [Music] here all right I got to go home and get a change before the game I'll be back we'll make up in the '90s feminism expanded even further into the realm of sexual politics advocating for women to reclaim their sexuality as a form of empowerment that existed outside the institution of marriage however it was still pretty taboo for women to talk about birth control on TV which made elain's openness about her sex life and her sponge on Seinfeld so radical for its time I was talking to this guy you know and I just happened to throw my purse on the sofa and my diet Fram goes flying out Elaine wasn't embarrassed about being sexual even finding the humor in things that should be embarrassing she helped destigmatize important conversations about sex like for example chiding George for not knowing what birth control his fiance uses women are really loyal to their birth control methods what does Susan use I don't know you don't know I uh figure it's something she also doesn't Pander to society's expectations about women needing to be modest with their sexuality yeah 25 sponges is just fine 25 yeah you said with 25 yeah yeah just give me the whole case I'll be on my in addition to her friendship with the guys and the ups and downs of her love life the biggest focus of Elaine's Story was her work life as an editor in the publishing industry there seems to be an inordinate a number of exclamations well I um I felt that the writing lacked a certain emotion and intensity aside from Jerry Elaine has the most stable career in her friend group and even enjoys her job which supports her independent lifestyle and became fertile ground for Side Stories That spun comedy gold out of everyday grievances at a 9 to-5 corporate job hey Walter what is the deal with that guy he's Lou Ferman he's new here hey your coffee stain looks like Fidel Castro you've been an enormous help from egocentric bosses to mandatory birthday celebrations some of Elaine's funniest moments are when she struggles to uphold social niceties in a corporate atmosphere you know there 200 people who work in this office every day is somebody's special day in season 5 Elaine finally gets the promotion she sought after for years at pendant I can't tell you how much I appreciate this I mean of course I deserve it well you're really on your way now but in typical sein felian fashion Fate has other plans her addiction to juif fruit candy stops her from giving a sniveling Mr Litman his handkerchief which leads to a disastrous end to a merger deal that was supposed to save the company why' you have to eat so many because they're juif fruit I like them I didn't know it would start a chain reaction that would lead to the end dependent publishing from that point on Elaine embarks on a downward career trajectory working for eccentric ego Maniacs like Mr lip and The Adventurous catalog CEO Jay Peterson and while her chaotic work life is often exaggerated for comedic effect what elain experiences as a woman trying to save her career is painfully relatable Grace isn't something you can pick up if Market all right all right look I don't have Grace I don't want Grace I don't even say grace okay thank you for coming in she has to finesse her way into a job jump I was a great admirer of Mrs Onessa only to suffer under the tyranny of a rich man who has too much time on his hands her season with Mr lip is emblematic of women who burn out trying to impress their male bosses only to get screwed over in the end you're fired elain goodbye when she lands a job at J Peterman catalog her work life gets even more absurd as she becomes entangled in peterman's extravagant schemes and Bizarre Adventures are you an assassin I I work for your mail order catalog while Peterman is a Kinder boss than Mr lip he's also a terrible boss putting Elaine in situations that are above her pay grade the letter of authenticity is side pocket there I never knew Kennedy had such a temper oh yeah the only thing worse was his slice but then something miraculous happens Elaine gets her big break I can run that catalog no longer what who's going to do it what about you me why me why indeed all those years of drudgery and shoulder rubbing have finally paid off but even when the opportunity arises Elaine second guesses herself again Seinfeld veers into social commentary while being characteristically unserious no one's going to listen to you I am not qualified to run the catalog you're not qualified to work at the catalog ela's reaction is common for women who get promoted to a senior rank 75% of female Executives experience impostor syndrome in the workplace as Luciana poiz puts it despite having education certifications and training it is hard for women to feel comfortable with who they are and see their worth ironically it's Kramer the unemployed grifter of the group who reminds Elaine what she's capable of I can't run the catalog who whoa can't when did that word enter your vocab I know how to do it pair of pants stupid story a huge markup I can do that and Elaine takes to power like a duck to water of course the power goes to her head and ela's inflated ego is Warped into the butt of a joke guess who just finished laying out her first issue of the J Peterman catalog how's it look it's a peak when she discovers that Kramer's career advice was inspired by a kid's karate class Ela is quickly humbled and realizes that her first big splash as the new boss was a big flly what is that the Urban Sombrero I put it on the cover Ela is a perfect representation of a satirical Early Girl boss fumbling her way professionally and rolling with whatever punches Karma has in store for her and the Gang while never losing her confidence elain's career trajectory takes another turn when she leaves J Peterman and briefly pursues her entrepreneurial aspirations she partners with Kramer to start a business selling muffin tops capitalizing on the popular part of the muffin while discarding the bottoms it's where the muffin breaks free of the pan and sort of does its own thing despite initial success their Venture ultimately fails due to health code violations and the impracticality of their business model following the failure of the muffin top business flop Elaine returns to editing at pendant publishing but that doesn't mean she's free from misadventure no point in wasting 1,200 bucks oh commanda isn't the wedding marvelous okay oh I shouldn't I mustn't now what the hell if there's one thing Elaine Bennis teaches us it's that sometimes enough is enough Ela you don't like the movie I hate it I'm going to Hell Fire great I'll wait for you outside Elaine doesn't mince her words especially around men even if it gets her labeled as difficult Elaine is difficult and that's why she's such an iconic character she doesn't cater to society's expectations of what women want or should be a lame you got to have a baby oh hey you know I had a piece of white fish over at Barney green grass the other day and she sticks to her values even if it costs her a relationship Ela is untethered from many of the gender roles that often pigeon hold women into one-dimensional roles in 9s film and TV and instead showcased a much more realistic and relatable version of Womanhood even her comedic outbursts are still very much rooted in her experience as a woman in a friend group of vain ridiculous men I don't like this thing the Elaine shove was apparently improvised by Julia Lou drus who drew from her own experience as a woman having to be aggressive in the male dominated comedy scene the shove elicited so many laughs from the audience that it became a signature trademark of the series showing the guys flying off screen whenever Elaine expressed her excitement or anger physically get out we wouldn't have shows like sex in the city or girls without characters like elain Bennis who normalized women being weird difficult Unapologetic and having healthy casual sex lives let alone sitcoms featuring self-obsessed zany protagonists like Abby and Alana from Broad City Elaine was a Trailblazer for women in TV comedies in particular allowing them to move in ways that were historically so often only afforded to men and while she may not be the most ethical character Elaine reminds us how liberating it can feel to speak one's mind even if you're the only one laughing in the room I have lost my fiance the poor baby maybe the dingo ate your baby what the dingo ate your baby that's the take click here to watch a video we think you'll love or here to check out a whole playlist of awesome content don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications and make 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Channel: The Take

Views: 30,908

Keywords: the take, video essay, video essays, seinfeld, seinfeld elaine, elaine benes, elaine benes best moments, 90s, 90s female characters, iconic female characters, female comedians, julia louis dreyfus, julia louis dreyfus elaine, elaine explained, elaine benes explained, why was elaine the only woman on seinfeld, jerry seinfeld, george costanza, kramer, elaine and jerry, funniest female characters, seinfeld explained, iconic characters, funny characters, funny women, nostalgia

Id: b0TDVLRgZHo

Length: 17min 51sec (1071 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 23 2024