Kramer Gets Bullied by Mean Gays
Added 2023-01-18 20:55:15 +0000 UTC“The Sponge” (December 7, 1995)
You know one thing Seinfeld did right that many of its metropolitan sitcom imitators didn’t? It had mean gays — specifically Bob and Cedric, a gay couple that shows up three times throughout the series run to exert queer menace on Kramer. They figure into a plot that’s otherwise centered on Elaine’s birth control, and their demand that Kramer wear an AIDS ribbon allows us to discuss various issues related to virtue signaling, talking talks vs. walking walks and getting called out online.
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Comments
I actually forgot Patti was on this show! That's a great point.
Drew Mackie
2023-02-14 06:16:25 +0000 UTCPatti Harrison as Ruthie from Shrill is a good example of an anti “angel trans” character! She’s not so much a villain but is kinda a menace and doesn’t do her office job well and I love her
emma
2023-02-12 18:13:22 +0000 UTCAs a born and raised New Yorker of the time, I will say that you are absolutely correct that they do way too much city driving on Seinfeld. And the line of "i’ll just park (or just pull up)“ is some BS because you don’t just park, you hunt for a parking spot no matter where in the five boroughs you are. At best he might have double parked, but knowing George that would’ve given him anxiety worrying about if the cops were going to show up and make him move. And it’s not as though they’re using the driving aspect to see things happening on the streets. They could’ve built a train car set and dressed it up differently to signify any of the three lines. There’s even an episode where George is happier than a pig in the proverbial over the fact that he found the perfect parking spot, that holy Grail of New Yorkers who own cars. 90% of the people who own cars and live in the five boroughs use them to commute, the rest are just gluttons for punishment.
Vanessa Lopez
2023-01-20 13:22:11 +0000 UTCGreat GEE episode. Liked the discussion at the end as well. I really remember thinking it was odd for me personally, that the straight people in this show are concerned about non-STD-protecting sponge in an episode with an AIDS walk. Especially since this aired like 4 years post Magic Johnson's announcement.
Jason Ullmer
2023-01-19 19:28:36 +0000 UTCI always thought Jonathan on 30 Rock was a low-key gay villain. Mostly because of his disdain for Liz and for anything that gets in the way of his unrequited love for Jack.
Sandip Sarma
2023-01-19 18:49:23 +0000 UTCHe does!
Drew Mackie
2023-01-19 16:28:55 +0000 UTCWe do give Lexi a shout-out at the end of our Saved by the Bell episode. I would go back and do the reboot but am very sad that it got canceled. We loved Lexi.
Drew Mackie
2023-01-19 16:28:40 +0000 UTCThough Mateo on Superstore is one of the main protagonists he’s constantly rude to every single person on the show, especially in the early seasons. I’d say he counts.
Zach Wilson
2023-01-19 15:58:18 +0000 UTCLexi in the Saved by the Bell reboot gets to be a trans girl who’s also the mean rich popular girl. Maybe not a true villain, but gets to be an antagonist at least
Valerie Santia
2023-01-19 06:24:43 +0000 UTCOh this is a good point. We haven't done a Leon episode — and we should. And he is an antagonist, if not a villain outright.
Drew Mackie
2023-01-19 06:10:12 +0000 UTCPausing to ask, I wonder if you’d count Leon from Roseanne. He’s not a villain to me - he stands up to Roseanne and doesn’t put up with her shit - but he’s not angelic per se.
Erin Fletcher
2023-01-19 05:44:32 +0000 UTC
