Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Feeling the heat? Help our vendors keep cool. Buy a summer support kit for £35
BUY NOW
TV

Seinfeld: Classic sitcom's arrival to Netflix is the reset we all need

The arrival of Seinfeld on Netflix is great news – especially as one of its main characters fits in perfectly with our times, says Lucy Sweet

seinfeld

Jason Alexander’s George Costanza has been given new life by Netflix. Photo: AF Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Until very recently (ie: last week) the photo on my phone’s lock screen was not of my child, my husband or my dog. It was a pixelated screenshot of George Costanza from Seinfeld, slumped on a sofa with crisps all down the front of his jumper. Why? He’s my hero.

If you’ve never seen Seinfeld (and if you haven’t, watch it right now) George is one of life’s biggest losers – or winners, depending on how you look at it. He’s a balding, socially inept, lazy ingrate who lives with his parents and can’t hold down a relationship or a job. And now all nine seasons of the legendary Nineties sitcom have come to Netflix, I anticipate that George will quickly become the poster boy for our post-lockdown end times. 

You see, for audiences burnt out by the endless demands of capitalism, George Costanza is an icon. He rejects productivity by making himself virtually unemployable, and sits in a diner all day whining about nothing. He manages to weasel out of all responsibility, yet somehow manages to enjoy a certain level of success. He is a time millionaire who cheats the system so effectively he would now be the subject of New York Times articles and podcasts, marvelling at his audacious cunning.

The aimless slacker attitude that defined Gen X is now a soothing balm

In fact, things have changed so much in the last 30 years that when you watch Seinfeld now, it no longer looks like a sitcom about the trivial, empty lives of petty, self-absorbed New Yorkers. Their lifestyles are positively enviable. Who wouldn’t want to be Kramer, wallowing shirtless in his homemade sauna at 3pm on a Tuesday? Or Elaine, who goes out for dinner every night despite doing nothing all day at a publishing house? Or even Jerry, who works for approximately half an hour a night then spends the rest of the time mooching around and eating cereal? 

The aimless slacker attitude that defined Gen X is now a soothing balm. We crave a dose of that good old-fashioned Nineties nothingness like never before – an argument in a dry cleaners, a trip to the bagel shop, a mix-up about cinema tickets. What a luxury! And I can see the wheel of fashion turn as I watch it with my teenage son, who mooches around with his friends all day, eating cereal, going to charity shops, buying CDs, reading real books and craving a slower, more analogue life. I swear to god, George and his friends are going to be huge in 2022. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if beige sports jackets, checked shirts, wire-framed glasses and chinos were the hot look at the Met Gala next year, worn by Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet and Cara Delevingne. Late capitalism has failed us; it’s time for a reset.

So why don’t we all just close our laptops, fall asleep under our desks and Be More George? 

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

All nine seasons of Seinfeld are on Netflix

This article is taken from the latest edition of The Big Issue magazine. If you cannot reach local your vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

SIGN THE PETITION

Will you sign Big Issue's petition to ask Keir Starmer to pass a Poverty Zero law? It's time to hold government to account on poverty once and for all.

Recommended for you

View all
Rosie Jones: 'My disability benefits have been cut – but I'm one of the lucky ones'
TV

Rosie Jones: 'My disability benefits have been cut – but I'm one of the lucky ones'

St Denis Medical star Wendi McLendon-Covey: 'Lounging seats in movie theatres is a big mistake'
TV

St Denis Medical star Wendi McLendon-Covey: 'Lounging seats in movie theatres is a big mistake'

The Gold star Charlotte Spencer: 'Maybe we need to root for the heroes again'
Charlotte Spencer photographed by Matt Smith
TV

The Gold star Charlotte Spencer: 'Maybe we need to root for the heroes again'

Ex-England star Alex Scott: 'I went from playing football on my council estate to World Cups'
Letter to my younger self

Ex-England star Alex Scott: 'I went from playing football on my council estate to World Cups'

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know

Support our vendors with a subscription

For each subscription to the magazine, we’ll provide a vendor with a reusable water bottle, making it easier for them to access cold water on hot days.