The emblematic episode of Seinfeld “ the opposite ” borrowed its roots from the pilot
In the “Seinfeld” episode of 1994, the opposite “, George (Jason Alexander) begins to understand that his instinct for … Well, because everything is not reliable. He considers that each decision he has taken has been incorrect and has a revelation: if he does the opposite of all that his instincts say to him, then his life will improve. He immediately begins. Proximity to Monk’s Café, George gets up and speaks to him.
Advertisement
George’s anti-instincts continue to appear. He refuses to get into Victoria’s apartment after a date, for example. He also stops shaving and overcoming his shyness to face the Ruffians in a cinema. The “opposite” philosophy seems to work for him. We could expect that George’s plan will end up exploding on his face, but in a rare turn of events, everything works for him. His instinct led him to a job interview with the New York Yankees where he criticizes George Steinbrenner in the face. He obtains the work (!) And leaves the place of his parents. George can succeed in life. He just had to be the opposite of who he was.
“The opposite” was broadcast towards the end of the fifth season of “Seinfeld”, while the series has already been a gigantic success. Attentive viewers can however remember that George had already launched his “opposite” philosophy in the pilot episode of the show. It seems that George has already had the key to success and personal happiness but simply had not worked on recklessness. This is one of the only times that things went well for the character and one of the best episodes of “Seinfeld” overall. Do not worry, however, George ends up getting back slowly to his usual snifting self.
Advertisement
The premise for the contrary was openly announced in the Pilot Seinfeld
For those who were not attentive enough to remember the program’s pilot line (which was entitled “The Seinfeld Chronicles” and was hated by the test audience before his first in 1989), “Seinfeld” the co-creator Larry David indicated in his comment on one of the DVDs in the series. We can remember a scene where George gives advice to Jerry via the following exchange:
Advertisement
“Never do what your instincts tell you. Always – always! – Do the opposite.”
“And that’s how you work?”
“Yeah, I wish it.”
On the features of the DVD, Alexander also noted that the fans had approached him, telling him that they had personally adopted the “opposite” philosophy of George … and prospered. He added that he actually knew “a handful of guys” who tried philosophy “for a considerable period”, and that worked perfectly for them. It seems that if you feel that your instincts are false, and all you are trying to do is bad, then George’s philosophy can be achievable.
Of course, the joke of the episode is that, even if George Prospers, Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) begins to fail. At the end of the episode, she was dropped by her boyfriend, was expelled from her apartment, annul her boss and made her business close. She notes that she has “become George”. Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), on the other hand, represents a kind of Zen balance, having known no fortune or unhappiness all week. He lost a comedy concert only to have another pop-up five minutes later. The balance between fortune and misfortune seems cosmic in “The opposite”, which has led a lot to consider it very strongly. And to think, the seeds were planted five seasons earlier.
Advertisement
