The first episode of Seinfeld aired in 1989. Thirty-five years later, the show remains at the apex of American culture. People speak in Seinfeld-isms, they flirt on dating apps over Seinfeld, they rewatch old episodes of Seinfeld when they’re feeling down. And, in the case of the Weiss family, Lou still watches it every night from 11 pm to 12 am on the local Pittsburgh station before he goes to sleep. People around the world even learn English watching Seinfeld!
It is not hyperbole to say that Seinfeld is one of the most influential shows of all time.
Seinfeld was supposedly a show about nothing, but that’s what made it so universal. Everyone can relate to trying to find your car in a parking garage. Everyone knows the feeling when their book is overdue at the library and they don’t want to pay the overdue fee. Everyone can relate to the frustration of waiting for a table at a restaurant. If you didn’t—or don’t—laugh during Seinfeld, something was wrong with you.
All of which is why it was a bit strange and unexpected when a few months ago Jerry Seinfeld suddenly became “controversial.” In early October, Jerry—along with 700 other Hollywood stars—signed a letter condemning Hamas and calling for the return of the hostages. For that crime—the crime of saying terrorism is bad and innocent people should be released—crowds started protesting the events he was attending, the speeches he was giving, and heckling him in public.
A few weeks ago, when Jerry gave the commencement address at Duke University, some students walked out in protest. Then, his standup set was disrupted by protesters, to which Seinfeld quipped: “I love a little Jew-hate to spice up the show.” The crowd applauded.
Jerry Seinfeld made the most successful show about a Jew to ever exist. This was no small feat. In fact, one NBC executive, after watching the Seinfeld pilot for the first time in 1989, didn’t think it should even go to air. He said it was “too New York and too Jewish.”
And yet…it worked. And as Seinfeld spent years making Jewishness an iconic part of American pop culture, Jerry says he experienced not a drop of anti-Semitism.
But now, during a time that is supposed to be the most inclusive, the most sensitive, the most accepting, and the most tolerant time in human history, Jerry Seinfeld is targeted for being a Jew.
Jerry often says that the audience is everything. That’s the whole point of comedy. There is no joke if nobody laughs. But today on Honestly, we ask Jerry if he still trusts the audience in an age where the audience can start to feel like a mob?
You’ve probably heard or seen Jerry somewhere recently—from The New Yorker to GQ to… every podcast in the world. That’s because he has a new movie out called Unfrosted, which you should definitely go watch on Netflix. It’s hilarious, heartwarming, and you will love it.
But today’s conversation with Jerry is unlike the ones you’ve heard. He’s unfiltered. He’s emotional. And he’s speaking his mind.
There is in certain circles a widely held belief that the only proper kind of knowledge is scientific knowledge. This belief often runs parallel to the notion that legitimate knowledge is obtained when a scientist follows a rigorous investigative procedure called the 'scientific method'.
InDo the Humanities Create Knowledge? (Cambridge UP, 2023), Chris Haufe challenges this idea. He shows that what we know about the so-called scientific method rests fundamentally on the use of finely tuned human judgments directed toward certain questions about the natural world. He suggests that this dependence on judgment in fact reveals deep affinities between scientific knowledge and another, equally important, sort of comprehension: that of humanistic creative endeavour. His wide-ranging and stimulating new book uncovers the unexpected unity underlying all our efforts – whether scientific or arts-based – to understand human experience. In so doing, it makes a vital contribution to broader conversation about the value of the humanities in an increasingly STEM-saturated educational culture.
If it is agreed that the humanities are valuable and essential, are there better and worse ways in which to generate humanistic knowledge? This book offers compelling answers.
Chris Haufe is the Elizabeth M. and William C. Treuhaft Professor of the Humanities and Chair of the Department of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University. He is the author of How Knowledge Grows (2022) and Fruitfulness (2024).
Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter.
An obscure carved stone dug up from a vineyard in southern Italy tells the story of a pair of publicans- the delightfully named Calidius Eroticus and Fannia Voluptas- and their bawdy adventures in the pub trade. Fans of Frankie Howard, the Carry On films and the sitcom Plebs will instantly feel at home with the Roman sense of humour, but these two characters have so much more to offer than lame jokes and a glass of rough wine- they’re our window into the fascinating bar culture of the Romans.
Most urban Romans had neither the facilities nor the time to cook their own food so meals were eaten and drinks drunk from bars. New discoveries at Pompeii reveal the complex stratification of the culture, from the most basic takeaways to dining rooms that mimicked the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
Producer: Alasdair Cross
Cast: Robert Wilfort and Tyler Cameron
Expert contributors: Allison Emmerson, Tulane University, Claire Holleran, Exeter University and Sophie Hay, Archaeological Park of Pompeii
Special thanks to Antonio Valerio of Campi Valerio and Museo Archeologico di Santa Maria delle Monache, Isernia
There are millions of different insect species in the world. All of them fill some niche in the ecosystem in which they live.
However, some species are more important than others. In particular, insect species that are members of the family Apidae, or what you probably know as bees.
Bees are some of the most important pollinators in the world. They are responsible for a large amount of plant reproduction worldwide.
Learn more about bees, what they are and their importance on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
We'll tell you about a massive tornado outbreak that ripped across more than a dozen states over the weekend.
Also, we're talking about some of the hurdles Americans faced as Memorial Day travel broke records.
Plus, a video game maker and social media giant are being sued over a shooting; backlash is growing over Google's AI search overview, and athletes brought home titles and huge cash prizes in different sports.
Those stories and more news to know in about 10 minutes!
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has called a rare special legislative session starting today to ensure President Joe Biden’s name appears on the state’s November ballot. But Ohio Democrats say Republicans are using it as a pretext to pass legislation that would make it harder for people to fund local ballot initiatives, like the one that enshrined abortion protections in the state’s constitution last year. Ohio House Democratic Minority Leader Allison Russo explains what’s at stake.
House and Senate Democrats areamping up the pressure on Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself from two current cases involving former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Their calls come after The New York Times reported two right-wing flags flying outside homes owned by Alito in the last few years. Jay Willis, the editor-in-chief of the website Balls and Strikes, says it’s more evidence the court needs more than an ethics code to fix its reputation problems.
And in headlines: Closing arguments in Trump’s criminal hush money trial are scheduled to start today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a missile attack that killed dozens of Palestinians at a tent camp in Rafah was a “tragic mistake,” and the Libertarian Party selected Chase Oliver as its presidential nominee during its convention Sunday.
In this episode, Rivers and Sam are hangin' out at Disgraceland with comedians George Coffey and Seth Pomeroy! We're starting this one out by testing an energy drink made by legendary boxing and wrestling announcer Michael Buffer that Rivers found at a Big Lots in Cleveland, OH. We then get into some local news involving an 81 year-old Dennis the Menace-style terrorist in East L.A. County as well as some political news involving the always-amusing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. George tells us about his recent involvment in aviation and Rivers talks about his favorite inventor. Everyone except Seth saw 'Furiosa' and Quiet Riot's "Cum on Feel the Noize" (yes, that's how it's spelled) is our JAM OF THE WEEK! This one is a banger and we can't wait for y'all to hear it. Follow George on Instagram @CoffeyGrams and on Twitter @GeorgeCoffey. Also, follow his hilarious page @GoLocalMetro on Twitter. Follow Seth on all forms of social media @SethPomeroy and follow his WONDERFUL movie review show on Instagram @SethsFirstImpressions. Follow our show on Twitter @TheGoodsPod. Rivers is @RiversLangley Sam is @SlamHarter Carter is @Carter_Glascock Subscribe on Patreon for an UNCUT video version of the show as well as HOURS of bonus content! http://patreon.com/TheGoodsPod Pick up a Goods from the Woods t-shirt at: http://prowrestlingtees.com/TheGoodsPod
Chris Rufo was in Washington, D.C., last week to accept The Heritage Foundation’s prestigious Salvatori Prize and visited The Daily Signal to share his thoughts on a range of topics. Over the next two days, we will feature his interview on this show.
On part one today, we cover Rufo’s recent reporting on NPR and the plagiarism plague at America’s leading universities. He also shares an update about his campaign to abolish DEI—the controversial idea of diversity, equity, and inclusion that has infested American businesses, colleges, and even our government.
And you won’t want to miss Rufo’s advice for how high school students should approach college and what parents need to think about sending their kids to public school.
We’ll be back with more from Rufo tomorrow on his award-winning book, “America’s Cultural Revolution,” and what he has planned next.
The Department of Justice just sued to break up Live Nation from Ticketmaster — But there’s a solution to the $10,000 Taylor Swift concert ticket, and we found it in Paris, France.
Summer has unofficially begun, which means a leaf blower is about to interrupt your lovely afternoon — But the electric leaf blower’s boom has a big business model problem.
And because of Work-From-Home, we’re spending $375B more shopping online midday: It’s nationwide Retail Therapy - And the most popular hour everyone shops is… 11am Friday.
Plus, with inflation so high, dupes aren’t just popular with denim, they’re popular with travel —So we want to hear your “Destination Dupes” (because Liverpool is basically lower-priced London).
About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today’s top stories your business. 15 minutes on the 3 biz stories you need, with fresh takes you can pretend you came up with — Pairs perfectly with your morning oatmeal ritual. Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.
