Jerry Seinfeld has just released The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book, a behind-the-scenes look at the “anti-talk show” in which he interviews fellow legendary comics like Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy in vintage cars and coffee shops. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is, of course, Seinfeld’s second hit TV show after his self-titled semi-autobiographical NBC sitcom Seinfeld.
Fans still enjoy rewatching classic Seinfeld episodes to this day. But since the show was made in the 1990s, Redditors have pointed out that technological storylines revolving around video stores and answering machines have become obsolete.
10 Jerry’s Malfunctioning Two-Line Phone
According to Redditor u/slyboy1974, “the malfunctioning two-line phone that Jerry gets as a birthday present from Kramer” in the season 4 episode “The Outing” wouldn’t work in a storyline today. Putting calls on hold is deftly handled by smartphones these days.
The crossed lines become a major plot point in the episode when a journalist profiling Jerry hears something she wasn’t supposed to in his conversation with George on the other line.
9 George Replaces His Girlfriend’s Answering Machine Tape
In the season 2 episode “The Phone Message,” George leaves a voicemail on his girlfriend’s answering machine that he comes to regret so much that he plots to swap out the tape in the machine to erase it. According to Redditor u/kingslayer0543, this storyline wouldn’t make sense today.
Since voicemail is recorded and stored digitally these days, George couldn’t just replace a tape to get rid of his message; he would have to go into her phone and delete it.
8 Morty’s Tip Calculator
In the season 9 episode “The Wizard,” Jerry buys his father an electronic organizer that he only uses to calculate tips. According to Redditor u/FIVE-SIX56, this episode has aged badly from a technological standpoint.
Since everybody’s phone has a calculator app built into it now, there’s no reason to buy a whole separate tip calculator to take to restaurants.
7 Jerry’s Car Phone
According to Redditor u/Traditional-Fox6018, “Jerry talking to the car thief on the car phone always gets me.” When Jerry’s car is stolen in the season 3 episode “The Alternate Side,” he calls his car phone and speaks to the thief, voiced by Larry David.
Car phones have been obsolete since car accident statistics highlighted how dangerous it is to make phone calls while driving and cell phones put a phone in everybody’s pocket anyway.
6 Frank’s Obsession With TV Guide
Frank Costanza is horrified when he learns that Elaine has taken one of his TV Guides for reading material on the subway, because he’s been collecting every issue for years. Redditor u/CaptainJZH points out that this storyline has now become obsolete. Today’s TVs have built-in digital guides, and traditional TV itself is becoming a thing of the past in the streaming age.
However, the Redditor adds that “Frank having a TV Guide collection was ahead of its time... just think of how many people today collect magazines due to how little they’re circulated compared to pre-internet.”
5 The Spelling Of Jon Voight’s Name
When George buys a new car purely because it might have belonged to actor Jon Voight, Jerry is determined to take the air out of his tires (so to speak). He finds a document signed by “John Voight” with an H.
Redditor u/missdui points out that Jerry and George’s conversation about the spelling of Voight’s name “just reminds me to appreciate that we have Google now to answer all our useless questions.”
4 Kramer’s Moviefone Scam
Redditor u/dynamitechar writes that, as a Generation Z kid watching Seinfeld today, “Kramer’s Moviefone line might be the thing that confused me the most.” With his new number 555-FILK, Kramer gets a bunch of calls from people who have dialed the wrong number looking for Moviefone.
Kramer ends up taking on their business and infuriating the real Moviefone guy. In an age of online movie times, this episode feels like an ancient relic.
3 George Misses A Call At A Chinese Restaurant
The season 2 episode “The Chinese Restaurant” is the installment that fans point to when Seinfeld is described as “a show about nothing.” In this classic episode, Jerry, George, and Elaine spend the entire half-hour waiting for a table. But, as Redditor u/Hexmonkey2020 points out, one of the episode’s subplots couldn’t exist today.
The Redditor writes that “George had to have his girlfriend call him at the restaurant and ended up missing the call,” an issue that wouldn’t have happened if he had an iPhone.
2 Jerry’s Speed Dial Soap Opera
In the season 8 episode “The Millennium,” Jerry gets drawn into a sort of soap opera drama revolving around his placement on his girlfriend’s speed dial. According to Redditor u/Unlucky-Albatross-12, this storyline is obsolete in the current technological landscape.
Smartphones have put everybody’s number on speed dial. There’s no need to get offended by a loved one wanting quicker access to somebody else’s number, because today’s phones give their users instant access to everyone’s contact information.
1 Vincent’s Video Store Picks
While George obsesses over his “jerk store” line in season 8’s “The Comeback,” Elaine engages in a tragic romance with a video store employee named Vincent. She connects with Vincent through the “Vincent’s Picks” section of the video store and Vincent feels betrayed when Elaine watches a broad comedy from the “Gene’s Picks” section.
Redditor u/slyboy1974 points to this storyline as one of Seinfeld’s most outdated. The kind of recommendations made by Vincent and Gene are all handled by a Netflix algorithm these days.
Source:gamerant.com