Seinfeld operates on the conceit that this friend group is equally hyper-observant and blazingly neurotic. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images A scene from “The Tape” episode, one of the rare times Elaine’s friends realize she’s a bombshell. Perhaps this is why Seinfeld’s men regularly acted like Elaine was, at best, average-looking. It seems that when Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David considered a female character for their foursome, they didn’t want her hotness to be paramount. Leifer, O’Donnell, and Garlington are all attractive - they got to be on TV, and those are the rules of TV - but they are not women who were cast as bombshells. When the role was reconceived, comedian Rosie O’Donnell was among those considered, and the character is rumored to be based on Seinfeld writer Carol Leifer (who later had her own one-season sitcom, Alright Already). Before Elaine became Elaine, there was Claire (Lee Garlington), a down-to-earth waitress who filled in as “woman” in the pilot. Here’s some evidence that Elaine wasn’t created specifically as a capital-B beautiful woman, but an appealing everygal. ![]() Also, when I first watched Seinfeld, I was 8, and gay - Elaine’s attractiveness eluded me.Įlaine’s canonical hotness might seem clear to modern, adult eyes, but there are reasons to question it. There’s a baseline level of attractiveness that people, especially women, need to get on television, and sitcoms usually depict what are supposed to be “regular” people. Sitcoms, especially those from the ’80s and ’90s, are a strange animal. Elaine isn’t a woman clawing her way up to win the affection of a man, she’s a beautiful woman sinking to subterranean depths. But if she is, as she appears to be, stunning, then her pursuit of Fred, an aggressively below-average man, is much funnier. If Elaine is an average-looking woman, the kind who shouldn’t make George Costanza (Jason Alexander) pull the remains of his hair out just to be in the same room as her, then her forgettability is one thing. Is Elaine herself canonically hot? If she is, why is she hanging out with these dorks? Is she a hot woman doing dorky things? Or is she a dorky woman who happens to be extremely hot? Are hotness and dorkiness mutually exclusive properties?Īfter an episode (season seven’s “The Secret Code,” more commonly known as the “Bosco” episode) in which she pursues a man who can’t seem to remember her, I realized that how attractive one finds Elaine is crucial to the text. Is Seinfeld’s best character hot? Obviously Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine Benes for nine seasons, is a certifiably gorgeous woman, but that’s not the question. Which is how, in a roundabout way, I’ve found myself thinking about Elaine Benes. I’m now roughly the age of Seinfeld’s leads, and it’s been a humbling experience to slowly relate to and giggle at the characters that I once dismissed as middle-aged dweebs. ![]() Whichever way you work yours, this edit of sexy swimsuits and bikinis is sure to cause a stir this vacay season.For one reason ( Netflix) or another (Netflix), I found myself re-watching Seinfeld over the last couple of weeks, revisiting a show that I first encountered as a kid. ![]() Shop our edit of hot swimwear, sexy bikinis, and cheeky swimsuits for a look that will have all eyes on you. ![]() Layer up your look without the fuss in a floor sweeping kimono that’ll have you instantly beach ready and beyond. From the sexy bikini sets featuring scalloped hems and diamante trims to bold prints and strappy styles, this edit of cheeky bikini sets is essential to all your warm weather plans. Just team with your fave sunnies and a sarong to complete the look with layers of this season's statement accessories. Have all eyes on you with our curve-worshipping tight bikinis and our figure-flattering cheeky bikini bottoms. Flaunt your curves and push all the swimwear boundaries in our must-have collection of sexy bathing suits, sure to take your poolside presence to the next level this summer. Get ready to turn heads and earn some serious style points this season in one of our cheeky and sexy bikinis.
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