Episode of the Smash Comedy

¶ … episode of the smash comedy show Seinfeld, George, Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer idly watch while a man gets robbed. Not only do the four characters chuckle at the crime, partly because the victim is an overweight male who has trouble defending himself, but Kramer videotapes the entire scene with genuine amusement, as if the entire event is nothing but a joke. The gang's insensitive laughing is cut short by the entry of a local policeman who informs them that they have broken a law. According to the so-called "Good Samaritan" Law, all citizens of the town are required to help people in need, so long as it is reasonable and within their power to do so. George, Elaine, Jerry, and Kramer at first think the cop must surely be joking. No such law exists in Manhattan' nor have they ever heard of such a law existing anywhere else. However, their amused smiles quickly fade when the cop reads hauls them into the station and places them in a holding cell.

Seinfeld was so loved and so well-watched partly because the show so aptly reflected the social norms that govern modern American society. Viewers chuckle nervously at a scene such as this one, because hardly one of us has not stood idly by while a stranger needed help. Hearken back to the school yard: when the kid that no one likes is being beaten up by bullies, no one comes to his or her rescue until a teacher is forced to step in. Schoolyard behavior morphs into the behaviors that pervade grown-up society. Especially in urban centers, citizens stick to themselves instinctively. Psychologists have studied this phenomenon curiously: individuals witnessing a crime will often stand by idly, even taking the time and energy to photograph or record the scene on video, and yet not offer a modicum of assistance. Unless the victim was a dear friend or family member, few people would offer help.

People who live in American cities might be afraid to offer help; if the victim is being mugged, then what are the chances that the criminal is not carrying a weapon? Perhaps it is safer to stand back and wait rather than to butt in. Another reason for the seemingly self-centered behavior is fear of embarrassment: what if I rush to help a person in need but I am promptly made a fool of by the criminal? Furthermore, many people assume that someone else will do something; we basically don't feel responsible in situations like these, just as George, Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer felt not the slightest inkling of social responsibility.

In fact, the entire sitcom is based on the fact that many people feel a complete lack of social responsibility: we are selfish, self-centered individuals. If helping someone isn't in our best interest, or if we won't get anything out of it personally, chances are we will stand back and watch. We are voyeuristic, insular, and eerily similar to George, Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer. The characters' arrest under the "Good Samaritan" law leads to a trail in which their moral characters are scrutinized in a court of law. The prosecution brings in a plethora of evidence showing how George, Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer averted social responsibility throughout their adult lives. All four of them, in their own ways, placed their needs, desires, and egos before anyone else's.