Elaine and Seinfeld Vs. The Goiter
I just happened to see an old Seinfeld episode that has a thyroid theme, of all things. It's an episode called "The Old Man," and in this episode, Jerry, Elaine and George all sign up as volunteers to help senior citizens. Jerry gets assigned to a grumpy old guy, George turns out to be a downer for his elderly charge, and Elaine comes face to face with an old woman, Mrs. Oliver, who has a huge goiter. I have to admit, I find this whole scene about the goiter really hilarious. But I've also been quick in the past to criticize things that make fun of thyroid problems. So, folks...is the "goiter scene" from Seinfeld funny...or offensive? Share your thoughts here in the comments after you've had a chance to read the goiter scene after the jump.
Excerpt from "The Old Man," episode of Seinfeld, with thanks to SeinfeldScripts.com
Mrs. Oliver: It's my goiter, isn't it?So, what do you think? Funny or insulting? Share your thoughts in the comments section, and take the poll now!!Elaine: Did you say goiter? What goiter?
Mrs. Oliver: This football-shaped lump jutting out the side of my neck.
Elaine: Oh, *that* goiter. Hey... Heh heh heh... Whaddya know...
Mrs. Oliver: Does it bother you?
Elaine: Bother me? Oh, phhbt... Why would a little goiter like that bother me? No, not a bit. It's nothing. It's nothin', it's um, in fact, it's um, it's very distinctive, ya know? Um, I mean you want to know something? I, I wish I had one....Really.
* * * * * *
(later, at Jerry's apartment)
Jerry: C'mon Elaine, it's just a goiter...
Elaine: I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't look the woman in the face. I mean I keep thinkin' that that goiter's gonna start talkin' to me... You'd think they'd mention that before they send you over there: "Oh, by the way, this woman almost has a second head". But no, no, I didn't get any goiter information.
Jerry: They really should mention that in the breakdown: height, weight, goiter.
Photo: Getty Images
Comments
I think it’s hilarious! Let’s face it, goiters aren’t pretty, and if one hasn’t seen a goiter before it could be a little intimidating. Plus, we all know that Elaine is very shallow and self-absorbed, so her reaction fits her character, and she actually tries to be sympathetic towards the woman.
Insensitivty is a comedic staple. The fact that a goitre actually appeared on prime time TV instead of the Discovery channel was a bonus, as far as I am concerned. Thyroid disease needs to understood. If that snippet brought one person to the awareness that goitres are not restricted to subsaharan Africa, good on Elaine!
I think anything that exposes untreated thyroid disease and its effects is good. Any senior from the midwest would be extremely upset that that poor woman wasn’t getting treated. Common knowledge in the 50’s. In my opinion, this scene mocks the failure of doctors to treat thyroid disease and the sad conditions of nursing homes. I think it is great!
Nice post
Part of the genius of Seinfeld was moving people into an area that made them uncomfortable, then making them laugh (see “The Handicap Spot” and “The Red Dot”–having fun with alcoholism, a much more prevalent affliction than goiters–and many other such episodes). So anyone watching Seinfeld had to be prepared for this sort of perspective on a goiter. If you get upset, just repeat Serenity Now!
I remember first seeing the episode years ago before I was hypothyroid. It didn’t faze me at the time that it was “about thyroid disease”.
I think it’s really over-optimistic to think it would raise any awareness at all. Most people unfamiliar with thyroid disease have no idea what a goitre is or at the very least they think it’s a weird growth on the neck. That’s all.
In the episode, there was no empathy for what implications the disease might have on the poor woman’s health; it was all about how unsightly the goitre looked.
By the way I thought the episode was funny, but I always thought Elaine was funny anyway.
Mary, I have to say that as writer (and then secondarily as a thyroid person) I thought the goiter thing was clever–something the characters can talk about but that the audience does not see–just my two cents.
–marie