For a show widely known as being about nothing, Seinfeld has earned itself a spot as one of the most timeless TV comedies out there, despite its many dated references. There are a plethora of hilarious jokes and situations that remain memorable, and many that would seemingly vie for the distinction of being Jerry Seinfeld’s favorite self-pitched idea, but there is one that the man himself takes top billing.
I think the best Seinfeld episode idea I ever contributed was that George pretending to be a marine biologist would find Kramer's golf ball in the blowhole of the whale. Believe it or not, we were doing both of those stories without seeing any connection that Kramer was gonna hit golf balls at the beach, and George was gonna be pretending to be a marine biologist. And it was in the middle of the week that it suddenly hit me of a way to connect the two stories. So, I think that's probably the best joke I ever thought of on the series.
A plot resolution so genius that it could never have existed in any other way, the final act of “The Marine Biologist” takes Kramer’s importance-lite side-plot and uses it as the inspiration for one of Jason Alexander’s most fantastic Seinfeld performances, in which he delivers a dramatic interpretation of George’s rarest of rare days in the sun (both figuratively and literally). I mean, he was honest with his girlfriend about not really being a marine biologist and she dumped him, but he saved a whale’s life and stopped Kramer’s dumb idea from one instance of negatively affecting local sea life.
You can understand why making George a hero of sorts, complete with a hero’s monologue to the less than impressed tablemate across from him, wouldn’t have automatically occurred to Jerry Seinfeld when putting the story together. Especially since Jerry was the one that set George up with the occupational fib in the first place. But it definitely entered the upper echelon of Seinfeld scenes as soon as it happened in 1994, and it hasn’t gotten any less classic in the 22 years since. It makes sense that the comedian favors this idea of his above all others. Except using the belly button as a mouth to talk, because that was gold, Jerry. Gold!
And now, without further ado, here’s that classic scene.
Jerry Seinfeld shared that insightful info during his most recent Reddit AMA, where he also pointed out a few of the other jokes that he loves to hear referenced these days.
I love when people say ‘regift’ or ‘giddyup,’ or ‘yadda yadda.’ The real and spectacular...I was a very big fan of the show.
Something we’d never regift is any of the nine seasons that Seinfeld and that whole talented crew gave to fans. What a whale of a time it all was.
