"The Contest" is an episode centered around a topic new to television. Preceding sitcoms based their content on morals and lessons but Seinfelds 'no hugging, no learning' idealism allow writers to utilize almost any topic. The characters involved with 'The Contest' are either amused or offended by the idea. These reactions parallel those of our society which is directly linked to the episode's success. Many audiences embraced the humility and the realism in the responses and enjoyed the controversial topic.

Seinfeld's ability to make an uncomfortable reality into a succesfull piece of comedy has caught on with more current sitcoms. "The Office" does this extremely well when dealing with situations such as homosexuality, racial stereotypes and gender roles. The reason "The Office" is successful is that it takes society's ignorance and throws it back in our faces. Michael Scott's antics drive his employees to the point of insanity but it is these moments this sitcoms audience enjoys the most because they can relate to the situation very easily. This is the key to any sitcoms success.

"The Contest" is a silly game yet the idea behind it is not unfamiliar to our society, the issue is just discussed behind closed doors. The episode was bold and brought it out into the spotlight, the audiences loved it.