#9: The Contest

According to Sony Pictures, the episode "The Contest" won Seinfeld two Emmys: one for writer Larry David (Outstanding Writing for a Television Comedy Series), and one for director Tom Cherones (Outstanding Directing in a Television Series).

Also noteworthy is this: because of the acclaim "The Contest" received after its premiere, the first repeat showing of the "self-denial" episode scored the highest rating in the show's history.

For this week's blog (Mar. 17-23), explain why you think this particular episode struck such a chord with viewers and critics AND why it continues to do so nearly a decade later.

(As you're tying up loose ends for your formalist essay [Essay 1], you might notice some of the formal elements here. The costuming choices, specifically the shades of red that the three "remaining contestants" are wearing differ drastically from the yellow shirt of the contestant who just caved. Also, you might note the deliberate blocking of the characters--three pitted against one, which is the running score at this point. Everything's there for a reason, right?!)

Why Masturbation is so Popular

I believe that "The Contest" was so successful because of its mass appeal. Adolescents liked it because it was funny and adults liked it because it was applied to them. Due to the taboo nature of masturbation in modern society it was a chance for people all around the U.S. to hear about this "horrible" act in a lighthearted manner. When it first aired, I believe that people were scared to be caught watching the episode especially younger americans. When it was aired a second time it was learned that they never actually said the word and this eased the enterance of it into homes across the nation.

#9 To bad they couldn't do THAT for a living...

“The Contest” was one of many ground breaking episodes for SEINFELD, the taboo topic of masturbation was brought into millions of American homes on primetime television. This particular episode was successful for a myriad of reasons, it’s playful use of vocabulary, it’s classic quotable dialog, and it’s subject matter to name a few. The writers knew a show about masturbation would be very hard to pull off, so they had to be creative with this one! They got away with it by never saying the word, but the innuendo was laid on so thickly you couldn’t “not” get it. They playfully hinted around their subject matter with the phrase “master of your domain.” The idea of four adults betting on who could abstain from masturbation the longest is reason enough for a laugh. This is the kind of plot we’d expect in a show like SOUTH PARK with a bunch of dirty mouthed adolescent boys, but not a group of near middle aged New Yorkers! Blocking also played a very important role in making the episode more memorable, the way that the losers were portrayed sleeping peacefully while the contestants were tossing and turning shows just how blocking can be used to maximize any effect.

#9 Touching is Taboo

"The Contest" struck a cord with so many viewers because masturbation (although the word was never said) was something that really didn't get talked about, let alone put on television, in the early nineties. It was definitely not politically correct to have a bet to see who could go the longest without pleasuring themselves. Nowadays, it is certainly a topic that is more easily brought up in radio, TV, and film in such movies as "American Pie."

One of the things that makes it so funny and popular among critics is the use of blocking when the camera goes from one character to the next in their beds, laying restless if they are still the "master of their domain", or sound asleep if they have forfeited the contest. Another thing is the costuming choices. In the scene after Kramer has dropped out of the contest he is wearing yellow where the three that are still in it to win it are all wearing red. I think the significance of this is the fact that yellow is generally viewed as a happy, lively color, whereas red is used to show anger or frustration (and in this case, sexual frustration).

"The Contest" was definitely my favorite episode we have seen so far, so I can totally see why it was so highly acclaimed by viewers and critics.

For the nine years that SEINFELD aired it captivated its widespread audience like many shows couldn't. Receiving many awards and countless nominations throughout the mid 1990's, many viewers believe it to became one of the greatest sitcoms in the history of American television. Although SEINFELD had numerous memorable and hysterical episodes, some believe that "The Contest" (November, 8 1992) jump-started it to a whole new level, leading to all of its success.

In "The Contest", Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) all have a bet to see how long they can go without masturbating. Tormented with constant temptation through various aspects of their lives, the group struggles to maintain their composure throughout the episode. Causing withdraws, insomnia, rage, and partial insanity, the pressure gets to each of the characters and they fold one by one.

I think this episode was so important to SEINFELD's success was for a few reasons. First of all, masturbation is seen as a very taboo and inappropriate part of our lives. It's also seen as a pastime and experimental phase of our adolescence. We all know that people do it, even adults. It's funny because they took something that was "of children" and through it in a very adult situation. Ironic maybe?

I think the way SEINFLD proposes this idea also showed how far the producers were willing to go to demonstrate their obsession with the daily minutia of life. This episode really spoke out to viewers because they were talking about something out in the open that we normally keep to ourselves in the privacy of our own bathrooms. Then, not only did they just talk about it, they completely made a joke out of it by making it a game. The funny part about it is that the word "masturbation" was not even used in the entire show. When you look at shows today, people just come out and say pretty much whatever they want. It think that slightly censoring itself made it that much more interesting. Herein lies the genius of SENFELD's creative staff. It is things like this that really made SEINFELD what it was, is, and will continue to be.

#9; The Pleasure of Success

The topic of masturbation is considered taboo in our society, especially among adults. Such actions are considered an adolescent endeavor and are soon expected to dissolve with age. SEINFELD ingeniously takes the taboo topic and ejects it into an episode, which deals with adults.

In the episode “The Contest,” Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer all are part of a bet to see who can stay the longest without “pleasuring” themselves. Throughout the episode, each character struggles with the task: Jerry is dating a virgin, George and Kramer see a naked woman from Jerry’s apartment, and Elaine is taking aerobics with John F. Kennedy Jr. One by one each contestant drops out of the contest.

Not only is the episode hilarious, it is the forbidden topic of masturbation that makes it such a hit. The fact that SEINFELD devotes an entire episode to such a topic peaks the viewer’s interest and therefore allowed it to have such success.

#9 Master of Entertainment

It could just be immaturity but I definitely have to say that this episode is the funniest one yet. However, to be honest I still have a hard time understanding why it turned out to be so highly praised considering its racy subject matter.
“The Contest” was SEINFELD’s 51st episode that aired in 1992, knowing this I find it interesting that a television show during that time could get so many people to go along with the new type of humor after seeing so much wholesome, family humor. Although perhaps it was this new, unheard type of humor was exactly what fans were looking for. The jokes were relatable, new, subtle, but most of all extremely clever. Larry David did an absolutely incredible job coming with ways to get his thought and jokes across by saying something or not saying anything at all. What I was most impressed with was the way the episode used blocking. For example the way the put the camera on the characters as they were in bed or sitting by the window watching the naked lady in the window.
In the end I think it was the new never been done before comedy and the wittiness of the writing and staging that made this episode stand out ahead of the rest.

#9 And the winner is...

The episode “The Contest” is a very unique episode to Seinfeld. It shocked many viewers in 1992 when this episode was first aired because it covered such a touchy subject. Crude and sexual subjects have become more prominent in later years, but there are still certain subjects that are more secretive and not always mentioned such as masturbation. Seinfeld writers found a creative way to subtly talk about masturbation without ever mentioning the word; this is especially humorous to viewers when the word is heavily implied but never actually said.
A subject such as masturbation is rarely mentioned in an entire episode of any sitcom, especially during this time of television. But of course Seinfeld always finds ways to base an entire episode over something so silly. “The Contest” reels viewers in from the very beginning of the episode when they establish a contest of who can hold back the longest. I was even more interested when Elaine entered the contest because masturbation is a subject more freely talked about with men and never with women. It is no wonder that “The Contest” is still a very humorous episode 15 years later because of the content that is covered and the way the characters carry it out. Once someone begins watching the episode, they have to keep watching it because it is interesting to see who actually wins.

#9 Actions are always louder then words

"The Contest” an episode that even the director of Seinfeld was apprehensive of airing got one of the highest re-run ratings. One of the subplots of the episode was a bet among the four characters to see who could last the longest without masturbating. An issue rarely talked about during that period.
In true ‘seinstyle’ the writers of Seinfeld took this subject that was considered awkward to talk about in society and created humor out of it. Through the whole episode the word ‘masturbate’ was not mentioned even once keeping the show inoffensive and tasteful. Yet masturbation was not the only issue dealt with- it focused on how both men and women objectify the opposite sex (the nude women that the three men constantly watched and who was responsible for Kramer’s loss and Elaine’s fascination with John John’s butt) and the reaction of the older generation to something that is if so normal. These issues were rarely talked about but people were still aware of them.
To add to the humor of the story was the way certain scenes were shot, for instance the shot of Jerry, Elaine, and George in their beds unable to sleep and Kramer, who was out of the contest, sleeping like a baby. These may be just a few of the reasons why this episode did so well.

#9: Are you still King of Your Castle?

In SEINFELD's "The Contest," the fab four set out on an what seems to be impossible contest to see who can survive the longest without masturbating. What seems to be an easy task turns out to be very daunting and all four of them have a hard time keeping up with the contest.

The elements of mise-en-scene were very notable in the episode. One thing that readily comes to mind, was when Kramer gives up, and loses the contest, he is wearing a yellow shirt. George, Elaine, and Sienfeld are all standing in a line, all wearing red. The costumer also separated Kramer from the others, by putting him in a different color.

The blocking also put divisions into who was still in the contest and who caved to thier human desires. After each day, we would see each actor in thier bed. The ones who were tossing and turning were still surviving the contest, while the ones sleeping peacefully had already caved, and were content in doing so.

There were many ways to talk about masturbation without using the word, therefore making this a really popular episode of SEINFELD to this day.

#9: Better Left Unsaid

The SEINFELD episode the “The Contest” was definitely one of the most original episodes of the entire series and one that shocked the television world. “The Contest” was the first of its kind to deal with such an uncomfortable topic as masturbation on national T.V. and many factors contributed to the shows success.
The first factor was the language this episode used and also the language this episode chose not to use. The shows main plot was centered on masturbation; however, the cast never once mentioned this exact word. Instead, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer, chose words such as, “King of the Castle” and “Master of your domain” to refer to masturbation as an alternative. The fact that masturbation is never mentioned contributes to the humor of the episode because it creates an inside joke that allows us as the audience to feel included in the humor.
The other factor that contributed to its success was the use of blocking for individual scenes. In order to differentiate between who was still in the contest and who gave in, scenes would be shot showing the cast in bed. The ones who slept peacefully had given up and the ones not able to sleep were still in the contest. This use of blocking gave the audience an idea of what the characters were dealing with in the contest and how it was affecting their daily lives.
The reason the “The Contest” stuck out when it first released was because such a topic and never been discussed before on television. The reason it remains so popular today is the tactics the characters inadvertently use referring to a topic that in today’s world is so frequently used.

#9 Omitted Contestants

SEINFELDS episode "The Contest" was winner of two Emmys and scored the highest ratings of the show's history when it aired for the second time. Over a decade since its premiere, this episode of SEINFELD is still seen as one of the funniest episodes of the sitcom. What makes this episode so humorous that it's still watched today? Looking at the episode, it is evident that certain writing techniques helped "The Contest" gain its popularity.

SEINFELD was not able to say the word "masturbation" on air when producing this episode. This led to constraints in word choice and dialog, but ended up to benefit the episode - humor by omission. The topic the episode was covering was obvious, and even though "masturbation" was never used, the audience knew the meaning behind the phrase "master of your domain." The audience had the pleasure to watch the episode knowing what could not be said and saw and heard the character build the story by using clever phrases to disguise the forbidden word. Each main character in the episode had their own self-describing phrase in which the put in place of "masturbation." Each time the characters dialog came close to saying "masturbation", I, and I heard others in my class, laughed when Elaine, Jerry, George, and Kramer all came on screen and said "lord of the manor," "queen of the castle," etc.

While camera techniques, blocking, and mise-en-scene also provided some humor for this episode, I believe most of the hilarity came from the inability to say "masturbation" and the humorous techniques used to make sure it was avoided.

#9 what master of their domain means?

“The Contest” is an episode of Seinfeld that was different than most of the episodes. Throughout the seasons Larry David clues us in about the four main characters sexual feelings, shown by the way things are supposed to be interpreted without really mentioning them in words. In this episode, the whole show is about their sexual feelings (masturbation) instead of just little tid bits. Although they didn’t ever mention the word masturbation, it was implied throughout the whole show with language, blocking and body language. It had all of the main characters relate to it, even with Elaine being a female; this showed that it was true that not only men thought about the subject. Also for the clues they used sneaky language such as: master of the domain instead of word masturbation. Not only was it for the language it was showed in the blocking with the naked women. It never showed you the picture of her but it was mentioned several times. At night body language was related by the characters sleeping. This is clever in the way it was filmed and showed and that’s why I think it still remains popular.

#9 Contesting to be the Funniest

Out of all the episodes of SEINFELD, "The Contest" was definitely the highest rated one. With the four characters competing against each other to see who could hold out the longest before masturbating, why was this episode so popular? The language use and the filming cuts are two examples of why "The Contest" made such a stir over America.

The cast members during the entire show were not allowed to say the word "masturbate", so creative language use to go around the word had to be used. Jerry and his friends would ask each other if they were still "master of their domain". They use this saying in multiple episodes, yet this time it is especially funny because of the emphasis on master, such as in masturbate. Other language use included saying they were "king/queen of the castle", as in their self control was still in charge of other temptations.

Besides the language use, there are also creative film cuts which make this particular episode even more entertaining to watch. Every night, the camera would cut to each person in bed, tossing and turning trying to overcome their wants. After a person caved, the camera would show each person restless in bed, and then finally the person who gave in sleeping peacefully. At the end of the episode, every character is in a deep sleep, showing they all gave in.

Just with these two aspects of the show, it really adds to the humor and could be part of the reason why "The Contest" was the highest rated out of the whole season.

old enough to know better

One of the things that terrifies me most about growing up is being forced by society to give up the fun things. Some adults (such as my dad) have been stubborn enough to refuse to fully grow up. In the episode "The Contest" the cast of Seinfeld shows viewers one more example of how they haven't fully grown up.

In todays society we are constantly exposed to all kinds of sex in the media so a show talking about masturbation is not to risky. Although they never used the exact word 'masturbation' I'm sure a young child with basic sex ed could pick up on what they were referring to. I think one main reason the show was so popular is America's blatant obsession with sex and sexuality. People are interested in anything to do with sex. I can remember sitting through Health class in high school and seeing people come out of their deep sleep when our teacher mentioned sex. It is incredible how something that used to be so hushed up is now plastered on the covers of magazines and sold as entertainment.

Another thing that I think made this episode so popular is its basic humor. There is something about the idea of four adults competing to see who can go the longest without masturbating that makes this episode stand out from the rest. In most of the other episodes we watch these characters deal with situations fairly similar to our everyday lives. This, however, is something most adults have probably not done. It is something you expect to see happen in a locker room or a bet between college boys, not on a sitcom.

# 9 Who is the master?

The episode “The contest” struck such a chord with viewers and critics because it dealt with masturbation which is not usually mention aloud even with around people. In this episode, four characters had contest who could abstain the longest from masturbating even include women, Elaine. This subject is not just made people shock about mentioning in the broadcasting but also interesting and funny. “The contest” showed that masturbation is not the shame thing but it is natural thing in the life. One more thing to make this episode interesting is that masturbation in not only adolescence but continuing to age 30’s, because people think that usually as people are getting old, they are not thinking about masturbating. The situation that Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine are single with age 30’s and they are satisfied with masturbating makes this episode funnier. Also they got easily stimulated with just seeing others who had sexual attractive even thought they don’t have any contact with others. The reason the episode “The contest” continues being popular these days that we are still dealing with the masturbation these days especially during adolescence. As Seinfeld combine game and masturbation, this episode became successful which got highest rating through time still today.

# 9 Sex one of the biggest voodoo in US

Even though United States is a very liberal country, it still having some old voodoos like many other countries around the world or countries more conservatives than US. The episode "The Contest" in my opinion reached the highest numbers of audience and still a huge sucess in SEINFELD after a decade because if we look at the main audience of SEINFELD we will see that teenagers and college students are the most interested in sitcoms, so I think thats why this episode was this huge sucess. The young class people in US are more liberal than the seniors and the adults in general so they feel more confortable to talk about sex.
Another main point that made me think why the episode "The Contest" was watched maily by young people because when this episode reached the highest level of audience was the second time showing on tv in the summer when all students were home and they spend more time on internet and TV watching programs such as sitcoms and other reality shows.

"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.

(9) Seinfeld: "Master" of its Language

The critically acclaimed episode “The Contest” of the Seinfeld series was very successful for many reasons. One of the most important reasons that stick out to me is its way with the words. For the most part Seinfeld is known for its narrative structure, distinct rules that characters follow and many other attributes. However, this time around the show primarily wanted to get our attention with its “vulgar” language, that didn’t really exist. Our culture loves when you take to us dirty, but make it “family friendly,” which is exactly what the Creators of the sitcom did for this particular episode. The way the words are used is something that we had never witnessed. For instance, the characters use many metaphors such as Master of your Domain, King of the County, Lord of the Manor, and Queen of the Castle. These phrases were all very new to us when we first heard them in the early 90’s and were expressions that normally wouldn’t be used to depict “masturbation.” In actuality “master” of your domain wasn’t a big family discussion at the dinner table, but we did know it was alive and well. The way Seinfeld brought to us mastering your domain was something very comical and unique, being that America was so uptight about it before. “The Contest” brought us a new and witty prospective on “Queen of the County “ and the languaged used is an element about Seinfeld that will be remembered in pop culture history.

#9 Interesting Contest

If SEINFELD was not unique enough already focusing on the "normalcy" of life, the episode "The Contest" has continued to make an impact on viewers and critics alike for nearly a decade. Solely focusing on masturbation, or lack of, during the entire episode was enough to catch one's attention. Maybe I am behind on my sitcom knowledge, but I do not believe that another sitcom has ever considered such a private topic as the basis for an episode, and especially made a joke about it. Although this idea may seem crude at first, after viewing "The Contest" one can see that SEINFELD writers approached the topic of masturbation in such a unique way that the word masturbation itself is never even said, yet viewers know exactly what the characters are trying to convey. This creative insight, combined with a comedic background is what continues to make "The Contest" a favorite episode ten years after SEINFELD'S finale.

#9 "I'm Queen of the Castle!"

When everything is a competition or a game in the show SEINFELD, SEINFELD watchers and critics were amazed and shocked when the episode "The Contest" came out when the competition between the characters got a little more interesting. The contest over which of the 4 characters could withstand masterbating the longest, was very critically successful and was a big audience pleaser throughout the summer of 1992. The episode, "The Contest", is so different than what most sit-com fans are used to because this episode deals with an issue that is used most in shows and/or movies that deals with adolescence. But it is the respectfulness that the show uses in a way that creates the show to have such high ratings and not have bad taste. SEINFELD realizes that its audience isn't majority of young teenagers, so it finds other ways to describe masterbation. Rather than use the word, the show uses scenes of the cast sleeping and phrases like " Master of your domain", and "Queen of the Castle" to get the point across. Even though these 4 characters are supposed to be in their 30's and part of the mature working class of New York, this episode contributes to the extended adolescence that these 4 unique characters have that separates SEINFELD from other sit-coms, which makes the show so interesting. Like most adolescent characters, the characters of SEINFELD see members of the opposite sex as objects of pleasure rather than people they could potentially give love or share a life with. It is the shallowness and the absurdity of these 4 working-class characters that makes this show what it is.

# 9 "Untouched" Subject

In the episode "The Contest," The Writers of Seinfeld do a few things very well to keep this episode not only humorous for 1992 when it first aired, but also to viewers today. By using cleverly timed innuendoes and touching on a socially unmentioned subject, this episode has given itself a certain lasting power that is still evident after over 15 years.

Like other well-remembered episodes of Seinfeld such as, "The Puffy Shirt (September 23, 1993)" or "The Soup Nazi (November 2, 1995)," the humor of this episode is heavily derived from clever comedic timing. For example, of course an attractive nurse would be giving a sponge-bath to a cute female patient when sex-depraved George (Jason Alexander) is only a divider curtain away. And how many times does Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) get to workout right behind the attractive John F. Kennedy Jr.? These situations would be funny by themselves, but throw into the mix a bet about self-pleasure and it takes this episode to a new level.

In this time of television, masturbation was rarely, if ever, addressed in an adult lifestyle. By making it the main subject of an episode, it was bound to be interesting and funny to a wide range of people. Throw in the trademark Seinfeld situational comedy, and it's no wonder that audiences today and 15 years ago still find it funny. Although not going as far as "Shock TV," this episode definitely reeled viewers in to see what would happen next and what the characters would do with such an untouched subject. By going where other shows wouldn't and creating situational irony around such a subject, "The Contest" was a hit when it first aired and also still today.

#9: Master of Your Domain

The episode "The Contest" won SEINFELD two Emmy awards because many men can relate to George in fear of their mother walking in on them. Not only that, but with SEINFELD being different from other sitcoms at that time the topic of masturbation reminded the audience how they will take it to the next level while making it funny, and memorable at the same time. Watching the characters go through the contest, and viewing the temptation grow made this episode hilarious to watch. Basically, such as contest is unthinkable, may be viewed as wrong, but funny to actually see people do it. Certain phrases that stood out as funny also impacted the audience which became mottos such as, "Are you the master of your domain?". "The Contest" seemed to have summed it all what SEINFELD wanted to bring across to the whole audience which is why it continues to be the must-see episode years later.