SEINFELD "The Best Sitcom Ever" Series - "The Strike" SEINFACT

Seinfeld

"The Strike" SEINFACT:

Soon after this episode aired, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream released a new flavor called "Festivus," named after the fictional holiday.

"The Strike" is the 166th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the tenth episode of the 9th and final season. It aired on December 18, 1997. This episode featured and popularized the holiday of Festivus. This episode also popularized the concept of a "two-face": someone who looks attractive sometimes and looks bad at other times, depending on exterior conditions, such as lighting. It also explained why Kramer never held a job throughout the show.

An increase in the minimum wage is enough to finally meet the demands of the striking employees of H&H Bagels, and as such, Kramer announces that after 12 years, he's going back to work. Jerry meets an attractive woman at a party, but when he later tries to date her, she doesn't look nearly as good. Elaine's use of a fake phone number backfires when she loses a card that will entitle her to a free sandwich. George tries to get away with giving away fake donation cards as Christmas gifts at work, and much to his chagrin, his father decides to revive Festivus, a unique holiday he'd invented years earlier.

Seinfeld

Happy Festivus Everyone!

Seinfeld

"A Festivus for the rest of us!"

Continuity

• At the Festivus dinner, Kruger refers to Kramer as "Dr. Van Nostrand", a callback to "The Slicer". In that episode, Kramer pretends to be a dermatologist and screens Kruger for cancer. Kramer also faked being Dr. Van Nostrand in the episode "The Package" only this time, he was a doctor (most likely a physician) for Elaine. And Kramer also used the stage name "Martin Van Nostrand" when attempting unsuccessfully to audition for the part of 'Kramer' in part I of the two-part episode "The Pilot".

   

The Human Fund

Due to his unconscionable cheapness, George Constanza found yet another way to save money after receiving a gift donation certificate from Tim Whatley. Instead of exchanging Christmas gifts (per normal custom) with his co-workers, when George was given a gift he in turn gave his co-worker a card stating that a donation had been made in their name to a charity called "The Human Fund" (with the slogan "Money For People"), when in fact this organization didn't exist.

A legitimate organization based in Cleveland, Ohio, established in 2005 reportedly drew its name from the episode.

In Lost (season 6) Episode 12 - Everybody Loves Hugo, after being presented with an award for his support of the Golden State Natural History Museum, Hugo Reyes (aka. Hurley) says to his mother that they have an event with The Human Fund next Saturday night.

• Quotes

  
  
  • Jerry (surprised): Gwen, what are you doing here? Gwen: Kramer told me you were here. Kramer (excited): Another Festivus miracle!
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  • Frank: At the Festivus dinner, you gather your family around and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year. Kramer: And is there a tree? Frank: No. Instead, there's a pole. Requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting. Kramer: Frank, this new holiday of yours is scratching me right where I itch. 
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  • Jerry: Why didn't you ever mention this? Kramer: Jerry, I didn't want you to know I was out of work. It's embarrassing. Kramer: H&H wouldn't let us use their bathroom while we were picketing. It put a cramp in our solidarity. 
  • Jerry: When George was growing up, his father hated all the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas, so he made up his own holiday. Elaine: Oh... and another piece of the puzzle falls into place. Jerry: You might not know it to look at me, but I can run really really fast. 
  • (Back on strike, trying to keep people from getting bagels) Kramer: Heeey, no-bagel-no-bagel-no-bagel-no-bagel-no-bagel, heey! 
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  • Jerry: You don't need the card. High-end hoagie outfit like that, it's all computerized!(Snaps) They're cloning sheep now. Kramer: (Correcting) No, they're not cloning sheep. It's the same sheep! I saw Harry Blackstone do that trick with two goats and a handkerchief on the old Dean Martin show!
  • George: (on Gwen) She's a two-face. Jerry: Like the Batman villain? George:(condescending) If that helps you. Jerry: So if I ask her out again, I don't know who's showing up -- the good, the bad, or the ugly. 
  • George: I got him Yankees tickets! He got me a piece of paper saying, "I've given your gift to someone else!" 
  • Jerry: Nice cuff links, by the way. George: Office Christmas gift. I tell you, this Human Fund is a gold mine! Jerry: That's not a French cuff shirt, you know. George: I know. I cut the button off and poked a hole with a letter opener. Jerry: Classy.
  • George: I don't really celebrate Christmas. I celebrate Festivus. Frank: George, you're forgetting how much Festivus has meant to us all. I brought one of the cassette tapes. (Franks pushes play, George as a child celebrating Festivus is heard.) Frank: Read that poem. George: (Complaining) I can't read it. I need my glasses! Frank: You don't need glasses, you're just weak! You're weak! Estelle: Leave him alone! Frank: Alright, George. It's time for the feats of strength. (George has a break down) George: No! No! Turn it off! No feats of strength! (Gets up and starts running out of the coffee shop) I hate Festivus! Frank: We had some good times. 
  • George: I'm embracing my roots. Jerry: They got you on the 20G's? George: Busted cold. 
  • Kramer: (shocked by Elaine's face) Yama hama. It's fright night. 
  • Frank: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. And as I rained blows upon him I realized there had to be another way. Kramer: What happened to the doll. Frank: It was destroyed, but out of this came a new holiday, 'a Festivus for the rest-of-us.' Kramer: That must of been some doll. Frank: SHE was! 
  • Frank: It's Festivus… for the rest of us!