You're right! Another subtle thing is that the line is actually, "What is that, a Titleist?" The "What" really cements Kramer's reaction. Not only does it change the line's rhythm nicely; it's also a tiny, hopeless bit of deflection that says so much about the dissonance he's feeling between total disbelief and undeniable recognition. It goes to show that this was truly a golden moment, when one word and a voice crack can speak volumes.
Even when you don't know what a Titleist is, what he says just happens to sound like "a tidal cyst". Especially just after George mentioned a tidal wave. There's no such thing in real life, but one can easily imagine there to be. So you think Kramer is talking about some calcic sea growth or something, and the joke still works.
And -- speaking as someone who is exactly Jerry's age -- is there anyone who has played golf, who has not asked EXACTLY that question? It is a stock line, and yet the ONLY possible line, and hilarious in this bizarre context.
Kramer's delivery is gold. But his face previous to it is just acting magic. His face is literally hanging motionless from his skull. It's one thing to put a funny embarrassment face and get away with a big laugh. But his expression right there oozed reality AND embarrassment. I'd say what Richards did there was as much of a comedic feat as Alexander's monologue or his gesture with the ball.
I love how all of these older interviews show the cast looking younger and spritely, and Larry David looks exactly the same as he does now. Exactly. “Forever Old” is the fountain of youth, my friends.
@@dannysmith4649 I'm convinced Steve Martin went back in time when he was in The Jerk. How he looks the in that compared to Three Amigos and even Cheaper by the Dozen is a mystery.
When I was unemployed in 2002, I was feeling really beat down and frustrated by the lack of jobs in our area and the constant rejections, so I decided to take a day off from job hunting and watch TV. I had never watched Seinfeld when it originally aired. That afternoon I saw the Marine Biologist and it really lifted my spirits.
To me this was a brilliant bit at many levels. Not least of which was the irony of his ‘being’ a marine biologist. And how he perceived his lofty story was being subtly undermined, leading to his dismissive instinct. Brilliant!
@@EricBarryComedy1 Wow, good catch! Kramer's arm movement fits perfectly, Elaine's does not. They could easily have placed a card with keywords for the monologue off cam on Kramer's right side. They often used cuecards for the actors in Friends, on the table, in the sink and so on - not sure about Seinfeld.
Now that Netflix has added Seinfeld, I really wanted my girlfriend to watch it with me, as she's British and didn't really know much about this show. I chose one episode for her to watch, The Marine Biologist, and it blew her away and got her hooked on Seinfeld. Out of 180 episodes, this will always be my favorite. Some of the best comedy writing that has ever been done for TV.
The Chicken Roaster (aka “Kenny Roger’s Chicken Roaster) will always be my pick for most underrated best writing/performance episode. But the marine biologist is of course a classic.
Dude I did the same thing with my British girlfriend too, same episode, except she didnt and doesnt like the show, Ive tried but she could never get on board. needless to say this probably isnt gonna work out.
I thought the two best Jewish stereotype lines came from this series - like an old man returning soup at the deli and when George told Jerry that he was leaving when they were trying to get away from Elaine's father and Jerry said we can't leave what will we say and George said we'll say we're frightened and we're going home now
Fantastic that the other three members of the cast didn't try to compete with him in the scene. Kramer let George get the laughs before offering his line. George responds to get the next wave of laughs. Fantastic!
@@jordimelis4463 Maybe so, but Jerry had the vision to enlist Larry in the first place. Even Larry David admitted he couldn't see himself writing more than the first 4 episodes.
I have watched this countless times, replaying over and over those few speechless seconds of the subtle expressions on Kramer's face when he produces the ball; their talent was amazing. They really are the Beatles of TV.
Some of the funniest moments on this show were just the characters telling an outrageous story with little or no footage, just leaving the visualization to the audience's imagination and carrying it with delivery and timing. Like the Keith Hernandez spitting story, Kramer trying to get the severed toe to the hospital, etc.
The best sitcom of all time! How the 6 of them managed to get together is a miracle: Larry David and Jerry are geniuses - and Jerry, Jason, Michael and Julia together are a once in a lifetime ensemble. Absolutely brilliant!
It very well could be. Back in the old days, before we could watch these scenes endlessly on CZcams, before we could buy seasons on DVD, before Tivo, when the most you could do was maybe record a few episodes on VCR, this episode stood out to me. It kind of caught the spirit of Seinfeld, since the episode ended up back at the diner. I grouped it with another George anecdote-punchline at the diner. "So you didn't get the job?" "No. But I was the only one at the table that didn't get violently ill." Though this one was funnier.
"They're real and they're spectacular" was a hair away from perfect, because you can hear Jerry, ever so quietly under the beginning of the laugh, say "Oh" in between "real" & "and". The best act break laugh, and probably my favorite laugh in the series, was, "And you wanna be my latex salesman."
Congratulations to the Pros working as background actors in that scene. They held it together and didn’t react at all when the big laugh came in. THATS more difficult than most people realize.
Kramers facial expressions just added gasoline to that fire .. 😂... the slight raising of the left eyebrow... the little childlike smirk... he KNEW he'd been caught before he even said "Titlest ? " 😅
I saw him do Truman live at the Tiffany theater on Sunset Blvd. We were first row center watching him do the one man show. Believe me when I say this Jason Alexander was Truman. He was absolutely fantastic. Can you imagine a one man show for 90 minutes live without any TelePrompTers.
I could never forget the grand crescendo of that episode. My Mum and Dad were watching it with me and when the joke finally hit we were crying with laughter……..genius. 😂😂
Yeah I remember when I first saw this episode! I was laughing so hard when he showed the golf ball! To this day, it's still funny. I'm still cracking up! Hahahaha! :)
I am SO happy that is Larry David’s favourite scene! I remember thinking how perfect it was, and I burst out laughing… something I didn’t always do when I watched Seinfeld. Truly one of the greatest comedy closing scenes ever… “Is that a Titleist?”
I was away for my first year of university when I saw this. Living in a house that was split into five apartments. I could hear laughter coming from all over the place when he pulled out that golf ball. An absolutely perfect moment of TV, back when we all had to watch it at the same time.
It's interesting how the stories differ. Jerry says that he and Larry had a late night writing session coming up with the monologue George goes in the cafe about the whale. ("The sea was angry that day...") Jason says that they were filming the last scene, which was just Jerry and Kramer in the cafe. It didn't get as big of an audience response as Larry wanted, so he and Jerry wrote the monologue on the spot, gave it to Jason to memorize it. Jason says he spent 15 minutes reading it, and then they put up some screens blocking the set so they could do one rehearsal take, Larry told the audience they're going to try something different, and they recorded the iconic scene in one take. Jerry said they were worried about Jason needing a day to learn it. Jason says he was given it on set and had to learn it immediately before shooting. In this video, Jason says that Larry told him they wouldn't be able to rehearse, but in another interview he said they blocked the set with screens for one rehearsal take. I think Larry's version of the story is closer to Jason's (with the monologue being written on the spot while filming as opposed to the night before). I wonder what really went down...
Those four were absolutely the best. How they all were able to get thru that scene without laughing and breaking down was gold You do see a small smile from Kramer probably trying not to laugh but he is incredible One of the best Seinfeld episodes ever
Is it only me who thinks that the golf ball thingy wasn't the funniest thing in the scene, but rather the "the sea was angry that day, my friends... Like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli" line?
The show wherein a man delivering an entire page flawlessly in one take & another man (first man's on-screen father) struggling to deliver half a line after several takes BOTH make you laugh your guts out.
I have used a memorization technique from elementary school all the way through college that i developed in 4th grade that has never failed me. We had to learn the poem "The midnight ride of paul revere". We also had to recite it from memory in class. So what i did was i took a blank sheet of paper and covered all but the first word. I read the first word aloud then the first word without looking. Then the first amd second word. Then the first and second word without looking. Then the first three words. Then the first 3 words without looking and so on. If I made a mistake I start all over again back to word one. It takes some discipline and time but I have found whenever I need to study or remember something no other technique works better. I was the only kid in my class to get a 100%. I wonder if Jason uses the same technique or something similar to remember a long monologue like that.
Iconic comedy….. Funny forever…. When you have seen every episode so many times over so many years, and still you watch, still you laugh….. Everyone on that show deserves to be rich forever. And no taxes..ever And bring back the 8 track tapes
Michael Richards not laughing before asking if it was a titlist may have been his best piece of acting ever.
The way that Kramer's voice breaks ever-so-slightly when he asks: "Is that a Titleist?" is the icing on an already glorious cake.
You're right! Another subtle thing is that the line is actually, "What is that, a Titleist?" The "What" really cements Kramer's reaction. Not only does it change the line's rhythm nicely; it's also a tiny, hopeless bit of deflection that says so much about the dissonance he's feeling between total disbelief and undeniable recognition. It goes to show that this was truly a golden moment, when one word and a voice crack can speak volumes.
Even when you don't know what a Titleist is, what he says just happens to sound like "a tidal cyst". Especially just after George mentioned a tidal wave. There's no such thing in real life, but one can easily imagine there to be. So you think Kramer is talking about some calcic sea growth or something, and the joke still works.
And -- speaking as someone who is exactly Jerry's age -- is there anyone who has played golf, who has not asked EXACTLY that question? It is a stock line, and yet the ONLY possible line, and hilarious in this bizarre context.
Kramer's delivery is gold. But his face previous to it is just acting magic. His face is literally hanging motionless from his skull. It's one thing to put a funny embarrassment face and get away with a big laugh. But his expression right there oozed reality AND embarrassment. I'd say what Richards did there was as much of a comedic feat as Alexander's monologue or his gesture with the ball.
@@DocRunaway I thought that was the face of someone trying hard not to laugh.
Crime Jason Alexander never won an Emmy for this show.
Really? Fuck.
Agreed!
Jesus Christ why?
Indeed it is. A damn shame.
For possible one of the greatest comedy characters in tv history, no justice.
That one woman’s laugh after George reveals the golf ball just adds to the hilarity of that speech
I know right? It is a split second second before the wave or wall of laughter as Jason described. Like she was the first to get it.
That shriek cracks me up everytime.
"The sea was angry that day my friends!" maybe my favorite line out of a thousand great lines!
My newest tattoo.
Then they show a normal everyday surf. I'm not complaining but that in itself is hilariously George.
Every surf check, it’s a race in my social circle to quote Jason.
Like an old man trying to send soup back in a deli...cracks me up every time.
@@trampdog79 the WHALE the WHALE!
"You know I always wanted to pretend that I was an architect." ... That was the greatest line from that episode.
I love how all of these older interviews show the cast looking younger and spritely, and Larry David looks exactly the same as he does now. Exactly. “Forever Old” is the fountain of youth, my friends.
I call that the Steve Martin.
Larry had a glass of water from the wrong fountain.
@@dannysmith4649 I'm convinced Steve Martin went back in time when he was in The Jerk. How he looks the in that compared to Three Amigos and even Cheaper by the Dozen is a mystery.
Lol ur crazy, Larry looks way older now obviously. He just has had the same hairstyle
well he only eats cashews, so... maybe nuts is the way to go!
When I was unemployed in 2002, I was feeling really beat down and frustrated by the lack of jobs in our area and the constant rejections, so I decided to take a day off from job hunting and watch TV. I had never watched Seinfeld when it originally aired. That afternoon I saw the Marine Biologist and it really lifted my spirits.
The fact that Jason didn’t win an Emmy for this monologue is the greatest tragedy in human history.
More tragic than the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise
Tell that to anne frank
Isn’t that a little dramatic. Fuck the Emmy’s and Oscar’s. We don’t need someone to win awards to recognize when acting is good
@@Jake-qm9wv lol
@@Jake-qm9wv so what they had to split 3 rations 8 ways. I didn't finish that book how'd it end?
0:24 Jerry: Fish Story
Me: Mammal
Jerry: Whatever
😂😂😂
To me this was a brilliant bit at many levels. Not least of which was the irony of his ‘being’ a marine biologist. And how he perceived his lofty story was being subtly undermined, leading to his dismissive instinct. Brilliant!
I see what you did 😄
I love that one woman who is quicker on the uptake or quicker to react than the rest of the audience
It takes a real unique talent to memorize a page of dialogue that quickly and deliver it so well the first take, so crazy
The thing is, JLD's arm cuts form being on the table to on her face, so the lack of continuity would suggest there was at least two takes
@@EricBarryComedy1 Wow, good catch! Kramer's arm movement fits perfectly, Elaine's does not. They could easily have placed a card with keywords for the monologue off cam on Kramer's right side. They often used cuecards for the actors in Friends, on the table, in the sink and so on - not sure about Seinfeld.
SNL performers up until the late 90s used to do this on a weekly basis
Sucks he hadda open his mouth with politics.
This scene is perfection. What a team. The dream team.
This is the stuff of dreams.
Puneri Teeka ABSOLUTELY
Absolutely
a testimony to Alexander's huge talent
Now that Netflix has added Seinfeld, I really wanted my girlfriend to watch it with me, as she's British and didn't really know much about this show. I chose one episode for her to watch, The Marine Biologist, and it blew her away and got her hooked on Seinfeld. Out of 180 episodes, this will always be my favorite. Some of the best comedy writing that has ever been done for TV.
The Chicken Roaster (aka “Kenny Roger’s Chicken Roaster) will always be my pick for most underrated best writing/performance episode. But the marine biologist is of course a classic.
Seinfeld is pretty much the chassis to american TV comedy. Every single sitcom today has a a hint of seinfeld.
Dude I did the same thing with my British girlfriend too, same episode, except she didnt and doesnt like the show, Ive tried but she could never get on board. needless to say this probably isnt gonna work out.
Once you break up with her, you won't be going near Seinfeld ever again.
I thought the two best Jewish stereotype lines came from this series - like an old man returning soup at the deli and when George told Jerry that he was leaving when they were trying to get away from Elaine's father and Jerry said we can't leave what will we say and George said we'll say we're frightened and we're going home now
"The sea was angry that day my friends"..iconic!!
I HAVE that T-shirt!!
Fantastic that the other three members of the cast didn't try to compete with him in the scene. Kramer let George get the laughs before offering his line. George responds to get the next wave of laughs. Fantastic!
Elaine kind of had it the hardest of the three because she had to keep it real without any input to lean on.
@@artsmith103The hardest? jfc 🙄
Arguably the best moment in the entire show, I'd say.
Jerry is being very modest here. They had a million great ends to episodes. Shows the level of perfection Jerry strives for, be it anything he does.
"And you wanna be my latex salesman..."
Nick Leonard well, that wasn't the end of the episode but it was damn good.
...I was on the floor laughing when The Velvet Fog sang to Kramer...
Dont give too much credit to Jerry, Larry was the true genius behind this show. Even Jason alexander said it in an interview.
@@jordimelis4463 Maybe so, but Jerry had the vision to enlist Larry in the first place. Even Larry David admitted he couldn't see himself writing more than the first 4 episodes.
I have watched this countless times, replaying over and over those few speechless seconds of the subtle expressions on Kramer's face when he produces the ball; their talent was amazing. They really are the Beatles of TV.
The best comedy scene ever, tremendous writing, context uniting plots A and B, phenomenal performance from Jason and Michael too.
Only one take!!! Jason is the GOAT 🐐
Probably the single most hilarious moment ever on TV.
Kramer with a very subtle smirk and waiting for the laughs to subdue before delivering he’s Titliest line.
That woman's laugh gets me everytime 🤣
I've always thought that George's speech was very Hemingway-esque.
he is a formally-trained actor
Because it was. A lot of inspiration was taken from "The Old Man and the Sea".
@@mar10ssj1 👍
pretty sure thats the joke
It’s kinda badass how Jason stepped up and delivered the scene at the last minute the way he knew he could.
Like an Old man sending back soup at a Deli...!! That is the funniest I have ever heard on TV.
💯😂
Like an old man *trying* to send back soup at a deli
Angry strife
Some of the funniest moments on this show were just the characters telling an outrageous story with little or no footage, just leaving the visualization to the audience's imagination and carrying it with delivery and timing. Like the Keith Hernandez spitting story, Kramer trying to get the severed toe to the hospital, etc.
The best sitcom of all time! How the 6 of them managed to get together is a miracle: Larry David and Jerry are geniuses - and Jerry, Jason, Michael and Julia together are a once in a lifetime ensemble. Absolutely brilliant!
5 of them?
Six who? Newman??
@@yash2285He double-counted Jerry.
@@Unknown-jt1jo Jerrymandered the counting.
Still, to my mind, the greatest monologue in the history of scripted television comedy.
I think this is single bet scene in the series, the funniest, the apotheosis of George!
what about mr bookman's rants? i love this episode, it's one of may absolute faves, but bookman is the BEST. the best, black buick, the best....
It very well could be. Back in the old days, before we could watch these scenes endlessly on CZcams, before we could buy seasons on DVD, before Tivo, when the most you could do was maybe record a few episodes on VCR, this episode stood out to me. It kind of caught the spirit of Seinfeld, since the episode ended up back at the diner.
I grouped it with another George anecdote-punchline at the diner. "So you didn't get the job?" "No. But I was the only one at the table that didn't get violently ill."
Though this one was funnier.
I had no idea that this was done on short notice without rehearsal. Makes the best ever episode of Seinfeld even more spectacular.
The plot of this episode was pure gold.
Talk about a talent, Jason mastering a last minute one page script sans rehearsal w perfect comedic delivery 🙌🏻⚡️📺❤️💪🏻💥👏🏻 😂
"They're real and they're spectacular" was a hair away from perfect, because you can hear Jerry, ever so quietly under the beginning of the laugh, say "Oh" in between "real" & "and".
The best act break laugh, and probably my favorite laugh in the series, was, "And you wanna be my latex salesman."
I think the reason of the "Oh" is that last part of the line is adlibbed by Teri Hatcher.
Congratulations to the Pros working as background actors in that scene. They held it together and didn’t react at all when the big laugh came in.
THATS more difficult than most people realize.
I have so much more respect for this show and the cast after watching these inside looks. And I already had a ton of respect for them all.
Kramers facial expressions just added gasoline to that fire .. 😂... the slight raising of the left eyebrow... the little childlike smirk... he KNEW he'd been caught before he even said "Titlest ? " 😅
Kudos to Julia Louis-Dreyfus for not blowing the take with her awesone laughter.
Wow I cannot believe this masterful scene was done in one take with almost no rehearsal!!!
Masterpiece of a scene. Let alone first take. Jason Alexander is a legend.
absolutely one of the great moments in TV history
I saw him do Truman live at the Tiffany theater on Sunset Blvd. We were first row center watching him do the one man show. Believe me when I say this Jason Alexander was Truman. He was absolutely fantastic. Can you imagine a one man show for 90 minutes live without any TelePrompTers.
I could never forget the grand crescendo of that episode. My Mum and Dad were watching it with me and when the joke finally hit we were crying with laughter……..genius. 😂😂
The way Kramer shifts in his seat makes the whole thing more hilarious!
oh god... That's already my favorite scene, especially Kramer's face when he saw the ball.
Yeah! That face of guilt 😂
This was the best part in any episode. It was perfect.
Kramer's reaction when he saw the ball😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
That's when you know you met a die hard fellow Seinfeld fan. If they can finish this line "The sea was angry that day my friends ...."
Jesus what a brilliant show... I watch reruns all the time
The greatest comedy to ever come out of the USA ever!
Wrong
Definitely.
Yeah I remember when I first saw this episode! I was laughing so hard when he showed the golf ball! To this day, it's still funny. I'm still cracking up! Hahahaha! :)
Have you stopped laughing yet
@@robertkrakaur8987 Hahaha. Yeah. :--)
I am SO happy that is Larry David’s favourite scene! I remember thinking how perfect it was, and I burst out laughing… something I didn’t always do when I watched Seinfeld. Truly one of the greatest comedy closing scenes ever… “Is that a Titleist?”
My favorite episode. Thank you, Jerry, Larry, and Jason for my favorite scene in t.v. history.
Michael Richards’s pause before he asks if it was a Tltlest was gold, too. Gold, Jerry! Gold!
This scene was in fact spectacular.
One of my all time favourite scenes on the show, Jason is phenomenal here and Michael beautifully tops it off in the end 😁😂
“But I’ve got hand!”
“And you’re gonna need it”
jason is a consummate professional.
what a legend
Kramer response is magic
A true work of art
Jason Alexander should have won an Emmy!
"What is that a Titleist?" That's the genius punchline.
"A hole in one."
I was away for my first year of university when I saw this. Living in a house that was split into five apartments. I could hear laughter coming from all over the place when he pulled out that golf ball. An absolutely perfect moment of TV, back when we all had to watch it at the same time.
Love the story of Larry notoriously hating the writing process early on but it’s clear he has a great passion for it
I hope this was Jason's Emmy show!! It sure should have been.
Larry David delivering the line "Anyone here a marine biologist"?
the marine biologist has long been a fave of mine, but the library is absolutely the best.
One of my favorite endings is Elaine saying "next time don't try so hard!"
Great performance and great actor. That said, although subtle, can definitely sense that ego from Mr. Alexander.
"We wrote that whole long fish story."
Mammal.
It's interesting how the stories differ.
Jerry says that he and Larry had a late night writing session coming up with the monologue George goes in the cafe about the whale. ("The sea was angry that day...")
Jason says that they were filming the last scene, which was just Jerry and Kramer in the cafe. It didn't get as big of an audience response as Larry wanted, so he and Jerry wrote the monologue on the spot, gave it to Jason to memorize it. Jason says he spent 15 minutes reading it, and then they put up some screens blocking the set so they could do one rehearsal take, Larry told the audience they're going to try something different, and they recorded the iconic scene in one take.
Jerry said they were worried about Jason needing a day to learn it. Jason says he was given it on set and had to learn it immediately before shooting. In this video, Jason says that Larry told him they wouldn't be able to rehearse, but in another interview he said they blocked the set with screens for one rehearsal take.
I think Larry's version of the story is closer to Jason's (with the monologue being written on the spot while filming as opposed to the night before).
I wonder what really went down...
Thank you for all the smiles Jerry.
"Like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli"
One take monologue learned the night before hitting those beats perfectly? Jason really was a special talent.
Absolutely perfect timing on everyone's part.
Latex salesman and puffy shirt episodes also had great endings.
Those four were absolutely the best. How they all were able to get thru that scene without laughing and breaking down was gold
You do see a small smile from Kramer probably trying not to laugh but he is incredible
One of the best Seinfeld episodes ever
Each and everyone one of the creators and actors in this show was world-class at what he does..
This was one of the biggest laughs from the studio audience in the entire Seinfeld run when George pulled out the golf ball from his shirt pocket! 😆
I have to say that "they are real, and they are spectacular"!!
One more reason this was the best show ever.
Is it only me who thinks that the golf ball thingy wasn't the funniest thing in the scene, but rather the "the sea was angry that day, my friends... Like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli" line?
I've watched this show many times in my life and this is still my favorite joke of all
I love hearing the stories behind the episodes.
The show wherein a man delivering an entire page flawlessly in one take & another man (first man's on-screen father) struggling to deliver half a line after several takes BOTH make you laugh your guts out.
One of the best moments in TV history!
I’M SO THANKFUL FOR SEINFELD
I have used a memorization technique from elementary school all the way through college that i developed in 4th grade that has never failed me.
We had to learn the poem "The midnight ride of paul revere". We also had to recite it from memory in class. So what i did was i took a blank sheet of paper and covered all but the first word. I read the first word aloud then the first word without looking. Then the first amd second word. Then the first and second word without looking. Then the first three words. Then the first 3 words without looking and so on. If I made a mistake I start all over again back to word one. It takes some discipline and time but I have found whenever I need to study or remember something no other technique works better. I was the only kid in my class to get a 100%. I wonder if Jason uses the same technique or something similar to remember a long monologue like that.
That seems very inefficient. I mean I'm it's effective, but there are much better ways of storing information such that you can recall it perfectly.
Thank you for sharing!
My favorite episode ever
Few TV shows reach this level of excellence
My absolute favorite episode.
Iconic comedy…..
Funny forever….
When you have seen every episode so many times over so many years, and still you watch, still you laugh…..
Everyone on that show deserves to be rich forever.
And no taxes..ever
And bring back the 8 track tapes
This is my favorite episode.
Absolutely one of the best episode endings! 😂
George was he best character on the show. Period.
A truly great scene.
It’s weird seeing Jason Alexander being so calm when he talks lol
The cigar episode with the cottage burning down was a great ending too.