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The Virgin (Seinfeld episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Virgin" is the fiftieth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld
. It was the 10th episode of the 4th season
. It aired on November 11, 1992. The cast assembled to read this episode's script on October 14, 1992, and it was filmed six days later, on October 20.
idea, Jerry
is nervous about the series’ fate, while George
remains indifferent. Jerry then introduces Marla, his new girlfriend, who has not lost her virginity
.
George asks out a woman named Stacy (Leah Lail). He knows he cannot keep this relationship up, though, considering that he’s dating Susan. George then finds himself in a dilemma: this is the first time he has something good to say when asked "what do you do?" ("television writer"), but he cannot use this title to pick up women because of Susan. If he breaks up with Susan, however, to see other women, he’ll wind up losing his good job title, since Susan’s one of the executives of NBC
. Jerry is amused by the irony
of this situation.
Elaine
fears that she may have offended Marla in regards to her virginity, and goes to talk to her. She then educates Marla on the "normal behavior" of men after they’re through having sex with someone. This makes Marla hesitant to have sex with Jerry.
George eventually winds up coming up with an idea for the pilot, involving a man being forced into becoming a butler after a set of insurance-related circumstances. Meanwhile, Elaine becomes the indirect cause of a biking accident that Ping has (this is later dealt with in further detail in "The Visa
").
Jerry pitches the butler idea to the NBC executives, getting much unexpected approval; during the meeting, George inadvertently gets Susan fired for kiss
ing her. She breaks up with him, but George finds that he still cannot pick up women, most of whom view the role of television writer as unprestigious.
, and co-written by the Farrelly brothers
, who went on to write and direct such comedies as Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary
, Shallow Hal
and Stuck On You. This episode marked the introduction of the character Marla. She will later appear in "The Contest
" (the next episode), "The Pilot", and "The Finale". Jackie Swanson
and Dedee Pfeiffer
were additional actresses who tried out for the role.
Before pitching the butler idea to the NBC executives, Jerry tries an idea that he came up with on his own. This idea was a whole show where all the main characters are doing is waiting for a table in a Chinese restaurant. This is an inside joke, pertaining to when Jerry Seinfeld
and Larry David
proposed season two
’s "The Chinese Restaurant
." This left the real-life executives of NBC indifferent, as was the case when the idea was proposed in this episode. Bob Balaban
(who plays Russell Dalrymple) was supposed to appear in this scene, but the role was written out due to a scheduling conflict. It was established in the episode that Russell had to deal with "a problem on the set of Blossom
."
becomes addicted to watching Jerry’s television. Kramer is seen watching the soap opera
The Bold and the Beautiful
and Jeopardy!
in Jerry’s apartment, with Joseph Cotten
, pi
, the cha-cha
, and "here comes the judge" (a catchphrase from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
) being the answers to some of Jeopardy!
’s questions. Kramer also makes references to The Oprah Winfrey Show
and the actor Patrick Swayze
.
The walls on the NBC waiting room where George and Jerry are in one scene contains posters of the following television shows: Sisters
, Law & Order
, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
, I'll Fly Away
, and Quantum Leap.
When finding out if George and Susan are in a legitimate interpersonal relationship
, Jerry asks him if he has any of Susan’s Tampax
in his house. Snapple
is offered to Marla numerous times during this episode. The 1990 film Havana
is mentioned by Jerry as well, being a movie he rented.
After Jerry tells George he cannot break up with Susan, George says, "Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in!" This is a reference to The Godfather Part III
.
and a 17 audience share, meaning that 11.6% of American households watched the episode, and 17% of all television
s in use at the time were tuned into it.
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. It was the 10th episode of the 4th season
Seinfeld (season 4)
Season four of Seinfeld, an American comedy television series created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, began airing on August 12, 1992, and concluded on May 20, 1993, on NBC.-Production:...
. It aired on November 11, 1992. The cast assembled to read this episode's script on October 14, 1992, and it was filmed six days later, on October 20.
Plot
After a month and a half of procrastinating on a television pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
idea, Jerry
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
is nervous about the series’ fate, while George
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
remains indifferent. Jerry then introduces Marla, his new girlfriend, who has not lost her virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
.
George asks out a woman named Stacy (Leah Lail). He knows he cannot keep this relationship up, though, considering that he’s dating Susan. George then finds himself in a dilemma: this is the first time he has something good to say when asked "what do you do?" ("television writer"), but he cannot use this title to pick up women because of Susan. If he breaks up with Susan, however, to see other women, he’ll wind up losing his good job title, since Susan’s one of the executives of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Jerry is amused by the irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
of this situation.
Elaine
Elaine Benes
Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
fears that she may have offended Marla in regards to her virginity, and goes to talk to her. She then educates Marla on the "normal behavior" of men after they’re through having sex with someone. This makes Marla hesitant to have sex with Jerry.
George eventually winds up coming up with an idea for the pilot, involving a man being forced into becoming a butler after a set of insurance-related circumstances. Meanwhile, Elaine becomes the indirect cause of a biking accident that Ping has (this is later dealt with in further detail in "The Visa
The Visa
"The Visa" is the fifty-fifth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 15th episode of the fourth season. It aired on January 27, 1993.-Plot:George meets Cheryl , a Chinese woman who is a lawyer, and who thinks he is very funny...
").
Jerry pitches the butler idea to the NBC executives, getting much unexpected approval; during the meeting, George inadvertently gets Susan fired for kiss
Kiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
ing her. She breaks up with him, but George finds that he still cannot pick up women, most of whom view the role of television writer as unprestigious.
Production
The Virgin was written by Peter MehlmanPeter Mehlman
Peter Mehlman is an American television writer and producer, best known for serving as a writer and producer on the TV series Seinfeld through nearly all of the show's nine-year run from 1989 to 1998. He also created the 1999 series It's Like, You Know... and produced the 2004 animated series...
, and co-written by the Farrelly brothers
Farrelly brothers
Peter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...
, who went on to write and direct such comedies as Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
, Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, and Jason Alexander. It was directed by the Farrelly Brothers and filmed in and around Charlotte, North Carolina as well as Sterling and Princeton, Massachusetts at Wachusett Mountain.- Plot :Hal Larson is a...
and Stuck On You. This episode marked the introduction of the character Marla. She will later appear in "The Contest
The Contest
"The Contest" was the 51st episode of the NBC sitcom, Seinfeld. The eleventh episode of the fourth season, it aired on November 18, 1992. In the episode, George Costanza tells Jerry Seinfeld, Elaine Benes and Cosmo Kramer that his mother caught him unaware while he was masturbating...
" (the next episode), "The Pilot", and "The Finale". Jackie Swanson
Jackie Swanson
Jackie Swanson is an American actress. She is best known for her role on the American sitcom Cheers as Kelly Gaines, the rich and simple love interest of Woody Boyd.-Early life:...
and Dedee Pfeiffer
Dedee Pfeiffer
Dedee Pfeiffer is an American film and television actress.Pfeiffer was born Dorothy D. Pfeiffer in Midway City, California, the daughter of Donna , a home-maker, and Richard Pfeiffer, a heating and air-conditioning contractor...
were additional actresses who tried out for the role.
Before pitching the butler idea to the NBC executives, Jerry tries an idea that he came up with on his own. This idea was a whole show where all the main characters are doing is waiting for a table in a Chinese restaurant. This is an inside joke, pertaining to when Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
and Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
proposed season two
Seinfeld (season 2)
Season two of Seinfeld, an American television series created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, began airing on January 23, 1991, on NBC. Because of the commencement of the first Gulf War, the second season's premiere was postponed one week. The season comprised 12 episodes, and concluded its...
’s "The Chinese Restaurant
The Chinese Restaurant
"The Chinese Restaurant" is the eleventh episode of the sitcom Seinfelds second season on NBC, and is the show's sixteenth episode overall. The episode revolves around protagonist Jerry and his friends Elaine Benes and George Costanza waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant, on their way to...
." This left the real-life executives of NBC indifferent, as was the case when the idea was proposed in this episode. Bob Balaban
Bob Balaban
Robert Elmer "Bob" Balaban is an American actor, author and director.-Personal life:Balaban was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Eleanor and Elmer Balaban, who owned several movie theatres and later was a pioneer in cable television...
(who plays Russell Dalrymple) was supposed to appear in this scene, but the role was written out due to a scheduling conflict. It was established in the episode that Russell had to deal with "a problem on the set of Blossom
Blossom (TV series)
Blossom is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC from January 3, 1991 to May 22, 1995. The series stars Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenage girl living with her father and two brothers. It was created by Don Reo.- Synopsis :...
."
Cultural references
There are a number of cultural references in this episode, especially in a subplot where KramerCosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
becomes addicted to watching Jerry’s television. Kramer is seen watching the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
and Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
in Jerry’s apartment, with Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
, pi
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
, the cha-cha
Cha-cha-cha (dance)
The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...
, and "here comes the judge" (a catchphrase from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
) being the answers to some of Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
’s questions. Kramer also makes references to The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
and the actor Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
.
The walls on the NBC waiting room where George and Jerry are in one scene contains posters of the following television shows: Sisters
Sisters (TV series)
Sisters is a television drama which aired on NBC for six seasons, from 1991 to 1996. The series was created by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who also created the Showtime series Queer as Folk and wrote the acclaimed Emmy and Peabody Award winning drama An Early Frost, also for NBC...
, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
, I'll Fly Away
I'll Fly Away (TV series)
I'll Fly Away is a television series set during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an unspecified Southern U.S. state. It aired on NBC from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper for district attorney Forrest Bedford and his family...
, and Quantum Leap.
When finding out if George and Susan are in a legitimate interpersonal relationship
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
, Jerry asks him if he has any of Susan’s Tampax
Tampax
Tampax is a brand of tampon from Procter & Gamble. It was originally both the name of an independent company for over 50 years, based in Palmer, Massachusetts , and the product itself. Renamed Tambrands, Inc. in 1984, P&G purchased it in 1997...
in his house. Snapple
Snapple
Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas. The brand was founded in 1972. The brand achieved some notoriety due to various pop-culture references including television shows.-History:...
is offered to Marla numerous times during this episode. The 1990 film Havana
Havana (film)
Havana is a drama film starring Robert Redford, Lena Olin and Raúl Juliá, directed by Sydney Pollack with music by Dave Grusin, and released in 1990. In the film, an American professional gambler named Jack Weil decides to visit Havana, Cuba to gamble. On the boat to Havana, he meets Roberta Duran...
is mentioned by Jerry as well, being a movie he rented.
After Jerry tells George he cannot break up with Susan, George says, "Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in!" This is a reference to The Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American gangster film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire...
.
Reception
Over 16 million people viewed this episode. It gained a 11.6 Nielsen RatingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
and a 17 audience share, meaning that 11.6% of American households watched the episode, and 17% of all television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
s in use at the time were tuned into it.