Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ThingsComeAround]

Yes. I saw the other thread about Star Wars- if there will be something some Koreans may dig... would it be Seinfeld? Which episode would you show first? I started showing it to my gf already (at S1E1) and it got a lukewarm response. I've seen 'em all- but could you guys help me fish for an appropriate episode to make her smile?

[NYC_Gal]

Shrinkage.

You also get to explain Kosher food to her. Cultural lesson + *beep* humor.

[RMNC]

Well, that show really hit it's stride after a few seasons, I'd just go straight for the throat and jump into season 4 or later. I'm no Seinfeld expert but I probably watched them all at some point in my childhood, and in syndication later, and I recall the first season being lukewarm. Some memorable ones for me are the one where Kramer tans too much and Newman wants to eat him, the B.O. in the car one should go over well with most Koreans, I would imagine, and the one where they're trying to see if Terri Hatcher's boobs are real should be a hit, considering the topic.

Just my 20 won.

[D.D.]

I like Seinfeld but I live in China with no youtube here I can't see many episodes. We have something called youku.com and if someone could post a bunch of seinfeld episodes there it would be good.

[jvalmer]

There aren't that many US shows that Koreans will like, unless a Korean is a major actor in the show. The cultural innuendos are just to hard to understand.

Also, notice how action packed US movies are more popular in Korea. They're attracted to the action movies because deeper movies outside of their culture sphere (asia) are just too hard to really understand.

[flakfizer]

I use Seinfeld in my listening class every semester and I have found that certain episodes play much better than others. Pick episodes where the humor comes a lot from the situations and perhaps slapstick. A couple examples that my students always enjoy are:

Elaine's Dance (real name: The little kicks)

The Stall ("I can't spare a square" and George tries to go rock climbing with supercool Tony)

[ThingsComeAround]

Thanks gang~

I'll show the Kramer tan to her this weekend--

I do like the BO one too

Jvalmer- I do notice that K-media loves their Wesley Snipes, Jean Claude Van Damme, Aah-nuld, and Steven Segal ( ) I'm flabbergasted Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung don't get much airtime

[jvalmer]

[northway]

So much of it is culturally specific New York humor I'm not sure that she'd get a lot of it. I know plenty of Americans and Canadians who don't really get it due to not really understanding that subset of people.

[djsmnc]

[Who's Your Daddy?]

Don't think she'll understand it. Especially Jerry's sarcastic one-liners. ("An architect. I don't get architecture from you.")

[PatrickGHBusan]

Comedy is the one genre that has a hard time when it is viewed by another culture.

The reference points differ and so the jokes often fall flat.

Seinfeld was deep in New York culture and in a broader sense american culture. It worked very well in the US and in parts of Canada but it loses appeal in other countries because the cultural reference points are different.

The same is true of comedy from other countries.

[GwangjuParents]

Koreans tend to like childish slapstick...

She'll probably like Kramer...

The humor associated with the others is too nuanced for non-native speakers in general...

[sheriffadam]

[Nolan Ryan]

Definitely "The Understudy" ...

Jerry dates Bette Midler's understudy. Jerry's Improv softball team plays the cast of Bette Midler's "Rochelle,Rochelle" , in a game of softball. It's a take on the Tanya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan incident.
The sub-plot is Elaine visiting a Korean manicure shop...with some Korean dialogue...

My Korean wife loved "The Soup Nazi" episode as well!