I don't know how many hardcore Seinfeld fans are on here, but I noticed something the other day. Monday night, here in Chicago, on the nightly Seinfeld rerun, the episode was "The Puerto Rican Day". I don't know if that's the exact title. Anyway, I have seen every episode at least twice, except for that one.
The reason (I think) is that it was banned from syndication for a long time because Kramer accidentally burns the Puerto Rican flag. So I was very excited to finally see it again! Does anyone know why, after 4 and a half years, this episode was finally shown again? Or did it just happen that I missed it every single time it was on?
-The Big Kat When you're tired of wishing on a falling star, you gotta put your faith in a loud guitar. -KISS
I saw it just the other day, but it wasn't the first time I'd seen it in syndication.
I think the reason it is rarely on is because it was from late in the series' run (it's the last half-hour episode, originally airing the week before the 2 hour finale).
In syndication, you usually see the earliest episodes first, and you almost never see finales (unfortunately they HAVE replayed the Seinfeld finale often, in all of it's suckitude).
Originally posted by The Big KatThe reason (I think) is that it was banned from syndication for a long time because Kramer accidentally burns the Puerto Rican flag. So I was very excited to finally see it again! Does anyone know why, after 4 and a half years, this episode was finally shown again? Or did it just happen that I missed it every single time it was on?
IIRC, that was the reason it was pulled. Kinda like how that creepy pseudo-incest episode of the X-Files was pulled from syndication for a while...it's the ultra-PC world we live in, and that's why "The Puerto Rican Day" has rarely been shown.
You are right, Sham...it was the last actual episode shot, meaning the clip show and the finale should be next up on the syndication schedule.
"Pennypacker...Varnson...Vandelay..."
(edited by Bullitt on 8.1.03 1111) "No team that has lost in the first round of the playoffs has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl." - Dave Letterman, January 6, 2003.
As a Puerto Rican of course I remember this episode, personally it was one of my favorites from that season. After the show aired, one of the pro-everything Puerto Rican groups over in New York was pissed not only of the burning, but mainly of the stomping Kramer does to the flag trying to put out the flames. So the protest began small, but just like our parties, word got around and it seemed everybody joined the "in cause of the week", including many over here in the island, and got NBC honchos to pull that episode from their rerun schedule. The part that got me the most was that almost, if not all, who protested over here didn't see the episode in discussion or most of all, didn't even now who Seinfeld the comedian or the show was! But the herd had to graze off from the new victim...yet they didn't know that Seinfeld pissed every religion, race, etc., etc. on all the shows before this one.
Since this was from the last season it was of course the last syndicate package sold, which gives us the lag time of the rerun of this episode. When sold the stations were given the warning that it was up to each station manager if they are gonna air it or not.
First time i saw it was about a year ago and haven't seen it much since, my theory its that managers usually rerun more the 3rd and 4th season because they are the most memorable/talked about and hence usually better ratings.
If my memory serves me correctly wasn't Monday, the day this episode aired, the Epiphany, a Puerto Rican Holiday? A friend of mine from work had big plans Sunday and Monday so I assumed that was why they played it on that particular day. I know a lot of people didn't like the last seasons episodes that much but that was always one of my favorite of the entire series.
Treasure Planet ruled all kinds of ass. And yes, I do work for Disney but its good anyhoo.
You are correct Joe, Monday was Epiphany or Three Kings Day as we know it here, and it's one of the Puerto Rican traditions that have stand the test of time. Back in the day (1950's and before), Xmas wasn't the big gift giving day that it is now, it used to be the Three Kings who brought the gifts to children in PR. Tradition says for one to recieve gifts, a shoebox filled with grass had to be placed outside your house for the camels to feed while the Kings went inside to deliver your gifts. Today is still one of the big holidays in the island, especially this year that it was a Monday, which meant long weekend, next weekend also is long (Hostos Day, a Puerto Rican holiday) and next to next weekend is also long(Martin Luther King). Yes that's why we don't get any work done over here! LOL
I gotta admit Joe, even I didn't think of that connection for the Seindfeld episode, great call.
It was made pretty apparent on the show that Kramer's assault on the flag was accidental. It was like in the Simpsons when Homer accidentally sets fire to the British flag and then throws manure on it. Hugh: "It's still warm."
"If you go out with a girl and they say she has a great personality, she's ugly. If they tell you a guy works hard, he can't play a lick. Same thing." -- Charles Barkley
I caught this one in syndication a few months ago and had the same reaction. It was the first time I'd seen it since the original airing. Looking back, the parade and car stuff wasn't really that great, but I still love how they brought back the three fake names that each of them used for one last time (Kramer having already had a chance to retire his alternate alternate name, Dr. Martin Van Nostrand, in the earlier final season episode when he bought the deli slicer). That kind of call-back was what made the show so great.
Yeah, I didn't think that episode was that good at all. The best part, as just mentioned, was the "names" gag. Other than that, the episode was (controversy aside) utterly forgettable
Matthew: You would've loved it, David. A week in a foreign country, strange people, strange customs... Dave: Oh, I know what you mean. I've been to Canada.
I would call the organization that you wanted to give blood at, and ask them what to do. They are a lot more likely to know how to fix this than we are.