George Castanza

George Castanza. Do you know him? If not, don't worry about it. If you do, I'm feeling like him right now. I've been linked on a friend's blog (http://letsgoflyakite.blogspot.com) with a disclaimer that says I’m funny. While I’m flattered to have been deemed as such, I’ve got to admit it’s a lot of pressure. Back to George, I’m reminded of two situations from Seinfeld. Let me describe them and then you may see why I feel a bond to him now.

- Desperate for a date. George and Jerry were on a double date with two women and the scene takes place in a restaurant. George’s date finds Jerry, a stand-up comedian, very funny. This upsets George because Jerry’s coming off to George’s girlfriend as funnier. George’s girl tells him later that she likes Jerry because he’s so funny. George later tells Jerry that he can’t be funny around her anymore so that she’ll think George is the funny guy. Jerry respects George’s wishes and begins acting dark and depressed when around her. As you might remember, the plan backfires and George’s girl then becomes attracted to Jerry because she really likes guys who are mysteriously sad. Finding this out, George tries to tell her that HE’s the one who’s sad, not Jerry, but to no avail. He looses the girl.

- Leave ‘em laughing. George’s co-workers thinks he’s funny, but he has a tendency to take the joking too far and then looses his audience. Jerry coaches him to “leave ‘em laughing”. By this he means that as soon as he makes people laugh he should excuse himself. What he accomplishes by doing this is that peoples’ last impressions of him is that he’s funny. As soon as he reaches that point, he say’s “I’m outta here.”

I’m outta here.