The Race (Seinfeld)

"I choose not to run" redirects here. For the statement by US President Calvin Coolidge, see I do not choose to run.

10th episode of the 6th season of Seinfeld

"The Race"

Seinfeld episode
Episode no.| Season 6
Episode 10
Directed by| Andy Ackerman
Story by| Tom Gammill & Max Pross and Larry David & Sam Kass
Teleplay by| Tom Gammill & Max Pross & Larry David
Production code| 612
Original air date| December 15, 1994 (1994-12-15)
Guest appearances

* Todd Kimsey as Ned Isakoff
* Vicki Lewis as Ada
* Don McManus as Duncan Meyer
* Renee Props as Lois
* Michael Sorich as Fidel Castro
* Danny Woodburn as Mickey Abbott
* Claude Earl Jones as Mr. Bevilaqua
* Mark Christopher Lawrence as Boss
* Denise Poirier as Arlene
* Spencer Klein as Kid
* Martin Chow as Lew
* Eva Svensson as Woman
* Lee Bear as George Steinbrenner (uncredited)
* Larry David as George Steinbrenner (voice) (uncredited)

Episode chronology
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"The Secretary"  | Next →
"The Switch"

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Seinfeld season 6
List of episodes

"The Race" is the 96th episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld, the tenth episode of the sixth season.[1] The episode first aired on December 15, 1994.[1] The story follows Jerry as he meets an old rival, who suspects that he cheated in a high school race and wishes to re-run it. Elaine is put on a "blacklist" and finds out her boyfriend is a communist. George responds to a personal ad in the Daily Worker and Kramer, who is working as a department store Santa Claus, is convinced to become a communist by Elaine's boyfriend.

"The Race" was one of Jerry Seinfeld's favorite episodes of Seinfeld due to its Superman themes.[2]

## Plot

[edit]

Jerry is excited to be dating a woman named Lois, the same name as Lois Lane, as it gives him ample opportunity to do Superman impersonations. Lois works for Duncan Meyer, his high school rival. In a track race in ninth grade, Jerry got an inadvertent head start that nobody noticed, allowing him to win by a wide margin. Jerry's speed became legendary, but Duncan always suspected him of cheating, since he had outraced Jerry several times before. Jerry protected his legacy by refusing to race again.

Lois arranges lunch at Monk's with her, Jerry, and Duncan; Jerry realizes Lois does not believe his claim that he legitimately won the race, so George volunteers to turn up at Monk's, pretend he has not seen Jerry since high school, and back up his winning story. Duncan is unconvinced, and demands that Jerry race him again, even threatening to fire Lois if he declines. Duncan calls up everyone from high school to come out for the race, and Jerry gets worried the legend will die. As the race is about to begin, Kramer's car backfires; Jerry (and the watching crowd) mistakes that for the starter's pistol, while Duncan waits for the real gun, giving Jerry another head start. Jerry wins the race, again by a wide margin.

Elaine complains about her Chinese food delivery and refuses it, causing her to be blacklisted from Hop Sing's. George notes to Elaine that Ned, her new boyfriend, has a copy of the Daily Worker, which prompts suspicion of Ned being a communist. George is intrigued by one of the personal ads, which remarks, "Appearance not important." Ned admits to Elaine he is a communist, to her delight.

At Yankee Stadium, George receives a call from Natalie, the personal ad girl. His secretary, Ada, overhears the conversation and suspects George of communist sympathies. The rumor that George is a communist spreads to Steinbrenner, who is delighted: with a communist working for the Yankees, they can scout Cuban baseball players for the team.

Mickey gets Kramer a job as Santa Claus at Coleman's department store, with Mickey as his elf. At Coleman's, Ned gets Kramer interested in communism. Against Mickey's objections, Kramer (as Santa) tries to educate a child on communist beliefs and is accused of spreading communist propaganda; Kramer and Mickey are subsequently fired. Ned insists on ordering dinner from Hop Sing's, as his father spent much of his time at the restaurant after being blacklisted. When the delivery man sees Elaine there, he blacklists Ned from the restaurant.

A week later in Cuba, George meets with Fidel Castro who lets him recruit any players and invites him to a luxurious dinner due to his supposed communist leanings. However, Castro, much like Steinbrenner, rambles on about trivialities and George quietly exits.

## Pop culture references

[edit]

A recurring joke throughout Seinfeld is the references to Superman; the theme features prominently in "The Race". Jerry's line to Lois, "Faster than a speeding bullet, Lois," is a reference to the Superman series, Adventures of Superman. He also at one time says, "Why, I'd have to be Superman to do that, Lois." At the end of the episode, Jerry breaks the fourth wall and winks to the camera after he says, "Maybe I will, Lois. Maybe I will." This was the first and only instance of breaking the fourth wall in the series, excluding the retrospective "The Highlights of 100" and "The Chronicle". The wink towards the camera is a reference to the older Superman television series and Silver Age comics.

Jerry's declaration "I choose not to run" is a reference to President Calvin Coolidge's statement "I do not choose to run".[3]

The Daily Worker was a Communist newspaper that ceased publication in 1958; it is presented in this episode as still being in print. Lois makes a reference to Duncan controlling the means of production, a relevant part of Marxist theory. Cold War paranoia is lampooned through a young boy and Kramer's boss making "traitor", "commie" and "pinko" accusations while Mickey tries to keep him quiet, as well as Hop Sing's blacklisting of Elaine and George's conversation with Steinbrenner about being a communist.

## Production

[edit]

The phone conversation between George and Natalie was ad-libbed by actor Jason Alexander, who performed almost completely different versions of the conversation in each of the scene's several takes.

Jerry Seinfeld tried wearing a brightly colored, skintight racing outfit for the climactic race scene, but co-creator Larry David and director Andy Ackerman both felt the outfit was excessive, so Seinfeld changed into normal wear.[4]

The shooting script for the episode was 70 pages, as opposed to the usual 40–50 pages for a sitcom script, and the filmed content far exceeded the show's half-hour time slot.[3] As such, numerous scenes were deleted, including an entire subplot showing how Kramer helped George obtain a visa so that he could get to Cuba. Other cuts included Kramer defending his skinny appearance in the role of Santa Claus.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Seinfeld Season 6 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
2. ^ Seinfeld, Jerry; Ackerman, Andy (2005). Seinfeld Season 6: Audio Commentary - "The Race" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
3. ^ a b c Seinfeld Season 6: Notes about Nothing - "The Race" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.
4. ^ Seinfeld Season 6: Inside Look - "The Race" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.

## External links

[edit]

* "The Race" at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Seinfeld episodes

Season 1|

* "The Seinfeld Chronicles"
* "The Stake Out"
* "The Robbery"
* "Male Unbonding"
* "The Stock Tip"

Season 2|

* "The Ex-Girlfriend"
* "The Pony Remark"
* "The Jacket"
* "The Phone Message"
* "The Apartment"
* "The Statue"
* "The Revenge"
* "The Heart Attack"
* "The Deal"
* "The Baby Shower"
* "The Chinese Restaurant"
* "The Busboy"

Season 3|

* "The Note"
* "The Truth"
* "The Pen"
* "The Dog"
* "The Library"
* "The Parking Garage"
* "The Cafe"
* "The Tape"
* "The Nose Job"
* "The Stranded"
* "The Alternate Side"
* "The Red Dot"
* "The Subway"
* "The Pez Dispenser"
* "The Suicide"
* "The Fix-Up"
* "The Boyfriend"†
* "The Limo"
* "The Good Samaritan"
* "The Letter"
* "The Parking Space"
* "The Keys"

Season 4|

* "The Trip"†
* "The Pitch"
* "The Ticket"
* "The Wallet"
* "The Watch"
* "The Bubble Boy"
* "The Cheever Letters"
* "The Opera"
* "The Virgin"
* "The Contest"
* "The Airport"
* "The Pick"
* "The Movie"
* "The Visa"
* "The Shoes"
* "The Outing"
* "The Old Man"
* "The Implant"
* "The Junior Mint"
* "The Smelly Car"
* "The Handicap Spot"
* "The Pilot"†

Season 5|

* "The Mango"
* "The Puffy Shirt"
* "The Glasses"
* "The Sniffing Accountant"
* "The Bris"
* "The Lip Reader"
* "The Non-Fat Yogurt"
* "The Barber"
* "The Masseuse"
* "The Cigar Store Indian"
* "The Conversion"
* "The Stall"
* "The Dinner Party"
* "The Marine Biologist"
* "The Pie"
* "The Stand In"
* "The Wife"
* "The Raincoats"†
* "The Fire"
* "The Hamptons"
* "The Opposite"

Season 6|

* "The Chaperone"
* "The Big Salad"
* "The Pledge Drive"
* "The Chinese Woman"
* "The Couch"
* "The Gymnast"
* "The Soup"
* "The Mom & Pop Store"
* "The Secretary"
* "The Race"
* "The Switch"
* "The Label Maker"
* "The Scofflaw"
* "The Highlights of 100"†
* "The Beard"
* "The Kiss Hello"
* "The Doorman"
* "The Jimmy"
* "The Doodle"
* "The Fusilli Jerry"
* "The Diplomat's Club"
* "The Face Painter"
* "The Understudy"

Season 7|

* "The Engagement"
* "The Postponement"
* "The Maestro"
* "The Wink"
* "The Hot Tub"
* "The Soup Nazi"
* "The Secret Code"
* "The Pool Guy"
* "The Sponge"
* "The Gum"
* "The Rye"
* "The Caddy"
* "The Seven"
* "The Cadillac"†
* "The Shower Head"
* "The Doll"
* "The Friar's Club"
* "The Wig Master"
* "The Calzone"
* "The Bottle Deposit"†
* "The Wait Out"
* "The Invitations"

Season 8|

* "The Foundation"
* "The Soul Mate"
* "The Bizarro Jerry"
* "The Little Kicks"
* "The Package"
* "The Fatigues"
* "The Checks"
* "The Chicken Roaster"
* "The Abstinence"
* "The Andrea Doria"
* "The Little Jerry"
* "The Money"
* "The Comeback"
* "The Van Buren Boys"
* "The Susie"
* "The Pothole"
* "The English Patient"
* "The Nap"
* "The Yada Yada"
* "The Millennium"
* "The Muffin Tops"
* "The Summer of George"

Season 9|

* "The Butter Shave"
* "The Voice"
* "The Serenity Now"
* "The Blood"
* "The Junk Mail"
* "The Merv Griffin Show"
* "The Slicer"
* "The Betrayal"
* "The Apology"
* "The Strike"
* "The Dealership"
* "The Reverse Peephole"
* "The Cartoon"
* "The Strongbox"
* "The Wizard"
* "The Burning"
* "The Bookstore"
* "The Frogger"
* "The Maid"
* "The Puerto Rican Day"
* "The Chronicle"†
* "The Finale"†

† Indicates two-part episode
*[no.]: number
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*[t]: Discuss this template
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