Seinfeld: Beethoven and the Pez Dispenser
Original post by Yael Weiss on August 18th, 2005

For all of you who enjoy the Seinfled view of the world (I myself have just been devouring the fourth season DVDs and am eagerly awaiting the next installment), I thougt I'd ask for your feedback on George and his unique interpretaion of the "Waldstein" Sonata in "The Pez Dispenser" from Season Three. I personally found this to be extremely funny and basically good for classical music in general. At the same time, there are the problematic parts that make the episode work: Elaine's laughing at the recital and Jerry's Pez dispenser taking part in the applause.... And what do you think of the pianist - I mean, as a personality, not as a musician: Does it seem reasonable that she is so upset, or does she come across as overly self-involved?
Which side are you on?

A Night at the Pez Dispenser
POSTED ON AUGUST 28, 2005 BY IVAN, IN ATLANTA

Well, OK -- it was a comedy show, after all, and it can only be a good thing for classical music if people so obviously in tune with popular culture as the Seinfeld bunch spend an episode going to a piano recital -- notwithstanding the disrespect of the Pez Dispenser! Maybe the best -- or anyhow the truest -- aspect of the episode was, on the one hand, George's instinctive feeling that the pianist was unapproachable because of her special gifts; and, on the other, her personal insecurity -- she was afraid he didn't like her, and she really liked him (at least until, like always, he blew it!)

That is true to life: artists really ARE special -- when they are being artists. As people, it seems that even the greatest can be just as prone to insecurities and foibles as everyone else. And yes, for the record, I did think the pianist was too self-involved and unable to see the funny side of a situation that surely had a funny side. (But I loved her wrong notes!!!)

The idiocy of the Pez-dispenser itself reminded me of one of the all-time great comedy movies with a classical-music core: the Marx Brothers' "Night at the Opera"