Elaine Benes
Encyclopedia
Elaine Marie Benes (ˈbɛnɨs) is a fictional character
on the American television sitcom
Seinfeld
(1989–1998), played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus
. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld
; she is also good friends with George Costanza
and Cosmo Kramer
. Julia Louis-Dreyfus received extensive critical acclaim for her performance as Elaine, winning an Emmy, a Golden Globe and two SAG Awards.
, but the luncheonette was replaced by Monk's Restaurant and Garlington was dropped from the role. Elaine first appears in the second episode, "The Stake Out," but in production order she appeared in a final scene eating M&Ms in "Male Unbonding
." NBC
executives felt the show was too male-centric, and demanded that creators Jerry Seinfeld
and Larry David
add a woman to the cast as a condition for commissioning the show, as revealed in the commentary on the Season 1 and 2 DVD
. In addition to the first episode, Elaine did not appear in a two-part episode ("The Trip") and thus appears in fewer episodes than the other main characters.
, speculation grew that Elaine was based upon Leifer, though that was later largely refuted. Leifer, who wrote or co-wrote a number of episodes for the show, has said only some elements of the backstory of the character—that she and Seinfeld had dated and have remained good friends since the relationship ended—relate to her. She says some elements of the character of Elaine, especially her assertiveness, intelligence and sense of humor, are drawn from the off-screen personality of Julia Louis-Dreyfus herself. According to Seinfeld's biography (written by Jerry Oppenheimer
), Elaine was based in part on Susan McNabb (who was dating Seinfeld when the character was created), though eventually named after friend and fellow comic Elayne Boosler
. Also, the character was partially based on Monica Yates, the daughter of novelist Richard Yates
. Larry David once dated Monica Yates, and the two remained good friends after they broke up.
" or revealing what Jerry said in "The Cheever Letters
" about the "panties her mother laid out for her".
Elaine is a serial dater, a trait lampooned in Season 7's "The Sponge
", where she is desperate to buy a cache of discontinued contraceptive sponge
s before they are all bought up. She coins the word "spongeworthy" debating her then-boyfriend's prospects of intimacy at the expense of her inventory. Her neuroses often interfere with her relationships, leading to the premature end of a blossoming relationship. For example, in "The Stall
", Elaine is dating Tony, a very good-looking athletic type. After a rock climbing accident mangles Tony's face, Elaine admits to Jerry that she can't date someone who isn't attractive and wonders how long she is obligated to stay with him post-accident. Later, in "The Couch
" after proclaiming her love for new boyfriend Carl, she immediately ends the relationship upon learning that he does not share her opinions on abortion. Elaine also is attracted to men with lucrative jobs, particularly doctors.
Generally, her hair was long with curls or waves, but underwent changes since Season 4. By Season 7, her hairstyle had matured and had a more modern look for the rest of the series. It was shoulder length again by "The Little Kicks
", and straightened once more from Season 8's "The Summer of George
" to Season 9's "The Betrayal
". There were a few episodes in which her hair had an effect on mostly her boyfriends. In Season 9's "The Strike", it was damaged when affected by steam. In "The Smelly Car
" a valet made Jerry's car and Elaine's hair smell like body odor. In "The Movie
" George describes Elaine as having "a big wall o' hair".
Her clothing is normally quite conservative. She usually wears formal dresses and whenever she's not at work, she'll wear her usual casual clothes. It is revealed by Peter Mehlman on audio commentary in "The Sponge
" and "The Betrayal
" that female fans favor the brown leather jacket that she wears from Season 7 on. Occasionally she is entirely out of her usual attire, as in "The Betrayal" (when she wears an India
n outfit and hairstyle) and "The Millennium" (in which she dons Maya
n dress). Elaine also wears glasses at times, usually during work hours.
Although she is friends with George, Elaine tends to be combative with him. Still, Elaine does see him as a good friend: in "The Wife
", he argues with Elaine over her love interest, who is threatening to kick him out of the health club. The depiction of Elaine as smarter and more successful than George was occasionally reversed for comic effect: In "The Opposite
", George finds success and happiness doing the opposite of whatever his instincts tell him, while the normally successful Elaine falls on hard times. In "The Abstinence
", George becomes smarter while not having sex, but Elaine gets dumber. In a few episodes Elaine and George work together, most notably in "The Revenge" and "The Cadillac".
She does sometimes go to Kramer for help. She asks him and Newman to help her get rid of a neighbor's dog in "The Engagement". In "The Slicer
", she asks him first to lose power at her neighbors' house and also to feed the cat with meat. In "The Watch
" she asks him to pose as her boyfriend so she can dump Dr. Reston, her controlling psychiatrist boyfriend. In "The Soup Nazi
", she asks him to watch an armoire for her on the street until she can move it in the following day. The only conflict is in "The Seven
" over a girl's bike in which Newman is the judge over the dispute.
Elaine is the only main character who does not own a car. In "The Busboy
" (off camera) and "The Pothole
" she borrows Jerry's, and in "The Wait Out
" she borrows her friend Elise's car. In "The Burning" she borrows then-boyfriend David Puddy's. Also, it's revealed that she is a horrible driver who slams on the brakes and wildly steers the car.
Elaine also has a very refined taste in film, citing many movies, plays, and characters throughout the series. She has a particular affection for the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire, revealed first in "The Fusilli Jerry
" the episode where Elaine first begins to see David Puddy and an utter dislike for The English Patient
. She remarks sarcastically to Jerry (after he expresses surprise that she would date Puddy, who is a mechanic) that it's "such a huge turn off" for her when Puddy comes home "dripping with animal sexuality like Stanley Kowalski
". In "The Pen
", Elaine shows her love for the movie when she becomes unintentionally high on muscle relaxers and repeatedly screams "Stella" at a fancy dinner party in Florida.
In "The Boyfriend", Elaine reveals her disgust for smokers, which helps lead to a breakup with Keith Hernandez
. Her dislike of smoking also leads to an argument with a fortune-teller in "The Suicide". However, in "The Calzone
" and "The Foundation
" she is seen smoking with a Cuban cigar. She is also seen smoking a cigar in "The Blood", but only to make herself look bad in front of the mother of the child she's babysitting.
), a character based on the novelist Richard Yates
, was featured in the episode "The Jacket". He is an alcoholic and a war veteran, and is very well respected in the literary community. In the same episode, Elaine's father asks how her mother is; later, in "The Wait Out
", Elaine reveals to David Lookner that her father left her and the rest of her family when she was nine years old.
Elaine has a sister, Gail, and a nephew who are first mentioned in "The Pick
". In "The Wait Out
", it is revealed that Gail lives in St. Louis
. She also makes reference to a brother-in-law in "The Phone Message
".
Elaine has a cousin, Holly, who appears in "The Wink". In this episode, reference is made to Elaine's Grandma Mema, from whom Holly inherited a set of cloth napkins.
In the first season episode "The Stock Tip", Elaine mentions she has an Uncle Pete. In "The Secret Code", she mentions another uncle who worked in the Texas School Book Depository
with Lee Harvey Oswald
.
In the 2009 Curb Your Enthusiasm
Seinfeld reunion show, which takes place eleven years after Seinfelds finale, it is revealed that Elaine has a daughter, Isabelle, through a sperm donation from Jerry.
, having grown up in the affluent Baltimore suburb of Towson
, Maryland
. She attended finishing school
, and completed her undergraduate education at Tufts University
, revealed to be her safety school in "The Puerto Rican Day Parade
", as a French Literature
major. In "The Dog", she tells George she moved to New York in 1986, which, by coincidence, is the year Jerry moved into his apartment across the hall from Kramer (as seen in "The Betrayal"). She began dating Jerry later that same year.
Elaine's religion (if she has any) is never confirmed. At times, she appears to no have no religion, nor any interest in religion. For example, she expressed shock when her boyfriend, David Puddy, is revealed as a devout Christian. Also, she views saying "God bless you" as a "silly superstition" in "The Good Samaritan". On the other hand, she is seen making the sign of the cross
before entering Jerry's apartment to retrieve a manuscript while it is being fumigated in "The Doodle
", and crosses herself again in "The Betrayal" after turning her back on a Hindu
altar (she non-verbally negates this action). This may suggest that Elaine was raised Catholic
. Also, in multiple episodes, including "The Strong Box
" and "The Wizard", she can be seen wearing a crucifix
.
Elaine is confirmed not to be Jewish in "The Postponement
", when she talked to a rabbi about not being herself after finding out George got engaged before she did. She tells him she is not of his faith. Elaine also states that she's not Jewish in "The Fatigues
."
Though her ethnicity is never made clear, the name Beneš
(anglicized as Benes) is a common Czech surname. Her ethnicity is incorrectly assumed to be Hispanic
in "The Wizard". In "The Wink", her cousin Holly repeatedly mentions a "Grandma Memma" who apparently shared a mutual dislike with Elaine's side of the family.
Elaine claims to have an IQ
of 145 (although her scores range from 85 to 151).
In the reunion episode featured in the seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm
, it is revealed in the years since the finale Jerry has donated sperm to Elaine that results in her having a daughter. The daughter has taken to calling Jerry "Uncle Jerry", but by the episode's end, it is said she now refers to him as "daddy" - to the clear discomfort of Elaine and Jerry.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the American television sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
(1989–1998), played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....
. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
; she is also good friends with George Costanza
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
and Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
. Julia Louis-Dreyfus received extensive critical acclaim for her performance as Elaine, winning an Emmy, a Golden Globe and two SAG Awards.
Elaine's debut
Unlike her three close friends, Elaine is absent from the pilot episode. Previously the female role was supposed to be Claire, the waitress at Pete's Luncheonette played by Lee GarlingtonLee Garlington
Ann Leslie "Lee" Garlington is an American actress.Garlington was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. She has guest starred in a number of notable television series, including The West Wing, 7th Heaven, 8 Simple Rules, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Judging Amy, L.A...
, but the luncheonette was replaced by Monk's Restaurant and Garlington was dropped from the role. Elaine first appears in the second episode, "The Stake Out," but in production order she appeared in a final scene eating M&Ms in "Male Unbonding
Male Unbonding
"Male Unbonding" is the second episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld to be produced, and aired on June 14, 1990 as the fourth episode of the first season. In it, Jerry Seinfeld tries to avoid meeting an old childhood friend, Joel Hornick...
." NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
executives felt the show was too male-centric, and demanded that creators Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
and Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
add a woman to the cast as a condition for commissioning the show, as revealed in the commentary on the Season 1 and 2 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. In addition to the first episode, Elaine did not appear in a two-part episode ("The Trip") and thus appears in fewer episodes than the other main characters.
Real-life inspiration
After it was discovered that Jerry Seinfeld once dated writer and comedian Carol LeiferCarol Leifer
Carol Leifer is an American comedian, writer, producer and actor whose career as a stand-up comedian started in the 1970s when she was in college. David Letterman discovered her performing in a comedy club in the 1980s and she has since been a guest on Late Night With David Letterman over...
, speculation grew that Elaine was based upon Leifer, though that was later largely refuted. Leifer, who wrote or co-wrote a number of episodes for the show, has said only some elements of the backstory of the character—that she and Seinfeld had dated and have remained good friends since the relationship ended—relate to her. She says some elements of the character of Elaine, especially her assertiveness, intelligence and sense of humor, are drawn from the off-screen personality of Julia Louis-Dreyfus herself. According to Seinfeld's biography (written by Jerry Oppenheimer
Jerry Oppenheimer
Jerry Oppenheimer is an author who has written several unauthorized biographies of public figures including Hillary and Bill Clinton, Anna Wintour, Rock Hudson, Martha Stewart, Barbara Walters, Ethel Kennedy and Jerry Seinfeld...
), Elaine was based in part on Susan McNabb (who was dating Seinfeld when the character was created), though eventually named after friend and fellow comic Elayne Boosler
Elayne Boosler
Elayne Boosler is an American comedian.Boosler was born and raised in Brooklyn, the youngest child and only daughter of a Russian-acrobat father and a Romanian-ballerina mother...
. Also, the character was partially based on Monica Yates, the daughter of novelist Richard Yates
Richard Yates (novelist)
Richard Yates was an American novelist and short story writer, known for his exploration of mid-20th century life.-Life:...
. Larry David once dated Monica Yates, and the two remained good friends after they broke up.
Personality
Elaine is normally intelligent and assertive, but also quite superficial. She is one of the boys, and despite the troubles they go through as a group, she remains the closest female friend to the main male cast throughout the entire series. Her traits are usually edgy and neurotic and she has a tendency to easily get angry with almost everyone. She has ruined her friends' ambitions, like throwing George's toupee out the window after trying to explain the irony behind it in "The BeardThe Beard
"The Beard" is the 102nd episode of the NBC situation comedy Seinfeld. This was the 16th episode for the 6th season. It aired on February 9, 1995.-Plot:...
" or revealing what Jerry said in "The Cheever Letters
The Cheever Letters
"The Cheever Letters" is the forty-eighth episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld, the 8th episode of season four. Written by Larry David, Elaine Pope & Tom Leopold and directed by Tom Cherones, it premiered on October 28, 1992.-Plot:...
" about the "panties her mother laid out for her".
Elaine is a serial dater, a trait lampooned in Season 7's "The Sponge
The Sponge
"The Sponge" is the 119th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the ninth episode for the seventh season. It aired on December 7, 1995.-Plot:...
", where she is desperate to buy a cache of discontinued contraceptive sponge
Contraceptive sponge
The contraceptive sponge combines barrier and spermicidal methods to prevent conception. Three brands are marketed: Pharmatex, Protectaid and Today. Pharmatex is marketed in France and the province of Quebec; Protectaid in the rest of Canada and Europe; and Today in the United States.Sponges work...
s before they are all bought up. She coins the word "spongeworthy" debating her then-boyfriend's prospects of intimacy at the expense of her inventory. Her neuroses often interfere with her relationships, leading to the premature end of a blossoming relationship. For example, in "The Stall
The Stall
"The Stall" is the seventy-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the twelfth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on January 6, 1994.-Plot:...
", Elaine is dating Tony, a very good-looking athletic type. After a rock climbing accident mangles Tony's face, Elaine admits to Jerry that she can't date someone who isn't attractive and wonders how long she is obligated to stay with him post-accident. Later, in "The Couch
The Couch
"The Couch" is the 91st episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 5th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 27, 1994.-Plot:Kramer plans to start a "pizza business where you make your own pie" with Poppie . Jerry and Elaine's discussion of the abortion issue causes trouble at Poppie's...
" after proclaiming her love for new boyfriend Carl, she immediately ends the relationship upon learning that he does not share her opinions on abortion. Elaine also is attracted to men with lucrative jobs, particularly doctors.
Generally, her hair was long with curls or waves, but underwent changes since Season 4. By Season 7, her hairstyle had matured and had a more modern look for the rest of the series. It was shoulder length again by "The Little Kicks
The Little Kicks
"The Little Kicks" is the 138th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 10, 1996.-Plot:...
", and straightened once more from Season 8's "The Summer of George
The Summer of George
"The Summer of George" is the 156th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was also the 22nd and final episode of the 8th season. It originally aired on May 15, 1997.-Plot:...
" to Season 9's "The Betrayal
The Betrayal
"The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. The episode is colloquially referred to as The Backwards Episode due to its use of reverse chronology, starting with the final scene and playing...
". There were a few episodes in which her hair had an effect on mostly her boyfriends. In Season 9's "The Strike", it was damaged when affected by steam. In "The Smelly Car
The Smelly Car
"The Smelly Car" is the sixty-first episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 21st episode for the 4th season. It aired on April 16, 1993.-Plot:...
" a valet made Jerry's car and Elaine's hair smell like body odor. In "The Movie
The Movie
"The Movie" is the fifty-fourth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 14th episode of the fourth season, and first aired on January 6, 1993.-Plot:...
" George describes Elaine as having "a big wall o' hair".
Her clothing is normally quite conservative. She usually wears formal dresses and whenever she's not at work, she'll wear her usual casual clothes. It is revealed by Peter Mehlman on audio commentary in "The Sponge
The Sponge
"The Sponge" is the 119th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the ninth episode for the seventh season. It aired on December 7, 1995.-Plot:...
" and "The Betrayal
The Betrayal
"The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. The episode is colloquially referred to as The Backwards Episode due to its use of reverse chronology, starting with the final scene and playing...
" that female fans favor the brown leather jacket that she wears from Season 7 on. Occasionally she is entirely out of her usual attire, as in "The Betrayal" (when she wears an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n outfit and hairstyle) and "The Millennium" (in which she dons Maya
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
n dress). Elaine also wears glasses at times, usually during work hours.
Although she is friends with George, Elaine tends to be combative with him. Still, Elaine does see him as a good friend: in "The Wife
The Wife
"The Wife" is the eighty-first episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The 17th episode of the 5th season, it was originally broadcast on March 17, 1994...
", he argues with Elaine over her love interest, who is threatening to kick him out of the health club. The depiction of Elaine as smarter and more successful than George was occasionally reversed for comic effect: In "The Opposite
The Opposite
"The Opposite" is the eighty-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was also the 21st episode of Season 5. It aired on May 19, 1994. This was the first episode shot for Season 5, but it was intended to be the season finale. This is the last episode Tom Cherones directed...
", George finds success and happiness doing the opposite of whatever his instincts tell him, while the normally successful Elaine falls on hard times. In "The Abstinence
The Abstinence
"The Abstinence" is the 143rd episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 9th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on November 21, 1996.-Plot:...
", George becomes smarter while not having sex, but Elaine gets dumber. In a few episodes Elaine and George work together, most notably in "The Revenge" and "The Cadillac".
She does sometimes go to Kramer for help. She asks him and Newman to help her get rid of a neighbor's dog in "The Engagement". In "The Slicer
The Slicer
"The Slicer" is the 163rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 7th episode of the 9th and final season. It first aired on November 13, 1997.-Plot:...
", she asks him first to lose power at her neighbors' house and also to feed the cat with meat. In "The Watch
The Watch
"The Watch " is the forty-sixth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the series, and first aired on September 30, 1992.-Plot:...
" she asks him to pose as her boyfriend so she can dump Dr. Reston, her controlling psychiatrist boyfriend. In "The Soup Nazi
The Soup Nazi
"The Soup Nazi" is the title of the 116th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was the 6th episode of the 7th season. It first aired in the United States on November 2, 1995....
", she asks him to watch an armoire for her on the street until she can move it in the following day. The only conflict is in "The Seven
The Seven
"The Seven" is the 123rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 13th episode for the 7th season. It aired on February 1, 1996.-Plot:...
" over a girl's bike in which Newman is the judge over the dispute.
Elaine is the only main character who does not own a car. In "The Busboy
The Busboy
"The Busboy" was the seventeenth episode of Seinfeld to air, despite being the eighth produced. The episode was the 12th and final episode of the show's second season. It aired on June 26, 1991.-Plot:...
" (off camera) and "The Pothole
The Pothole
"The Pothole" is the 150th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 16th episode for the 8th season. It aired on February 20, 1997. This episode earned Andy Ackerman an Emmy Award for Outstanding Direction...
" she borrows Jerry's, and in "The Wait Out
The Wait Out
"The Wait Out" is the 133rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 23rd episode for the seventh season. It aired in the U.S. on May 9, 1996.-Plot:...
" she borrows her friend Elise's car. In "The Burning" she borrows then-boyfriend David Puddy's. Also, it's revealed that she is a horrible driver who slams on the brakes and wildly steers the car.
Elaine also has a very refined taste in film, citing many movies, plays, and characters throughout the series. She has a particular affection for the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire, revealed first in "The Fusilli Jerry
The Fusilli Jerry
"The Fusilli Jerry" is the 107th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 21st episode of the 6th season. It aired on April 27, 1995. Working titles for this episode were "The Move", "The Proctologist", and "The Assman".-Plot:...
" the episode where Elaine first begins to see David Puddy and an utter dislike for The English Patient
The English Patient (film)
The English Patient is a 1996 romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The film, written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture...
. She remarks sarcastically to Jerry (after he expresses surprise that she would date Puddy, who is a mechanic) that it's "such a huge turn off" for her when Puddy comes home "dripping with animal sexuality like Stanley Kowalski
Stanley Kowalski
Stanley Kowalski is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire.-In the play:Stanley lives in the working class Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans with his wife, Stella , and is employed as a factory parts salesman. He was an Army engineer in WWII, having...
". In "The Pen
The Pen
"The Pen" is the twentieth episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the third episode of the third season. It aired on October 2, 1991. This is the only episode in which both George and Kramer do not appear.-Plot:...
", Elaine shows her love for the movie when she becomes unintentionally high on muscle relaxers and repeatedly screams "Stella" at a fancy dinner party in Florida.
In "The Boyfriend", Elaine reveals her disgust for smokers, which helps lead to a breakup with Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez
Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
. Her dislike of smoking also leads to an argument with a fortune-teller in "The Suicide". However, in "The Calzone
The Calzone
"The Calzone" is the 130th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 20th episode of the seventh season. It aired on April 25, 1996.-Plot:...
" and "The Foundation
The Foundation (Seinfeld)
"The Foundation" is the 135th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 1st episode of the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on September 19, 1996.-Plot:...
" she is seen smoking with a Cuban cigar. She is also seen smoking a cigar in "The Blood", but only to make herself look bad in front of the mother of the child she's babysitting.
Family
Elaine is the only main character whose mother never appears. Benes' father, a gruff novelist named Alton Benes (portrayed by Lawrence TierneyLawrence Tierney
Lawrence Tierney was an American actor, known for his many screen portrayals of mobsters and hardened criminals, which mirrored his own frequent brushes with the law....
), a character based on the novelist Richard Yates
Richard Yates (novelist)
Richard Yates was an American novelist and short story writer, known for his exploration of mid-20th century life.-Life:...
, was featured in the episode "The Jacket". He is an alcoholic and a war veteran, and is very well respected in the literary community. In the same episode, Elaine's father asks how her mother is; later, in "The Wait Out
The Wait Out
"The Wait Out" is the 133rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 23rd episode for the seventh season. It aired in the U.S. on May 9, 1996.-Plot:...
", Elaine reveals to David Lookner that her father left her and the rest of her family when she was nine years old.
Elaine has a sister, Gail, and a nephew who are first mentioned in "The Pick
The Pick
"The Pick" is the fifty-third episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 13th episode of the fourth season, and first aired on December 16, 1992.- Plot :...
". In "The Wait Out
The Wait Out
"The Wait Out" is the 133rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 23rd episode for the seventh season. It aired in the U.S. on May 9, 1996.-Plot:...
", it is revealed that Gail lives in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. She also makes reference to a brother-in-law in "The Phone Message
The Phone Message
"The Phone Message" is the ninth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the fourth of the show's second season. The episode concerns protagonist Jerry Seinfeld dating a woman who likes a commercial for cotton Dockers he dislikes...
".
Elaine has a cousin, Holly, who appears in "The Wink". In this episode, reference is made to Elaine's Grandma Mema, from whom Holly inherited a set of cloth napkins.
In the first season episode "The Stock Tip", Elaine mentions she has an Uncle Pete. In "The Secret Code", she mentions another uncle who worked in the Texas School Book Depository
Texas School Book Depository
The Texas School Book Depository is the former name of a seven-floor building facing Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas . Located on the northwest corner of Elm and North Houston Streets, at the western end of downtown Dallas, its address is 411 Elm Street. The building is notable for its connection to...
with Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
.
In the 2009 Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
Seinfeld reunion show, which takes place eleven years after Seinfelds finale, it is revealed that Elaine has a daughter, Isabelle, through a sperm donation from Jerry.
Background and education
Unlike Jerry, Kramer, and George, Elaine is not a native of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, having grown up in the affluent Baltimore suburb of Towson
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. She attended finishing school
Finishing school
A finishing school is "a private school for girls that emphasises training in cultural and social activities." The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the educational experience, with classes primarily on etiquette...
, and completed her undergraduate education at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, revealed to be her safety school in "The Puerto Rican Day Parade
The Puerto Rican Day
"The Puerto Rican Day Parade" is the 176th and antepenultimate episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on May 7, 1998, and was the 20th episode of the 9th and final season. It was the show's second-highest-rated episode of all time, with 38.8 million viewers, only behind the series finale...
", as a French Literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
major. In "The Dog", she tells George she moved to New York in 1986, which, by coincidence, is the year Jerry moved into his apartment across the hall from Kramer (as seen in "The Betrayal"). She began dating Jerry later that same year.
Elaine's religion (if she has any) is never confirmed. At times, she appears to no have no religion, nor any interest in religion. For example, she expressed shock when her boyfriend, David Puddy, is revealed as a devout Christian. Also, she views saying "God bless you" as a "silly superstition" in "The Good Samaritan". On the other hand, she is seen making the sign of the cross
Sign of the cross
The Sign of the Cross , or crossing oneself, is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of a trinitarian formula....
before entering Jerry's apartment to retrieve a manuscript while it is being fumigated in "The Doodle
The Doodle
"The Doodle" is the one hundred and sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 20th episode for the 6th season. It aired on April 6, 1995.-Plot:...
", and crosses herself again in "The Betrayal" after turning her back on a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
altar (she non-verbally negates this action). This may suggest that Elaine was raised Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. Also, in multiple episodes, including "The Strong Box
The Strong Box
"The Strongbox" is the 170th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 14th episode for the 9th and final season. It aired on February 5, 1998.-Plot:...
" and "The Wizard", she can be seen wearing a crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
.
Elaine is confirmed not to be Jewish in "The Postponement
The Postponement
"The Postponement" is the 112th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the second episode of the seventh season. It aired in the U.S. on September 28, 1995.-Plot:...
", when she talked to a rabbi about not being herself after finding out George got engaged before she did. She tells him she is not of his faith. Elaine also states that she's not Jewish in "The Fatigues
The Fatigues
"The Fatigues" is the 140th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the sixth episode for the eighth season. It aired on October 31, 1996.-Plot:...
."
Though her ethnicity is never made clear, the name Beneš
Beneš
Beneš or Benes may refer to:people:* Alan Benes , American Major League Baseball pitcher.* Andy Benes , American Major League Baseball pitcher....
(anglicized as Benes) is a common Czech surname. Her ethnicity is incorrectly assumed to be Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
in "The Wizard". In "The Wink", her cousin Holly repeatedly mentions a "Grandma Memma" who apparently shared a mutual dislike with Elaine's side of the family.
Elaine claims to have an IQ
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
of 145 (although her scores range from 85 to 151).
Employment
Elaine works several steady jobs throughout the show's entire run, mostly as a writer or editor.- During season two to season five, she works at Pendant Publishing under her boss Mr. Lippman, where she served as a copy editor before losing her job at the end of the fifth season when the company went bankrupt, and a merger that would have saved the company was thwarted by a misunderstanding resulting from her penchant for chewy, speech-impairing Jujyfruit candies ("The OppositeThe Opposite"The Opposite" is the eighty-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was also the 21st episode of Season 5. It aired on May 19, 1994. This was the first episode shot for Season 5, but it was intended to be the season finale. This is the last episode Tom Cherones directed...
").
- She later becomes a personal assistant to the eccentric and demanding Justin Pitt, starting in "The Chaperone", but later is fired when Pitt thinks she and Jerry are conspiring to kill him in "The Diplomat's ClubThe Diplomat's Club"The Diplomat's Club" is the 108th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 22nd episode for the 6th season. It aired on May 4, 1995.-Plot:...
". Her duties for Mr. Pitt included largely mundane tasks, such as buying socks for him or removing the salt crystals from his pretzel sticks (as featured in "The Mom & Pop StoreThe Mom & Pop Store"The Mom & Pop Store" is the 94th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 8th episode for the 6th season. It aired on November 17, 1994.-Plot:...
").
- After her dismissal from this position, she meets J. Peterman on the street ("The Understudy") and becomes an editor at his J. Peterman CatalogThe J. Peterman CompanyThe J. Peterman Company is a retail company that sells clothing and fashion accessories primarily through catalogs and the Internet.-History:...
, where she remains employed for the rest of the show's run. Starting in "The FoundationThe Foundation (Seinfeld)"The Foundation" is the 135th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 1st episode of the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on September 19, 1996.-Plot:...
", she takes charge of the catalog when Peterman suffers a nervous breakdownNervous breakdownMental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
in BurmaMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. She goes on a spending spree on the company account (she buys George an $8000 sableSableThe sable is a species of marten which inhabits forest environments, primarily in Russia from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, in northern Mongolia and China and on Hokkaidō in Japan. Its range in the wild originally extended through European Russia to Poland and Scandinavia...
hat in "The Chicken RoasterThe Chicken Roaster"The Chicken Roaster" is the 142nd episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 8th episode for the 8th season. It aired on November 14, 1996.-Kramer:...
"). Once Peterman returns to find an ineffective reshuffling of employees in "The MoneyThe Money"The Money" is the 146th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the 8th season. It aired on NBC on January 16, 1997.-Plot:...
" she is demoted back to her former position. She is also fired twice by Peterman: first when her penchant for poppy seed muffins cause her to fail a drug test in "The Shower HeadThe Shower Head"The Shower Head" is the 126th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 16th episode for the 7th season. It aired on February 15, 1996.-Plot:...
" and then in "The English Patient" when she expresses her hatred for the movie The English PatientThe English Patient (film)The English Patient is a 1996 romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The film, written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture...
. She is able to recover her job by agreeing to live temporarily in a remote caveCaveA cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
in the desertDesertA desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
of TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
.
Romantic relationships
Elaine has a string of boyfriends, most of whom appeared for only an episode or two.Jerry
- Elaine and Jerry had dated for a while before the show began. They began dating in 1986 (as revealed in "The Truth"; per "The Betrayal", this would have been shortly after Jerry moved into his apartment and shortly after Elaine herself first moved to New York, suggesting Jerry was her first New York boyfriend), then dated for three years up until 1990, indicating they began dating in mid-1986 and broke up in mid-1990 (however this theory on their period of time together before the show started is made a little strange when in the episode "The Deal" Elaine states the two only had sex 37 times together, and in the same episode Jerry states he thought it was 25 times. To assume the two only had sex 37 times (at most, as stated by them) in a 3 year span, although possible, seems incredibly far-fetched, not to mention their promiscuity on the rest of the show.) However, in two later episodes they consider making their relationship intimate again. In season 2's "The Deal", they create a set of rules whereby they can sleep together but remain only friends. However, their theory is ruined when Elaine is furious over Jerry giving her $182 as a birthday gift. In season 5's "The MangoThe Mango"The Mango" is the sixty-fifth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on September 16, 1993, and is the premiere of the show's fifth season. The episode's working title was "The Orgasm." It was filmed in front of a live studio audience on Tuesday, August 17, 1993...
", Jerry is shocked to discover that Elaine had faked her orgasms while they were together. Elaine isn't too concerned, but a bitter Jerry is unable to let it go and unsuccessfully demands another chance. Ultimately, as they are about to bitterly part ways, she finally agrees to give him another chance "to save the friendship". Though the friendship goes back to normal, the attempt fails as Jerry is unable to perform.
- The idea that Elaine and Jerry still have feelings for each other occasionally comes up in the series. In season 3's "The TapeThe Tape"The Tape" is the twenty-fifth episode of Seinfeld. It is the eighth episode of the show's third season. It first aired on November 13, 1991.The episode was written by Larry David and Don McEnery and Bob Shaw and was directed by David Steinberg.-Plot:...
", Elaine jokingly leaves a dirty message on Jerry's tape recorder which reignites Jerry's (along with George and Kramer) passion for Elaine. In the episode "The Fix-UpThe Fix-Up"The Fix-Up" is the thirty-fourth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 16th episode of the show's third season. It aired on February 5, 1992...
", Kramer stops an argument between Jerry and Elaine and tells them, "Can't you two see that you're in love with each other?" The two, however, dismiss it. In season 6's "The Mom & Pop StoreThe Mom & Pop Store"The Mom & Pop Store" is the 94th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 8th episode for the 6th season. It aired on November 17, 1994.-Plot:...
", when Elaine is temporarily deafened by a big band music party, Jerry jokingly asks her to marry him. In season 7's "The Cadillac", after Elaine realizes that Jerry is financially successful, she begins to flirt with him incessantly. In season 8's "The AbstinenceThe Abstinence"The Abstinence" is the 143rd episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 9th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on November 21, 1996.-Plot:...
", Elaine abstains from sex with her boyfriend until he passes his medical exam. This results in such mental congestion that she becomes markedly less intelligent. She then begs Jerry to have sex with her, but he turns her down, saying that the situation was "too weird". However, this was likely just a desperate attempt from Elaine, as she then goes as far to ask if KramerCosmo KramerCosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
was home.
- In season 9's "The Serenity NowThe Serenity Now"The Serenity Now" is the 159th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 3rd episode of the 9th and final season. It aired in the U.S. on October 9, 1997.-Plot:...
", Jerry's uninhibited and exaggerated emotional state causes him to ask Elaine to marry him. Shocked, she makes an excuse and leaves. She returns later to accept his proposal, but Jerry has by that time settled to his usual stable emotional state and says "I don't see it happening." In "The Finale", when they think their plane is about to crash, Elaine is about to say something, but the pilot is immediately able to steady the plane. Elaine later explained in court that she had been confessing that "I've always loved United Airlines." Jerry questioned Elaine about Puddy when she first started dating him and was disappointed she'd be dating his mechanic, telling her "You always want to know who your ex-girlfriend is dating".
In the reunion episode featured in the seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
, it is revealed in the years since the finale Jerry has donated sperm to Elaine that results in her having a daughter. The daughter has taken to calling Jerry "Uncle Jerry", but by the episode's end, it is said she now refers to him as "daddy" - to the clear discomfort of Elaine and Jerry.
David Puddy
- Elaine's longest relationship, besides that with Jerry, is with David Puddy (Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
), an auto mechanic turned car salesman whom she dates starting in the latter half of season six and later for the majority of season nine. Puddy's personality and physicality contrast those of Elaine: he is of minimal intelligence and maturity, and of much greater bulk than Benes. Elaine and Puddy break-up and make-up repeatedly during their relationship, often doing so several times in one episode as demonstrated to extreme effect in "The Butter ShaveThe Butter Shave"The Butter Shave" is the 157th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is also the first episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on September 25, 1997.-Plot:...
" and "The Voice". It's also known that the phrase "Yeah, that's right" carried on to Elaine in which she uses the phrase a few times whenever she hangs around with Puddy. It is likely that Puddy does not have great feelings for Elaine. This is shown in a few episodes. In "The Voice", Puddy claims he just likes to see her and have sex. In the same episode, when Elaine tells him that they're back together, he answers "Oh, no". In "The Finale", when Elaine is about to be taken away to jail, she emotionally tells Puddy to "not wait for her". Puddy answers back with a simple and casual, "Alright", leaving Elaine in shock and confusion. And the fact that they constantly break-up in various episodes explains that they can't maintain a long-term, loving relationship.
Men attracted to Elaine
- NewmanNewman (Seinfeld)Newman is a recurring character on the television show Seinfeld, played by Wayne Knight from 1991 until the show's finale in 1998.-Background:...
has a long-running crush on Elaine over the course of the series. Even though Jerry shows Elaine's "Christmas Card" in "The PickThe Pick"The Pick" is the fifty-third episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 13th episode of the fourth season, and first aired on December 16, 1992.- Plot :...
", he reveals his feelings in "The Soul MateThe Soul Mate"The Soul Mate" is the 136th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the second episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on September 26, 1996....
" until "The Reverse PeepholeThe Reverse Peephole"The Reverse Peephole" is the 12th episode of the ninth season of the television comedy series, Seinfeld. It was written by Spike Feresten and directed by Andy Ackerman. In this episode, Kramer and Newman reverse the peepholes on their apartment doors, which could lead to the landlord kicking them...
" in which Elaine tries to get the fur coat but he is already in love with Svetlana. - In "The TapeThe Tape"The Tape" is the twenty-fifth episode of Seinfeld. It is the eighth episode of the show's third season. It first aired on November 13, 1991.The episode was written by Larry David and Don McEnery and Bob Shaw and was directed by David Steinberg.-Plot:...
", George, Jerry, and Kramer become attracted to Elaine after hearing a joke erotic message that she recorded on a tape on which Jerry was recording one of his live shows. - In "The Serenity NowThe Serenity Now"The Serenity Now" is the 159th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 3rd episode of the 9th and final season. It aired in the U.S. on October 9, 1997.-Plot:...
", Elaine attracts the romantic attentions of both Mr. Lippman and his 13-year-old son, Adam. George tells her she has shiksaShiksaShiksa or shikse, is a Yiddish and Polish word that has moved into English usage, mostly in North American Jewish culture, as a term for a non-Jewish woman, initially and sometimes still pejorative but now often used satirically...
-appeal, the attraction Gentile women have over Jewish men ("Jewish men love the idea of meeting a woman that's not like their mother"). - In "The Cigar Store IndianThe Cigar Store Indian"The Cigar Store Indian" is the seventy-fourth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the tenth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on December 9, 1993.-Plot:...
", Elaine becomes the obsession of a nerdNerdNerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
y television fanatic named Ricky whom she meets on the subway; he shows up at the Costanzas' home with a paper bouquet for her which he made out of Frank Costanza's copy of TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
(which Elaine had accidentally left with him). In a later episode, "The PieThe Pie"The Pie" is the seventy-ninth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the 5th season. It aired on February 17, 1994.-Plot:Jerry is miffed after his girlfriend Audrey refuses to take a bite of his pie....
", it is revealed that Ricky designed a mannequin in Elaine's likeness. - In "The Big SaladThe Big Salad"The Big Salad" is the 88th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 2nd episode for the 6th season. It aired on September 29, 1994.-Plot:...
", an office supply store clerk, Barry, who has become obsessed with Elaine constantly calls Jerry about a pencil order she placed for Mr. Pitt. - In "The ContestThe Contest"The Contest" was the 51st episode of the NBC sitcom, Seinfeld. The eleventh episode of the fourth season, it aired on November 18, 1992. In the episode, George Costanza tells Jerry Seinfeld, Elaine Benes and Cosmo Kramer that his mother caught him unaware while he was masturbating...
", John F. Kennedy, Jr.John F. Kennedy, Jr.John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. , often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr. or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F...
, who works out at the same gym as Elaine, lets her know through the countergirl that he would like to meet her. Elaine and John ride together briefly in a cab. - In "The Jimmy", Elaine thinks she is being set up on date with a handsome man from the gym that she fancies, but instead she has unwittingly agreed to a date with a strange man named Jimmy who refers to himself in the third personGrammatical personGrammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
. - In "The ShoesThe ShoesThe Shoes is the fifty-sixth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 16th episode for the fourth season, and first aired on February 4, 1993.-Plot:...
", Elaine catches the eye of NBC president Russell Dalrymple by wearing a décolletageDécolletageDécolletage is the upper part of a woman's torso, between her waist and neck, comprising her neck, shoulders, back and chest, that is exposed by the style of her clothing. However, the term is most commonly applied to a neckline which reveals or emphasizes cleavage...
. Elaine breaks off the relationship after one date, sending Russell into an emotional spiral that causes him to quit his job and join GreenpeaceGreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
to impress her. Russell's departure from NBC causes Jerry and George's pilot to be rejected, and it is implied at the end of "The Pilot" that Russell dies at sea during a Greenpeace mission. - In "The Van Buren BoysThe Van Buren Boys"The Van Buren Boys" is the 148th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, and name of a fictional New York street gang. Their sign is crossing the hands, with one hand with all the fingers 'up' and spread out. The other hand has all but the thumb and pointer finger up, for a total of eight...
", J. Peterman suggests that when Elaine writes the "romantic escapade" section of his autobiography, she can feel free to throw herself into the dialogue.
Other notable boyfriends
- She dates baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player (and Kramer and Newman's nemesis) Keith HernandezKeith HernandezKeith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
in "The Boyfriend". - She also dates Tim Whatley, a dentist who appears in several episodes, most notably "The Label MakerThe Label Maker"The Label Maker" is the 98th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the 6th season. It aired on January 19, 1995.-Plot:...
". - Over several episodes in season 4, she dates "Crazy" Joe Davola, who is simultaneously stalking Jerry, unbeknownst to her until "The Opera".
- In "The Masseuse", she dates a man named Joel Rifkin, who shares the same name as a notorious serial killerJoel RifkinJoel David Rifkin is an American serial killer convicted of the murder of nine women , mostly drug addicted prostitutes, between 1989 and 1993 in New York City...
. - In "The Sniffing AccountantThe Sniffing Accountant"The Sniffing Accountant" is the sixty-eighth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, being the fourth episode of the series' fifth season. It aired on NBC on Thursday, October 7, 1993....
" she dates Jake Jarmel, an up and coming writer and star client of Pendant Publishing. She breaks up with him because of his reluctance to use exclamation points. They get back together in "The OppositeThe Opposite"The Opposite" is the eighty-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was also the 21st episode of Season 5. It aired on May 19, 1994. This was the first episode shot for Season 5, but it was intended to be the season finale. This is the last episode Tom Cherones directed...
", but he breaks up with her for stopping to buy JujyfruitsJujyfruitsJujyfruits are a chewy, gumdrop-like starch-based candy manufactured in the United States by Heide Candy Company, a subsidiary of Farley's & Sathers Candy Company, Inc.-Description:...
after hearing he was in a car accident. Later, in "The ScofflawThe Scofflaw"The Scofflaw" is the 99th episode of the NBC sitcom "Seinfeld". It was the 13th episode for the 6th season. It aired on January 26, 1995.-Plot:...
", Elaine taunts Jarmel by wearing a pair of glasses that are identical to his—he's upset because he thought he had the only pair. She then gives them to Mr. Lippman, Jarmel's publisher, who inadvertently angers Jarmel by wearing them to a book promotion. - In "The Bizarro JerryThe Bizarro Jerry"The Bizarro Jerry" is the 137th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the third episode for the eighth season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 3, 1996. The title and plot extensively reference the Bizarro and Bizarro-Earth concepts that originally...
", she dates Kevin, the nice, kind antithesis of Jerry whose friends Gene, Feldman and Vargas are polar opposites of George, Kramer and Newman, respectively, each described as coming from the backwards Bizarro World of SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
comics. - In "The StallThe Stall"The Stall" is the seventy-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the twelfth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on January 6, 1994.-Plot:...
", her boyfriend Tony, dubbed a male bimbo or "mimbo" by Jerry, becomes George's new idol. - In "The WalletThe Wallet"The Wallet" is the forty-fifth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the series, and first aired on September 23, 1992.-Plot:...
" she dates her psychiatrist, Dr. Reston, who has such control over her she calls him her SvengaliSvengaliSvengali is a fictional character of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. Svengali "would either fawn or bully and could be grossly impertinent. He had a kind of cynical humour that was more offensive than amusing and always laughed at the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong place...
(but mispronounces it "Svenjolly"). - In "The ChecksThe Checks"The Checks" is the 141st episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 7th episode for the 8th season. It aired on NBC on November 7, 1996.-Plot:...
", her boyfriend Brett is so obsessed with the song "DesperadoDesperado (song)"Desperado" is a soft rock song by the Eagles, an American rock band, written by group members Glenn Frey and Don Henley. It first appeared on the 1973 album Desperado, and has later appeared on numerous compilation albums although it was not a single....
" that she feels ignored whenever the song comes on. She tries to find a song that they can share and comes up with "Witchy WomanWitchy Woman"Witchy Woman" is a song written by Don Henley and Bernie Leadon, and recorded by the American rock band Eagles. Released as the second single from the band's debut album Eagles, it reached #9 on the Billboard Pop singles chart and is the only single from the album to feature Henley on lead...
", but it doesn't work. Both songs are by the Eagles. - In "The Wizard", Elaine isn't sure if her new boyfriend Darryl is African-American or not and gets mixed signals when she tries to find out. Turns out he is white and thought Elaine was Hispanic.
- In "The Non-Fat YogurtThe Non-Fat Yogurt"The Non-Fat Yogurt" is the seventy-first episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the seventh episode of the fifth season, and first aired on November 4, 1993.-Plot:...
", Elaine dates Lloyd Braun. Since Lloyd works for the mayor, she tells him that the city would be a better place if everyone wore name tags. He mentions this to the mayor and the mayor eventually loses his election as a result. - In "The MaestroThe Maestro"The Maestro" is an episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on October 5, 1995. It was the series' 113th episode and 3rd episode for the 7th season. The title character is played by Mark Metcalf.-Plot:...
", Elaine begins dating Bob Cobb, a conductor who insists on being calling "The Maestro". They eventually go to TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
together. - In "The Junk MailThe Junk Mail"The Junk Mail" is the 161st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 5th episode of the 9th and final season. The episode aired on October 30, 1997.-Plot:...
", Elaine dates Jack, the television pitchman for The Wiz.
Enemies
Elaine's quick temper makes her several enemies and gets her into several confrontations over the years:Sue Ellen Mischke
- She has a long-running hatred and inferiority complexInferiority complexAn inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. Such feelings can arise from an imagined or actual inferiority in the afflicted person...
for former schoolmate and candy-bar heiress Sue Ellen Mischke. Elaine's nickname for Sue Ellen was "The Braless Wonder" because she never wore a bra in high school, which enticed Elaine's boyfriend to dump her for Sue Ellen. Sue Ellen appears in four episodes: in "The Caddy", she struts down the street wearing a bra as a top, causing Kramer to crash George's car; in "The Bottle Deposit", Elaine spends $20,000 on a set of golf clubs (owned by John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
) for Mr. Peterman when she is caught in a vicious bidding war with Sue Ellen at an auction; in "The AbstinenceThe Abstinence"The Abstinence" is the 143rd episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 9th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on November 21, 1996.-Plot:...
", Elaine boasts to Sue Ellen about dating a doctor but then is made to look foolish when her boyfriend is completely useless during an emergency at the coffee shop; finally, in "The Betrayal", Elaine is so unhappy at receiving an "Unvitation" (a super-last-minute invitation) to Sue Ellen's wedding, that she travels all the way to India just to show up. It finally ended when George blurted out that Elaine "slept with the groom". Her comeuppance is Sue Ellen breaking her nose which is band-aided at the beginning of the episode.
Other enemies
- Elaine conflicts with Frank Costanza on several occasions. Frank refers to her as "supercilious" in "The Chinese WomanThe Chinese Woman"The Chinese Woman" is the 90th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 13, 1994.-Plot:...
". In The Cigar Store IndianThe Cigar Store Indian"The Cigar Store Indian" is the seventy-fourth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the tenth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on December 9, 1993.-Plot:...
, she angers him first by taking his TV GuideTV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
without asking and then by spilling her gyro on it. Then, in "The Little KicksThe Little Kicks"The Little Kicks" is the 138th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 10, 1996.-Plot:...
", she and Frank come to blows after George is arrested along with Elaine's co-worker Anna. Elaine says to Frank, "I could drop you like a bag of dirt." Frank replies, "You want a piece of me? You got it!" Later, when Jerry chides her for fighting with an old man, she says, "Hey, he wrote the check. I cashed it." suggesting that she won the fight. - Her abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
argument with restaurateur Poppie gets him so angry that he loses control of his bladder in "The CouchThe Couch"The Couch" is the 91st episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 5th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 27, 1994.-Plot:Kramer plans to start a "pizza business where you make your own pie" with Poppie . Jerry and Elaine's discussion of the abortion issue causes trouble at Poppie's...
" and again in "The DoormanThe Doorman"The Doorman" is the one hundred and fourth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 18th episode for the 6th season. It aired on February 23, 1995.-Plot:...
." - In "The Soup NaziThe Soup Nazi"The Soup Nazi" is the title of the 116th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was the 6th episode of the 7th season. It first aired in the United States on November 2, 1995....
", Elaine refuses to abide by the rules of a strict soup stand owner nicknamed "The Soup Nazi" and thus becomes the subject of his ire. When she finds his secret recipes that he had accidentally left in an armoire, she hints that she will drive him out of business, gloating that he is "through!" - In "The Summer of GeorgeThe Summer of George"The Summer of George" is the 156th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was also the 22nd and final episode of the 8th season. It originally aired on May 15, 1997.-Plot:...
", Elaine makes enemies out of her co-worker Sam (Molly ShannonMolly ShannonMolly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
). First, when Elaine criticizes Sam's way of walking ("It's like she's carrying invisible suitcases"), Sam gets furious and threatens revenge. Then, Raquel WelchRaquel WelchJo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
(who was recently fired from a musical for dancing without swinging her arms), sees Elaine describing the walk to the police and thinks that Elaine is making fun of her and attacks her. Both events end up arousing Jerry, Kramer, George and even the police, because as Jerry tells Elaine, men love "catfights". - In "The Understudy", after she thinks her Korean manicurists are making fun of her, she angers them by bringing in Frank Costanza, who is fluent in Korean, to eavesdrop on them.
- In "The Fire", Elaine reveals her hatred for her overly energetic and always-happy colleague Toby. Then, when Toby loses her pinky toe in an accident (caused by Jerry), an outpouring of office sympathy leads Toby to a major promotion instead of Elaine, who is more qualified.
- In "The VisaThe Visa"The Visa" is the fifty-fifth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 15th episode of the fourth season. It aired on January 27, 1993.-Plot:George meets Cheryl , a Chinese woman who is a lawyer, and who thinks he is very funny...
" she and Jerry anger Pakistani immigrant Babu after she fails to notice Babu's visa application among Jerry's mail that she is picking up for him. - Elaine has had run-ins with her co-worker Peggy on a few occasions. In "The SusieThe Susie"The Susie" is the 149th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the 8th season. It aired on February 13, 1997.-Plot:...
", Peggy tells Elaine, who she thinks is a woman named Susie, that Elaine Benes is a "dolt" and a "disaster." Later, in "The Apology", Peggy thinks Elaine has germs, and in retaliation Elaine deliberately coughs on Peggy's doorknob, rubs her stapler in her armpit and rubs her keyboard on her rear end. - Elaine makes a particular enemy of Chinese restaurants on no fewer than four different occasions. In "The Chinese RestaurantThe Chinese Restaurant"The Chinese Restaurant" is the eleventh episode of the sitcom Seinfelds second season on NBC, and is the show's sixteenth episode overall. The episode revolves around protagonist Jerry and his friends Elaine Benes and George Costanza waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant, on their way to...
", she makes a fool of herself when she tries to bribe the waiter to get her a table faster. Then in "The Race", she gets "blacklisted" from a Chinese delivery restaurant for refusing food delivery, also getting her Communist boyfriend blacklisted as well. Finally, in "The PotholeThe Pothole"The Pothole" is the 150th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 16th episode for the 8th season. It aired on February 20, 1997. This episode earned Andy Ackerman an Emmy Award for Outstanding Direction...
", she pretends to live in a janitor's closet in a different apartment so that she can live inside the delivery zone of a certain Chinese restaurant. She was also once sued by a Chinese deliveryman named Ping for causing him to get in a bicycle accident in "The Virgin". This storyline falls out in "The VisaThe Visa"The Visa" is the fifty-fifth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 15th episode of the fourth season. It aired on January 27, 1993.-Plot:George meets Cheryl , a Chinese woman who is a lawyer, and who thinks he is very funny...
" and is left unresolved. - In "The PackageThe Package (Seinfeld episode)"The Package" is the 139th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the fifth episode for the eighth season. It was first broadcast on October 17, 1996.-Plot:...
", it is revealed that Elaine's medical charts characterize her as a "difficult" patient, to such a degree that she cannot receive treatment for a rash because one doctor after another refuses to treat her.
Insecurities
- In "The Andrea DoriaThe Andrea Doria"The Andrea Doria" is the 144th episode of American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 10th episode for the 8th season. It aired on NBC on December 19, 1996.-Plot:George is excited about the new apartment he is going to move into...
", Elaine dates Alan, a "bad breaker-upper", who makes her feel insecure about having a big head. - In "The Smelly CarThe Smelly Car"The Smelly Car" is the sixty-first episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 21st episode for the 4th season. It aired on April 16, 1993.-Plot:...
", Elaine's boyfriend Carl is repulsed by her when her hair stinks of B.O.Body odorBody odor or body odour, sometimes colloquially abbreviated as B.O., is the smell of bacteria growing on the body. The bacteria multiply rapidly in the presence of sweat, but sweat itself is almost completely odorless to humans....
from riding in Jerry's car. She goes to extreme lengths to get the smell out but nothing works, and he continues to be grossed out. - In "The PostponementThe Postponement"The Postponement" is the 112th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the second episode of the seventh season. It aired in the U.S. on September 28, 1995.-Plot:...
" Elaine confides in a rabbi that she is jealous of George's engagement to Susan Ross because George would be getting married before she did and she considers George to be a loser. The Rabbi proceeds to tell everyone in Elaine's apartment complex and later on his cable TVCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
show about Elaine's insecurity.
Influence/effect on others
- In "The Chinese WomanThe Chinese Woman"The Chinese Woman" is the 90th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 13, 1994.-Plot:...
", Jerry describes how Elaine has had a destructive effect on her relationship with her friend Noreen. It is revealed that over the course of their friendship, Elaine has convinced Noreen to join the army, go AWOL from the army, dump her "high talker" boyfriend, and dump her "long talker" boyfriend. Eventually, Kramer steps in and forbids Elaine to have any more contact with Noreen. - In "The Muffin TopsThe Muffin Tops"The Muffin Tops" is the 155th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 21st episode of the eighth season. It aired on May 8, 1997.-Plot:...
", Elaine convinces her former boss Mr. Lippman to start his own business selling just "muffin tops". However, they soon run into problems when nobody will take the leftover stumps, and only by calling in "The Cleaner" (who turns out to be Newman) can they get rid of them. - In "The Non-Fat YogurtThe Non-Fat Yogurt"The Non-Fat Yogurt" is the seventy-first episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the seventh episode of the fifth season, and first aired on November 4, 1993.-Plot:...
", Elaine suggests to Lloyd Braun, an advisor to Mayor Dinkins, that everyone in the city should wear name tags. Lloyd Braun suggests this idea to Dinkins and he likes it so much that he adds it to his campaign, subsequently leading to his loss in the mayoral elections. In "The GumThe Gum"The Gum" is the 120th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 10th episode for the 7th season. It aired on December 14, 1995.-Plot:Kramer is active in the re-opening of the Alex movie theater...
", it is revealed that Lloyd Braun also loses his job and later suffered a nervous breakdown. - In "The Pilot," Russell Dalrymple's love for Elaine drives him to the point near the end of the show that he joins Greenpeace just to impress her and dies in the aftermath.
Physical moments
- She often shoves a person whenever she hears good news. It first appeared in "The Apartment" and goes on like a normal push. By "The Engagement", the show ramps it up as the tone of the humor changes, which allows Elaine to really shove a person into another room for comic effect, most memorably "The EngagementThe Engagement (Seinfeld episode)"The Engagement" is the seventh-season opener of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on September 21, 1995.-Plot:...
" with Jerry and "The Soup NaziThe Soup Nazi"The Soup Nazi" is the title of the 116th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was the 6th episode of the 7th season. It first aired in the United States on November 2, 1995....
" with Kramer. Also, the most memorable moment is in "The Bizarro JerryThe Bizarro Jerry"The Bizarro Jerry" is the 137th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the third episode for the eighth season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 3, 1996. The title and plot extensively reference the Bizarro and Bizarro-Earth concepts that originally...
": she shoves Kevin to the ground, helping end her friendship with the bizarro group. - She is a breathtakingly poor dancer. Her performance at a J. Peterman company party, the central plot theme of "The Little KicksThe Little Kicks"The Little Kicks" is the 138th episode of the American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 10, 1996.-Plot:...
", causes George to describe it as "a full-bodied dry heave set to music." The moves are repeated in her bedroom in a short scene of the episode "The SlicerThe Slicer"The Slicer" is the 163rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 7th episode of the 9th and final season. It first aired on November 13, 1997.-Plot:...
". Both clips appear in "The Clip Show, Pt. 1". - In "The Doodle", she holds her breath looking for the manuscript she was meant to read and memorize for her appointment.
External links
- Elaine on Seinfeldonline.com- Unofficial fan website.