The Yada Yada
Encyclopedia
"The Yada Yada" is the 153rd episode of the American
NBC
sitcom
Seinfeld
. The 19th episode of the 8th season, it aired on April 24, 1997 and was nominated for an Emmy.
's girlfriend, Marcy, is big on using the phrase "yada yada yada." Jerry
says that at least she is succinct and that it is like "dating USA Today
."
Jerry's dentist
, Dr. Tim Whatley, has just finished the process of converting to Judaism
, but is already making Jewish-themed jokes that make Jerry uncomfortable. Jerry goes so far as to say that he believes that Whatley only became Jewish "for the jokes".
Kramer
and Mickey Abbott double date, but cannot decide which woman is right for which one of them.
Elaine
is a character reference for Beth and Arnie, a couple who are trying to adopt, but the story she tells during an interview destroys all hope of adoption: she mentions a time when she and the couple went to a movie, and the husband lost his temper because Elaine was talking during the movie. George drops by Jerry's dental appointment; Mickey and Kramer continue to fight over who gets Karen or Julie.
George and Marcy are at Monk's. George tells Marci about having been engaged to Susan Ross, but says "yada yada yada" to avoid having to mention her death. Immediately after he tells her this, she tells him that her ex-boyfriend had visited her the night before and "yada yada yada, I'm really tired today". George later consults Jerry and Elaine, suspecting that Marcy used "yada yada" to cover up sex with her ex-boyfriend, and Elaine believes that this is possible. Later, George asks Marcy to tell him some of the things she was covering up with "yada yada", and discovers that she is a habitual shoplifter. She then asks him about how his engagement ended.
Jerry confesses to a priest about what he thinks of Tim's conversion, saying that he is offended (not as a Jew, but as a comedian), only to get sidetracked when a dentist joke he tells leaves the priest speechless with laughter. George drops by Jerry's confession and tells him that they need to talk. Kramer decides on the right woman, and Mickey also decides to make his commitment. Tim hears about a dentist joke that Jerry told the priest. He takes extreme exception to it and, as a result, deliberately prolongs an uncomfortable procedure. After hearing Jerry's complaints about Tim, Kramer calls Jerry an "anti-dentite".
Elaine lobbies on behalf of Beth and Arnie, and propositions the adoption official as an inducement. Beth's marriage nonetheless fails and she accompanies Jerry to Mickey's wedding to Julie. Elaine, now dating the adoption agent, is dismayed. George shows up without Marcy, who was just arrested and imprisoned for shoplifting: when Jerry asks George where she is, he replies, "She was getting shoes for the wedding, yada yada yada, I'll see her in six to eight months." Karen runs out before the wedding begins, apparently in love with Mickey and unable to bear seeing him marry Julie. Mickey's father (Robert Wagner
), a dentist, stands up for Tim Whatley and chastises Jerry for antagonizing him: "Tim Whatley was one of my students, and if this wasn't my son's wedding day, I'd knock your teeth out, you anti-dentite bastard." Jerry is initially comforted by Beth (Debra Messing
), who is at first shown to harbor the same feelings towards dentists as Jerry, until she also reveals herself to be both racist and antisemitic, at which point Jerry dumps her and tells Elaine that she left "to get her head shaved". As Julie and Mickey walk out at the end of the ceremony, Julie says to Kramer, "I really wanted you."
to run longer than the usual thirty minutes, and its slightly above-average length was even boasted about in promos. An edited version airs in syndication, cutting out several small scenes and dialogues, but the full-length version is available on the "Seinfeld" Season 8 DVD collection.
, among others. The phrase may have originated with the 1950s "yackety-yack", 1940s vaudeville
, and earlier.
Before the episode aired, writer Peter Mehlman
suspected that it would spawn a new Seinfeld catchphrase, but he thought it would be the phrase "anti-dentite" that would become popular. The Paley Center named "Yada Yada Yada" the #1 funniest phrase on "TV's 50 Funniest Phrases".
episode "Yankee Hanky," by Dale Gribble
, who ridicules Hank Hill
's discovery that he was born in New York City
by using the phrase. That Handsome Devil
produced a song titled "Yada-Yada". Similarly, the episode was overtly referenced in the name of a popular Connecticut-based rock and roll outfit, The Anti-Dentites. The episode was seemingly referenced by politician Sarah Palin
in an email to The Daily Caller
November 1, 2010: "I suppose I could play their immature, unprofessional, waste-of-time game, too, by claiming these reporters and politicos are homophobe, child molesting, tax evading, anti-dentite, puppy-kicking, chain smoking porn producers…really, they are... I’ve seen it myself...but I’ll only give you the information off-the-record, on deep, deep background; attribute these ‘facts’ to an ‘anonymous source’ and I’ll give you more."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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...
. The 19th episode of the 8th season, it aired on April 24, 1997 and was nominated for an Emmy.
Plot
GeorgeGeorge 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"...
's girlfriend, Marcy, is big on using the phrase "yada yada yada." Jerry
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...
says that at least she is succinct and that it is like "dating USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
."
Jerry's dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, Dr. Tim Whatley, has just finished the process of converting to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, but is already making Jewish-themed jokes that make Jerry uncomfortable. Jerry goes so far as to say that he believes that Whatley only became Jewish "for the jokes".
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...
and Mickey Abbott double date, but cannot decide which woman is right for which one of them.
Elaine
Elaine Benes
Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , 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...
is a character reference for Beth and Arnie, a couple who are trying to adopt, but the story she tells during an interview destroys all hope of adoption: she mentions a time when she and the couple went to a movie, and the husband lost his temper because Elaine was talking during the movie. George drops by Jerry's dental appointment; Mickey and Kramer continue to fight over who gets Karen or Julie.
George and Marcy are at Monk's. George tells Marci about having been engaged to Susan Ross, but says "yada yada yada" to avoid having to mention her death. Immediately after he tells her this, she tells him that her ex-boyfriend had visited her the night before and "yada yada yada, I'm really tired today". George later consults Jerry and Elaine, suspecting that Marcy used "yada yada" to cover up sex with her ex-boyfriend, and Elaine believes that this is possible. Later, George asks Marcy to tell him some of the things she was covering up with "yada yada", and discovers that she is a habitual shoplifter. She then asks him about how his engagement ended.
Jerry confesses to a priest about what he thinks of Tim's conversion, saying that he is offended (not as a Jew, but as a comedian), only to get sidetracked when a dentist joke he tells leaves the priest speechless with laughter. George drops by Jerry's confession and tells him that they need to talk. Kramer decides on the right woman, and Mickey also decides to make his commitment. Tim hears about a dentist joke that Jerry told the priest. He takes extreme exception to it and, as a result, deliberately prolongs an uncomfortable procedure. After hearing Jerry's complaints about Tim, Kramer calls Jerry an "anti-dentite".
Elaine lobbies on behalf of Beth and Arnie, and propositions the adoption official as an inducement. Beth's marriage nonetheless fails and she accompanies Jerry to Mickey's wedding to Julie. Elaine, now dating the adoption agent, is dismayed. George shows up without Marcy, who was just arrested and imprisoned for shoplifting: when Jerry asks George where she is, he replies, "She was getting shoes for the wedding, yada yada yada, I'll see her in six to eight months." Karen runs out before the wedding begins, apparently in love with Mickey and unable to bear seeing him marry Julie. Mickey's father (Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
), a dentist, stands up for Tim Whatley and chastises Jerry for antagonizing him: "Tim Whatley was one of my students, and if this wasn't my son's wedding day, I'd knock your teeth out, you anti-dentite bastard." Jerry is initially comforted by Beth (Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
), who is at first shown to harbor the same feelings towards dentists as Jerry, until she also reveals herself to be both racist and antisemitic, at which point Jerry dumps her and tells Elaine that she left "to get her head shaved". As Julie and Mickey walk out at the end of the ceremony, Julie says to Kramer, "I really wanted you."
Production
The episode was allowed by NBCNBC
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...
to run longer than the usual thirty minutes, and its slightly above-average length was even boasted about in promos. An edited version airs in syndication, cutting out several small scenes and dialogues, but the full-length version is available on the "Seinfeld" Season 8 DVD collection.
"Yada yada"
The episode is one of the most famous of the series, specifically for its focus on the phrase "yada yada". "Yadda yadda" was already a relatively common phrase before the episode aired, used notably by comedian Lenny BruceLenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
, among others. The phrase may have originated with the 1950s "yackety-yack", 1940s vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, and earlier.
Before the episode aired, writer Peter Mehlman
Peter Mehlman
Peter Mehlman is an American television writer and producer, best known for serving as a writer and producer on the TV series Seinfeld through nearly all of the show's nine-year run from 1989 to 1998. He also created the 1999 series It's Like, You Know... and produced the 2004 animated series...
suspected that it would spawn a new Seinfeld catchphrase, but he thought it would be the phrase "anti-dentite" that would become popular. The Paley Center named "Yada Yada Yada" the #1 funniest phrase on "TV's 50 Funniest Phrases".
Cultural references
Seinfeld's use of "yada yada" was referenced in the King of the HillKing of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
episode "Yankee Hanky," by Dale Gribble
Dale Gribble
Dale Alvin Gribble is a fictional character in the animated series King of the Hill. and is voiced by Johnny Hardwick . He is an exterminator, bounty hunter, smoker, gun fanatic, and paranoid believer of almost all conspiracy theories and urban legends...
, who ridicules Hank Hill
Hank Hill
Henry Rutherford "Hank" Hill Age 50 animated series King of the Hill. Hank lives in Arlen, Texas and works at the fictional Strickland Propane selling propane and propane accessories. Hank's voice is provided by series creator Mike Judge. The Economist named Hank Hill as one of the wisest people...
's discovery that he was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by using the phrase. That Handsome Devil
That Handsome Devil
That Handsome Devil is an American rock band hailing from Brooklyn, New York, by way of Boston, Massachusetts.The band mixes genres such as rock, funk, jazz, jive, blues, surf, R&B, reggae, rockabilly, rap, and psychedelic. Their sound has also been described as "equal parts Screamin’ Jay Hawkins,...
produced a song titled "Yada-Yada". Similarly, the episode was overtly referenced in the name of a popular Connecticut-based rock and roll outfit, The Anti-Dentites. The episode was seemingly referenced by politician Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
in an email to The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney...
November 1, 2010: "I suppose I could play their immature, unprofessional, waste-of-time game, too, by claiming these reporters and politicos are homophobe, child molesting, tax evading, anti-dentite, puppy-kicking, chain smoking porn producers…really, they are... I’ve seen it myself...but I’ll only give you the information off-the-record, on deep, deep background; attribute these ‘facts’ to an ‘anonymous source’ and I’ll give you more."