A subplot involving a homoerotic relationship be-
tween Susan’s father (Warren Frost) and John
Cheever assumed that the audience was familiar
with the bisexual novelist. Many episodes parodied
famous films, such asThe Graduate (1967), JFK
(1991),Midnight Cowboy(1969), andPulp Fiction
(1994), without making the spoofs too obvious.
Impact Because ofSeinfeldand such situation com-
edies asFrasier,Friends, andWill and Grace, NBC cre-
ated the slogan “Must-See TV” to describe its popu-
lar lineup.Seinfeldfinished first or second in the
Nielsen ratings every year from 1994 to 1998 and
won ten Emmy Awards, including one as Outstand-
ing Comedy Series, three for Richards, and one for
Louis-Dreyfus. In 2002,TV Guidenamed it the top
program of all time. In101 Reasons the ’90s Ruled,a
2004 special on the E! network,Seinfeldwas desig-
nated as the first reason.
While most long-running series eventually grow
stale, the most remarkable achievement ofSeinfeld
was the amazing consistency of its quality. Though
the program reflected the concerns of the 1990’s by
satirizing them, it had a remarkable timelessness. Its
continuing popularity in syndication and on DVD
resulted not from nostalgia for the decade but from
its inspired humor.
Further Reading
Delaney, Tim.Seinology: The Sociology of “Seinfeld.”
Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 2006. Sociol-
ogy professor examines the show’s treatment of
crime, ethnicity, race, and relationships.
Hirsch, Irwin, and Cara Hirsch. “SeinfeldHumor
Noir: A Look at Our Dark Side.”Journal of Popular
Film and Television28, no. 3 (Fall, 2000): 116-123.
Consideration of the characters’ cynicism and
narcissism.
Hurd, Robert. “TakingSeinfeldSeriously: Modern-
ism in Popular Culture.”New Literar y Histor y37,
no. 4 (Autumn, 2006): 761-776. Applies Pierre
Bourdieu’s literary theories toSeinfeld.
Irwin, William, ed.“Seinfeld” and Philosophy: A Book
About Ever ything and Nothing. Chicago: Open
Court, 1999. Academics examine the ethical and
philosophical issues raised bySeinfeld.
Lavery, David, and Sara Lewis Dunne, eds.“Seinfeld,”
Master of Its Domain: Revisiting Television’s Greatest
Sitcom. New York: Continuum, 2006. Essays by
television scholars. Includes a comprehensive ep-
isode guide.
Morreale, Joanne. “Sitcoms Say Goodbye: The Cul-
tural Spectacle ofSeinfeld’s Last Episode.”Journal
of Popular Film and Television28, no. 3 (Fall, 2000):
108-115. Discusses how the last episode was a uni-
fying national moment.
Olbrys, Stephen Gencarella. “Seinfeld’s Democratic
Vistas.”Critical Studies in Media Communication22,
no. 5 (December, 2005): 390-408. Contends that
Seinfeldwas not nihilistic but political satire.
Michael AdamsSee also Comedians;Frasier;Friends;Larr y Sanders
Show, The;Murphy Brown;Sex and the City; Television;
Twin Peaks;Will and Grace. Selena
Identification Mexican American singer
Born Lake Jackson; Texas; April 16, 1971
Died Corpus Christi, Texas; March 31, 1995
Selena transformed Tejano music from a local genre per-
formed on a circuit of small venues into an international
form that expressed the aspirations of many in the Latino
community.
Selena Quintanilla was born to a Texan family of
Mexican background who lived on the Gulf coast of
Texas, southeast of Houston. The Quintanillas were
Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Selena was raised in this
faith. Because of financial trouble, in 1980 the
Quintanillas relocated to Corpus Christi, closer to
the Mexican border.
Selena’s musical career grew alongside that of her
father, Abraham Quintanilla, a longtime Tejano mu-
sician and front man of the group Selena y Los
Dinos. By the time she was nine, Selena herself was
singing for the group. She assumed a prominent
role in the band, as did her brother A. B. Quintanilla
III. Tejano music combines Mexican forms such as
mariachi with polkas and waltzes constructed by Eu-
ropean migrants to the Rio Grande Valley at the turn
of the twentieth century. The accordion plays a big
role in Tejano music, as does bass guitar. Selena grew
up with English as her first language, singing in Span-
ish only in order to reach an international audience.
Selena’s haunting voice, at once determined, me-
lodic, and plangent, helped Selena y Los Dinos rise
above the touring circuit and garner a major-label
album contract. Selena released a self-titled album762 Selena The Nineties in America