Seinfeld-onomics

The 90s sit-com Seinfeld is often called "a show about nothing." Lauded for its observational humor, this quick-witted show focussed on four hapless New Yorkers navigating work, relationships...yada yada yada.<br/><br/>Jerry, George, Elaine & Kramer set themselves apart from the characters who populated shows like <em>Friends</em> or <em>Cheers</em>, by being the exact opposite of the characters audiences would normally root for. These four New Yorkers were overly analytical, calculating, and above all, selfish.<br/><br/>In other words, they had all the makings of a fascinating case study in economics.<br/><br/>Economics professors Linda Ghent and Alan Grant went so far as to write an entire book on the subject, <em>Seinfeld & Economics</em>. The book points readers to economic principles that appear throughout the show, ideas like economic utility, game theory, and the best way to allocate resources in the face of scarcity.<br/><br/>On today's show, we make the case that Seinfeld is, at its heart, not a show about nothing, but a show about economics. And that understanding Seinfeld can change the way you understand economics itself.<br/><br/><em>This episode was produced by Alyssa Jeong Perry with help from Emma Peaslee. It was edited by Keith Romer. It was mastered by Robert Rodriguez and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Jess Jiang is our acting executive producer.<br/><br/>Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in </em><a href="http://n.pr/PM-digital"><em>Apple Podcasts</em></a><em> or at </em><a href="https://n.pr/3HlREPz"><em>plus.npr.org/planetmoney</em></a><em>.</em>