"The Bris" is the 69th episode of the sitcom ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...
''. It is the fifth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on October 14, 1993.
The story centers on the
bris
The ''brit milah'' ( he, בְּרִית מִילָה ''bərīṯ mīlā'', ; Ashkenazi pronunciation: , "covenant of circumcision"; Yiddish pronunciation: ''bris'' ) is the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism. According to the Book of Genesis, ...
for the newborn child of two of
Jerry and
Elaine's friends. Jerry and Elaine struggle in the role of
godparents
In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelon ...
, while
Kramer objects to the entire concept of the bris and attempts to prevent the baby from being circumcised.
Plot
Jerry,
Elaine,
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
, and
Kramer go to meet friends who have just had a baby. George gets a parking spot right in front of the hospital. A mental patient jumps from the roof and lands on it. George attempts to get the hospital to pay for the damages, but the director refuses and insinuates that George is running a scam. Meanwhile, Kramer stumbles into the wrong room at the hospital (1937 instead of 1397) and becomes convinced that he has seen a "pig man" (half-pig, half-man). He espouses a conspiracy theory concerning the government and genetic mutation leading to pig-men armies.
Jerry and Elaine agree to be the newborn baby's
godparents
In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelon ...
. Jerry uses the role as a prompt to perform impersonations of
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
's character from ''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'', but his friends are severely unimpressed. They are obligated to arrange the
bris
The ''brit milah'' ( he, בְּרִית מִילָה ''bərīṯ mīlā'', ; Ashkenazi pronunciation: , "covenant of circumcision"; Yiddish pronunciation: ''bris'' ) is the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism. According to the Book of Genesis, ...
, which involves Elaine booking a
mohel
A ( he, מוֹהֵל , Ashkenazi pronunciation , plural: , arc, מוֹהֲלָא , "circumciser") is a Jew trained in the practice of , the "covenant of circumcision".
Etymology
The noun ( in Aramaic), meaning "circumciser", is derived fro ...
and Jerry holding the baby during the
circumcision
Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...
. Kramer, disturbed by the concept of the bris, upsets the mother with descriptions of circumcision and seizes the baby in an unsuccessful rescue attempt. The mohel is extremely irritable and high-strung and implies that he was charged with malpractice due to a botched circumcision on at least one previous occasion. Made increasingly nervous by this, Jerry flinches as the circumcision gets underway, and the twitching mohel cuts Jerry's finger. The four go to the hospital, where the baby's circumcision is performed and the parents have to break up a fight between Jerry and the mohel. Jerry's finger is stitched up. Kramer finds the "pig man" and "liberates" him from the hospital. The "pig man" steals George's car, which was again conveniently parked. A sheepish Kramer admits that the "pig man" is actually "a fat little mental patient".
The parents strip Jerry and Elaine of their role as godparents, deciding they prefer Kramer due to the concern he expressed for the baby. Pleased, Kramer performs an off-the-cuff impersonation of ''The Godfather'' which far eclipses Jerry's.
Production
The portrayal of the mohel was considered offensive to Jason Alexander, who is Jewish. Alexander hated the characterization and argued with
Larry David
Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He and Jerry Seinfeld created the television sitcom ''Seinfeld'', on which David was head writer and executive producer for the first seve ...
, threatening to boycott the episode if he did not rewrite the character. David softened the portrayal, but Alexander refused to appear in any scenes with the character.
Alexander does appear in the bris scene with the Mohel character and even converses with him before passing out.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bris, The
Seinfeld (season 5) episodes
1993 American television episodes
Jewish comedy and humor
Works based on The Godfather