Movies - TV
Why One Seinfeld Episode Was Pulled From Syndication
By JEREMY SMITH
For a live-action network sitcom, "Seinfeld" was unusually controversial, and the series' central characters were usually jerks behaving pettily. However, one episode went too far.
"The Puerto Rican Day" was the penultimate episode of the entire series, in which the gang gets stuck in traffic during New York City's annual Puerto Rican Day parade.
Near the end of "The Puerto Rican Day," Kramer accidentally sets a Puerto Rican flag on fire. He tries to put it out by stomping on the flag, and the parade attendees attack him.
"The Puerto Rican Day" episode provoked protests, especially when it was revealed that the writers had refused to show it to the National Puerto Rican Coalition's president.
The protests worked, and NBC pulled the episode from syndication. This was for the best, as the episode had a kind of punching down humor that came off as racially insensitive.