Seinfeld (1989–1998): Season 5, Episode 2 - The Puffy Shirt - full transcript

There's no way
that moving in with your parents...

is a sign that your life
is right on track.

There's no way
that you could fake this even.

"Things are great.
I met a terrific girl, I got a great job...

and if everything goes
according to plan...

I'm gonna be moving back in
with my parents soon."

It's like getting busted
on a parole violation...

and thrown back
into the slammer.

"In the opinion of the board, you
need further rehabilitation, I'm afraid."

And you go back into that little room
of yours, you feel so huge.

It's like you could take your bed
and just crush it in your hands.



You can hold your parents
between your fingers.

"Why was I so afraid of you people
when I was growing up?"

- I can't believe this.
- It won't be for that long.

How can I do this? How can I
move back in with those people?

Please, tell me.
They're insane, you know that.

Hey, my parents are
as crazy as your parents.

How can you compare
your parents to mine?

My father has never
thrown anything out ever.

My father wears his sneakers
in the pool. Sneakers.

My mother has never set foot
in a natural body of water.

Listen carefully.

My mother has never laughed.

Ever. Not a giggle,
not a chuckle, not a tee-hee.

Never went, "Ha."



- A smirk?
- Maybe.

- And I'm moving back in there.
- I'll lend you the money for the rent.

No, no, no. Borrowing money
from a friend is like having sex.

It just completely changes
the relationship.

- Hey.
- Hey.

All right, I'm ready.

I still don't understand. Why do you
want to move back with your parents?

I don't want to. I'm out of money.
I got $714 in the bank.

- Well, move in here.
- What's that?

Why doesn't he just move in here?

Yeah, I'll move in with him.
He doesn't let you use the toilet.

You can move in with me
if you want.

Thank you. I...

That might not work out.

Careful. Careful with the suitcases.
We just painted.

- Hello, Mrs. Costanza.
- Hello, Kramer.

- Close the door.
- I gotta bring in more stuff.

- More stuff? How much is there?
- There's more.

- So how are you, Jerry?
- Fine, Mrs. Costanza.

- Hey, I got a terrific joke for you.
- I'm not interested.

No, no. It's really funny.

- There's these two guy...
- Tell it to the audience.

Here, I made some
bologna sandwiches.

Bologna? Nobody eats
bologna anymore.

What are you talking about?
Have a sandwich.

- No, thanks.
- Oh, stop it.

- You don't want one, Kramer?
- No, thanks.

I think you're all
a little touched in the head.

You're so worried about your health?
You're young men.

- I really don't eat it.
- What will I do with these sandwiches?

Will you take them home, give them
to someone in your building?

I don't feel comfortable handing out
bologna sandwiches in the building.

- All right. That's it. Anything else?
- No, that's it.

- I gotta go move the car.
- Well, I guess we'll be going.

- What, you're going?
- Yeah.

Well, what are you doing later?

Elaine and I are having dinner
with Kramer and his new girlfriend.

- Really?
- Yeah. You can't believe this woman.

She's one of these low-talkers.
You can't hear a word.

You're always going,
"Excuse me? What was that?"

- Maybe I'll meet you.
- No, George.

We're going out to eat tonight
with your father.

Okay.

- I'll talk to you later.
- Yeah, take it easy.

Oh, my God.

- Yeah?
- I had this idea for a pizza place...

where you make your own pie.
- Right.

- You remember?
- That was a good one.

Well...

- What's that?
- Excuse me?

- Yeah? Yeah.
- Yeah. Yeah.

You know that Leslie's
in the clothing business?

She's a designer.

She's come up with a new one that'll
be the big new look in men's fashions.

It's, like, a puffy shirt.

Well, yeah, it's all puffy.

Like the pirates used to wear.

- Oh, a puffy shirt.
- Puffy.

Yeah. See, I think people
wanna look like pirates.

It's the right time for it.

To be all puffy
and devil-may-care, you know.

Yeah.

That's true.

I'll be right back.

Jerry's gonna be
on the Today show on Friday.

- Yeah, that's right.
- Yep. He's promoting...

a benefit for Goodwill.

You know, they clothe the poor
and the homeless.

- And the indigent.
- And the indigent, yeah.

I do volunteer work for them. I set the
whole thing up and got Jerry to do it.

- Sure. Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Yep.

Yep.

Yep, yep.

Maybe you should take
a civil-service test.

- I'm not taking a civil-service test.
- Look at this, George.

You ever seen a silver dollar?

Yes, I've seen a silver dollar.

Why don't you wanna take
a civil-service test?

To do what? Work in the post office?
Is that what you want me to do?

Would you believe when I was 18
I had a silver-dollar collection?

I don't understand.
You get job security.

- You get a paycheck every week.
- I'm a college graduate.

You want me to be a mailman?

You know, I couldn't bring myself
to spend one of these.

I got some kind of a...

phobia.

- So, what are you gonna do?
- I don't know.

I do know that I have some kind
of a talent, something to offer.

I just don't know what it is yet.

I bet that collection would be worth
a lot of money today.

Oh, my God.

I don't like this waiter.

Look at him.

He sees us.

Doesn't wanna come over.

I need some air.

- George, where you going?
- I got a lot of thinking to do.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm terribly sorry.

Look what you've done.
You've spilled my bag.

- Here, let me help you.
- No, no. It's all right.

It's just that I'm here
with my parents...

and my mother wants me to take
a civil-service test...

and to tell you the truth,
I don't even think I'd pass it.

What?

- Your hands.
- What about them?

They're quite exquisite.

They are?

Extraordinary.

Have you ever done
any hand modeling?

Hand modeling? No.

Here's my card.

Why don't you...

give me a call?

I don't get it.

Me neither.

- What is it?
- I don't know.

- They're hands.
- This woman set me up for a job.

Well, what about my hands?

I don't see how your hands
are any better than my hands.

What, are you kidding?

The knuckles
are all out of proportion.

You got hair there. Where do you
get off comparing your hands to mine?

This is a one-in-a-million hand.

That's what comes from avoiding
manual labor your whole life.

This is it.
It's happened to me, Jerry.

I was sitting in the restaurant,
the two nutjobs were talking.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I get up from the table,
and... I bop into this woman.

It's just like in the movies.

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Hey, George.
- Hey.

- Are you crazy?! Are you crazy?!
- What? What?

- You could've damaged my hands!
- What? It's just a toy.

George has become a hand model.

- A hand model?
- Yes.

Really? Let me see your hands.

You can look at them,
but do not touch them.

Let's see.

Oh, those are nice.

You know,
I never noticed this before.

They're smooth.

Creamy.

Delicate yet masculine.

All right. I gotta get going.

Oven mitts?

It's all I could find.

- Would you mind getting the door?
- All right.

- Thank you very much.
- Yep.

You won't believe
what's up with Leslie.

Since you agreed to wear
the puffy shirt on Today...

she's getting all these orders
from boutiques and department stores.

Since I what?

- Agreed to wear the puffy shirt.
- What are you talking about?

You said that you would agree to wear
the puffy shirt on the Today show.

- This?
- Yeah.

- I agreed to wear this?
- Yeah, yeah.

Well, when did I do that?

When we went to dinner
the other night.

What, are you crazy?

What were you talking about
when I went to the bathroom?

I don't know.
I couldn't understand a word she said.

- I was just nodding.
- There you go.

Where I go?

You mean she was asking me
to wear this ridiculous shirt...

on national TV, and I said yes?
- Yes, yes. You said it.

I didn't know what she was
talking about. I couldn't hear her.

- Well, she asked you.
- I can't wear this puffy shirt on TV.

I mean, look at it. It looks ridiculous.

Well, you gotta wear it now.

All those stores are stocking it...

based on the condition
you'll wear this on the show.

The factory in New Jersey
is already making them.

They're making these?

Yes, yes.

This pirate trend
she's come up with, Jerry...

This is gonna be
the new look for the '90s.

You're gonna be the first pirate.

But I don't wanna be a pirate.

I knew it. I knew it. I always knew
you had beautiful hands.

I used to tell people...

Frank, didn't I use to
talk about his hands?

Who the hell did you ever
mention his hands to?

I mentioned his hands
to plenty of people.

You never mentioned them to me.

Hand me an emery board.

I always talk about your hands,
how they're so soft and milky white.

- No, you never said milky white.
- I said milky white!

Scissor.

Don't hand them to me
with the point facing out!

- I'm sorry.
- You're sorry?

I'll try to be more careful.

I hope so.

Georgie...

Georgie, would you like
some Jell-O?

Why'd you put
the bananas in there?

- George likes the bananas!
- So let him have bananas on the side!

All right, please. Please,
I cannot have this constant bickering.

Stress is very damaging
to the epidermis.

I have an important
photo session in the morning.

My hands have got to be
in tiptop shape.

So, please, keep the television down
and the conversation to a minimum.

But, Georgie,
what about the Jell-O?

I'll take it in my room.

Yeah, come in.

Wanted to let you know
he's got five minutes.

Yep, yep.

Jerry, five minutes.

Now, that's a great-looking shirt.

Aye, captain. Yeah.

See, I'm glad I ironed it. It's perfect.

Look at it. It's fantastic.

Kramer, how am I gonna wear this?
I can't wear this.

Hey, this looks better
than anything you own.

In two months' time, everybody's
gonna be wearing the pirate look.

- Yeah.
- Hi, Kramer. I just saw Bryant Gumbel.

- He said he might help at the benefit.
- Great.

- What is that?
- It's the puffy shirt. Look at it, huh?

What do you think?
Is it cool or what?

- Why are you wearing this now?
- Why am I wearing it now?

I'll tell you why I'm wearing it now.

Because the low-talker
asked me to, that's why.

And I said yes. Do you know why?
Because I couldn't hear her.

When did she..?
When did she ask you this?

At dinner,
when Kramer went to the bathroom.

- I didn't hear anything.
- Of course not!

Nobody hears anything
when this woman speaks.

Well, you can't wear that
on the show.

- Elaine, you wanna stop it?
- What..?

What? No, Jerry,
you are promoting a benefit...

to clothe homeless people.

You can't come out
dressed like that.

You're all puffed up.

You look like
the Count of Monte Cristo.

I have to wear it.
The woman has orders for this shirt...

based on me wearing it on TV.
- Yeah.

They're producing them
as we speak.

Yeah, but you're supposed to be
a compassionate person...

that cares about poor people.

You look like you're gonna swing in
on a chandelier.

Okay, let's go.

Is that what you're wearing?

I've never seen
hands like these before.

They're so soft and milky white.

You know whose hands
they remind me of?

Ray McKigney.

- Ray.
- He was it.

Who was he?

The most exquisite hands
you've ever seen.

Oh, he had it all.

What happened to him?

Tragic story, I'm afraid.

He could've had
any woman in the world...

but none could match the beauty
of his own hand.

And that became his one true love.

- You mean...
- Yes.

He was not master of his domain.

- But how..?
- The muscles...

became so strained
with overuse...

that eventually the hand locked
into a deformed position...

and he was left
with nothing but a claw.

He traveled the world
seeking a cure.

Acupuncturists, herbalists, swamis.

Nothing helped.

Towards the end,
his hands became so frozen...

he was unable
to manipulate utensils...

and was dependent
on Cub Scouts to feed him.

I hadn't seen another pair of hands
like Ray McKigney's until today.

You are his successor.

I only hope you have
a little more self-control.

You don't have to worry about me.

I won a contest.

Okay, let's get to work.

Back now, 7:46. On Tuesday
the 19th, here in New York...

there'll be a benefit
for Goodwill Industries...

a used-clothing organization
that provides services to the needy.

One of the performers
will be Jerry Seinfeld.

- Jerry, good morning.
- Thank you, Bryant.

Speaking of clothing, that is a very,
very unusual shirt you have on.

Yeah.

You're all kind of...
Kind of puffed up.

- Yeah, it's a puffy shirt.
- You look kind of like a pirate.

Like a pirate.

Anyway, you know, we're hoping
to raise enough money...

Do you know..? You know... Look,
I'm sorry, it is just a very unusual shirt.

It could be a whole new look for you.
You could put a patch over an eye.

- You could be the pirate comedian.
- Yeah.

- Will you wear the puffy shirt at the..?
- Look, it's not my shirt.

- Whose shirt is it?
- What's the difference?

I agreed to wear it.

It's a puffy shirt.
I feel ridiculous in it.

I think it's the stupidest shirt I've ever
seen, to be perfectly honest with you.

You bastard!

- Did you hear that?
- That I heard.

All right, a little to the left.

Little higher. Good, perfect.

- Like that?
- Just like that. Hold it. Good.

Okay, let me get one more.
One more. Good.

That's it. You're done.

- That's it?
- That's it.

And here's your check.

Thank you very much.
It was an honor.

Thank you.

It was great working with you.
Your hands are beautiful.

Thank you very much.

You know, I was wondering...

if you're not doing anything later,
maybe you'd like to get together.

You ruined me!
You ruined my career!

Oh, just keep your voice down,
everyone can hear you.

Well, I don't give a damn!

If you talked this loud to begin with,
I wouldn't be in this costume.

Hey, hey. You can't believe this.
Look at this check.

They said I had the most
beautiful hands they ever saw...

except for this McKigney guy. This
girl gave me her number. I got it all.

I'm busting. Jerry, I'm busting.

I've never noticed your hands before,
let me see.

All right.

Yeah. Real nice.

Nice shirt.

What is this? Is this what
you wore on the show?

- Yeah.
- Have you completely lost your mind?

- Hey.
- Who's dressing you?

You look like a complete idiot.

I wouldn't wipe my...

- You ready?
- Yeah.

Hot, hot.

- I'm sorry.
- McKigney had a few good years.

How do you forget
to turn off an iron?

I was excited Jerry was putting on
the puffy shirt.

My whole life is ruined
because of the puffy shirt.

It didn't do me any good either. That
benefit was the worst show I ever did.

Some of those heckles
were really uncalled for.

"Avast ye, matey"?
What the hell does that mean?

"Twenty degrees
off the starboard side.

It's a Spanish galleon."
There's no comeback for that.

Well, it got me fired
from the benefit committee.

You know, all those stores
canceled out on her.

She's finished.

- We're finished.
- Really? What happened?

I just can't be with someone
whose life is in complete disarray.

- What happened to all the shirts?
- They gave them to Goodwill.

Puffy shirt. Puffy shirt.

Can you spare a little change
for an old buccaneer?

You know, it's really not
a bad-looking shirt.

Why do we always have to say,
"Excuse me"...

when we can't hear
what someone's saying?

Why are we so guilty and so..?
"Excuse me.

Pardon me. I'm sorry."
Why can't, just once, I go:

"Nope. Not loud enough"?

Why can't I do that?

Just once I would
like to have the guts...

you know, to make that judgment.

Someone mumbles something,
and you go, "Your fault.

I'm not sorry,
because it's your fault."