It doesn't get much funnier or more neurotic than Elaine Benes... except for her three equally neurotic friends, of course. The Seinfeld character, played to perfection by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, spends her time hanging out with Jerry Seinfeld, George Costanza (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards), and they get into constant trouble.
The Seinfeld characters are hilarious and Elaine is particularly unique. Weird dancing, yelling "Get out!" and wearing baggy dresses are just some of her regular characteristics. But there are some aspects to her character that would never fly on TV today. At best, they're cringey; at worst, they're downright problematic.
Spends Money From J. Peterman's Account
Elaine has a few jobs and her most famous is working for J. Peterman. She spends money from the company's account that is definitely not hers to use, and this would never be okay today.
Companies take this very seriously, and even when employees are allowed to use an expense account, it's usually for cab rides or client lunches or dinners. It's never okay for an employee to get a hat for a friend, like Elaine does for George.
Kidnaps A Noisy Dog
While Elaine is involved in tons of funny scenes, it's not funny when she wants to get rid of a dog who is making it tough for her to sleep. Of course no one wants to be kept up all night by a dog barking outside their apartment window (or by anything, really), but this storyline wouldn't fly today.
Elaine, Kramer and Newman (Wayne Knight) take the dog and literally put it somewhere else. How could anyone treat a dog like this? This storyline doesn't show that Elaine has any compassion.
Doesn't Want To Be With Tony When His Face Isn't Conventionally Attractive
Elaine may never date George Costanza or Kramer, either, but she does go through a few boyfriends over the course of the series. One of them is Tony (Dan Cortese). In the fifth season episode "The Stall," Elaine is freaked out that Tony gets into an accident while he's rock climbing.
No, she's not upset that he could have seriously hurt himself or worse. She's concerned that his face will look different. She doesn't want to be with him when he doesn't have a conventionally attractive face, and it's hard to believe that storyline would be funny or relatable today.
Acts Inappropriately With One Of Jerry's Girlfriends
In the fourth season episode "The Implant," Jerry is dating Sidra (Teri Hatcher), and he's obsessed with finding out if her breasts are real or fake. He enlists Elaine to discover the truth.
Elaine agrees, and she even feels them without meaning to when they're in a sauna together. This is really weird and doesn't seem that appropriate.
Always Acts Strangely Around Couples With Babies
The "Maybe the Dingo ate your baby!" quote is one of Elaine's most well-known and it's definitely funny, but it doesn't change the fact that she treats people who have had children in a really odd way.
Whenever she's talking to a mother at a party or visiting new parents, Elaine has an attitude that she shouldn't really have to be there or chat about the baby. She and her friends complain that they shouldn't have to see a baby that was just born as there's no point, and she doesn't support women who have become mothers. This wouldn't fly today as most women support each other's decision, whether it's starting a family or being child-free.
Her Crazy Dancing
Elaine's dancing is one of her most famous characteristics and it seems impossible to imagine this character without these odd moves.
But at the same time, it's hard to see her making the decision to dance in front of people she works with today. People are more concerned with being professional, and she might be more nervous about showing this side of herself.
Her Phone Message On Jerry's Machine
Elaine is often relatable... but not always. In the third season episode "The Tape," Elaine thinks it'll be funny to leave a message on Jerry's answering machine that is super dirty. It backfires as everyone realizes that they felt something while listening to it.
This would never fly today because Elaine would think twice about leaving that kind of phone message. She wouldn't want to blur the lines between friendship and something more, and she wouldn't want to be inappropriate.
Makes Comments About The Korean Women At Her Nail Salon
In the season 6 episode "The Understudy," Elaine goes to a nail salon with Korean staff, and she is convinced that they're talking about her in their native language. Things get worse when she has George's dad Frank (Jerry Stiller) go to the salon because he speaks Korean so he can tell her what's going on.
Elaine is really mean to them, and this is definitely racist. It's hard to see this storyline airing today as it's not funny at all.
Kisses A Coworker
In the ninth season episode "The Bookstore," Elaine is at a party with people she works with, and she kisses a coworker named Zach (Jonathan Penner).
Sure, Elaine is worried that people will think less of her, so she does wonder about her reputation. But today, it's unlikely she would even make this decision in the first place.
Wants To "Change" A Man Who Is Gay
The most offensive thing that Elaine has done on Seinfeld is in the sixth season episode "The Beard" when she wants to change a man who is gay. This episode features constant jokes about "playing for the other team" and "having the right equipment" and it's impossible to imagine this episode airing today.
While this might be one of the most famous storylines on the popular sitcom, Elaine would never get away with this problematic attitude now.