ABSTRACT
In a memorable scene from the TV sitcom Seinfeld, Jerry and his ex-girlfriend Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) are sitting in their favorite booth in the neighbourhood coffee shop, discussing the moral stature of Jerry’s neighbour and nemesis, the bulky postman who answers to the name “Newman”. Jerry expresses an emphatic distaste and comic hatred of Newman’s actions – and very existence. Elaine, on the other hand, tries to give Newman the benefit of the doubt. Is it possible that Newman is not as demonic as Jerry believes him to be? she asks. “Perhaps there’s more to Newman than meets the eye,” she wonders. Jerry’s response, however, leaves no room for ambivalence: “No, there’s less”, he confidently retorts. “I’ve looked into his eyes. He’s pure evil.”1
