Spongeworthy: The Casual Feminism of Ms. Elaine Marie Benes

In this episode, we talk about "The Deal," in which Jerry and Elaine attempt to resume having sex with each other and maintain their friendship at the same time.

TW: Extensive conversation about drug-assisted sexual assault and rape.

In this episode we cover "The Revenge,"  we talk about revenge fantasies, Elaine's weaponization of her feminine wiles, the history of slipping Mickeys, and the beginnings of girlie feminism.

In this episode we discuss two back-to-back episodes from Season 2, "The Phone Message" and "The Apartment." We talk about when men turn hostile in dating, leaving yourself an "out" in a sexual encounter, and the coveted rent-controlled apartments of New York City.

In this episode, we talk about "The Jacket," which is the first and only appearance of Elaine's father, Alton Benes. We discuss the evolution of masculinity between generations and the tension that creates, fathers and daughters, and fathers and their daughters' boyfriends.

In this episode, we take a look at "Male Unbonding," in which Jerry tries to break up with an old childhood friend he really can't stand. We talk about loneliness in men, adult male friendships or the lack thereof, and the impact it has on women. Links below.

https://www.evryman.com/

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/

https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/05/mens-emotions-women-labor-patriarchy.html

In this episode, we talk about "The Stakeout," in which we are introduced to Elaine's character for the first time. We talk about how the Elaine character came to be, light stalking, and the uncharted territory of trying to be friends with an ex.

In our first episode we take a look at the pilot episode of Seinfeld, discuss the origins of the show, the absence of the Elaine character, and what was happening to feminism in the U.S. in 1989 when the show debuted.

A preview of the new podcast Spongeworthy. Hosted by Caitlin Dinoski and Amy Kessler, Spongeworthy revisits the iconic TV show Seinfeld and the character of Elaine Benes and analyzes episodes from a feminist standpoint.