Don’t Play Race Card With ‘Seinfeld,’ Please

By the time this appears in print, I’ll have watched the final episode of “Seinfeld.” I’ll have taped it and probably rerun it. I’ll have watched several days’ worth of reruns. I’m a fan. I’m African American (“For Many Black Viewers, ‘Seinfeld’s’ End Is Nonevent,” by Greg Braxton, May 12).

African Americans are not monolithic. Some values, views and behaviors are predominant, but they are never universal. They can’t be, because we are individual human beings. It wouldn’t be so bad if we were generalized about in a positive way. But so often the generalizations appear to marginalize and trivialize our perceptions and conduct, as with our supposed rejection of the generally acknowledged most popular, best-written, funniest comedy show of the ‘90s.

Television viewing habits are far more complicated than your article suggests, and African Americans are far more diverse.

EUGENE BOGGS

Culver City

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It was with an enormous sense of relief that I read that black people are largely indifferent to “Seinfeld.” Thank God, at least some people in the United States have remained immune to this thing.

JONATHAN GORDON

West Hollywood

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I regret being categorized by race as not liking a show I happen to watch daily (syndication) and weekly (NBC). Aside from the obviously inaccurate ratings and demographic studies, I, an African American male, as well as African American friends and family from here to the East Coast, would not miss the final episode for any reason.

Race divides a lot of things but not the audience of a well-written comedy. That’s what makes “Seinfeld” so special: The situations they get themselves into aren’t racially divisible.

PATRICK F. TOOTLE

Hollywood

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“Seinfeld” deals with the lives of four characters. I don’t remember “Seinfeld” ever being a torchbearer for the political movements of whites or blacks. Why discuss the issues related to the ending of this series by separating white viewers from black viewers? What is the purpose? If the television show “ER,” basically a show about doctors, decided to end its run while on top of the “TV viewing world,” would you publish an article telling us that lawyers will not be watching that episode because it doesn’t relate to them?

SCOTT SINGER

Marina del Rey