Pacific Palisades, California – What does Seinfeld have to do with Hancock Peanuts? What’s the deal with these nuts?
Glad you asked. Let’s start with the show.
We’ll begin at the beginning. If you’ve been under a peanut shell for the past few decades, here’s the deal. Seinfeld is a sitcom that redefined the genre, focusing on the ‘everyday lives’ of four friends in New York City. Its popularity and cultural impact are undeniable. They simply can’t be denied. Absent of denial. Are we clear? Seinfeld is the result of comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld joining forces to painstakingly create or maestro 180 episodes of some of the best material out there – and most of it is timeless humor. The show ran from, July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998. Just two years after Seinfeld had it’s finale, it was already in syndication. What is syndication? It’s simply selling your work (Seinfeld) to other broadcasters to run on their networks to attract new viewers in order to sell more ads. In a nutshell, you get paid to make your show. You get an increase in pay as the performance (viewership) increases. And, once you’re all done (180 episodes and 9 years later) you can sell it to as many broadcasters or streamers (Netflix) out there. That happens if you have a good agent, or in this case one of the greats – George Shapiro. Shapiro was a hugely successful manager in show business, and was best known for representing Jerry Seinfeld, Carl Reiner, and Andy Kaufman. Syndication in short is a cash register for the folks that put in the work and, luckily for them – it paid off – and still is paying off. But, don’t dismiss the key thing here – which is ALL the work it takes to make that happen. The writers, the producers, the crew, the assistants and of course – the cast. Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer. The ultimate foursome. The finale of the series ended with over 76,000,000 viewers. As of March 2024, Seinfeld was the third most-streamed TV show in the United States, with 5.1 million viewers. It doesn’t stop there, but we will -to keep things moving.
The characters on the show, aside from being defined by their timing, comedic prowess and the ‘no hugging, no learning’ mantra of the show – were chiseled – or rather stitched into our minds through their now trademark wardrobes. A few years ago (November 10, 2020) an Instagram account surfaced with the handle “seinfeldbackstage” – so, naturally we followed. Technology during Seinfeld was not what it is today -as a reminder. If you wanted to take photos – your camera wasn’t always in your pocket. You had to be intentional and you had to think about it. Stephanie Kennedy did both. She was with the show for over half of it’s life, or 95 episodes – if you’re counting – and she did some documenting. As intentional as she was then, she remains. In 4 years she’s shared just 160 moments and other tid-bits and fun-facts – which has garnered the eyes of over 41,000 followers of her own. If you are a fan of the series or behind the scenes information, it’s wonderful. I fall into both of those buckets.
Getting on with the show.
As a fan of the series, I messaged the account / Stephanie Kennedy and asked if I could mail her some peanuts. After so many years of laughter that continue to this day, it felt like the right thing to do. She accepted and happily realized that Hancock Peanuts are in fact excellent, as advertised. Like the Seinfeld cast and crew, our peanuts are from the top 1% of the crop. We exchanged our pleasantries and moved along. Having 40k followers is great, but it’s work. Can you imagine how many people message her about anything Seinfeld related on a whim? (with measured guilt)
You Wanna Get Nuts? Let’s Get Nuts!
On a beautiful summer day in August, I received a message from ‘SeinfeldBackstage’. What could it be about? With a handful of peanuts in one hand, and a gleam in my eyes – I opened the message. It seems Hancock Peanuts left a solid impression on Stephanie’s taste buds. What came next was pure icing on the peanut-shaped cake. Stephanie and some other cast and crew members were working in sync to host a Seinfeld Party, exclusive to those that worked on the greatest series of all time! Yes, I asked if I could come. No, I could not. (Ha! No shame) To that end, she politely inquired if we had any interest in supplying them with peanuts for the party. :drops phone: YES. YES. YES.
Shut the door. Hold the phone. The answer is YES. It was YES before the question was asked. So, you’re telling me that a show I love and know probably too much about – is having a reunion party of sorts – and they’ll snack on some Hancock Peanuts? Where do I sign up? Within a short time we worked out how many might attend, and then I shipped out a bit more. Better to have too many nuts than not enough nuts. I sent off the peanuts, both salted cocktail nuts and honey roasted as well as coasters and coozies. Sidebar: The coozies were also made with a gentle nod to Seinfeld way before we connected. “You Wanna Get Nuts? Let’s Get Nuts!” is a line George screamed in one episode that always made me laugh, so it is fitting that I sent my entire inventory of those to the folks that made it happen; in essence sending them home. Talk about nuts. Chocolate covered were not yet in season due to temps, so as a ‘thank you’ I mailed Stephanie a can of those with my thanks just recently.
It was such an honor to be asked, and to be able to provide Hancock Peanuts for the cast and crew that attended The Seinfeld Party! I also want to thank these three troopers for doing a little peanut pose. It means a lot. Thank you much! – Scott
ABOVE: Jeff Yerkes (Larry David‘s Assistant), Darin Henry (Writer),
Karen Wilkie (Larry David‘s Assistant) showing off some Hancock Peanuts!
ABOVE: Darin Henry (Writer), Karen Wilkie (Larry David‘s Assistant)
smiling and snacking, snacking and smiling. 🙂
ABOVE: Various Seinfeld Cast & Crew
ABOVE: Hancock Peanuts Salted Cocktail Nuts at The Seinfeld Party
ABOVE: Hancock Peanuts Honey Roasted Nuts at The Seinfeld Party
Thank you for the pictures, Stephanie Kennedy and for the awesome opportunity!
About Hancock Peanut Company
Hancock Peanut Company has been around since 1944. Founder Robert L. Hancock actually carved the very first “Mr. Peanut”. For generations, their commitment to quality and freshness has ensured their peanuts remain a favorite snack for families across the land. Hancock Peanuts uses only the finest ingredients and time-tested recipes to deliver delicious, all-natural peanuts.
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Here’s a shirt I designed in honor of the show: “Available in sizes from Elaine all the way up to Newman. So, whether you’re going to see ‘Cry, Cry Again’ or going to the coffee shop for a slice of apple pie and a big salad, this is the shirt for you. We already took out the candy-striped liner ahead of time so you can wear this anywhere. Embrace the Summer of George, all year long! 👕 ☀️” – Want One? Shop Here.
ABOVE: Heidi M. Lobel, Michael Richards, Larry Thomas (photo credit: Larry Thomas)
Hancock Peanuts (circled) 🙂
ABOVE: John O’Hurley and Carol Leifer (photo credit: Carol Leifer)
ABOVE: Lisa O’Hurley, John O’Hurley and Carol Leifer (photo credit: Carol Leifer)
ABOVE: John O’Hurley, Peter Mehlman and Michael Richards (photo credit: Carol Leifer)
ABOVE: Jerry Stiller cake – “You want a piece of me?…YOU GOT IT!!” (photo credit: Carol Leifer)
ABOVE: Seinfeld The Cupcake (photo credit: Carol Leifer)
