In '90s gem, Larry David debunks idea that 'Seinfeld' was sold as a show about 'nothing'
Larry David explains how we've all somehow tricked ourselves into believing a gag on the show was the truth.

Larry David debunks 'Seinfeld' was a show about nothing.
In a recently unearthed video from 1998, Larry David, co-creator of "Seinfeld," sits down with Charlie Rose to talk about the end of the hit TV show. Within the first few minutes of the interview, David drops a line that leaves Rose temporarily speechless. "Seinfeld" was not pitched as a show about nothing and everyone’s memory of that being true was actually taken from a "Seinfeld" episode.
If you need a moment to collect yourself, please take it. I was shocked because I clearly remember it being about nothing. And if you have no idea who or what "Seinfeld" was, let me fill you in. "Seinfeld" was once at the top of the sitcom world and introduced a standup comedian named Jerry Seinfeld and his friends to the world. Viewers came back every week to watch all of the randomly hilarious situations that Seinfeld would find himself in and would close with him doing a comedic monologue on stage about the very things we saw him experience. How did a large group of people believe that the show was supposed to be about nothing?
Our brains are so powerful. We hear something and eventually that becomes reality, whether it’s true or not. It's a phenomenon known as the Mandela effect where our brains create a false memory. Surprisingly it happens more often than one would think. Nelson Mandela died in 2013, but for some reason a ridiculous amount of people remember him dying in the 1980s while still in jail. There are countless examples of this phenomenon, including whether Curious George had a tail or not and if the Monopoly man wore a monocle.
No matter how many people insist their memory is correct about "Seinfeld," you can’t really dispute the show's creator. I’m pretty sure he would know what he pitched and wrote. Either way, this was certainly a fun relic to dig up. And will surely leave people scratching their heads and questioning their memories.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."