Vol. 8, No. 9 · 25¢ thefestivusproject.com

THE DAILY NOTHING

November 21, 1996 New York Final Edition
S08E09 · Season 8, Episode 9 of 180

The Abstinence

George's girlfriend gets mono and the resulting six weeks of abstinence transforms him into a polymath — he learns Portuguese, tutors Yankees, and creates a two-hour school assembly presentation, while Elaine applies the same technique to help her not-yet-a-doctor boyfriend study for his licensing exam and finds that abstinence makes women dumber, not smarter. George's girlfriend's diagnosis turns out to be wrong but he chooses his intellect over sex, she dumps him in frustration, and he sleeps with a Portuguese waitress — arriving at the school assembly with his brain reverted to factory settings, leaving Jerry to bomb in front of the junior high. Kramer opens his apartment as a smoking lounge, ruins his face with secondhand smoke, and Jackie Chiles takes his case against the tobacco company only for them to settle directly by putting Kramer on a Times Square billboard as a smoking cowboy.

What's The Deal?

George's GirlfriendLouiseHas mononucleosis, then doesn't
George's JobAssistant to the traveling secretary, Yankees
Elaine's BoyfriendBenCan't pass medical licensing exam
Elaine's JobJ. Peterman Catalog
Elaine's ThingAbstinence makes her unable to form sentences
Kramer's SchemeTurns apartment into smoking lounge, face becomes leathery
References
David LettermanDerek JeterBernie WilliamsMarlboro Man
Dark Turn
Kramer featured as smoking cowboy billboard after settlement

The Full Story

George's girlfriend Louise has mononucleosis, so he can't have sex with her for six weeks. Without sex to distract him, George's mind becomes sharper, he learns things more quickly, and develops a deeper relationship with Louise.

Elaine brags that she is dating a doctor, but her boyfriend Ben informs her that not only is he not yet a doctor, he has failed his licensing exam three times. Elaine continues to boast that Ben is a doctor, but her cover is blown when he is unable to help when a man passes out in Monk's. She uses George's technique of abstinence to help him study to get his license. She begins to experience difficulty forming normal sentences, and Jerry theorizes that abstinence has the reverse effect on women. She begs Jerry to have sex with her, to clear her mind. Jerry turns her down because of the weird circumstances. Ben gets his license and dumps Elaine, leaving her sexually frustrated.

Jerry agrees to appear at career day at his former junior high school, but he is bumped off, first when the zoo worker with a preceding slot runs long, then because of a fire drill. Jerry's agent gets him a whole assembly at the school. Jerry struggles to figure out how to fill two hours in front of a junior high crowd. George creates a presentation for the assembly.

Seeing a bunch of smokers forced to smoke outside Monk's, Kramer is inspired to open up his apartment as a smoking lounge. The extensive secondhand smoke makes his face become leathery. Kramer sees his lawyer Jackie Chiles about suing the tobacco company for ruining his good looks. The company bypasses Chiles and settles with Kramer by featuring him as a smoking cowboy on a Times Square billboard, with no pay.

Louise tells George that her mononucleosis diagnosis was incorrect, but he decides that he prefers his newfound mental acuity to sex with her. She breaks up with him in sexual frustration. George has sex with a Portuguese waitress. He arrives at the school to meet Jerry, but with his intellect back to his usual, he can no longer do the presentation. Jerry goes in, and bombs. Talk show host David Letterman informs Jerry his appearance has been canceled because of the middle school mishaps.