The Contest

The Contest is an episode in the popular US sitcom Seinfeld in which the four main characters Elaine Benes, Cosmo Kramer, George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld make a bet to see which one can go the longest without masturbating. Although the show was about masturbation, the word itself was not uttered in the whole episode. It has been reported that NBC censors would not allow it.

This episode is where the phrase "Master of Your Domain", "Queen of the Castle", and "Lord of the Manor" are first introduced. The episode won Larry David the Emmy for best original script for a comedy in 1933.

The Contest first eliminates Kramer, almost immediately. Secondly Elaine falls, then Jerry, leaving only George. The way the show would demonstrate someone had lost the contest would be to show the character thinking about the opposite sex in some way (except Kramer), then placing their cash on the counter in Jerry's apartment. It was revealed on the penultimate episode that George had actually cheated during The Contest.