An animated Peter Mehlman, tells students a tale from his past, including the journey he spent on his way to become a writer for Seinfeld, which started at the University of Maryland.
One day, Peter Mehlman was listening to the radio in his car when he heard the Today Sponge, a popular device for birth control in the 1990s, was going out of production. Then he got an idea.
The former writer and executive producer for Seinfeld thought, “If Elaine is a sponge user, let’s say she buys out the entire Upper West Side, so she gets kind of a limited number, so that would change her whole screening process,” Mehlman said.
The 1977 alumnus and former reporter for The Diamondback coined the phrases “spongeworthy,” “Yada Yada,” “shrinkage” and “double-dipping” during his eight years working at Seinfeld — an experience he spoke about to students and faculty during his visit to the campus yesterday.
Mehlman dropped in on classes, spoke at a luncheon with about 35 faculty and students, stopped by The Diamondback newsroom and hosted a book reading from his new novel, It Won’t Always Be This Great.
But before he started his day of meetings, he made sure to walk around. Between living in his fraternity house and playing basketball at Cole Field House, he said his time at this university made for some of his favorite memories.
“I was so depressed after my sophomore year because it was halfway over,” Mehlman said. “I just loved it here, the whole carefree atmosphere. What’s better than this?”
Then Mehlman found a new home — on the set of Seinfeld.
“The studio lot is a lot like a college campus. Different shows are like different dorms, and there are always new people coming in. … Instead of new freshman coming in every year, there were new actors coming in every week,” Mehlman said. “So it was very similar, and you’re hanging out with smart, funny people.”
Junior journalism major Janelle Netterville, a member of Sketchup and an aspiring comedy writer, was at the luncheon with Mehlman. She said she was grateful for the opportunity to meet Mehlman and learn from his experiences.
“We as sketch writers and comedy writers, a lot of us do want to aspire to be television writers, especially comedy,” Netterville said. “And hearing from somebody who has actually done that exact thing is really cool and always inspiring, especially knowing that he came from the same school that we are going to.”
When Netterville asked Mehlman for advice, he told her to keep writing and perfect whatever she’s already done. He then went on to give insight on the general process of creativity.
“There is nobody in this room who hasn’t had a thought this week that wouldn’t make a great Seinfeld episode. It’s just that it goes in your head and out and you don’t really catch it,” Mehlman said. “A part of being creative is learning to catch the most minute but great thoughts that go through your head.”
Even if journalism students like Netterville do not end up pursuing a career in journalism, the education they receive prepares them to think critically, gather information, digest that information and form it for the public — skills journalism Dean Lucy Dalglish said are invaluable in any job, as shown by Mehlman’s success with Seinfeld.
“When you come to a university and you study a topic … you probably have a fixed idea in your mind what your education is going to prepare you for,” Dalglish said. “One thing I learned, because I’m on my fourth career from being a journalism major, is that you’re prepared to do more than you think you are.”
George Solomon, director of the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism, was Mehlman’s first boss at The Washington Post. Solomon said Mehlman was competent and able to meet his potential with talent and resilience. Through his career, Mehlman also wrote for SportsBeat with Howard Cosell, The New York Times, the L.A. Times, Esquire and others.
“I like people who have life, and I like people who enjoy life and make it fun to be around,” Solomon said.
As a current Los Angeles resident, Mehlman said he sees many people move there to pursue their dreams. Even if most of those aspirations are unrealistic, Mehlman said following them is what matters.
“Write for love, never for money,” Mehlman said. “But try to get paid for it.”
