The Contest

"The Contest" is the 51st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The eleventh episode of the fourth season, it aired on November 18, 1992. In the episode, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer hold a contest to determine who can go for the longest time without masturbating. As NBC executives felt that masturbation was not a topic suitable for prime time television, the word "masturbation" is never used in the episode, instead replaced by a number of comic euphemisms. The term "master of my domain", describing someone who has resisted the urge to masturbate, has since become a popular catchphrase. The writer of the episode, Larry David, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for his work. The episode was ranked number 1 on TV Guides 2009 list of "100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time". Plot At Monk's Café, George tells Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer that his mother caught him masturbating while reading a Glamour magazine, resulting in her falling over in shock and going to the hospital. George resolves never to masturbate again. When the others express skepticism, they make a bet over who can go the longest without masturbating. The men put up $100, while Elaine puts up $150, as the men insist that masturbation is not part of a woman's "lifestyle".