Resurfaced 'Seinfeld' Bit Involving 'O.J.' Name Suggestion Stuns Internet

Nearly three decades after originally airing in 1993, a scene from Seinfeld's fifth season is once again the subject of discussion, thanks to a once-innocuous reference to O.J. Simpson.

The beloved sitcom has regained its status as a staple of television diets for fanatics and first-time viewers alike since hitting streaming services in 2015, first spending six years on Hulu before moving to Netflix last October.

Seinfeld's emergence on streaming has also allowed viewers to dive deeper into individual scenes without the hassle of handling VHS tapes or DVDs, and without having to wait for syndicated reruns of specific episodes.

Twitter user and children's author Justin Boldaji on October 25 called attention to one such scene, involving fan favorite character Elaine Benes, O.J. Simpson and an unfortunately-named love interest.

"Elaine begging her boyfriend Joel Rifkin to change his name so he doesn't have the same name as a murderer [and] suggesting 'OJ' after looking through a sports magazine, less than a year before OJ Simpson would murder 2 people, is probably the single funniest moment in tv history," Boldaji tweeted, racking up nearly 10,000 likes in two days.

The aforementioned moment comes partway through the ninth episode of Seinfeld's fifth season, titled "The Masseuse."

Elaine, who is dating a man named Joel Rifkin, laments over the name throughout the episode, as Joel Rifkin is also the name of a New York City serial killer convicted of killing nine women between 1989 and 1993.

"The Masseuse" aired just five months after Rifkin's arrest.

During the episode, Elaine and the non-murderous Rifkin spend time debating potential name changes before one, poignant suggestion arises.

"Oh! Oh, oh, oh. O.J.!" she exclaims, flipping through a sports magazine. "O.J. Rifkin!"

"Please, please, please change your name to O.J.," she begs. "Please? It would be so great!"

Despite her pleas, Elaine's name suggestion is ultimately turned down.

Seven months later, connotations linked to the name suggestion also trended downwards, as former NFL star O.J. Simpson was accused of murdering former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman before leading the Los Angeles Police Department on one of most infamous police chases in U.S. history.

While Simpson was ultimately acquitted of both murders, the "O.J." moniker being suggested in place of a serial killer's name during an episode of Seinfeld—albeit a half-year early—never fails to raise eyebrows.

Users responding to Boldaji's tweet shared their opinions on the inadvertent foreshadowing included in "The Masseuse," adding their own experiences encountering the episode in the process.

"The episodes that age poorly are my favorite LMAO," @muttonheadmania tweeted.

"I just watched this episode yesterday and could not believe it," @ASQmeeh added.

"Wait! This was pre the murder?!" another user exclaimed. "I always assumed it was an attempt to be super edgy yikes."

"As a kid watching this for the first time afterwards I always thought that was part of the joke," @badpunname echoed.

"We were doing a watch through this year and were literally aghast at the crazy time-loop joke that ends up having been," @IdiotBrainGuy chimed in.