David Puddy

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David Puddy, usually just called Puddy, is a fictional character played by Patrick Warburton in the situation comedy Seinfeld. He is the on-and-off boyfriend of the character Elaine Benes.

[edit] Biography

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Puddy first appears in the season six episode "The Fusilli Jerry" as Elaine's new love interest. Jerry had been friends with Puddy before he went out with Elaine, and he had shared a sexual technique with Puddy known as "The Move." Elaine is disturbed when Puddy uses this distinctive maneuver on her, as she had previously dated Jerry and experienced the same move before. Puddy next appears as Elaine's current boyfriend and as a obsessive fan of the New Jersey Devils in "The Face Painter", also in season 6.

Elaine and Puddy break up and make up so frequently it becomes inconsequential. In season nine's "The Butter Shave," the two manage to break up, get back together again, and break up again, all during the course of an international flight. In the season nine episode "The Burning," Elaine reveals a motive for reuniting with the blunt mechanic: "I needed to move a bureau." One reason Elaine once gave for breaking up with Puddy was, "I think his answering machine is broken, so I just gave up" ("The Wizard").

Elaine finds Puddy attractive for his masculine qualities, such as his height, his deep voice, and the fact that he works with his hands; early in their relationship, Elaine compares him to Stanley Kowalski. She is turned off by his casual and apparently lackadaisical attitude toward relationships and what she perceives as his odd behaviors, such as face and body painting in support of New Jersey Devils ice hockey games and his love of Arby's. She also finds his religious beliefs problematic, as she herself is not religious. He is unfazed by her lack of faith, and reminds her in his matter-of-fact way that she is going to hell. Puddy is also a recovering germaphobe. He is also known for his catch phrase, "Yeah, that's right," delivered in a dead-pan manner with little or no emotion behind it. Perhaps Elaine is most frustrated by being unable to bring him down to her level of neurotic behavior.

Though Puddy originally appears as a mechanic, he is later promoted to salesman at a Saab dealership, after which Jerry tries to use him to get a good deal on a new car ("The Dealership").

When Puddy agrees with someone strongly enough, he likes to get that person to give him a high-five. Puddy is offended by people that use the term "grease monkey" to describe an auto mechanic.

He appears briefly in the series finale; as the four main characters are sentenced to jail, Elaine tells him, "Puddy, don't wait for me," to which he shrugs and nonchalantly replies, "All right."

Seinfeld

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Characters

Main Characters:

Jerry Seinfeld • George Costanza • Elaine Benes • Cosmo Kramer

Associated with Jerry:

Helen Seinfeld • Morty Seinfeld • Uncle Leo • Kenny Bania • Sally Weaver • Dr. Tim Whatley

Associated with George:

Estelle Costanza • Frank Costanza • Susan Ross • Mr. Wilhelm • Mr. Kruger • Lloyd Braun • George Steinbrenner

Associated with Elaine:

J. Peterman • David Puddy • Mr. Lippman • Justin Pitt • Sue Ellen Mischke

Associated with Kramer: