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Watch Rudy Giuliani Defend 1990s NYC To <em>Mad About You</em> Viewers
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 1, 2015
Modified Dec 1, 2015
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 1, 2015
Modified Dec 1, 2015
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In season 3, episode 10 of Mad About You, which ran at the end of 1994, Paul and Jamie are having one of those New York City nights that can test your will. They... well, nothing really terrible happens, but the episode—titled "The City"—is meant to portray how the little things that occur throughout one's day can often pile up and break a person by the nightfall.
The show opens just after Jamie has $8 taken from her when she purchases a dictionary on the street, and then a woman steals a tangerine from her on the subway. Jamie is fucking OVER IT at this point, but is then dragged back out into the big bad city by Paul, to go meet Ira and his date for a movie. A guy gets in their cab, there's veal on the sidewalk for some reason, an old lady hits Paul, a taller man sits in front of Jamie in the movie theater, confrontations abound, and then fade to black: Rudy Giuliani appears.
Giuliani had just started his first term as Mayor earlier that year, and was there to defend New York City and its residents. He ended the show by telling viewers:
In spite of the Buchman's experience tonight, New York is a great city, one of which we can all be very proud. As you just saw, some of our hardest working residents drive taxi cabs, almost all of them are fair, courteous and honest. But like any cab driver in any city, they merely wish to be told on which side of the street—the right or the left—their passengers want to get out. I'm sure that you'll agree that's a very reasonable request.
Quality of life is very important to us in New York, and that's why we keep our streets as clean as possible, occasionally we may miss a spot here or there, but I assure you incidents of people stepping in veal are very rare, almost unheard of. New York is a great city and we're constantly striving to make it even better. I just thought you should know that.
You can watch the whole episode, including Giuliani's speech, here:
During his time as Mayor, Giuliani also played himself on Law & Order and... Cosby.
Here's a look back at what the 1990s were really like in NYC.
Tagged
1990s
mad about you
rudy giuliani
tv
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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