All the talk about Myanmar has me thinking about an old Seinfeld episode.
Most articles about the current situation in Myanmar also refer to the country as Burma. Seinfeld tackled this more than ten years ago in “The Foundation,” originally airing on September 19th, 1996. If we haven’t figured out what to call it since then, maybe it should’ve stayed Burma.
Elaine: Mr. Peterman, you can’t leave.
J. Peterman: I’ve already left, Elaine. I’m in Burma.
Elaine: Burma?
J. Peterman: You most likely know it as Myanmar, but it will always be Burma to me. Bonne chance, Elaine. (to a passerby) You there on the motorbike! Sell me one of your melons! (runs after him)
[The phone is not hung up.]
Elaine: Mr. Peterman?
[New scene.
Jerry’s apartment.]Jerry: Where?
Elaine: Burma.
Jerry: Isn’t it Myanmar now?
Nice to know our generation learned geography from Seinfeld. Explains a lot.
And to think how little recognition Seinfeld gets for this distinction…