Jerry had to wear the pirate-style puffy shirt on The Today Show. The situation occurs in “The Puffy Shirt,” a Seinfeld episode built around a misunderstanding involving Kramer’s girlfriend, Leslie, who speaks extremely softly.
Elaine arranges for Jerry to appear on the NBC morning program to promote a charity benefit. During dinner, Jerry cannot hear Leslie clearly and accidentally agrees to wear one of her designs. He later discovers that the garment is a flamboyant, ruffled shirt that makes him look like a stage pirate.
The episode originally aired on September 23, 1993, as the second episode of Seinfeld’s fifth season. Bryant Gumbel appears as himself, reflecting the real Today Show’s recognizable hosting style at the time. Jerry’s repeated protest—“But I don’t wanna be a pirate!”—became one of the show’s memorable catchphrases.
The actual prop shirt became part of the Smithsonian’s collection. The episode also includes George’s hand-model storyline and Jerry Stiller’s first appearance as Frank Costanza.