During the second season of Seinfeld, screenwriter Larry Charles wrote a script for a controversial episode that involved the controversial subject of gun ownership. The episode, originally titled "The Gun," was meant to depict Elaine and Jerry arguing over the purchase of a firearm. However, the cast refused to participate in the episode, which was replaced with "The Phone Message" by series co-creator Larry David. An early draft of the screenplay was uploaded to the Internet Archive in 2024, which Charles confirmed was an authentic copy.