Thoughts on Curb Your Enthusiasm

I first came across the show Curb Your Enthusiasm a few months ago when I heard about it from a friend. I didn't even know who Larry David was at first, but when I found out he wrote Seinfeld I was immediately interested. On a side note, I found out that the character George in Seinfeld was based on Larry David. Now every time I see Larry David  I feel like I'm witnessing the real George Costanza.

The show is comprised of a few main characters: Larry David, who plays himself, Cheryl David (his wife), and his manager Jeff Green. In every episode, Larry manages to make a fool of himself some how. Some would say that Larry is a complete selfish jerk, the stereotype of an old rich geezer, which he is. But it's hysterical. In one episode, his friend and comedian Richard Lewis needs a kidney. Larry knows he is a match and is one of the only possible donors, yet he does not want to give up his kidney and "end up on a dialysis machine." So what does he do? The only reasonable thing, of course-- he runs his car into the Orthodox Jewish president of the kidney foundation's car, leaves a note on the windshield, and has lunch with him in an attempt to befriend him and manipulate him into moving Richard Lewis up on the list for kidney donations. The whole episode involves a charade in which Larry has to pretend that he is an Orthodox Jew and go on a skiing trip with the president and his very religious daughter. It was hilarious, albeit cringe-inducing to watch. I kept half-covering my face, going, "Oh, no..." and then giggling at the awfulness. The episode ends with Larry and the daughter stuck in a ski lift near sundown. She jumps from the ski lift because it is against her religion to be with a man after the sun sets. After she jumps, Larry calls Richard and says, "that thing with the kidney isn't going to work out after all."


Larry David is a "social assassin." I appreciate his ability to tell it like it is. He is brutally honest, which makes him a real jerk. Some people really hate this show because of that. But I love it, and I get lots of good laughs from it. I grew up watching Seinfeld because my parents watched it.  I guess that's why I always liked the kind of humor that involves the strange situations we find ourselves in throughout every day life. Some people I've talked to about the show immediately cringed when I brought it up, because I guess this outrageous style of humor isn't for everyone. Curb Your Enthusiasm is full of these hilariously awkward moments and the characters often go way over the top on the ridiculous scale. If you liked Seinfeld, you'll at least be intrigued by Larry David's most recent sitcom, if not for the humor then for the reappearances of old characters from Seinfeld and other famous actors and comedians.