Here’s the skinny: I think Larry David, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, are really low down on the scale of funny to not funny. Like, if I didn’t appreciate the beauty that is Seinfeld, I wouldn’t understand how this guy gets work. And it’s not just because of how awful a person he is — and that’s pretty damn disgustingly awful — but rather because he just isn’t funny. At all.
At the same time, he is bringing Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, and Jason Alexander to a recreated Seinfeld stage near us soon (check out Keith’s preview, and my own ludicrous predictions if you’re wiling away the time until their appearance like I am), so I will be watching and reviewing this season of Curb. Fear not, those of you who assume then that this will be a hate-filled rant … we’re doing this the classy way. Seinfeld watch is on!
I caught up on the last season of Curb before last night, so I know that Larry and Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) have split, and that Larry is now dating Loretta Black (Vivica A. Fox) — a hookup that I still find bewildering. Larry wants Cheryl back, but Larry being Larry, that’s not happening anytime soon.
He also, as the new season begins, wants to end things with Loretta, because she’s had a biopsy, and he can’t date someone who’s sick. I think he wasted too much time ending things before the results came back if he was that committed to doing it, but this entire series is based on misunderstandings and poor timing, so that result was inevitable. As it’s inevitable that Larry will end up dumping Loretta now that she is sick, forcing the Blacks to move out after what is sure to be a lot of uncomfortable moments.
Anyway, to the important stuff. Larry runs into Cheryl as she’s having dinner with Wanda Sykes — Hey! Someone who’s actually significantly less funny than Larry! — and she tells him that her problem with him was too much Larry (I hear that … so did he). She liked “working on Seinfeld” Larry…. For the life of me, I didn’t see how they’d get the ball rolling during the premiere, and then suddenly there it was.
So, first of all, doesn’t Larry work? I’m not clear on what he does, but he is going off to an office everyday, no? I mean, between harassing friends and neighbors everywhere they can be found. And playing golf. Also, I think Cheryl was just giving an example. I don’t think it was to say that “Seinfeld” Larry is who she liked, but rather who he was when working on the show. If I were him (no way in hell, although I would certainly be living better…), logically I’d be looking to develop something new in order to once again become the Larry who goes off to a show everyday, not stage a short reunion of Seinfeld itself.
Then again, we Seinfeld-watchers only got that tiny line-drop to dwell on for now. There certainly could be more coming that’s show specific, that would answer our questions. Until then, ponder the following observation that I’ve been making: J.B. Smoove was actually better on ‘Til Death then he is here … ouch.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Sep 21, 2009 @ 14:30 EST5EDT
“Here’s the skinny: I think Larry David, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, are really low down on the scale of funny to not funny. Like, if I didn’t appreciate the beauty that is Seinfeld, I wouldn’t understand how this guy gets work. And it’s not just because of how awful a person he is — and that’s pretty damn disgustingly awful — but rather because he just isn’t funny. At all.”
I appreciate your point of view, but out of the 20 or so writers on this site, isn’t there one who appreciates both Curb AND Seinfeld that could be covering this season? There seems to be a trend lately of reviewers not enjoying the show that they’re reviewing. In most of those cases it’s someone who reviewed and enjoyed the show at the start, but now expresses their dislike for where the show has gone. In this case you start the season off by telling us how unfunny you find this sitcom and the writer/star. What the hell?
It’s not a hate filled rant, so kudos there, but it’s snarky as hell and obvious that you don’t enjoy it. This is an entertainment blog, the shit is supposed to fun, a nice diversion for a few minutes from a boring job or something. It’s a bummer to read the reviewer talking trash about the show you like enough to come read about/chat about with others that may have enjoyed it. There’s plenty of room for negativity down here in the comments.
just my two cents.
*POST AUTHOR*
While I totally respect, and appreciate, what you’re saying, my point is that I’m reviewing, let’s say a particular arc of the show, and I’m EXTREMELY excited to do so. I wanted to be honest that I’m not a fan of the show, mainly to make it clear should things arise that I don’t know anything about (like what exactly Larry does, or the name of the restaurant that pops up all the time on the show).
To your question though, I believe that only one writer of ours watched this show before (Keith) and only two more of us (myself included) plan to watch specifically this season for Seinfeld. Personally, I think it’s a HUGE television event, that deserves to be chronicled on our site, and I’m very happy to be the person to do so.
Like I said, I have no interest in being negative about the show, something I could easily have REALLY done but didn’t, another reason that I was clear from the beginning that I’m not a fan. What I want to do is cover this moment in television history, the reunion of four fantastic characters from the television hall of fame. I will do my best not to talk trash about Curb (which I think I steered away from above), but even someone who loves it has to admit that there are times when Larry David can just be too much to handle.
I hope you’ll read along this season, and that you’ll find the coverage to be “a nice diversion for a few minutes from a boring job or something.” My hope is that season 7 of Curb will be fun, so as long as the story delivers, I’ll be doing my best to make sure that translates here.
cool man, fair enough. it IS a HUGE event and i’m just as psyched as you are!!!!!
start watching the show with the mindset that ‘too much Larry David to handle’ is the basis for the conflict in EVERY episode, heh heh. Hopefully it’ll help.
Paraphrasing what Jeff said in the garage, “why do you even go there with her, every time? that’s MY question”.
That’s the show right there. If he didn’t go there every time, it’d be according to jim. :)
and he lives off his seinfeld money. He’s got an office but hardly does any work, and when he does, it all blows up in the season finale anyway.
I thought he and Bam Bam (who was hilarious!) watching the thief carjack the guy without doing a damn thing was a nice nod to the Seinfeld finale…
*POST AUTHOR*
I hear that.
The nod to Seinfeld went over my head; thanks for pointing it out!
Congrats on your 200th post!
*POST AUTHOR*
:-) Thanks!
Low down on a scale from funny to unfunny is pretty harsh without really explaining why. For me Curb is in my top ten all time comedies. You mention that Larry David just isn’t funny. At all. Wasn’t he the co-creator of Seinfeld and didn’t he write some classic episodes? Anyway I am just glad that you guys are reviewing this season, it will be fun to follow.
*POST AUTHOR*
Well, that’s kind of self-explanatory; if I don’t find him funny, then…. There’s really never any why to that sort of thing.
Larry David was known as a comic’s stand-up; audiences didn’t find him funny, but comics loved him. As an actor, I find the former to still be true (can’t speak for the latter). As a writer on Seinfeld, he was writing for actors who translated what he had written, but that’s a skill he lacks in my eyes. They’re not mutually exclusive.
But like I said, I’m not writing about him, per say, so it shouldn’t get in the way! :-)
I really don’t see why not thinking the lead actor in a comedy is funny at all would get in your way.
*POST AUTHOR*
True; for example, I semi-enjoy 30 Rock, and I can’t stand Tina Fey! :)