Curbing My Enthusiasm
Jul 15th, 2005 at 11:42 am by Susie
I watched the shrimp episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” this morning, and it made me laugh out loud. I do love me some Larry David.
A few weeks ago, a friend and I were walking along, trading favorite bits from the show. (He was going on about the “beloved cunt” obit episode, which I’d never seen. I’ve since rectified that.)
“You know, my last ex was exactly like Larry David,” I said. “No, wait, let me rephrase that: He is Larry David.”
“But you see, Susie, that’s what women don’t get: Every guy is Larry David,” he said. “All of us.”
“No,” I said, rueful. “This guy is exactly like Larry David - all the time. I mean, he leaves this long trail of pissed-off people in his wake.”
But I kind of like difficult people. Which is why I like the show.
Larry is, ultimately, a very moral person with a strong sense of integrity. It’s completely twisted and ultimately self-destructive, of course, but he’s true to his own code. (Kind of like “Shane.”)
Larry’s logical to the max, like Spock on speed and garnished with a mean streak. He’s constantly attacking other people because to him, they just don’t make sense. And, despite his high standards for everyone else, he routinely resorts to deception and obfuscation.
His wife (a nice, soothing person - must be a Libra) lives in this strange dual reality - trying to cope with the constant upheaval caused by Larry’s stubborn adherence to his own principles but pretty much accepting him the way he is. (Guess which part I relate to.) She’s clearly crazy about him, which humanizes his character and makes it impossible to write him off as just another nut.
What are your favorite episodes?
There’s a Christmas episode that’s really funny for two reasons:
1) Larry’s constantly clearing his throat because…how do i say this tactfully? actually, i can’t, so forget tact….he’s got a pubic hair caught in his throat from going down on Cheryl.
2) at the very end of the episode, he gets in an actual fight with a guy playing Joseph in a live Manger Scene.
Oh, and I forgot to add that getting in the fight with the Manger Scene guy actually dislodges the pubic hair from his throat.
The one where he becomes a car salesman.
every episode is really good. but two come to mind:
1. the tourette’s syndrome chef at the new resturaunt opening where Larry’s agent’s wife ends up screaming “F*** YOU YOU CARWASH C**T” at Larry’s wife but no one realizes
2. another one where Larry arrives late to an adult friend’s Baptism service, misunderstands what’s happening and tries to save his friend’s life because the minister is drowning him. All the other Jews in attendance think Larry did it for religious reasons and are quite impressed about his convictions.
all in all, it’s one of the better spin offs from network TV. Kind of a behind the scenes of Seinfeld sort of thing
I agree with fogcat5, that the carwash c*nt episode is brilliant…my favorite part is simply Cheryl Hines getting out of the car in the carwash…can’t think of a better example of great comic body language and movement in recent years.
Have to add in the Krazy Eyes Killaz…”Who’s my caucasian????”
The Shaq episode, the Xmas nativity scene episode, buying weed for his dad episode, the restaurant opening episode, i could go on and on.
Carpool lane/buying weed for his dad.
This ep has it all. Larry buying drugs. Larry figuring a way to drive in the carpool lane. Larry getting out of jury duty because he’s racist. Larry chasing after a dead man’s baseball ticket (Twice!!!).
And of course it all coming back to haunt him.
I can’t really pick just one, they’re all brilliant. It’s one of the few TV series I actually wish I had on DVD.
The story line where he was allowed to have sex with another woman for his tenth anniversary makes me laugh every time I think of it. When he’s going hot and heavy with his “Producers” co-star and spots the autographed picture of Bush… or the one where he’s trying to have sex with the Orthodox Jewish woman and brings both a sheet with a hole in it and his dry cleaning… It gets better all the time.
I hear the new episodes will feature Larry becoming a born-again Christian. Oh. My. God.