(Season 1, Episodes 5-6)
This may be besides the point of the show, or it may be reality, but I still have to ask — how does Larry David live in a world where people don’t recognize him? Guy shows up at the doctor’s office and tells the receptionist who he is, in that familiar voice, and no one even glances up to see if it could be? Even if you’ve never seen his face before, if you’ve ever watched Seinfeld you’ve heard him playing one of a countless number of characters. Can it be that people just don’t know?
1.5 “Interior Decorator”
Once again the confluence of events got me. How holding the elevator for a woman in an office lobby affected patient policy in a doctor’s office, and found Larry wrestling with an interior decorator, I truly enjoy the way everything’s interconnected on this show. And it’s fun to watch Larry say the things we’d never say.
I liked his little thing with the parking attendant, and it was great seeing Oscar Nunez before we knew him as Oscar on The Office. I thought the episode was missing one more scene, when the female attendant gets the money that Larry paid to Oscar, but what can you do.
There’s something I don’t like about Nia Vardalos. I don’t know what it is, but her character here only went to reinforce that … $1,500 for reading a script? And why would Larry need unsolicited feedback from a lay person?
It was an interesting use of Diane Keaton (or at least her voice), I will say that. I seem to remember knowing that Curb uses guests in an interesting and unusual way. And I loved seeing the Woody Allen-like Larry physically battling it out with both the decorator and the woman from the elevator at the doctor’s. How often can this guy throw fisticuffs?
And how funny was the doctor extorting Larry before treating his finger, injured in Larry’s fight with Richard Lewis over the bracelet last time? Only Larry….
1.6 “The Wire”
Although this is only the sixth episode of the series, considering the fact that I’ve seen the entire seventh season, I have at this point watched a fair percentage of the episodes out there. And yet I’m still confused by Jeff’s role on the show. The fact that he sponsored an inner-city kid, who proceeded to set fire to part of a summer camp is funny, but was it all just so he could fight some more with wife Susie (Susie Essman)? Because we never met the kid.
I loved Dean (Wayne Federman), the neighbor who wanted the quid pro quo for signing off on Larry and Cheryl’s wish to bury some wire in their backyard. “The house that Jerry Seinfeld built,” his wife called the David abode … I think that was the first Seinfeld mention on the show.
And Dean’s obsession with Julia Louis-Dreyfus was perfect. If I’d had to bet who would be the first to appear, I never would have gone with Julia, but it was great. And funny that husband Brad Hall joined her; that wasn’t their son, was it?
And yet the essence of the show is the little things. The mini-theme on this episode was the consensus cutoff time for calling a person at night. Is it a conversation I’ve ever had? Probably not, and the ubiquitous nature of cell phones makes the debate largely moot, as an off cell indicates someone turned in for the night. But it was so mundane that it was hilarious. And the way in which the debate reached its tentacles everywhere was wonderful.
Can you believe Dean expected Larry to pay him the reward for returning his idea notebook?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jul 02, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Olol…
The first paragraph is priceless. You don’t understand why people don’t recognize Larry.
I suggest you don’t watch “Louie”. Because that show isn’t really a reality TV show either…
*POST AUTHOR*
I don’t follow you. I don’t know anything about Louie, but on Curb Larry is still co-creator of Seinfeld. Nothing about that reality has been altered….
But you do get the concept that “Seinfeld” is taken from Jerry and Larry’s life, e.g. things that happen to Jerry on the show actually did happen to Larry in real life as well as friends of them, and they simply wrote stories for a show that is at first glance about Jerry Seinfeld all the while not really about him at all?
“Louie” is at first glance the same thing. It’s also about the Comedian Louis C.K., has a couple of direct things taken from the guy’s life, but the actors on the show aren’t his family (for instance the two girls on the show aren’t his real life daughters).
On “Curb”, the show is written in the way that people treat Larry David as if he’s not really famous even though people DO recognize him in real life. He choses to write the show this way. For him, that is the fourth wall, because it isn’t entertaining. I mean how long would it take for it to get old that people recognize him? I bet it would be funny ONCE and then it would be really really annoying. Same goes about Larry being able to use his fame in any way that benefits him. Every time that is part of the show, he gets NOWHERE with it. He doesn’t have any pull at all. And when he tries something, he ALWAYS gets into trouble for it. It’s basically “Seinfeld” about Larry David.
That’s why it’s so funny for me that you point out you don’t understand why people don’t recognize him. After the first Season of “Seinfeld” did you expect for Jerry on the show to be more easily recognized as well, because “Seinfeld” in real life was such a success? I guess not.
I mean I get your gut reaction to these situations but when you think about it in context, you instantly understand why he isn’t recognized more. I laughed about it because it sounds so much like someone who says everything that comes to mind without really thinking about it. Sorry. I just find it funny.
*POST AUTHOR*
I certainly don’t mind if you have a laugh at my expense. ;)
But your comparison to Jerry on Seinfeld doesn’t work. Jerry plays himself, but not the “star of his own TV show Jerry,” just “stand-up comedian Jerry.” The success of the show, and what that’s brought him in real life, doesn’t exist in the reality of his life on the show.
Larry, on the other hand, is on a show playing himself post-his true Seinfeld success, with all the contacts and work freedom that comes with it. All of that is visible, including people rightly assuming that he can snap his fingers and get the Seinfeld gang to come running. If we are to assume that he is portraying himself post-Seinfeld, as much fiction as the writers would like to insert into the story, the money and fame are a given. Which is why I’ve asked before why a man worth north of $250 million is living like he does, and why no one seems to recognize him. There need be reality there — more people recognize Jerry Seinfeld the comedian on Seinfeld, from late-night talk shows and dark comedy clubs, than recognize Larry David, AKA faux George Steinbrenner, on Curb. I don’t think it’s funny that I’d question that; I think it’s a giant hole for Larry David to have chosen to forgo that no-brainer on his show.
I had no idea who he was until Curb came on.
If I could round up everyone I know right now and show them a picture of Larry David, id say 5% would know who he is. It isn’t much of a stretch that he meets people who haven’t heard of him. Lots of people don’t know who created Seinfeld or have watched Curb.
If fact when I last watched an episode I was multitasking between watching and talking on facebook. When I brought up what I was watching the response I got was, “Who is Larry David?”
That’s the conceit of the show. You know what I mean. Like the conceit of The Office is that a camera crew is documenting everything that goes on at this office. The conceit of Stargate is that aliens built gates that allow you to travel through wormholes. Many shows have some unrealistic element that you are supposed to take for granted in order to watch the show. You just accept that unrealistic element, that conceit, as one of the rules of that show’s universe, and then carry on.
*POST AUTHOR*
See, that’s an answer I can accept. I don’t get it, but if you tell me that one of the pre-conceived building blocks of the show is that people won’t recognize Larry, okay. In a world where that’s not a rule, I don’t get it. But if that’s a rule, then so be it.
Other shows that come to mind where this is the case for every guest actor: “Entourage”, “Californication”, “The Larry Sanders Show”.
Sorry I assumed being a “Seinfeld” fan you knew this kind of show and that this isn’t reality TV like “The Osbornes”… I mean… uhm… that isn’t Larry’s wife on the show. And that’s not his home. Some of the other actors don’t play themselves, some do. They did the “Seinfeld” reunion last season and that wasn’t a “real” Seinfeld reunion either. They took the stuff that happened to Richards and used it like they did back in the day they used stuff from their real lives for “Seinfeld”… it was meta-meta.
I mean you said you are a fan of Seinfeld. How come you didn’t know this? It was all over the news and I don’t even live in the US O_o
*POST AUTHOR*
Okay, so clearly I’m not explaining myself well at all. I never suggested that Curb Your Enthusiasm was a reality show, or that it should emulate Larry’s life.
What I’m saying is this – Larry David created an HBO series where his character co-created Seinfeld, and its success on his new series is meant to be true to its success in real life … wildly successful, opened doors for all involved, made a ton of money. And in real life, Larry David co-creator of Seinfeld, is well-known (to all but Bob) and extremely wealthy.
So the question I’ve been posing is a logical conclusion one – if Seinfeld’s success is true to life, and Larry’s role on the show is true to life, why isn’t his post-Seinfeld life true to life – the money, and recognition. That has no impact on whether or not he runs into problems when trying to use his fame, or he lives in a house that’s not really his own. That’s just logic – if he co-created a show that made the creators $500 million when sold into syndication, where’s his money? What does that have to do with whether or not Cheryl is his real wife?
Well known to big Seinfeld fans yes, but to the general population he isn’t that well known. Well he is sorta now, but thats because of this show where he is more than just a name on a title card. This show isn’t part of the timeline. So most people even if they watched Seinfeld in this “universe” the show has created has never seen his face. Being rich doesn’t mean he is well known. The people who created Friends are rich too but I doubt you would know them if they were sitting next to you at a restaurant.
Ah ok now I get it :-)
Yeah fair point I guess but to be honest I didn’t know what he looked like until “Curb”.
To be honest: do you know what Chuck Lorre looks like? I really think that David isn’t that easily recognized in real life. Also he doesn’t really like people and I think the show reflects on that perfectly. When he wants to be recognized, he isn’t. The rest of the time (I guess 90%) he wants to be left alone all the while wanting to behave like a total ass.
The irony in itself is what makes the show so unbearable… and funny at the same time in that shameful way “Seinfeld” introduced.
Anyway, I now understand your point a little better but then again… nah. Nobody really knew him before “Curb” and even now people hardly know him. The show is neatly tucked away on HBO and it’s also so full of “Fremdschämen” (german expression for feeling ashamed of something somebody else does) it hurts. Not too many people like that kind of humor. On “Seinfeld” you kinda liked the people on the show and it was ok but I really really do loathe Larry David, that’s why I don’t follow “Curb”.
*POST AUTHOR*
This is definitely a discussion that isn’t going anywhere else … I definitely knew Larry David more because I watched all of the extras on the Seinfeld DVD sets, so saw him in a ton of interviews. However, I just know what he looks and sounds like from the show. He was the original voice of Newman, up on the roof. He was Frank Costanza’s lawyer in the cape. He was George Steinbrenner. To me, I can’t imagine not knowing him. But I get the “comedy” in it.
*POST AUTHOR*
Bob and ac — Admittedly, I am an over-enthusiastic fan of Seinfeld. So for me, having heard and seen him on countless episodes, it’s hard not to know who he is, by both face and voice. But I guess I can recognize that many people might not. I find it unfathomable for myself as a viewer, but I accept … I guess. :)