When “Seinfeld” left the NBC airwaves, I think we all felt a void in that part of our soul that delights in examining the debilitating ennui that societal life sometimes puts on each and every one of us. Lucky for us, “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David began the HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and now that ennui is back and better than ever, minus the ubiquitous Superman references, of course.
Fans of the popular show also received another gift recently, when the complete first season was released on DVD and VHS. The set includes 10 episodes, plus a one-hour special and an interview with David conducted by Bob Costas. For just about anyone, the set will be a superb addition to any DVD collection.
The show is a mostly-improvised sitcom surrounding David’s post-Seinfeld life. “Curb” grew out of a 1999 HBO Special starring David in which he bails on a showcase standup performance because of pre-show jitters, but tells HBO that his stepfather is in a coma from a car accident. If anyone else did that, horror and condemnation would be appropriate responses; because it’s David, who was the basis for the uber-neurotic George Costanza character on “Seinfeld,” we find it positively hilarious.
The show has almost no plot or sub-themes (even less than “Seinfeld”), and surrounds little more than David’s everyday life, involving his wife, played by Cheryl Hines, his manager, played by Jeff Garlin, Richard Lewis as himself, and Susie Essman as his manager’s wife.
The show is also directed admirably by Robert B. Weide, whose other projects include documentaries on Lenny Bruce, The Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields.
The central foundation of the show is that hilarity ensues pretty much everywhere Larry David goes: a trip to the supermarket, a test-drive in his friend’s classic car, going to the mall to replace a pair of shoes, or buying a birthday gift. David finds the comedy in all of these situations, and all of us go through the same things every day of our lives; it is that resonance that makes the show so relatable, even though none of us have millions upon millions of dollars and a mansion in California.
What makes the show even more remarkable is the amazing creativity of the whole cast. There is no real script for episodes; cast members are given scene outlines and improvise most of the dialogue. This production element adds a fresh, spontaneous feel to every show that wasn’t even possible with “Seinfeld,” and is probably responsible for the best one-liners on “Curb,” like Richard Lewis exclaiming “I’m like Himmler’s ghost here!” outside a movie theater.
Another thing that’s great about the show is that profanity is used a lot more, because it is on HBO. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an Andrew Dice Clay special or anything, but for those of us who are comparably as neurotic and curmudgeonly as David, profanity occupies a special, crucial spot in our lexicon.
A smattering of curses also makes the show a heck of a lot more realistic than most, because this show more than any other features dialogue that actually sound like real conversations we hear everyday, and that more than anything else is what makes comedy great.
“Curb” also adheres to the “Nothing is sacred” credo that made “Seinfeld” enjoyable for so many. For example, one episode surrounds the tragic suicide of a family relative, and her funeral. Another features jokes about affirmative action, and pornography is a heavy theme in another. By making fun of things that are normally taboo to even talk about, David and the rest of the cast tap into subjects in society that most comedians are afraid to broach. It’s this real courage (and it is courage) that probably best explains the devoted following of the show.
To put it simply, go buy this DVD, and watch the show every Sunday at 9:30 on HBO. To those of us who find normal everyday life to be such a mind-numbing, spirit-crushing struggle, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is hilarious and pleasant escapism, one 30 minute fiasco at a time.
Leave a Reply