His face reeks of disgust and disdain. His glasses and hair (or lack thereof) are almost as iconic as his hatred for social conventions. He is Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
LD’s popularity has been growing at a furious pace ever since he decided to play himself on the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I only realized it recently with his cover story in Rolling Stone. He has managed to grace the same cover that so many other pop culture icons have in past years. Larry David is experiencing an epic rebirth; rivaled only by Steven Tyler and J.Lo on American Idol. The only difference is the world needs Larry David now more than ever.
In a time when there is so much wrong with society, Larry David has made it cool to be brutally honest. He has elevated frankness into a style; a craft. In a recent episode of Curb, co-star Jeff Garlin sums it up when he refers to Larry as a “social assassin”. Many of his pet-peeves and annoyances with humankind were made public in the 90s through Seinfeld. Thankfully, he still had more grievances with civilization around 1999, so he found another platform. Curb Your Enthusiasm has served as an outlet for more current and risqué gripes. From texting with a Blackberry while someone is talking to Catholics constantly forcing their religion onto others, it is evident that LD has plenty of material to use (and he found a great home with HBO because his delivery of the word “fuck” is hilarious).
I have tremendous respect for LD. He is my favorite television writer/actor combination of today, and a superb role model for young talents who strive to fill the same position. Seinfeld and Curb are heavy with observational comedy and quirky coincidences. They may not be the most intellectually written shows, but they rely on more than cheap kicks and corny punch-lines. I firmly believe that anyone in the United States can sit down and watch a Seinfeld or Curb episode and experience the “I’ve been there” effect. Although the plot and episode as a whole may be a bit far-fetched; the experiences of each character reflect people in our lives.
We get it, Larry. We hear you. You’re pissed. You’re annoyed. You are the fucking man. And you have my attention for years to come.
