One of My Favorites - Curb Your Enthusiasm

Summer television can be kind of a drag – Bachelor Pad 2, Summer Wipeout - I’m looking at you, but for every ten duds, there is one shining ray of light. That shining ray of light is Curb Your Enthusiasm for me. I love the “social assassin” that is Larry David. The writing is so sharp and the storylines always converge in the final act in such a hilarious and yet organic way. The show follows Larry David around and he plays himself (or perhaps an exaggerated version of himself) and is put in everyday situations that he somehow manages to make into a big deal. One episode deals with the “chat and cut” where a woman starts chatting with someone in a buffet line and cuts in front of him. Most of us would just let that slide, but he is a man of principle, and calls her out on it. Hilarity and awkwardness ensues.

I think I enjoy it so much because he says whatever is on his mind, with no regard for social appropriateness or norms (hence his nickname – “social assassin”). I would never do half the stuff Larry does – I’d probably think about doing it, and once I was removed from the situation would have a list of ten things I should have said at the time it was happening, instead of what I did do, which is likely just smile politely and give them my plate and the last of the roast beef as they cut in front of me in line. But that is neither here nor there. What makes this show so funny is that you get to see what happens when you disregard niceties and tell someone the truth, or call them out on trying to pull a chat and cut on you. It can be awkward, but mostly it’s hilarious.