CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: Who Said This Was Good? It Sucks!

[Ron Stone]

Goddamnit, I wasted my weekend's netflix deliveries on this, and it's terrible. Why do people find this entertaining? I don't get it. I can barely watch the first five minutes of each episode.

Discuss . . .

[Dave]

Could you perhaps give us at least a mini-review Ron?

[Ted Bell]

Dark humor, not for everyone. I love it.

[Ron Stone]

Basically, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM is SEINFELD (which I love) with most of the sitcom conventions removed. Lots of self-absorbed yappity-yap over-analyzing trivial pursuits and social gestures, all of it decidedly unfunny, almost agonizingly static.

I'm reminded of Homer Simpson's review of SPORTS NIGHT: "It's the comedy too smart to be funny."

[Tetrack]

I think it's incredibly funny, one of the few 'modern' shows to get me in side splitting mode.:laugh: I guess it's a matter of taste. :)

[Michael]

By just reading the DVD Box set synopsis stats, I knew I'd dislike this:)...Thanks for shoring it up:thumbsup:

[Ron Stone]

Well, I've watched two episodes now, and the rest is going back in the netflix envelopes unwatched. What I find especially annoying is the acting, which seems to be an attempt to be kind of verite, but comes across as more forced and phony than "normal" screen acting.

[lsupro]

Could you perhaps give us at least a mini-review Ron?

not quite a FULL REPORT though...

:D

[lsupro]

Dark humor, not for everyone. I love it.

Agreed. It took e a while to get used to it. Took even longer for My Lovely Bride to get it. We love the show now! It is one of the reasons we kept HBO.

[vibes]

My wife doesn't like it at all, but it makes me laugh. In some ways, Larry David reminds me of an exaggerated form of myself - cranky, very opinionated and often getting himself in trouble with his sarcastic remarks. To me, the humor is a lot more subtle than what you find on most sitcoms, and I think that's why my wife doesn't find it very funny - she just doesn't recognize the humor. It's definitely not for everyone, but I enjoy it.

[Captain Groovy]

My guess is you don't like Woody Allen films either - am I right? They have similar tones - it's very breezy and neurotic. No punchlines. I admit I don't watch the show too often, but from what I've seen I've really liked.

I hated, hated "Seinfeld," but I hate sitcoms. I'm sure if Jerry starred in this kind of single camera show I would have enjoyed it.

Did you like "The Larry Sanders Show?" I thought that was classic comedy. Some people didn't get it at all.

"Friends" was just seen by 52 million people. And I hate it. Comedy can't please everyone all the time.

I often find that if you don't find comedy funny, you're just not relating to it. You're probably not a 50-something neurotic writer who quibbles over the little things in life! Don't sweat not liking "Curb." Unfortunately, though I'm 28 and have a full head of hair, I relate to this putz.

JEFF!

[Grant]

If I can convince my wife to interrupt her steady stream of Star Trek DVDs from Netflix, i'll see what all the fuss is about.

I loved Sienfeld, but I hated Friends, but i'm a big fan of sitcoms.

[JohnG]

Big fan of "Curb" here. Both my wife and I look forward to every HBO airing.

I bought the first box set and will get the next one in June.

It is an aquired taste much like Seinfeld once was, I still here people say that they just didn't get that show either.

These are not your normal sitcoms.

[bldg blok]

I loved Sienfeld, but I hated Friends, but i'm a big fan of sitcoms.
You should be fine w/ CYE then, Grant, because I feel the same way. I agree w/ John that it's not your ordinary comedy and THAT'S why it's on HBO. Having said that, there are comedies on HBO that I didn't care for like Arliss and Sex and the City. LOVED Mr. Show and Tenacious D, though.

[Dave D]

Did you like "The Larry Sanders Show?" I thought that was classic comedy. Some people didn't get it at all.

"Friends" was just seen by 52 million people. And I hate it.



JEFF!

Agree on both points! I still remember when David Duchovny was on LS and was acting like a total jerk.......hilarious!

[SamS]

I have tried to get CYE, but am not having much success at it keeping my attention for 30 minutes.

I do love Seinfeld (dislike Friends), and can see where there are some similarities between the two Larry David shows. Sometimes CYE just doesn't feel very "light-hearted" and everyone's just in a cranky mood. Just my observations.

[Holy Zoo]

So, I fully get CYE... funny as hell...

But.... it puts me in the major stress mode - you can see the disaster-in-making coming a mile away, and I find myself cringing non-stop.

The end result is that I can only take it in small doses. I started watching the box set one day, and had to --- HAD TO -- stop after the second episode. My brain was yelling "don't say that, ya freakin' moron!".

1/2 hour once a week is about perfect, though. :)

[pdenny]

I love the show and the comment about "cringe-making" is spot on; it can be hard to watch in large doses because it is so dark and sarcastic.

CYE is also VERY L.A.; there are tons of references to show bidness and the in-jokes can be very subtle. Anyone who has known or worked with people in Hollyweird should "get" the show. I do understand how people in Kansas might scratch their heads, though.

[Parkertown]

This show is definitely polarizing. I love it, the wife hates it! She thinks he's an a##hole.

[Holy Zoo]

She thinks he's an a##hole.

He is and he isn't - that's one of the reasons it's so great, he's right and so very wrong at the same time.

[ATR]

If you think Curb is bad, try an episode of Mary Hartman Mary Hartman. I hated that series for the first few episodes, then it became one of my absolute favorites of all time. People don't talk about it much any more.
One thing I must say about the DVD releases of TV series is that they weren't intended to be seen one after another, and I find that if I watch more than two episodes of CYE (or any TV series) in one sitting it's like eating too many slices of great pizza. Sorta like that guy who made a movie of himself eating nothing outside of McDonalds for a month. Yuck.

[Parkertown]

He is and he isn't - that's one of the reasons it's so great, he's right and so very wrong at the same time.
That's what I think...

[levi]

I think it's the funniest show on television right now. no matter how far I've stuck my foot in my mouth, Larry David's always going to be 10 times the loser I am.

that comforts me for some reason. :D

[CHARLOOTZ]

I think it's the funniest show on tv!

[Tetrack]

It seems to translate quite well to the UK, if that means anything.