In
      his
      early
      days
      as
      a
      stand
      up
      comic,
      Larry
      David
      would
      sometimes
      walk
     
     
      on
      stage,
      pick
      up
      the
      microphone,
      scan
      the
      audience
      from
      left
      to
      right,
      put
     
     
      the
      microphone
      down,
      say
      "Never
      mind"
      and
      walk
      off
      stage.
      The
      man
      has
     
     
      never
      exactly
      been
      a
      people
      person,
      and
      thank
      God
      for
      that.
      David
      is
      most
     
     
      commonly
      known
      for
      creating
      Seinfeld,
      on
      which
      he
      provided
      the
      basis
      for
     
     
      George
      Costanza's
      blunders
      and
      Jerry's
      social
      commentaries.
      He
      is
      the
      king
     
     
      of
      the
      awkward
      situation,
      or
      the
      socially
      unacceptable
      comment
      and
      if
     
     
      you've
      ever
      seen
      his
      new
      show,
      Curb
      Your
      Enthusiasm,
      it's
      not
      hard
      to
      tell
     
     
      he
      was
      the
      genius
      behind
      Seinfeld's
      success.
      |
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      the
      series
      began
      in
      2000,
      it
      was
      titled
      Curb
      Your
     
     
      Enthusiasm
      as
      a
      type
      of
      warning.
      The
      warning
      was
      fans
     
     
      should
      not
      expect
      another
      Seinfeld.
      The
      message
      was
      clear;
     
     
      don't
      get
      your
      hopes
      up.
      However,
      the
      show
      was
      met
      with
     
     
      praise
      from
      critics
      and
      fans
      alike.
      The
      Seinfeld
      comparisons
     
     
      were
      quick
      to
      follow,
      but
      there
      was
      simply
      not
      enough
      mate-
     
     
      rial
      to
      judge.
      Having
      finished
      up
      it's
      fourth
      season,
      and
      film-
     
     
      ing
      of
      a
      fifth
      set
      to
      commence
      in
      January,
      perhaps
      it's
      time
     
     
      to
      let
      comparisons
      begin.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      show
      follows
      an
      interesting
      and
      unique
      plot
      line.
      Larry
     
     
      David
      plays
      himself,
      and
      the
      show
      follows
      him
      -
      in
      docu-
     
     
      mentary
      style
      -
      through
      the
      wacky
      events
      that
      occur
      to
      him
     
     
      involving
      real
      and
      fictional
      characters.
      David
      has
      stated
      that
     
     
      the
      show
      is
      the
      confusion
      and
      chaos
      that
      would
      ensue
      if
      he
     
     
      acted
      without
      any
      inhibitions.
      What
      really
      makes
      the
      show
     
     
      unique,
      is
      that
      all
      the
      acting
      is
      improvised.
      David
      writes
      the
     
     
      plot
      lines,
      then
      the
      cast
      improvise
      several
      takes
      of
      each
     
     
      scene
      and
      keep
      the
      best
      ones.
      This
      adds
      to
      the
      documentary
     
     
      style
      of
      Curb
      and
      also
      adds
      a
      more
      natural
      feel
      to
      the
      show.
     
     
      Airing
      on
      HBO,
      Larry
      David
      has
      the
      ability
      to
      use
      more
     
     
      obscene
      plotlines
      and
      vulgarities
      than
      would
      ever
      be
      green-
     
     
      lighted
      for
      Seinfeld.
      "You
      throw
      in
      a
      ‘fuck'
      or
      two,
      and
      dou-
     
     
      ble
      your
      laughs,"
      muses
      David.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      show
      does
      not
      rely
      on
      merely
      Trailer
      Park
      Boys-esque
     
     
      vulgarity
      for
      laughs.
      The
      plot
      lines
      are
      cleverly
      written,
      with
     
     
      multiple
      twists
      and
      turns
      and
      interconnecting
      events
      that
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      has
      got
      to
      be
      ame
     
     
      Oh
      come
      on..
      I've
     
     
      read
      enough
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      dumbest
      thing
     
     
      you've
      ever
      done.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Richards
      as
      a
      private
      investigator.
      Even
      though
      Curb
      Your
      Enthusiasm
     
     
      shows
      Larry
      David's
      life
      after
      Seinfeld,
      it
      still
      has
      that
      cozy
      feel
      of
      the
     
     
      Seinfeld
      universe.
      The
      show
      definitely
      takes
      an
      adjustment
      period,
      espe-
     
     
      cially
      with
      the
      large
      number
      of
      recurring
      themes,
      and
      like
      Seinfeld
      is
      not
      for
     
     
      everyone.
      With
      that
      being
      said,
      it
      is
      the
      funniest
      show
      to
      air
      in
      years,
     
     
      adding
      much
      needed
      life
      to
      the
      tired
      comedies
      that
      have
      been
      regularly
     
     
      appearing
      as
      of
      late.
      It's
      safe
      to
      uncurb
      that
      enthusiasm
      because
      this
      show
     
     
      has
      the
      makings
      of
      a
      timeless
      classic.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Curb
      You
      Enthusiasm
      airs
      Sunday
      nights
      at
      11
      PM
      on
      Showcase.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Daredevil
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dan,
      reading
      super
      hero
     
     
      comics
      doesn’t
      give
      you
     
     
      super
      powers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Steve,
      when
      have
      |
     
     
      ever
      been
      wrong
     
     
      before?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ZB
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      did
      you
      do,
      dye
      your
      dad’s
      long
      ~~
      [eae
     
    
   
   
    
     
      underwear
      red?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
           
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      if
      blind
      lawyer
      Matt
      —~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Murdock
      can
      do
      it,
      |
     
     
      sure
      can!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      t,
     
     
      me
      m
      over
     
    
   
   
    
     
      here.
      Hell's
      Kitchen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      j
      A\
      *
      here
      |
      come!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      reminiscent
      of
      your
      favourite
      Seinfeld
      episode.
      In
      the
      world
     
     
      of
      Larry
      David
      anything
      that
      can
      go
      wrong,
      will.
      He
      has
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      knack
      for
      screwing
      up
      the
      simplest
      of
      tasks,
      and
      offending
     
     
      his
      family,
      friends,
      co-workers,
      business
      partners,
      or
      anyone
     
     
      else
      in
      ear
      shot.
      A
      slew
      of
      celebrity
      cameos
      don't
      hurt
      either,
     
     
      as
      many
      famous
      actors
      -
      including
      Jason
      Alexander,
      Julia
     
     
      Louis-Dreyfus,
      Ben
      Stiller
      and
      David
      Schwimmer
      -
      appear
     
     
      playing
      themselves.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Curb
      Your
      Enthusiasm
      definitely
      delivers
      where
      other
     
     
      Seinfeld
      alumni
      have
      failed.
      Nobody
      wants
      to
      see
      Jason
     
     
      Alexander
      as
      a
      bumbing
      motivational
      speaker,
      or
      Michael
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Anyway,
      you
      wannabe
     
     
      |
      Luke
      Cage?
     
     
      You
      tae
      cut
      out
      real
      eyeholes,
      did
      you?
      an
     
     
      |
      was
      trying
      to
      «
      vn
     
     
      make
      it
      as
      ;
      ~}
      _,
      Steve?
     
     
      “close
      to
      the
     
     
      real
      costume
     
     
      as
      possible.
     
     
      How
     
     
      “
      about
     
     
      Doctor
     
     
      Strange?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      September
      14,
      2004
      page
      9