Curb Your Enthusiasm

We live in a world where we can no longer do or say as we choose.

Because of the blowback.

Play online, say something, have an opinion and you'll be inundated with naysayers.

God help you if you do cross the line, you can apologize but you'll be branded forever.

And you think you're a party of one, but then you watch "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and you realize you are not alone.

The breaking of the selfie stick. How is this a thing? Forget selfies themselves, didn't we used to be too humble for this? As for sticks... I mean you carry these around and shoot pictures of yourself and you expect us to care?

And the damn scooters. Dropped everywhere. And if you look at the physics of it, what's gonna happen when you hit a bump? The bigger the wheel, the safer you are. But that doesn't explain why today's automobiles have such skinny tires just to look good. Hit a pothole and not only do you get a flat, you need a whole new rim! And the ride is stiffer but it's all about looks.

We're so busy fitting in, afraid of crossing boundaries, that we feel constricted, we want to break out.

And the funny thing is it's mostly on the left!

Yup, there are certain things you can't say, you can't do...

But "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is shot in Los Angeles, where everybody is left. Such that when you wear a MAGA hat, people will not talk to you, they want nothing to do with you.

So the truth is everybody's fighting to get ahead, at least in Los Angeles. They've all got a dream, they're going to be somebody rich and famous.

And the funny thing is so many of those who are rich, who have made it, can't stop bragging about it. The bit with Phil Rosenthal was so right on.

So what you've got with Larry is someone who calls 'em as he sees 'em. Unfiltered. He says and does what we want to do but have been trained not to.

And the best thing is everything's petty. Nothing's truly important. Mirroring real life. Especially when you get older.

It is about that hot cup of coffee. It is about friends.

As for romance...does it ever really end? I mean it's over, but those feelings, do they really evaporate?

Most other shows are trying to be real and miss the target.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" is trying to be fake and it ends up more real, more true.

Like the woman with the tattoo, who says it's personal, what it's about, it reminds her of something important in her life.

Don't laugh at people's tattoos. They've scarred themselves forever, they're very important to them.

Never mind that tattoos are just a fad. Believe me, the kids of those covered in ink will have clear skin. Just like so many of the children of baby boomers are money hungry, and Republicans, if they don't call themselves Libertarians. Alex P. Keaton was just the first!

And the funny thing is people cross boundaries and when they're called on it they refuse to own it, they push it right back on you.

So life ends up being about the little things.

Even though the news tries to tell us it's about the big things.

Impeachment, smeachment. We're sick and tired of hearing about it. It's like watching an endless movie where you know the end. At least the Democrats and the press could have juiced it up, told us that Trump might be out, but no! They've already decided on the result, just like they said Hillary was gonna win in 2016.

So the human condition today is to feel alone and try to get accolades. Isn't that what social media is all about, doing it for the likes? Actually, the social media warriors are up in arms, they're gonna get rid of the likes on Instagram, how will they judge themselves, how will they demonstrate they're better than all the rest of us? And the like factories, building fake fans, they're gonna go out of business! You can't put anybody out of business today!

And men are on guard with sexual harassment. Every interaction is pregnant with meaning, even if it really isn't. Men wonder where the line is.

And the truth is life is not only tribal between left and right, but left and left. And nobody on the left is willing to get into this, especially males, for fear of being canceled.

How Larry David encapsulated all this in a half hour improvised comedy I'll never know.

But watching "Curb" made me feel alive, and unalone, in a way I haven't for weeks!


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --