To watch a sitcom is to marry a sense of humor, and we’re strong believers in comic devotion. We praise consistency, spunk, and above all, chutzpah—so, naturally, we tip our hats to the trenchant writing of small-screen rabbi Larry David.
David started as a standup comedian in the 1980s, receiving underwhelming crowds of cricket chirps in seedy New York comedy clubs. His arid reception was followed by a year-long stint as a writer for Saturday Night Live, where he managed to a) air one skit and b) quit mid-contract, then return, unfazed and desperate, later prompting the Seinfeld episode “The Revenge.”
That’s when the chutzpah kicked in, and a dry-humored David teamed up with comedian Jerry Seinfeld (applause), creating what would later become the best instance of situational comedy of all time. Mastering the art of semi-fictitious comedy, David produced 9 seasons of eccentric normality, shedding light on the garbage cannoli and a masturbation contest among friends, and proving it’s the little absurdities that matter.
And when it seemed nearly impossible for the Seinfeld creator to top his own creative abilities, Curb Your Enthusiasm aired in 2000, opening the comedic floodgates once again. Rather than write David reincarnate (George Castanza), he wrote David himself, void of sensitivity and social queues. It’s that jaded realism that makes his work pretty good. Prettty, prettty, pretttty…pretty good.
With a little self deprecation, a lack of normal social boundaries and the right amount of chutzpah to tie it all together, Larry David continues to eat away at our hearts, leaving tiny, cynical pearls of wisdom with every bite.
– Taylor Wojick, Contributing Writer