Thursday, October 29, 2009

Larry David Part 3: Getting ready for another wave of goofballery

Now Last Day Report, a "prophecy" site, has linked to Est Quod Est with the title "Jews laugh at urinating on picture of Jesus". I feel like a kindergarten teacher 'splaining this, but here I go.

Let's take the core of it, subject-verb, "Jews laugh". As far as I know, plenty of people initially laughed about this scene in Curb Your Enthusiasm, and they weren't all Jews. I'm sure they were of many religious backgrounds, some were Catholics without a doubt, some certainly had no faith at all. I think most people watching a show like this experience a "cuing effect" which is predominantly responsible for the laughter. The audience expects to laugh and does so on cue. I say this because honestly, the actual "peeing" part of the scene--which you can see on Youtube now if you want to--is so embarrassingly puerile that most "big dick jokes" seem mature in comparison. If the camcorder kiddies next door filmed it at the mall and showed it to you, you wouldn't laugh.


As a side note, but one which might help me to explain what I mean, a lot of people pointed to this effect being responsible for all the awkward-sounding audience laughter at David Letterman's revelation of sexual misconduct on his show recently. One person laughs and everyone around thinks "This must be funny, I'm supposed to be laughing." This phenomenon was been known for years and many comedians seed audiences with "laughers" to make sure their jokes don't bomb. If you still don't know what I mean, go read the text of what Letterman said and ask yourself if that material is in the least bit funny.

Back to "Jews laugh": with regard to my link and the subsequent comments, I don't think any commenters were Jewish, laughing or not. It might be a bit unfortunate that Donohue mentioned the fact that Larry David is Jewish, but it was still a remark made only in passing, as were mentions of his being Jewish in the comments. No one focused on a Jewish aspect to this until the Rense Front Party members arrived beginning yesterday afternoon.

So to conclude, the "Jews laugh" wording in both links is fundamentally inaccurate and misleading whether it applies to the scene being discussed or our discussion of the scene. The only excuse I can offer is that the originator at Jeff Rense's site mistook my obvious sarcasm in calling the pee scene "funny" as seriousness. This speaks to his own basic unseriousness due to the blurred vision caused by obsession and bigotry. If I thought it was funny, why would I even refernce Bill Donohue's take on the subject?

4 comments:

  1. I love Larry David's work. He's extemporaneous and current which makes his comedy interesting and intelligent. Now you know what everyday secular Jews really think of Catholicism and Christianity, and if you want to educate that group of people, go for it. Remember, Jesus is one of their own and according to them, he broke their laws. Christians are worshipping one of them which is completely anachronistic to their paradigm. Just observe and if you disagree, respond in kindness. Two wrongs don't make a right. (By the way, I don't think your posting was at all incendiary or inappropriate..you have a complete right to not like it and to object. If anything, you opened up a dialogue for which you should be proud).

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  2. If anything, you opened up a dialogue for which you should be proud

    Oy, I'm kvelling.

    I laugh every time one of David's loyal fanboys uses the word extemporaneous to describe the scene. Watch the thing on YT; it's obviously completely contrived, entirely staged and the whole peeing part uses props and effects galore. But this is what happens when people learn big words. They read them in a review or advertisement for a show, look them up in the dictionary and then go around looking for opportunities to use them. Amusing.

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  3. Okay, you've inferred from my use of the word extemporaneous that I'm a devotee of all things Larry David. I actually watch very little of it because HBO is too expensive. That's okay. Of course it is setup as far as situationally, but the dialogue is extemporaneous. Here is what's interesting...Jews have this taboo about talking Torah in the toilet, so, David used his own frame of reference thinking that for some reason Christians have pictures of Jesus hanging up in their toilets. Since I'm Christian, and Catholic, I know that the only Christian thing in the bathroom was the monthly Catholic Digest so that I could have lofty bowel movements. It is just interesting how secular Jews like David view Christians...it says so much more about him than it does Christianity. And, your judgment of my level of intelligence and sycophancy says a lot more about you than it does me.

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  4. Larry David is really very good actor. He has worked very good in the Curb your Enthusiasm serial. I cannot forget that performance. when every I watch curb your enthusiasm online. I am not able to stop my laugh.

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