But now that we have reached the end, where will Curb Your Enthusiasm land in the context of pop-culture comedy history, and will it hold up? Feinberg (2024) states, “in a world in which social media has made us into a nation of Larry Davids platforming everybody’s microaggressions, Curb Your Enthusiasm didn’t have a place anymore.” I am not sure I fully agree, but it certainly is an interesting point. With the evolving and shifting space for performance, from theatre, to television, to social media, where does the Shakespearean fool currently reside? Feinberg implies that anyone with a gripe on Tik-Tok fills this void. Regardless of social media’s democratization and amplification of public voices, I think there is still a role reserved for designated court jesters, or at the very least, court jesters in scripted media. Larry David did more than just “platform microaggressions;” he took big risks with his social commentary and did so for a large, designated audience. Shakespeare’s relevance transcends centuries, and this longevity (along with the cultural shifts that relegated it to a higher status) is what immortalizes and pedestals his work. I wouldn’t be surprised if Larry David’s work will stand the test of time, especially as only his show, not him, is currently “canceled” (maybe we all just loved his Bernie Sanders impression too much). Going forward, I am sure new Shakespearean fools’ voices will emerge. Curb Your Enthusiasm may not always be culturally relevant, but like Shakespearean themes on humanity, Larry David’s display and comment on social annoyance, will most likely continue to ring “pretty, pretty, pretty” true.
Works Cited
Bourdieu, P. (1984) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Levine, L. (1990) Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Lotz, A. D. (2018). We Now Disrupt This Broadcast: How Cable Transformed Television and the Internet Revolutionized it All. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Williams, R. (1958). “Culture is Ordinary.” Raymond Williams on Culture & Society: Essential Writings, edited by Jim McGuigan. Sage Publishers, 1-18.
Biography
Lauren Alexandra Sowa is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication at Pepperdine University. She recently received her Ph.D. from the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on intersectional feminism and representation within production cultures, television, and popular culture. These interests stem from her several-decade career in the entertainment industry as member of SAG/AFTRA and AEA. Lauren is a proud Disneyland Magic Key holder and enthusiast of many fandoms.
