Does 'Seinfeld' creator and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Larry David like to poke fun at Christians, or is he just an equal opportunity offender?The Catholic League says it's the former, taking issue with the Oct. 25 'Curb' episode in which the TV version of Larry was taking a medication that led him to have an extremely, um, forceful urination experience. As a result, while using the bathroom of a woman who had a painting of Jesus hanging beside her toilet, Larry's splashings hit the wall -- and the painting -- leading the woman to think her Jesus painting was crying and that she was experiencing a miracle.
HBO described the episode as "playful," while Fox News reports that Catholic League president Bill Donohue was less than amused by the plot.
"Was Larry David always this crude? Would he think it's comedic if someone urinated on a picture of his mother?" Donohue said in a statement. "This might be fun to watch, but since HBO only likes to dump on Catholics (it was just a couple of weeks ago that Sarah Silverman insulted Catholics on 'Real Time with Bill Maher') and David is Jewish, we'll never know."
Clearly Donahue isn't a regular 'Curb' viewer, because, in response to his question, yes, TV Larry is frequently that crude, and beyond. In the previous Sunday's episode, in fact:
- The narcissistic Larry dated a wheelchair-bound woman, and refused to go to a different restaurant when the one they arrived at had no handicap ramp and a big set of stairs to enter.
- Larry also used the woman's wheelchair status to mend a rift with friends.
- He made a date with another wheelchair-bound woman and rolled her into a closet when the first woman was about to catch him with the second one.
- He offended friends who'd just adopted an Asian baby by asking them if the baby had proclivities towards using chopsticks.
- He got into a physical tussle with Rosie O'Donnell when the two were arguing about who should pick up a lunch check.
- He almost allowed his best friend/manager's teen daughter to drown in the ocean because he didn't want his Blackberry to get wet.
And 'Curb's' seventh season kicked off in September with an episode in which Larry tried to break up with his African-American girlfriend Loretta (Vivica A. Fox) before she got the results of a cancer test, obligating him, he felt, to stay with her. Loretta did have cancer, but an undeterred Larry made her think he was cheating on her so she would dump him.
In a statement in response to the controversy, HBO says, "Anyone who follows 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' knows that the show is full of parody and satire. Larry David makes fun of everyone, most especially himself. The humor is always playful and certainly never malicious."
Despite Donahue's claim that David should "quit while he's ahead," 'Curb's' seventh season has largely been praised by critics for boasting some of the show's best episodes. The season has included TV Larry's split with wife Cheryl (mirroring David's real-life split with wife Laurie David) and a planned 'Seinfeld' reunion show that has led to guest appearances by Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards.
The season wraps on Nov. 22 in an episode that reportedly includes the 'Seinfeld' reunion, and the revelation of whether or not Larry's maneuvering leads to a reunion with Cheryl (Cheryl Hines).
Reader Comments (58)
brian stolarski at 8:13PM on Oct 28th 2009
easy to mock christians and jews,larry.
why don't you get real funny and take a big shot at the muslims?
C T ROBERTS at 4:12AM on Nov 1st 2009
He's already done this
Brett at 8:06PM on Oct 28th 2009
He has made fun of Muslims. There was the episode where he set his blind friend up with a woman in a yamaucha, and when it slipped off to reveal her face he broke it off because she was so ugly.
Julie at 8:48PM on Nov 1st 2009
Muslims don't wear yarmulkes...that's a Jewish hat. You are thinking of a hijab covering the face.
James at 9:53PM on Nov 1st 2009
Let him piss on the Koran and a picture of Mohamed, and start calling blacks "niggers". I would like to see the humor in that.
Di at 7:28AM on Nov 2nd 2009
Niqab covers the face... hijab covers the head.
christine ragucci at 10:01AM on Nov 1st 2009
If you watch the show you'll know that Larry doesn't hate Jews alone....he hates EVERYONE including himself.
Laugh a little, everyone is way too serious and too "touchy feely".
Just laugh and enjoy, you may even find a bit of yourself in one of those episodes. (not that you'd ever admit it to anyone).
Denis Klein at 10:25PM on Oct 28th 2009
I am a Catholic - If Larry David wants to pick on priests, nuns, catholic schools etc... fine I get it -I don't like it, but I get it - but to urinate on a picture of Jesus Christ (The Son of God to many believers) is not only insulting, but highly offensive - I would actually call it a Hate Crime ... Larry David and HBO have no class ... I am happy I canceled my HBO months ago ... I encourage All Believers to do the same
del curry at 10:29PM on Nov 1st 2009
I'm appalled...this is sick, not funny in any manner. I'm cancelling my HBO subscription now!My money won't pay for broadcasting outright blasphemy. Anyone who would defile the face and character of Jesus is just plain filth & trash!
Derrick Lewis at 12:19AM on Nov 2nd 2009
You really need to wake up, Jesus is a man of many trades and the son of god but why can't we as people have fun and enjoy life. You damn bible bumpers and really a bit much all these religions and I see no one creating unity in this world we have all these religions and where has it got us no where, its all something if you read the scripture and read it to understand not to throw it at people you will see that this is nothing more then to teach people to live right we are in a different time and at this point.
I am sure God would not want us acting as teenagers mind set we have to think past this arguing and verbal abuse. There is much more to deal with then just what we have in front of us. We have a situation of a declining dollar value in the United States so maybe you might find out one day when you wake up and go to the bank you will see the Government has brought a another dollar called Amero Dollar this is something to start crying about because we put in god we trust on a dollar bill but what is the point when so much evil comes from the money. Money is the evilest thing on this earth just paper that people die over. I would kill for my kids but not for a dollar makes no sense and this is something we have to re-evaluate what is important to us in life and stop bulls***ing.
I could go on for days about things I write about but you guys with this crying over a damn show you need to get with the real deal all the corruption that has been from the Churches and the Priest with the kids. Shame on anyone who puts there hands on a child for sex or anything of that nature. Anyone who touches my child Justice will be held on the street. I am the type I will turn my self in after words I can not stand a sex monster who touches children so if you want to cry about something cry about all those children who have been touched and taken advantage of and cry for those parents who have a dis-functional child after they sent there kids to a man who was suppose to help them but the kids or child is now worse then when they sent him from the last time.
I mean no harm to those who are religious but lets keep this where its at religion is not perfect!
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