Larry David is no stranger to politics.
The HBO star repeatedly played Sen. Bernie Sanders on “Saturday Night Live.” He’s shared his views away from the camera, too, embracing progressive politicians in the process.
He’s no Trump fan, to be blunt.
And, infamously, he’s mocked the political scene via his signature series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” One example? His on-screen character used a red MAGA hat to keep people at a safe distance in Season 10.
The show, now in its 12th and final season, is already causing political waves.
The first new episode ended with Larry’s mug shot, made to resemble Donald Trump’s mug shot from last year.
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The visual gag played into this season’s ongoing storyline – Larry gets arrested for giving a black woman water while she waits to cast her vote in a local election. It’s based on actual Georgia law, one that has come under attack in recent years and was addressed by a federal judge.
The court ruled that food and water can be handed out to those in line as long as they are at least 150 feet from the polling place.
The most recent episode, “The Lawn Jockey,” finds Larry visiting an Atlanta rental property featuring a racist lawn jockey. Larry, best bud Jeff (Jeff Garlin) and J.B. Smoove’s Leon are aghast at the symbol of black oppression.
S12 E02 #curbcast #cye https://t.co/QzlQeCRkkk
— ClayNFerno
(@ClayNFerno) February 12, 2024
Larry and Jeff end up searching for a replacement lawn jockey when they accidentally drop, and break, the one currently on the lawn when they try to move it out of sight.
To find a new version, they reach out to Atlanta’s racist community. They find several people who may have the outdated decor, including one local sporting a red MAGA hat.
That’s shorthand for Trump supporter.
Lawn Jockeys have a complicated history. Some scholars say they were used to help slaves connect with the Underground Railroad. Others dismiss those claims, saying the statues are simple, cruel legacies of the nation’s racist past.
Either way, the sight of a lawn jockey with black skin is universally considered inappropriate at best and racist in general.
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and MAGA: It’s Not Complicated
The implication in the episode is clear. Both Trump and his MAGA devotees are racist, a trope pop culture has been deploying ever since the real estate mogul entered the political fray.
Sarah Silverman dressed like Hitler to mock Trump on TBS’s “Conan” talk show. Disgraced comedian Louis C.K. dubbed Trump Hitler early in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Later, the far-Left “Saturday Night Live” ran a faux commercial where Trump supporters were Nazis and KKK members.
Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips begs to differ.
He recently attended a New Hampshire Trump rally and came away impressed.
“They were the most hospitable, thoughtful, kind people I’ve interacted with in a long time. Yesterday at the polls, I said hello to everybody holding signs. Biden signs, Williamson signs, my signs. Trump signs, Haley signs. People were so decent and I would call it ‘anger-tainment.’ ‘Anger-tainment’ would have us believe we are so much more divided than we are.”
David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is one of TV’s best comedies. The show has resisted the woke mind virus and, when dabbling in political matters, prioritized laughter above all.
This season may see a shift in that approach.
Is ‘Curb’ Jumping the Shark?
Not only does the most recent episode slam Trump voters as racist, it slips in an angry attack on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The plot involves Jeff’s use of cheap black hair dye, reminiscent of the time the GOP politician’s dye leaked down his head.
The episode could have left the moment there, letting audience members connect the dots. Instead, on-screen Larry screams the connection out loud.
Will Trump Derangement Syndrome sink “Curb’s” final season? The first two episodes have proved solid, not spectacular. We’ll see what happens next.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” is currently streaming on Max.
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