Althouse: I love Larry David and can't stand Laurie David...

June 5, 2007

I love Larry David and can't stand Laurie David...

... but it really seems wrong to approve of the breakup of a marriage. And yet... wouldn't Larry?

IN THE COMMENTS: Saul writes:

I don't know enough about Laurie David to form a real negative opinion (just saw her on tv during the Sheryl Crow tour). However, Larry is very much the true life version of George, and so he probably is not suited for marriage.

Maybe this will help his show.

The show -- "Curb Your Enthusiasm" -- is so much about Larry's attempt to fit in a marriage and his wife's tireless efforts to make him fit that it's hard to see how it could be the same show. Of course, we can't lose Cheryl Hines -- she's the crucial second character. But he could get a whole season out of them breaking up. And whatever happens in the plot of the show, the writer's life experience should affect the tone and the humor. For example, he could keep the couple together, but present a much darker, crueler perspective on marriage. The two could come to despise each other and even cross a new line and wrong each other. As the show has been, the marriage anchors everything. We are periodically reassured that Larry must be basically good, because his wife cares about him and he listens to her. He argues, but in the end he does what he is told. What if that fell apart?

15 comments:

Bissage said...: That the Davids have separated goes a long way to explain why Laurie keeps calling me at 3:00 a.m. and leaving voice mails I delete unheard.

Laurie, if you're reading this, please understand. I don't want to be responsible for the break-up of your marriage and it would never work out between us, anyway.

We're too much the same.; 6/5/07, 5:15 PM
Revenant said...: There are two sentences in that article that, taken together, bother me:

The source added that the two remain "the best of friends," and, for once, it doesn't just appear to be Hollywood speak.

and

the twosome had dinner together at their home Monday night along with their two children, 12-year-old Cazzie and 10-year-old Romy

So they're best friends, and "amicable"... and they're separating, despite having two young children? That's kind of fucked up.; 6/5/07, 5:41 PM
Ruth Anne Adams said...: You may want to add these posts to your Larry David tag.

I have a vague recollection of you finding him attractive [or having a dream where he appears?] and his separation could work out for you and him.; 6/5/07, 5:55 PM
Dave said...: My heart did a leap of joy when I heard that Laurie David is getting the boot. First Fallwell, now her. Wow, the world is finally going my way!; 6/5/07, 6:20 PM
Brent said...: Though I could hardly be more opposite most of the Davids' overt political views, I do feel badly for them and their children. I have met their family, and commented about that on one of your previous posts Ann. While we did not discuss politics,I did find Laurie David full of energy in just talking about motherhood and family, and she was humorously self-deprecating, and seemed genuinely interested in my parts of the conversation.

On my home that night, I kept thinking that so often it's personal political views that so unnecessarily divide so many who would otherwise very much enjoy knowing each other.; 6/5/07, 7:13 PM
Latino said...: She couldn't take it anymore. He just kept leaving carbon all over the house.; 6/5/07, 9:39 PM
Saul said...: I don't know enough about Laurie David to form a real negative opinion (just saw her on tv during the Sheryl Crow tour). However, Larry is very much the true life version of George, and so he probably is not suited for marriage.

Maybe this will help his show.; 6/5/07, 9:47 PM
dave said...: So let's start the countdown:

Day One and not a single, solitary word on Libby's Sentencing from the "Law Perfesser".; 6/5/07, 10:15 PM
Revenant said...: Day One and not a single, solitary word on Libby's Sentencing from the "Law Perfesser".

You forgot the "(tm)".; 6/6/07, 1:10 AM
mgarbowski said...: I'm with Revenant. When you have children, you don't get divorced unless one spouse poses a danger to the other spouse or the children. To get divorced under the circumstances described in this article is ridiculously selfish. Since divorce can be unilateral, we can't know whether both adults are responsible for this evil act, but it's pretty certain that at least one of them is.; 6/6/07, 6:01 AM
Too Cool for School said...: OMG Ann, spoken like a shiksa. You have no idea what it's like to be married to a narcissistic crybaby.; 6/6/07, 8:21 AM
Joe said...: When you have children, you don't get divorced unless one spouse poses a danger to the other spouse or the children.

That's crap.

My parents never divorced and I have no plans on separating from my wife, so this isn't self-justification, but the notion that parents who don't get along at all should stay together for the sake of the children is stupid. The kids know what's going on and in many cases resent the hell out of being used as the excuse.

And To Cool, why the hell are you still married? Seriously. Teasing or slightly exaggerating to make a point is one thing, but you're criticisms are really harsh and mean. If your descriptions are accurate, I'm honestly curious why you would stay married to such a person.; 6/6/07, 12:11 PM
Revenant said...: the notion that parents who don't get along at all should stay together for the sake of the children is stupid.

Even if we accepted that argument, the article claims that the Davids DO get along. So what flimsy rationalization do they have for putting their kids through divorce trauma and the broken home that follows it?; 6/6/07, 4:00 PM
Joe said...: So what flimsy rationalization do they have for putting their kids through divorce trauma and the broken home that follows it?

Who knows? It's none of our damn business. There are people with enough taste to keep private disputes private. Are the David's those people? Don't know.

I just have learned not to judge why couples separate.; 6/6/07, 8:01 PM
Revenant said...: Who knows? It's none of our damn business. There are people with enough taste to keep private disputes private. Are the David's those people?

Hollywood's got no shortage of tasteful people with no morals. I'm simply observing that the story presented here indicates that the Davids are selfish people and poor parents.

Maybe they really can't stand each other, in which case my observation doesn't apply. But the fact that people who still get along with one another and have young kids have NO business divorcing is something worth saying, and saying often. We need to tell these people "look, asshole, your kids are more important than you -- if you didn't think that, you shouldn't have had them in the first place".; 6/7/07, 8:20 PM