Is Larry David the Last Man?
On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Daniel Bessner talks about Jewish comedy, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.
Columbia University and the New Student antiwar movement
On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Joe Howley on how Israel’s war in Gaza is coming to the home front.
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Illustration by Liam Eisenberg.
As cocreator of Seinfeld and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David has dominated American television for more than three decades. The recent airing of the final episode of Curb, which mirrored the plot of the final episode of Seinfeld, marks the end of the era.
To discuss Larry David’s legacy on The Time of Monsters, I was joined by historian Daniel Bessner, who wrote an essay about the comedian for The Nation. In a wide-ranging talk, Daniel places David’s career in the trajectory of Jewish American comedy, looking at both predecessors (Mel Brooks, Woody Allen) and successors (Ben Stiller, Seth Rogen). We take up the comedy of rudeness and the humor of shared frailty, as well as the question of David’s somehow evading cancel culture. Tying in with Daniel’s earlier writings on Francis Fukuyama, we also ask if David is the singular comedian of the end of history and the embodiment of the “last man” that Nietzsche feared would one day dominate the world.
The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.
Columbia University and the New Student antiwar movement
On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Joe Howley on how Israel’s war in Gaza is coming to the home front.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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