Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 11 - HBO Max (**Spoilers**)

I watched it all this year for the first time. Great show

I thought the past two seasons were poor, but this new episode didn't feel as bad as that (although maybe my standards have slipped since I can't find anything good to watch). It's nowhere near peak Curb though, and overall the show has been pretty meh since the end of season 8. There just seems to be too many celeb fans queuing up to cameo now and the whole thing feels lazy. Larry is great, but no Cheryl to keep him tethered to normality has removed any accountability. Also Marty Funkhouser died in real life (Super Dave/Bob Einstein) and the loss of him and the diminishing presence of older characters ( Richard Lewis, Ted Danson etc) has hurt the show. Jeff Garlin looks in pain all the time as well. What the hell happened to him? Leon has become a zany, token black character and it's pretty offensive how they use him given that the creative people involved are comedy gods. Pretty, pretty, pretty shite :)

I enjoyed it immensely, time really is moving fast for the older cast members which saddens me. Since Norm McDonald died I'm seeing a lot more of super Dave funkhauser, funny man!

Good opening, some funny bits, some not so funny. I thought they were gonna be mid lockdown or something but the covid hottest bit was brilliant.

After 2 episodes its only mediocre from me, its just missing a spark. A few good bits alright but definitely not prime Curb material.

Liked the 1st. Episode 2 was a bit meh. Too long.

So don't read up on anything. Don't educate yourself or challenge your views. I really don't care what you do.

You haven't seen a single complaint? Have you read the whole internet? Here's an easily found article about it - https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/oct/29/curb-your-enthusiasm-america-appeal

"The problem may be what the show is saying. Larry’s relationship with Leon Black – his layabout housemate, played by JB Smoove – has become a focal point for critics. Some say a lazy black character reiterates racist stereotypes. Others say the character is knowingly cartoonish and has endeared David to black America."

JB Smoove is a successful actor and comedian making a good living, Leon is a layabout mooching off Larry and he is written by a team of white writers. Bit of a difference there, don't you think? Given that most people play exaggerated versions of themselves in Curb, could they not have JB play himself or a comedian, somebody with a realistic lifestyle, rather than a lazy stereotype? His presence makes the character of Larry very inconsistent too. He'll hassle people that owe him a few bucks, but will tolerate Leon squatting in his mansion. WTF? It just doesn't make sense.

"You think all black men act like Leon in the real world, hence your issue with alleged stereotyping" 😂

I'm not taking offence on behalf of JB Smoove. He's an actor who can do what he wants. But I take offence at the lazy depiction of a black character, and especially the fact that he is not funny anymore. As a comedy fan, I find that the most offensive.

You're missing my point about other people creating the character of Leon. They dictate the parameters that JB has to play around in, they like what JB does within those parameters, so he is confined to playing the same role year in year out because he has no real power on the show. But he probably doesn't care as he gets paid good money and he just has to turn up and do his schtick. He did not create the characters of The Blacks, nor Leon. He was cast in a role and given freedom to do what he wants in that role. Jeff Garlin is playing an agent called Jeff, not himself, so he can do what he wants in that role too. But his role is not a negative, stereotypical role. You seem quite focused on the actor and not the character which is what I am commenting on. I'd encourage you to read up on racial stereotype because you seem quite bothered by all this. You might get the points I am trying to make then.

We're going around in circles. You have your view of things, and that's fine. Maybe take some rest before that vein in your forehead bursts :) BTW I didn't write the Guardian article, I just showed you that there are people who have issues with Leon. I figure an article in a major newspaper is more indicative of some reality rather that just what is going on in your head.

BTW if you enjoy racial stereotypes in your comedy so much, I encourage you to watch some British 70s sitcoms such as Mind Your Language. You'll have a great time :)

You're not making any sense. Richard Lewis is playing himself, a successful stand-up comedian. He is not a main focus of the show but he obviously has money from his successful career. Do I need to point that out? In fact, the show has depicted Richard performing a comedy special, which I assume he made a lot of money from along with his other gigs. Clearly he's not a work-shy, loafer; he's an entertainer who gets well paid when he decides to work, much like Larry. He is also, most importantly, not a racially stereotypical character!

I'm not saying anything that isn't obvious to anybody with half a brain. Clearly Leon follows the tradition of negative, stereotypes of African Americans. This has been studied and written about for years. Are you so ignorant? Here try a wiki article; it's fairly basic so you should be able to understand it - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_African_Americans. Leon is a minstrel character, even though, yes, he is played by a black actor, and JB Smoove is complicit in this depiction. I have no problem with that; he can do what he wants. I just don't find lazy stereotypes very funny, especially when the guys running the show are not black but especially when the character lacks integrity and ceases to be funny. That's all I'm saying.

A couple of other things: Kramer is not black, in case you hadn't noticed, so there is no racial stereotyping with his character. This and your mention of Richard Lewis shows how specious your argument is.

Now you are clearly deliberately missing or unable to understand my argument, so, either way, I'm going to stop engaging with you now. Have a nice life. See you after the next episode :)

First two episodes were very average. It's still got a few small laughs, but it didn't do much for me. Hope Lewis comes into it at some point. Jeff has lost a load of weight.

Episode 3 is as good as any classic episode of Curb.

"Goebbels is the GOAT" 😂

It was a slight improvement, but still it feels very tired. You would wonder why they bothered? I don't think I laughed at anything.

I'm not getting offended on behalf of all black people. I'm just pointing out that Leon is a racial stereotype; that's fairly obvious if you looked into the history of racial stereotypes in America. It is particularly jarring because Leon is the only black guy in a show populated by rich Jews and whites. Plus he's not funny anymore which is the worst part! You enjoy watching racial stereotypes and that's fine. Have fun :)

Also I continue to watch in the hope that it will improve. Curb used to be one of my favourite comedy shows, and I love Larry, so I will continue to post my opinions. If you don't like, don't engage! Worry about your own stupid feedback rather than looking for petty arguments. For the record I only replied to anyone on this thread because they attacked my opinions. And I will continue to do so, so bring it on!

Again you are putting your prejudices against Black people into the minds of the writers of this show , this shouts your bigotry not Larry or anyone else connected to the show.

There has been many jokes about racism in the show and in typical Curb fashion Larry is using peoples bigotry to poke fun and subvert what Racism actually is . Obviously this is too subtle for you.

You keep saying Leon is the only black character , there have been many black characters in the show .

Quit your white knighting , as usual the person shouting loudest about these things is usually just mirroring their own bigotry and phobias.

Ah so if I don't agree with you that something is racist it is because I am racist.

Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.

Curb has always been a show too subtle for some people , You don't think its funny and you think its racist , we have heard you , now leave us humourless racists to enjoy our show.

And if I point out something that I think is lazy stereotyping (and unfunny), it's because I'm an inner bigot??? I'm highlighting how stupid both your logic and amateur psychology are. Leave well enough alone now. You're the one who keeps replying to me. Why don't you let me have my opinion and just walk on by? In general, life is a lot easier if you do that. Just focus on the positives.

Curb was fantastic from Season 1 through to 8, then it lost something (probably because of the large gap between season 8 and 9). Larry used to have his finger on the pulse of modern comedy - he practically invented it - but nobody can stay at the top forever. Yes, his comedy was subtle, but also quite unsubtle; either way, I don't care what it is so long as it's funny. It's not funny anymore and maybe I wouldn't notice the racial stereotypes so much if I was distracted by my laughter! I'll continue to watch it out of some stupid sense of loyalty to the show and in the hope of an occasional classic scene, like Larry trying to deflate the sex doll in the last season.

Now go enjoy your "subtle" comedy with Leon talkin' jive, random sh*t and the Mexican girl, gyrating and acting insane, and serving tacos. That's real subtle and clearly goes above my head :)

Myself and the other poster had let things lie (which he had started by attacking my opinion; I defended myself). You then started in on me, and wouldn't let things lie after that. These are facts. Leon playing a racial stereotype character is also a fact. Curb used to be subversive, but more importantly, funny, and did racial stereotypes quite well; not so much now though. That's my opinion. You seem quite bothered that I pointed out something that I found jarring. I don't think Larry or the writers are racist, but I do think they are lazy, and they should come up with something funnier in the best tradition of Curb. Lazy stereotypes are just not funny to me, but others, like yourself, seem to enjoy them, so live and let live :)

I think you should take a lie down. "Warriors" like me (that is, people expressing an opinion that you don't like) seem to have a negative impact on you.

Apologies to the other posters on this thread. I thought that this was a place to express our opinions about Curb, but I'm wrong apparently. I will continue to defend my opinions if they continue to be attacked, so hopefully others will just let things lie and worry about their own contributions.

One thing in the last episode: Leon putting up signs looking for a Mary Ferguson. Wouldn't it have made more sense for him to scour social media and send his proposition to the Marys that he liked the look of?

Well he is a pitcher