To enter the mind of Larry David would be a gift for most comedy fans. Then again, with his level of neurosis, obsession, and particularities, perhaps it wouldn't be. Maybe fans would prefer to witness Larry's genius from afar. And by that, we mean through his iconic sitcom Seinfeld and his HBO cringe-worthy masterpiece, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Then again, one doesn't actually have to be inside Larry's mind to understand how he writes his television shows, plays, and movies. In fact, LD has been decently open about his creative process. Including the fact, some of the most controversial moments in his work have been lifted from his real life. Let's take a look...
Drawing Inspiration From His Real Life For The Scripted And Unscripted
Fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm are more than aware that the vast majority of the show is unscripted. This means that almost all of the dialogue spoken between the cast members is completely up to them. Only the general plots, essential context, and set-ups and pay-offs are known to the players as they film. The rest remains in their hands to make funny. This is a process that Larry enjoys as an actor... but also as a writer.
Therefore, casting is everything. But even then, the actors rely on Larry David's masterful stories, most of which are based on his own cringe-worthy observations and experiences.
The same is true for Seinfeld, although the entirety of that sitcom, which he co-created with his best friend Jerry Seinfeld, was scripted. Every element, every line, and every theme of each Seinfeld script was relentlessly analyzed by Larry and Jerry together under a tight NBC timeline.
This process was far more brutal for Larry who has been honest about not enjoying the writing process when he's feeling pressured. But Curb is different. There's a lot more freedom and a lot more of a reliance on who he casts opposite him. However, given the types of well-structured outlines Larry writes for his crew and castmates, the rhythm of the scene comes all but naturally to those experienced in the art of comedy and improvisation.
Still, he has to come up with the idea...
"I walk around with a little pad and whenever I get an idea I jot it down," Larry David told Ricky Gervais in an old interview. "And then I have another book where I take all the ideas and put them in another book. In my best handwriting. So, before I write a show, I'll just look in the books and I go, 'Oh, that would be funny to do with that.' Or, 'Those two ideas would really work well together.'"
Larry's reliance on his observation skills may seem daunting to some, but the man just has a knack for finding the funny, absurd, or downright aggravating moments in real life. But these observations go beyond watching people or interacting with them, writing comedy is about pressuring the depths of Larry's own mind. So, what's an example of this?
Well, for one of the most beloved episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, "The Palestinian Chicken."
"I thought, 'For sure. And I thought, what if, as we're having intercourse, she's kind of yelling out all these anti-Semitic things," Larry explained during an interview with The New Yorker. "It wouldn't bother me in the least! So, that was the germ of that show."
Larry Wants To Offend His Audience... But Not For The Sake Of Being Mean
Of course, for some viewers, there's an element of cringe-factor in much of Larry David's writing. This is something he claims he just doesn't understand.
"It never occurred to me that anything I was doing could ever make anyone uncomfortable. I can see it offending someone, which... great! That's the point," Larry explained in the New Yorker interview. "As S.J. Pearlman said, 'The office of humor is to offend.'"
However, unlike some comedians, Larry isn't trying to insult his audience. He wants them to laugh at the ridiculousness and general rudeness of his characters. In short, make dark elements of our nature appear more manageable. Or, at the very least, to remind us that we're all capable of acting in the way that his characters do. After all, one of the taglines for a season of Curb Your Enthusiasm was, "Deep inside, you know you're him."
"Nobody expresses the bad thoughts," Larry said to Ricky Gervais. "We just think them, we don't say them. But the bad thoughts are funny."
But 'bad thoughts' on their own aren't enough to be funny. It's a conflict that elevates them from a funny joke or anecdote to a hilarious story that can be prolonged for a half-hour sitcom. By showing opposing viewpoints and the consequences for these 'bad thoughts' and actions, viewers are taken on a comedic journey that can be built upon, twisted, and ultimately paid off. And that tends to be pretty, pretty, pretty good!
