- 3 months ago
In this installment of Versus, it's a showdown between Larry David's comedic masterpieces! From arguments and misunderstandings to cast chemistry, we're comparing these iconic sitcoms across six hilarious categories. Will the show about nothing come out on top, or will the pretty, pretty, pretty good one take the crown? Who will be master of their domain? Let us know if you agree with our verdict!
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00:00Larry, what do you want to do?
00:05I'll play George.
00:07What?
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and in this installment of Versus,
00:11it's the battle of Larry David's sitcoms.
00:14Who will be the master of their domain, and who's just pretty, pretty good? Let's find out.
00:19Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
00:26I'm out.
00:30Round 1. Arguments and Misunderstandings
00:34As… a good old-fashioned misunderstanding is the backbone of any sitcom worth its salt.
00:39Why don't you just go ahead and call him?
00:41Because he made a big deal about how I understand everything immediately.
00:45That's what impressed him.
00:46So if you call to ask if you have the job, you might lose the job.
00:49And if I don't call…
00:50You might have the job, but you'll never know it.
00:52We'd argue a major reason that Seinfeld has become a cultural mainstay
00:56was its ability to heighten every day, even benign,
01:00situations into unexpected hilarity through its core four's errors and folly.
01:05Oh, that's another symptom.
01:08Of what?
01:09Rabies?
01:10Oh, that's fatal. You don't want that.
01:12I know I don't want it!
01:14I don't want you stupid hipster doofus!
01:19And with some of the wittiest dialogue to ever grace our screens,
01:22it's hard to imagine funnier conflicts than the ones Seinfeld had delivered us.
01:27I can read lips. You said, let's sleep together.
01:30No, I didn't. I said, sweep. Let's sweep together.
01:34You know, like with a broom.
01:35Cleaning up.
01:37Sweep?
01:38Yes.
01:38Yes, sweep.
01:39Sweep.
01:40Cut it.
01:40George says cut it.
01:41Cut it.
01:42George is saying cut it.
01:43Cut it.
01:44Will you stop signing?!
01:45Having said that, where Seinfeld's strengths in this category lie
01:48in carefully crafted scripts and performances,
01:51Curb Your Enthusiasm takes a much more emotional approach.
01:54What are you looking at me like that for?
01:56Because I've never been married and I think I'm in love
01:58and I think you might have ruined this for me.
02:00Come on, ruined it.
02:01If I did, I did you a favor, by the way.
02:04That's, that's one of the most insensitive things.
02:07I don't think it's insensitive.
02:08I think it's sensitive.
02:09Larry David manages to create the most absurd disagreements
02:11and uncomfortable conversations that,
02:13while they often have us crawling out of our own skin,
02:16are truly second to none in television history.
02:18I thought she had a speech impediment.
02:20You've known the kid since she was born
02:23and she suddenly develops a speech impediment.
02:26That's what was so puzzling to me.
02:28Between his screaming matches with Susie,
02:30whatever Richard Lewis was upset about,
02:32and his larger gripes with the daily social functioning of humankind,
02:35we're giving this one to Curb Your Enthusiasm.
02:37Or maybe he's learned a lesson from all of this.
02:40Yeah, you can say that again.
02:42Winner, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
02:43Round two, Cast Chemistry.
02:47Larry David anchors Curb Your Enthusiasm as the leading man no one asked for,
02:51but perhaps we deserve.
02:52We can stop and get a drink first.
02:55What do you mean stop and have a drink first?
02:57We can stop at, oh, you know where I want to go?
03:00Casa Del Mar.
03:02The fancy restaurant by the water.
03:05Then we can stop and have a leisurely drink.
03:07You can have a drink at the restaurant.
03:09As a series that relies heavily on improvisation as its comedic engine,
03:13the show's cast is spot on.
03:14Cheryl Hines is the perfect counterpoint to Larry's outrageous antics,
03:18and the later addition of JB Smoove as Leon Black
03:21led to one of the funniest TV duos of all time.
03:23Leon, I'm not getting you in your bed.
03:25Come on, man.
03:26That's crazy.
03:27That's crazy right there.
03:28Plus, Curb has had some legendary cameos and guest appearances as well.
03:32Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Mel Brooks, Vince Vaughn,
03:36Tracy Ullman, to name a few,
03:38have all brought their sharp comedy chops to the series.
03:40They've all found inventive new ways to piss off Larry
03:44and make us crack up in the process.
03:46Do you want a samosa?
03:47Oh, thank you.
03:48Mini quiche?
03:49No.
03:49Gros-de-té?
03:50No!
03:51No, I'm good.
03:51Eh, but we have to give credit where credit is due.
03:55Seinfeld's principal cast is unrivaled by Curb Your Enthusiasm,
03:59and really, just about any other sitcom.
04:01Don't argue with us.
04:02Hey!
04:03Because you're a woman!
04:04So what?
04:05It's easier for a woman not to do it than a man.
04:07We have to do it.
04:09It's part of our lifestyle.
04:13It's like shaving.
04:15Oh, that is such baloney.
04:16I shave my legs.
04:18Not every day.
04:19Though some may question Jerry Seinfeld's acting chops and be within their rights to do so,
04:24the key cast as a whole functions so phenomenally that it almost doesn't matter.
04:29These pretzels are making me thirsty.
04:32No, no, see, that's no good.
04:34You don't know how to act.
04:35Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards delivered an ensemble
04:40performance that not only elevated Seinfeld's already brilliant scripts, but created iconic
04:45characters that will be cemented in pop culture forever.
04:48For that, we've got to give cast chemistry to Seinfeld.
04:51Here, here's your cake.
04:54Your wine.
04:55See ya.
04:56See ya.
04:56Seinfeld
04:59Round 3.
04:59The Cringe Meter
05:01What's the easier watch?
05:03Now, this one is a little bizarro to score, but stay with us.
05:07Yo, Kroger.
05:09My son tells me your company stinks.
05:11Oh, God.
05:12As we've mentioned, both series succeed at making us laugh through the foibles of their
05:17lead characters, but to varying extents.
05:19So, which show is fun, comfortable, and which one will have you needing a breather between episodes?
05:24Does that bring any scheme to mind?
05:27If you're a fan of both, which, if you're watching this video, we'd hope that you are,
05:33you might see where this round is going.
05:35Thank you for your service, bro.
05:37Oh, thank you.
05:38And our neighbors, Leslie and John.
05:40What a hero you are.
05:41Thank you for your service.
05:42Oh, please.
05:42Oh, thank you.
05:43The real heroes are still there, but I appreciate that.
05:45Thank you for your service.
05:46You have a great foundation.
05:47And this is our friend, Larry.
05:49Hey!
05:49Hey!
05:50Nice to meet ya!
05:51Watching a full season of Curb Your Enthusiasm in one sitting can almost produce horror movie
05:58levels of stress.
05:59Curb's situations push the envelope far further than Seinfeld ever did,
06:03making for a brand new viewing experience for fans of his work.
06:06Oh, dear.
06:08Uh-oh.
06:09Larry's brash personality and steadfast social contract get him into situations that,
06:13while hysterical, are also a little bit painful.
06:16We're still cringing thinking about the whole Denise and Wendy situation.
06:19If you know, you know.
06:21That's not to say that Seinfeld doesn't have its fair share of cringe-worthy moments as well.
06:39Susan's whole plotline is a total disaster from start to finish.
06:42Not that there's anything wrong with that.
06:44I mean, it's fine if that's who you are.
06:45Absolutely.
06:46I mean, I have many gay friends.
06:47My father's gay.
06:48But overall, we can sit down and binge watch episodes and episodes of Seinfeld for hours
06:54without feeling like we're going to need a cold shower afterwards.
06:57That's another point.
06:59Seinfeld.
06:59Old showers?
07:01They're for psychotics.
07:03Well, I take them.
07:04Seinfeld.
07:06Round 4.
07:07Plot closure.
07:08Seinfeld developed a great structure for its episodes, using Jerry's stand-up as bookends for
07:14each episode's major themes and plot points.
07:16See, the problem with the mall garage is that everything looks the same.
07:22They try to differentiate it.
07:24They put up different colors, different numbers, different letters.
07:28What they need to do is name the levels like, your mother's a whore.
07:31While the content of the set never mirrored the storylines precisely, it didn't have to.
07:36Instead, Jerry's stand-up gave each episode a funny and unique framing device that
07:40helped establish the observational tone of the series.
07:43Even if you get a job after you've been unemployed,
07:47they take unemployment out of your check every week and show it to you in that little box.
07:54How good can it be for your confidence that every paycheck you get has the word unemployment on it?
08:00Outside of that element of the show, the plots themselves are always extremely
08:04well-crafted and complete.
08:06Again.
08:07A testament to Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's exceptional storytelling abilities.
08:11All right, here we go.
08:13Act one, scene A.
08:22Weren't you supposed to call Elaine?
08:23Yes.
08:24But we have ten words for you.
08:26Or, well, ten sounds.
08:30Curb Your Enthusiasm raised the bar in terms of tying up its episode in unforgettable ways.
08:39The end credits song has become synonymous with coincidental, uncomfortable, ironic situations
08:44coming to a head.
08:45We hear it playing in our heads more often than we'd like to admit.
08:50These people are chasing me!
08:52Sir, the building's closed.
08:53I can't help you.
08:53No, no, I'm Larry David, that's my wing!
08:56That says anonymous.
08:57I'm anonymous!
08:58As Curb as a series is structurally more concerned with overarching ideas and stories,
09:03each episode always sticks the landing without fail.
09:06And calling back to our earlier point, that's another reason why it's more than satisfying to
09:11watch just one episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm at a time.
09:14For that, we've got another point on the books for Curb.
09:16Curb Your Enthusiasm
09:25If we've said it once, we've said it a million times.
09:32It's pretty, pretty, pretty good.
09:34Pretty good!
09:36Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
09:42Aside from this classic catchphrase, Larry David did more than spawn a collection of
09:46quotable scenes.
09:47His antics as a self-proclaimed social assassin led to a slew of capstone moments that are
09:52conversation-starting to this day.
09:54You know what you are?
09:55You're a social assassin.
09:57Jesus.
09:59I guess I am in a way.
10:00That conflicted look at the end of the Palestinian Chicken episode speaks volumes without even
10:05saying a word.
10:05Larry, come over to me.
10:06Larry!
10:07Don't be afraid.
10:07Get over here!
10:08Just suck into them, Larry!
10:09Get over here!
10:10Get over here!
10:10You're embarrassing anything you want, Larry!
10:13As a mega-wealthy television writer and producer, is LD always totally relatable?
10:18Definitely not.
10:20Yet he managed to create a social and cultural commentary that's as confronting as it is timeless.
10:24First of all, congratulations on a great attempt at a chat and cut.
10:29Really good.
10:3099 times out of 100?
10:32That's gonna work.
10:33Unfortunately, I happen to be on the line, so…
10:37Okay, I don't know what you're talking about.
10:38I just saw my friend.
10:39I know a chat and cut when I see it.
10:41Okay.
10:42But alas!
10:43The category is greatest phrases coined, and Seinfeld one-liners are not only hilarious,
10:49but they've helped us define the human experience in ways we didn't even know we needed to.
10:54We can explain, but it's probably more effective to let these quotes speak for themselves.
10:58Yadda, yadda, yadda.
11:01He's a re-gifter!
11:02Serenity now! Serenity now!
11:05You double-dipped the chip!
11:06No, I don't have a square to spare. I can't spare a square.
11:09Oh!
11:10So for that, with a spiritual bonus point for also creating a new holiday,
11:14this round goes to Seinfeld.
11:17Another Festivus miracle!
11:19Winner, Seinfeld.
11:21Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
11:25about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:30If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:37Round 6. Best Finale
11:39Here's the question that Larry David fans have debated for decades. Was Seinfeld's finale as
11:46terrible as vocal dissenters claim it to be?
11:48All right. Hold it right there.
11:51What?
11:51Tangentially, did Curb Your Enthusiasm really solve the Seinfeld finale's issues?
11:57And we must ask, is one better than the other? Let's discuss.
12:01Mr. David, I'm pulling for you, man. Appreciate it. Thank you.
12:06One of the key arguments against the Seinfeld finale is that it simply does not feel like an
12:12episode of Seinfeld.
12:13They want to change nature here. They want to create a whole new animal.
12:18The guilty bystander.
12:20It breaks formula for the purposes of reuniting its most memorable characters,
12:25rehashing previous plots to find some sort of full-circle conclusion for a show that,
12:30until this point, had been about nothing.
12:33I can think of nothing more fitting than for the four of you to spend a year removed from society.
12:42And that's the major problem folks have noticed. The finale breaks Seinfeld's cardinal rule.
12:47They aren't supposed to learn any lessons. By putting the Quartet behind bars, they're forced
12:52to reckon with their years of bad behavior. With personal growth as the antithesis of the show's
12:57biology, we can understand the more logistic concerns with this ending.
13:02The second button is the key button. It literally makes or breaks the shirt.
13:07Look at it. It's too high. It's in no man's land.
13:12Haven't we had this conversation before?
13:14You think?
13:15That brings us to the more recent finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, entitled No Lessons Learned.
13:20What kind of guy is Larry David? He's the kind of man who carelessly, maybe even maliciously,
13:26had me drink from his glass and gave me COVID.
13:30He gave me COVID.
13:31In this episode, Larry is also facing time, and ends up thrown in jail.
13:36Hey, look at this.
13:37That happens to me too. What do you call that?
13:40It's a pants tent.
13:41Pants tent.
13:42But at the 11th hour, it's revealed that one of the jurors on the trial broke the sequester,
13:47and the whole case is thrown away.
13:49It's over.
13:49It's over.
13:50You're a free man.
13:52I'm a free man.
13:53That's right.
13:54As Larry walks free with Jerry at his side,
13:56he realizes that this ending would have been much better suited to Seinfeld.
14:00This is how we should have ended the finale.
14:02Oh my god, you're right.
14:04How did we not think of that?
14:07And we have to agree, the absurdity of the twist that the trial has been discarded
14:12would have underlined the series' messaging while still highlighting its standout moments.
14:15Go back to jail, Larry.
14:20But this still begs the question, which finale was better?
14:23Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?
14:26We have, your honor.
14:27While we love to take a side here,
14:29this category has got to be a tie.
14:31Both episodes have their merits,
14:33and given how intertwined they are,
14:35it feels unfair to give one props over the other.
14:37You suck! I'm gonna cut you!
14:39Hey, I don't come down to where you work and knock the license plate out of your hand.
14:42Winner, it's a tie.
14:44So that makes our winner, drumroll please,
14:47Seinfeld.
14:49So you think you're sponge-worthy?
14:50Yes, I think I'm sponge-worthy.
14:52I think I'm very sponge-worthy.
14:53Do you agree with our pick?
14:55Or have we deemed ourselves un-sponge-worthy?
14:58Let us know in the comments!
15:00I'm going to go first.
15:02Let us know in the comments,
15:07and please use the custom SPEAKER.
15:08Let us know in the comments...
15:10We will see you soon.
15:11Let us know in the comments!
15:12Let us know in the comments!
15:13Let us know in the comments!
15:13We'll see you soon!
15:14Let us know in the comments!
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