Curb your enthusiasm...

At the suggestion of my periodontal hygienist, I got Curb Your Enthusiasm from Netflix.

I had been discussing how when you play the "cancer card," no one gives you a hard time.

Somehow, Deb remembered that it was Season 3 when Larry David takes advantage of the fact that his mother has died to extricate himself from social obligations he wishes to avoid.

Though deliberately crass and over the top, the show is a sophisticated inquiry and commentary on many of the common conventions of our time. It doesn't deal with epic questions of life/death, abortion, murder, etc., but much more mundane topics.

For example, Larry-who lives in LA-goes to NYC for a few days. When he returns, he is scolded by a cousin for not having called "while you were in town."

Larry asks..."what's the point? I can call you as easily from LA as I can from NYC. I didn't have time to see you."

The cousin responds, "It doesn't matter. When you are in town, it's nice to call someone."

I've wondered about this myself...clearly the idea of "calling when you are in town is a remnant of an era pre-Internet and high long-distance rates." Then, it was a nice thing to do...and it made sense.

Now, who cares? I call people in Japan, Hong Kong, and Finland as easily as I do my neighbors. Yet, I do hear my grandparents/parents suggesting that it "would be nice to call so and so when you are in Boston."

I guess that's why I like the show.