US Catholics upset as Larry David takes the piss

There’d be a public outcry if Jews or Muslims were treated in this way, say critics

FIRST POSTED OCTOBER 29, 2009

The American comedian Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and now star of his own sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm, loves to shock and, on the whole, his audience loves him for it. This time he has gone over the edge, as far as American Catholics are concerned.

In the latest episode, shown on HBO in the United States on Sunday night, David visits the bathroom and, while peeing, splatters urine on a painting of Jesus Christ. He leaves without wiping it off.

Minutes later, David's assistant enters the bathroom and concludes that Jesus is crying. She then summons her mother, and both women kneel in prayer.

Not funny, complained Deal Hudson, author and publisher of InsideCatholic.com. "Why is it that people are allowed to publicly show that level of disrespect for Christian symbols?" he asked. "If the same thing was done to a symbol of any other religions - Jewish or Muslim - there'd be a huge outcry. It's simply not a level playing field."

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, said David should "quit while he's ahead," and that the show was proof that the comedian had passed his sell-by date. "Was Larry David always this crude? Would he think it's comedic if someone urinated on a picture of his mother?" asked Donohue.

In defence, HBO said: "Anyone who follows Curb Your Enthusiasm knows that the show is full of parody and satire. Larry David makes fun of everyone, most especially himself. The humour is always playful and certainly never malicious."

This was not good enough for Hudson and Donhue. The former wants the show's producers and writing team to issue an apology. "When is it going to stop?" he asked.

The episode was one of the long-awaited ones for which the cast of Seinfeld were reunited. When David and Jerry Seinfeld (playing himself) are asked if they ever experienced a miracle, David answers: "Every erection is a miracle."

Said Donohue: "That's what passes for creativity these days."

FIRST POSTED OCTOBER 29, 2009

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Since when did catholics want to be shocked? I think they watch shows like this in order to complain and should be dismissed as whining fantasists. Too many halfwits these days are trying to restrict others' freedom. If you don't like it, don't watch it. Seems pretty simple really. I avoid watching wildlife programs which get in close and personal on animal deaths, I think it's a perversion, and I find it upsetting, while knowing that it occurs I don't wish to be 'entertained' by the death of any animal. I don't complain about it, there's an off switch.

Posted by Peter Simmons at 10:36am on October 29, 2009

I am not a Catholic and find that it is a huge insult to me as a Christian. The added insult is that Larry David is Jewish, if the situation was reversed the Jewish Board of Deputies would be whining all the way up to the White House. This man should be charged for incitment to racial/religous hatred.

Posted by Deloki at 2:43pm on October 29, 2009

I think the question is, would it be acceptable for this kind of pre-meditated childishness/nastiness to be directed against Muslims or Jews Peter Simmons? I don't think these faiths would tolerate this abuse. It's a hypocrisy thing and Christianity is now being bullied in Great Britain to the point that a Christian graveyard in Manchester was recently bulldozed to the ground to make way for a mosque. And even though the police are all too willing to hammer on the doors of Christians who object to the promotion of homosexuality, Muslims openly condemn homosexuality, period. Yet nothing from the terrified police. The whole idea of playing one religion off against the other is to ultimately ban them all. This isn't going to happen though, because Christianity, Judaism and Islam will all withstand any exterior force which threatens even one of them, let alone all three. That's why there is going to be trouble ahead. This is what you get for the ridiculous over tolerance of leftist communist hypocricy.

Posted by Jerome Peter at 3:51pm on October 29, 2009

"Would he think it's comedic if someone urinated on a picture of his mother?" Er, yes. This is Larry David we're talking about, I think he'd squeeze a whole series out of that happening.

Posted by Seth Jacobson at 3:52pm on October 29, 2009

Not the slightest doubt that the Roman Catholic and Fundamentalist Christian groups are the 'soft targets'. The outcry would be stupendous if the targets were Jewish or Muslim. This from a fallen away, agnostic, earthling. dan

Posted by Primo Famiglia at 6:23pm on October 29, 2009

He may be able to squeeze a whole series about pissing on his mothers picture but I wonder why he doesnt try pissing on the wailing wall, then we can see what happens and if they see it as a joke over there

Posted by Deloki at 8:21pm on October 29, 2009

The reason Curb Your Enthusiasm is so popular is that David satirizes everything. Some will recall previous episodes with Gina Gershon in which Muslim customs (burkas) were satirized, and almost every show, given the "Jewishishness" of most of the main characters, throws satire at Jews. Lighten up everyone and enjoy the humour!

Posted by Sebastian Conti at 9:21pm on October 29, 2009

heavens! try to do this to a Jew or a Muslim. In one case the Holocaust story would be reminded and in the second a bomb will go off in the tube.... Not an easy time for Christians!

Posted by donnalee at 6:21am on October 30, 2009

For many years Christians have had their religous beliefs mocked , scorned and their religous symbols trampled on. It is because of our so-called "enlightenement" that we allowed this to happen and meekly turned the other cheek. Those who wish to destroy Christianity were delighted and saw this as a sign of weakness and increased the intensity of the assault against the religion. Ridicuiling Christ and his followers by Larry David is no doubt part of this insiduous campaign.

Posted by Deloki at 9:30am on October 30, 2009

Larry David is a typical bullyboy comedian; he goes for the easy target which is Christianity, knowing full well, that it is unlikely that he or his family would become lethal targets for Christian groups. On the other hand comedians like Larry know full well that if they were to use Mohammed to get laughs, they would be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their shallow lives.

Posted by Alex at 7:18pm on October 31, 2009

This sort of sitcom bad taste shock tactic is playing into the hands of Militant Christianity. I don't want to be around when those guys go all Old Testament on our liberal white asses. They'll lobby their pet senators and congressmen and drive us into another right-wing Dark Age. It's time for comedians to realise that there are limits. Pissing on other people's beliefs gives them ammunition that they'll end up spraying around themselves. Piss enough Militant Christians off and their Holy War won't flare up in some distant Middle East rockpile.

Posted by Mark Hale at 7:47pm on October 31, 2009

"David visits the bathroom and, while peeing, splatters urine on a painting of Jesus Christ. He leaves without wiping it off. Minutes later, David's assistant enters the bathroom and concludes that Jesus is crying. She then summons her mother, and both women kneel in prayer." Pissing on a painting is not funny in itself, but assuming that this is a picture of Jesus Christ and concluding that Jesus must be "crying" is funny! We don't know what Jesus Christ looked like (so any picture is irrelevant and idolatry), and if you are a true Catholic you surely believe that Jesus Christ is in Heaven, and has no reason to cry. End of story. It's funny!

Posted by John Thornton at 6:29am on November 2, 2009

Is Christianity with its millions of devoted followers really unable to rise above a sitcom? Two thousand years and its followers are having a hissy over this? Lord, indeed. LD pokes fun at almost every aspect of modern Western life and is gloriously good at it. His biggest and most consistent target is the affluent, white upper middle classes that dominate much of US life. Within that target group Jews regularly come under particular scrutiny (in fact the entire programme is based on perceived Jewish character traits). On top of that he's even spent an entire series poking fun at 'Blacks' (the family are even called 'Black'). I suspect many complaining here have never watched the programme and couldn't disengage their urge towards censure and censor if they did. What was so funny about this episode, and what ultimately removed the offence, was the unlikely placing of a picture of Jesus next to as toilet. Unlikely, implausible and distant from any real possibility. Do those calling for a response want some kind of fatwa similar to that directed at Danish cartoonists by Islamic groups? Did they support that fatwa in the interests of mutual religious and spiritual respect? Do tell us 'Yes'. Get over yourselves. Christianity will survive.

Posted by G F at 12:55pm on November 2, 2009