ALBAWABA - Larry David and Barack Obama consider history to be a funny and amusing issue. They've got a sketch comedy program to prove it.
Yes, the co-creator of "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" collaborated with the 44th president of the United States to create "Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness," a sketch comedy program on American history, just in time for our 250th anniversary.
Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, "Unhappiness" (HBO, Fridays, 9 p.m. ET/PT, ★★ out of four) features famed curmudgeon David in skits about iconic American historical occasions, such as the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and VE Day.
But when Larry David writes a historical document, we'll hear more about the right to have his own umbrella than all those ridiculous inherent rights. Sometimes it's amusing. Unfortunately, usually it is simply cringe-worthy.
Joined by a bevy of celebrity friends playing his fellow historical heroes, including Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Hamm, Richard Kind, and Joe Manganiello, David takes a tour of the last 250 years and is highly upset by every aspect of it.
If you like Larry David, you'll probably enjoy "Unhappiness." The comic has a particular (if rather limited) style and repertoire of jokes. Obama's presence is actually rather minor. This is David's showcase, his take on "Drunk History" or "The History of the World" Parts I and II.
But, inevitably, this format, silly historical sketch comedy with a modern sensibility, was perfected in "History," a 2013-2019 Comedy Central series that did the exact same thing as "Unhappiness" with a far less famous cast (although Lin-Manuel Miranda did appear once for an Alexander Hamilton episode). "To be honest, with much sharper and faster-paced humor. "Unhappiness" is painfully slow, from the pace and intensity of the gags to the excruciatingly long transition between sketches. David basically plays the same character in every skit, whether it's a Founding Father, Alexander Graham Bell, or a WWI soldier.
He insults others, disturbs them, mugs for the camera, and doesn't try anything new. In one comedy, David as Bell makes the historic first phone conversation, but the person on the other end refuses to stop speaking. It's a one-trick joke that is more irritating to the audience than David's fictitious portrayal of the creator.
The Obamas and their Higher Ground Productions have dabbled in Hollywood through television and film, primarily documentaries and children's programming. I propose they stick to those genres.
There are numerous stories to share as America celebrates its 250th anniversary. On July 4th, there will be live festivities across the country, as well as dozens of movies about how we got here, books to read, and patriotic music to hear. There is room for us to mock the country's turbulent history over the last two and a half centuries.
But are we stuck with this version of the comedy? That's a shame, to quote from "Seinfeld."
