Larry uses Sammie Greene's bat mitzvah to try and clear up a nasty rumor about him; the Blacks announce they're returning home; Larry makes another attempt at dating.
WAR
59.9
Wins Above Replacement
“The Bat Mitzvah” ranks #52 of 120 Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 81.8 — Elite. The episode packs 51 scored jokes at 1.1 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 7.2 on impact, with Larry landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Larry: there's a guest here spreading a vicious, nasty, scurrilous rumor about me and a gerbil. Okay? I'm sure you've heard it. And there's not a word of truth to it, okay?
Larry Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Leon: The gerbil got on the elevator, hit 'up' and went up your asshole? Is that what happened?
Leon Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: Okay, I have a gerbil up my ass. That's my problem.
Larry Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: I have friends who I can't stand, you know, for, like, 25 years. I'm still friends with them. Why? Because I stay to the end, till they're dead.
Larry Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Larry: I'm not even the captain, I'm going down with the ship. That's how I want you to think about me: I'm the guy who keeps the captain company.
Larry Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 51 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Leon · Jeff: Mopy Dick, that's what he is. - Moby Dick. - No, Mopy Dick.
Leon Jeff Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Leon · Jeff: Who's fucking Moby Dick? His dick is moping. Oh, literally Mopy Dick? Yeah, Mopy Dick.
Leon: Your brain is all fucking discombobulated, man.
Leon Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Leon: Larry, grow a mustache, man. Grow a goatee, a mustache, grow sideburns. Become another motherfucker, man.
Leon Character Comedy Absurdist Jeff · Larry: What was that? What are you doing? You've got bedbugs? What's going on?
Jeff Larry Visual Gag Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Larry: Eh, let's not go crazy.
Larry Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Larry: Chill out? There's a gerbil running amok in my house. Come on, help me find it.
Larry Escalation Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Antoinette: Oh, Larry. Larry David, you are a romantic.
Larry: He was terrible, though. He was a terrible director.
Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Matt: Well, I did the cancer scare episode of 'Home Improvement,' so I got typed as this guy who does ticker.
Matt Observational Character Comedy Matt: I want to get back to the funny, to the shtoomy.
Matt Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Matt: Hey, Larry, do you still have that tickle in your anus?
Matt Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Larry: Tickle in my-- what is she talking about? What are you talking about?
Larry Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort Larry: Why did you say I have a tickle in my anus? Are you fucking crazy, huh? A tickle in my anus?
Larry Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Matt Tessler · Larry: Larry's anus is fine. - Shut the fuck up, okay?
Larry: Hey, Richard, it's Larry. Matt Tessler just asked me to recommend him for your pilot... so this is me calling to recommend-- 'recommend' him.
Larry Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: We could just put a sign up on the wall saying, 'Larry David was here.' Why don't we do that?
Larry Escalation Observational Larry: I'm not an inventor, but I'm an improver. I improve things that are broken. This is broken. This system is broken.
Larry Character Comedy Observational Paula: But I'm not a Jew, if that's what you're thinking. 'Cause I saw your wheels spinning.
Paula Awkward Silence Cringe/Discomfort Larry: That's uncanny. It's like there's a window into my soul and you can just really read me.
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Larry · Paula: did you ever go out with a bald guy? Yeah. How did you find it? It was magical.
Larry · Paula: How am I doing on the flirt so far? How would you assess it? Um... Pretty good? I'm-- well, 7.5.
Larry: I'm going to New York. Why am I stopping off in Florida?
Larry Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry: Okay, I have a gerbil up my ass. That's my problem.
Larry Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Nurse · Larry: How long has it been there? Two days.
Nurse Larry Escalation Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Larry: You're listening to me? I don't know what I'm talking about. Put the sign-in sheet back on.
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Callback Larry · Jeff: How much will you give me to start gargling now? 50 bucks. Just do it.
Larry · Jeff: I just got 50 bucks. No, now that doesn't count. It was so enjoyable and you ruined it with 'I just got 50 bucks.'
Jeff · Larry: Do you know who anyone is? No. When was the last time you bought an album? 1972?
Larry: What do I do? Am I allowed to hold hands during the mo--? Is there a rule?
Larry Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Larry · Jeff: That's the guy who walked past the line to get his ticket before. Pete! Look at him. Oh my God. He was faking. Are you kidding me? No. That's really good. I gotta take my hat off to him.
Paula · Larry: It's just you're squirming a lot. You're squirming more than I am. Well, my seat is uncomfortable. Yeah, my seat's uncomfortable too.
Paula Larry Visual Gag Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Paula · Larry: I've never heard of anybody going to a gastroenterologist for a checkup. Oh, really? That's what you were doing there. Is that what I said? Yes, that's what you said.
Larry: I have friends who I can't stand, you know, for, like, 25 years. I'm still friends with them. Why? Because I stay to the end, till they're dead.
Larry Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Larry: I'm not even the captain, I'm going down with the ship. That's how I want you to think about me: I'm the guy who keeps the captain company.
Larry Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jeff · Larry: You don't understand women. You don't understand etiquette. Fine.
Jeff Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Larry · Jeff: Yeah, well, she has a tickle in her anus anyway. She has a tickle in her anus? I think so. She was squirming in her seat.
Larry Jeff Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Larry · Jeff: Then there's a hole in the nose. We'll just cover it with makeup. Blech!
Office neighbor: We'll go to lunch together. Every day, every day. Every day. Every day, lunch.
Larry: No no no, it was a test to see if he's a tolerant person. And anyone who's not is no neighbor of mine.
Larry Character Comedy Misdirection Matt: My son has an office on the right hand of Jesus.
Matt Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Matt: Hey, you know what's really funny? A successful writer-producer who puts gerbils up his ass for fun.
Matt Escalation Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Richard: Why'd you 'recommend' him, Mr. Quotehead?
Larry · Richard: You call him Ben Laden or Bin Laden? I don't know. You called him Ben. That's almost like a Jewish name. That's true. Ben Laden does sound like a shirt-maker in Manhattan.
Larry · Richard: You know, I do have a tickle in my anus. Oh, really? Yeah. I gotta split.
Leon: The gerbil got on the elevator, hit 'up' and went up your asshole? Is that what happened?
Leon Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: there's a guest here spreading a vicious, nasty, scurrilous rumor about me and a gerbil. Okay? I'm sure you've heard it. And there's not a word of truth to it, okay?
Larry Cringe/Discomfort Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: However, in the interest of full disclosure I will tell you that, um, I do have a tickle in my anus. And they're slightly related to each other.
Larry Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: What are you looking at, Tessler? I'll put a fist up your ass. How about that, huh?
Larry Escalation Callback Callback Larry · Cheryl: My underwear? You're in the no-fly zone? I'm going right over the fence. You're over the fence? Over the fence. Did you miss the gate? Not at all. Don't even think about the gate?
Loretta · Larry · Leon: Oh, fuck you, Larry. Bullshit, motherfucker. I didn't know. You are such a bald asshole! Who the fuck you think you're talking to? Don't nobody talk to my man like that. You'd better get your ass out of my house, you fucking bitch.
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