Larry becomes convinced that Rob Reiner is snubbing him and the show, and retaliates by canceling out of a benefit.
WAR
81.2
Wins Above Replacement
“Doubt of the Benefit” ranks #49 of 90 The Larry Sanders Show episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.5 — Elite. The episode packs 70 scored jokes at 2.8 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.0 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
Pauly Shore: When will you book me again?
Larry: When another big, huge guest cancels? Maybe within the month.
Hank Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Larry: Boy, finally some good news for Michael Jackson.
Beverly Hank Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Beverly · Hank: You can still help, Hank. The organizers felt awful and offered a seat at the head table. / Oh, nerve deafness this.
Beverly Hank Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Larry: Oh, right, uh... nothing contagious.
Hank: 5 years. Come on, guys. Where's the cure?
All Jokes — 70 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Larry: No, I'm just starting to realize I have about 6 months to live.
Larry: I dragged joel grey about 20 yards before I realized he'd fallen down... talented man. Father of actress Jennifer grey.
Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Artie: Charity begins at home, except in Hollywood where it begins at 7 pm every night in every fucking hotel ballroom in town.
Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Larry: This is about my personal beliefs, not money.
Larry: What, are they kidding? No, that's what it says. Cheapskates. All right, call them. Tell them maybe if they send a helicopter. Otherwise, no dice.
Artie Observational Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Hank: 5 years. Come on, guys. Where's the cure?
Larry: Yes! Firm date, get it! Puerto Rico!
Larry: Oh, right, uh... nothing contagious.
Larry: I should take a look at his thumb. Did they do a nice job?
Artie: Fan-fucking-tastic.
Larry: No, I mean about the cake.
Paula: Good! And your hair's the same color as last week. That's good. Thank you.
Darlene Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Artie: You know, that happens to creative geniuses, to all except my good friend professor Irwin corey.
Larry: You'll be able to tell there's no head on the horse.
Larry: driving your new cat down the Santa Monica freeway.
Larry: My balls are killing me.
Artie Deadpan/Understatement Observational Artie: There goes Mr. Reiner. I can see roberino disappearing into the clouds right now.
Artie: One hand washes the other. Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. You know, tit for tat.
Done with your metaphors?
Artie: Mas o menos, hombre.
Larry: Who are you, big Chief lenscrafters?
Larry: Too much. It looks like one of those stage productions of cats.
Hank: That says 'applesauce.'
Larry: No, it says 'applause.'
Hank: When he sits around the house... A winnebago without drapes.
Hank: And tell them I have some nerve deafness.
Beverly: Hank, that's so sad.
Hank: I really don't have nerve deafness.
Beverly: I know. That's what's so sad.
Larry: Boy, finally some good news for Michael Jackson.
Beverly Hank Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Writer: Is it last january already? No.
Artie: It sounds like it from that joke.
Hank Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Larry: How cinematic! I can almost see him falling.
Larry Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline Larry: And people wonder why I'm a cynical asshole.
Artie: No, they don't.
Artie Phil Meta/Self-Referential Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Belzer: You guys rousted me out of bed because Pauly Shore wasn't available?
Belzer: I don't like kiwi.
Beverly: Oh, sayib, I should have known! We've got a mango flying in, chop-chop.
Paula Reaction Beat Misdirection Larry: Did you know that spinal tap was mostly improvised? Did you know that?
Belzer: Really?
Larry: And what do you think I'm doing now?
Belzer: I'm making this up.
Belzer: You'll have security stop me on the way out?
Beverly: Just don't take the ones with the pictures.
Belzer: Your picture?
Beverly: Yeah.
Belzer: Don't worry about it. I'll get you another.
Larry: I think that every time I watch that America's funniest people. That just about breaks your spirit.
Larry Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Larry: I'll rub his face in it, Artie. You know that? I'll look like the bigger man, make him feel like shit.
Larry: A few good men... want a good courtroom movie? Caine mutiny. Yeah, bogey with the steel balls.
Hank: The world makes me sad. What the... what? Sad.
Hank: Let's say, for the sake of my argument, that they get that.
Artie Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Hank: How many people... famous people... went number 2 tonight? You don't have to tell me. I'm just kidding.
Rob Reiner: Larry, do you honestly think I would cancel at the last second without a legitimate excuse?
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Larry: I am uncomfortable discussing size in the bathroom, you know what I mean?
Belzer Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Beverly: Toilet paper is always very funny to everyone except the French. I don't think those bidets are sanitary at all, do you?
Larry: I don't think that I told him I was there to rub his face in it and make him feel like shit, so I don't feel completely, totally truthful.
Artie: Let me tell you something. That's what ruined my second marriage. I told the truth. I found it to be disastrous.
Artie: You can't handle the truth.
Artie: This. It isn't funny.
Artie: This is hilarious.
Artie: Ha ha. See?
Rob Reiner: Maybe you can get that woman from the zoo and she can bring an animal to shit on me.
Larry Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Larry: Rob? Mr. Reiner won't be joining us this evening. He just canceled.
Artie Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Artie: Of course, I anticipated your inability to keep your mouth shut. So I arranged a backup.
Pauly Shore: I actually do more improvising in the movie than I do here.
Hank Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Pauly Shore: When will you book me again?
Larry: When another big, huge guest cancels? Maybe within the month.
Hank Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Larry: They offered you 10 grand?
Hank: Yeah.
Beverly: Beverly.
Hank Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Beverly · Hank: You can still help, Hank. The organizers felt awful and offered a seat at the head table. / Oh, nerve deafness this.
Beverly Hank Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Hank: How many people... famous people... went number 2 tonight? You don't have to tell me. I'm just kidding.
Hank Character Comedy Absurdist Larry · Rob Reiner: Rob Reiner encounter in bathroom: Larry confronting Reiner, Reiner having a visible half-cast on his ankle, and Larry's evident discomfort that the injury appears real.
Hank Kingsley · Beverly: How many people... famous people... went number 2 tonight? / You don't have to tell me. / I'm just kidding.
Larry Sanders · Rob Reiner: You really hurt your ankle, huh? / What? / Huh? / You really hurt your... really. / You really hurt your ankle. / You didn't think I hurt it? / I did. I was concerned. / You didn't think I hurt my ankle, did you? / I wasn't sure. You hurt your ankle... / What, you think I screwed you?
Rob Reiner · Larry: Larry, do you honestly think I would cancel at the last second without a legitimate excuse? / Well, you know, we're both in the business.
Rob Reiner · Larry: You are the bigger man of the two of us. / I am uncomfortable discussing size in the bathroom, you know what I mean? Let's let it go at that.
Larry · Artie: What is this? / This is disaster-preparedness furnishings. / The ham's a lamp? / There's a flashlight in there. / Right. And all this food is edible? / Exactly. / The Twinkies have a 27-year shelf life. / With the light on? / It doesn't matter. You can't penetrate a Twinkie.
Artie · Larry: Did Reiner have a little piece of toilet paper or a couple of feet? / That's not the important part. / Toilet paper is always very funny to everyone except the French. I don't think those bidets are sanitary at all, do you?
Artie: He's still booked for tomorrow night, so if Rob calls you up and says he wants you to clean his pool, hop over there pronto and start scrubbing.
Artie Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Artie: That's what ruined my second marriage. I told the truth. I found it to be disastrous. That's the truth.
Artie Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Phil · Larry · Artie: I think you should be open and honest with him. / Shut up. / I lean towards Phil on this one. Phil, you're dismissed. You're contaminating Larry. / Why can't I hear both sides? / You can't handle the truth.
Phil · Larry: Oh, yeah? You want the truth? This. [holds up unfunny bit] It isn't funny. / This is hilarious. Ha ha. See?
Rob Reiner: Maybe you can get that woman from the zoo and she can bring an animal to shit on me.
Larry: Listen, Rob, I know you were honest with me. And I want to be honest with you... I was just there to rub your face in it. I was pretty mad that you canceled the other night and wanted to make you feel like shit. That's why I showed up at the benefit.
Larry Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Artie: Mr. Reiner won't be joining us this evening. He just canceled. You told him the truth, didn't you, you couldn't stop yourself even after I specifically asked you not to tell him. Of course, I anticipated your inability to keep your mouth shut. So I arranged a backup.
Artie Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Larry · Artie: Who? / Have a wonderful show. / Who? / It's not Pauly Shore, is it?
Larry Artie Running Gag Misdirection ★ Rewatch Callback Pauly Shore · Larry Sanders: And then... ha ha ha! And then I do a Pauly take, which is very ad-libby and very spontaneous. / You never know what will come from that take. / And that's stuff that stays in the movie? / I actually do more improvising in the movie than I do here.
Pauly Shore · Larry: When will you book me again? / When another big, huge guest cancels? / Maybe within the month. No shit. Then we could talk about my new army movie.
Pauly Shore · Larry: Pink diggly diggly, the new CD. / Yeah. What is that? / You'll have to listen to it. / Bye-bye.
Artie: Well, show business does not discriminate. Nice kid. Mm-hmm.
Artie Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Larry · Artie · Beverly: How did the nerve deafness dinner go? / Oh, fine. / You're a better man than I am. / I would have taken that 10 grand like... whoa. / They offered you 10 grand? / Yeah. / Beverly.
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