Larry becomes convinced that Rob Reiner is snubbing him and the show, and retaliates by canceling out of a benefit.
WAR
33.1
Wins Above Replacement
“Doubt of the Benefit” ranks #54 of 90 The Larry Sanders Show episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 75.0 — Great. The episode packs 48 scored jokes at 1.9 per minute, averaging 6.9 on craft and 6.5 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
Hank: 5 years. Come on, guys. Where's the cure?
Hank Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Artie: Of course, I anticipated your inability to keep your mouth shut. So I arranged a backup.
Artie Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Larry: And people wonder why I'm a cynical asshole.
Artie: No, they don't.
Larry Artie Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Larry: No, I'm just starting to realize I have about 6 months to live.
Larry Observational Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Larry: Rob? Mr. Reiner won't be joining us this evening. He just canceled.
All Jokes — 48 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Larry: No, I'm just starting to realize I have about 6 months to live.
Larry Observational Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Larry: I dragged joel grey about 20 yards before I realized he'd fallen down... talented man. Father of actress Jennifer grey.
Larry Physical/Slapstick 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.
Artie Observational Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Larry: This is about my personal beliefs, not money.
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy 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.
Hank: 5 years. Come on, guys. Where's the cure?
Hank Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Larry: Yes! Firm date, get it! Puerto Rico!
Larry Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Larry: Oh, right, uh... nothing contagious.
Beverly Dark/Subversive Callback Callback 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.
Larry Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Paula: Good! And your hair's the same color as last week. That's good. Thank you.
Artie: You know, that happens to creative geniuses, to all except my good friend professor Irwin corey.
Artie Observational Deadpan/Understatement Larry: You'll be able to tell there's no head on the horse.
Larry Visual Gag Meta/Self-Referential Larry: driving your new cat down the Santa Monica freeway.
Larry Absurdist Wordplay/Pun Larry: My balls are killing me.
Larry Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Artie: There goes Mr. Reiner. I can see roberino disappearing into the clouds right now.
Artie Visual Gag Escalation 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.
Artie Escalation Wordplay/Pun Larry: Who are you, big Chief lenscrafters?
Larry Wordplay/Pun Visual Gag Larry: Too much. It looks like one of those stage productions of cats.
Larry Visual Gag Observational Hank: That says 'applesauce.'
Larry: No, it says 'applause.'
Hank: When he sits around the house... A winnebago without drapes.
Hank Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort 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.
Larry Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline Writer: Is it last january already? No.
Artie: It sounds like it from that joke.
Larry: How cinematic! I can almost see him falling.
Larry Irony/Sarcasm Observational Larry: And people wonder why I'm a cynical asshole.
Artie: No, they don't.
Larry Artie Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch 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.
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 Observational Dark/Subversive 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 Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch 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 Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Hank: Let's say, for the sake of my argument, that they get that.
Hank Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Hank: How many people... famous people... went number 2 tonight? You don't have to tell me. I'm just kidding.
Hank Absurdist Cringe/Discomfort Rob Reiner: Larry, do you honestly think I would cancel at the last second without a legitimate excuse?
Larry: I am uncomfortable discussing size in the bathroom, you know what I mean?
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.
Larry Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Artie: Let me tell you something. That's what ruined my second marriage. I told the truth. I found it to be disastrous.
Artie Dark/Subversive Observational ★ Rewatch Artie: You can't handle the truth.
Artie: This. It isn't funny.
Artie: This is hilarious.
Artie: Ha ha. See?
Artie Phil Callback Meta/Self-Referential Callback Rob Reiner: Maybe you can get that woman from the zoo and she can bring an animal to shit on me.
Larry: Rob? Mr. Reiner won't be joining us this evening. He just canceled.
Artie: Of course, I anticipated your inability to keep your mouth shut. So I arranged a backup.
Artie Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Pauly Shore: I actually do more improvising in the movie than I do here.
Pauly Shore: When will you book me again?
Larry: When another big, huge guest cancels? Maybe within the month.
Larry: They offered you 10 grand?
Hank: Yeah.
Beverly: Beverly.
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