Fin: RIP, Richard Lewis, and the joys of old Jews arguing

Plus, John Waters, Patrick Bateman, that old Minnesota news clip, and more in this week’s notes column.

Richard Lewis’ appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm, days before his death (Warner Bros. Discovery)

There’s something about older Jewish men arguing with each other that I’ve always found enduring and comforting. Maybe it reminds me of my grandfather and uncle arguing about the Minnesota Vikings, or perhaps it’s recalling my college comedy troupe’s ingenious David Mamet parody, “Two Old White Men Argue.” 

In all the times I’ve covered anti-war and political convention protests, my favorite part is always when two old Jewish guys would start fighting about Trotsky. By this point, most of the old Trots have died off, but last week, I caught a clip of Norman Finkelstein and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach arguing on TV about Israel/Palestine. I’m not much of a fan of either of them, and that’s an understatement, but for some reason, the two of them yelling made perfect background noise for that day’s writing. 

Richard Lewis died Wednesday of a heart attack at the age of 76. He was an accomplished comedian, a movie actor, and a first-rate documentary interviewee and talk show guest. He struggled with alcoholism, addiction, and other health problems, often dealing with them in his comedy. 

But in the last quarter century, Lewis has redefined his career with a few dozen guest appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm as a version of himself. He and Larry David were lifelong friends, born in the same Brooklyn hospital a few days apart, and the show found absolute gold in their banter and arguments, which often involved one cracking the other up even when the scene didn’t demand it. 

Amid the sadness, it was a joy on Wednesday to see everyone sharing their favorite Larry and Lewis clips, and I watched every one of them. My favorite, without a doubt, is their argument about Larry’s “disgraceful text” following the death of Lewis’s parakeet: “Sorry about your bird. The good news is I’m still alive.” 

There were so many others, too. Even in the episode a week ago, Lewis talked about his will:

When Bob Einstein died, pretty much everyone posted the same scene, and I don’t have to tell you which one.

Aside from the odd movie role, Curb was the bulk of Lewis’ career for the last two decades or so of his life. As we prepare to say goodbye to Curb next month, let’s remember Richard Lewis, as one of the very best things about the show. 

Mail Time! 

Real quick: I’d like to do a mailbag at some point in the near future. If you have any questions related to film or anything else, please email them to me at stephensilverwriter at gmail dot com.