Larry David takes aim at Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his new HBO sketch comedy series "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America," which debuted on Max. The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator delivers a pointed "Drop dead, Bobby" jab at the vaccine skeptic and independent presidential candidate in the show's fourth episode, weaponizing historical comedy to settle old scores.
The special reunites much of the "Curb" ensemble, though notably absent is Cheryl Hines, the actress who played Larry's wife Cheryl for the show's entire nine-season run. Hines has faced public criticism in recent years for her association with Kennedy and his anti-vaccine platform, creating an awkward subtext for the production. Her exclusion speaks volumes about the fractures that have opened within the "Curb" family over political and public health divisions.
David's sketch format allows him to operate with looser constraints than the scripted improvisation he perfected on "Curb." Rather than following Larry's fictional self navigating social friction with neurotic precision, the HBO special trades that structure for historical parodies and satirical vignettes. The RFK Jr. mockery fits neatly into David's established wheelhouse of pointed personal insults wrapped in comedy, though this time his target isn't a stranger on the street or an innocent bystander. Kennedy and David share a history as former friends, making the barb carry extra weight.
The special arrives at a moment when celebrity politics has become increasingly fraught. David's willingness to directly attack Kennedy on air reflects a broader reckoning within Hollywood circles over anti-vaccine rhetoric and the political trajectories of prominent figures. The exclusion of Hines from a project that should have naturally featured her underscores how thoroughly those fault lines have redrawn the landscape of the "Curb" universe, transforming what was once pure comedic collaboration into something more pointed and personal.