As I watched the most recent episode of HBO’s Entourage I became incredibly frustrated with Turtle. (Oh, Turtle, when will you ever learn?) Sneakers? A pair of F’in’ sneakers? What kind of person is gonna cry over sneakers? This might as well be an episode of Sex and the City. Four people obsess over shoes and sex, but this time, it’ll be men!
But then I remembered why the show is so F’in’ awesome. It’s satire. You’re supposed to wanna smash the TV every time Turtle almost ruins Vince’s career. People in LA live and behave like this, and one day when the meteors come they’ll pay, but for now let’s all have a laugh at their expense.
I don’t simply love this show for its satire alone though; I love it because it effortlessly walks the line between irony and sincerity, dropping only subtle hints as to which side its leaning. In a recent episode, Vince spends the day browsing a bookstore, picking up a random chick, and having movie star sex with her.
The viewer says, “Awesome, thatago Vinnie!”
Then we find out she’s engaged, and Vince does the honorable thing by feigning regret. But it’s all for naught because luckily she and her fiance have a “celebrity list.” You know, a list of celebrities you’re free to poke.
Okay, let me dissect this. Immediately you’re presented with a dual emotional reaction: identifying with Vince’s sexual prowess, but disappointed with the girl’s choice to be a cheating ho-bag. Guilt, arousal, betrayal, anger–it’s exhilarating. But it doesn’t stop there, because you suddenly realize the absurdity of the situation. LA must be the stupidest place on earth.
Come on, do attractive couples create celebrity lists when they live in LA? Celebrity lists are for people who live in Omaha and are considered attractive-for-someone-who’s-from-Omaha. So you can tell your girlfriend its okay to do Brad Pitt and be comfortable knowing she has no chance in hell with him. But my understanding is that movie stars prowl the streets of LA night and day with the only goal of “scaring up some trim.”
Of course the show couldn’t get by on its absurdity alone. Where it really gets good are the special moments: when you find out Vince may not get his next movie, that Ari (godblessim) may never open his superagency, or when Lloyd misses a period. You cry and cheer for these characters as though this was a sincere drama. And when Vinnie buys those stupid sneakers for Turtle you can’t help but smile. I can’t think of another show that makes fun of itself so much while keeping the characters so damn lovable.
Sex and the City on the other hand just represented that cheap brand of quasifeminism that claimed women who fuck a lot are powerful, yet in every episode you get whiny little girls dealing with the fact that they’ll never be princesses. Sure, any idiot can be entertained by Entourage, but it’s even better if you’re not a moron. And that’s the greatest gift of all.
Lastly, Sex and the City didn’t have the most powerful presence in television today, Jeremy Piven. Christ help me if he doesn’t get an Emmy I swear I’ll…casually mention my disappointment to someone.
Phew! Now, I can check off “vehemently rationalize a guilty pleasure” from my to-do list.
