SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers for Episode 4 of “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America,” now streaming on HBO Max.
Larry David uses historical satire to target his former friend Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his HBO sketch comedy series, “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.”
In the latest episode of the series produced by Barack Obama, Larry dons a disguise to play Dora Salk, the mother of Jonas Salk, the virologist famed for creating the first effective polio vaccine. As Jonas attempts to focus on his work upstairs, his mother persistently interrupts, loudly praising his scientific accomplishments to a neighbor in the yard.
Soon, another neighbor joins — a tan-skinned, gravelly-voiced man named Bobby, who asserts, “That vaccine’s gonna kill people. It’s gonna give them heart attacks!”
Portraying Dora, David retorts sharply: “Drop dead, Bobby. You should die a dog’s death. You don’t know anything about science, you’re not a doctor.”
Bobby responds, “If I was in charge, I’d make sure that no kids took that vaccine. That goes for measles, too.”
Dora counters: “If you were in charge, God help us all! If some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge, that would be a dark day for humanity.”
David’s thinly veiled critique of the U.S. health secretary stems from their shared history. Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, portrayed David’s wife (and later ex-wife) Cheryl on 12 seasons of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” David, who once shared a close friendship with Kennedy, introduced him to Hines. Despite their political differences, the friendship seemed to endure through the conclusion of “Curb.” Kennedy, who was running for president as an independent at the time, even attended the red carpet event for the show’s final season premiere in 2024.
However, David’s relationship with the couple deteriorated in the months that followed, as Kennedy endorsed Donald Trump and later joined his cabinet. (David has been a vocal critic of Trump, mocking him in both “Curb” and “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.”) Hines mentioned in an interview that she hadn’t spoken to David after “Curb” concluded because “I think he’s mad [that] Bobby’s in the administration.”
David and Kennedy in 2013
Ari Perilstein
Their estrangement is highlighted by the fact that every main cast member of “Curb” appeared in “Life, Larry” (or at least attended its premiere) except for Hines. When asked if Hines was aware of the sketch mocking her husband, “Life, Larry” co-creator and director Jeff Schaffer told Variety, “No idea.” Regarding why Hines wasn’t invited for a cameo, Schaffer quipped, “You know, it just didn’t work out that way.”
Discussing the decision to parody Kennedy in a 1950s-themed sketch, Schaffer said, “One of the things we attempted to do with the show was talk about things that are happening right now, but through a historical lens. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. We’re talking about vaccinations, and there’s incredible ignorance about vaccinations going on right now.”
For David and Schaffer, that ignorance has been exacerbated by Kennedy, a prominent figure in the anti-vaccine movement who has questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. During his tenure in the administration, Kennedy reduced the number of recommended childhood vaccines and restructured the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, based on the false claim linking them to autism.
Reflecting on Salk’s significant contributions, Schaffer explained, “It seemed like a great way to comment on the stupidity that’s going on right now.” The jabs at RFK Jr. were simply “too good to pass up.”
The sketch concludes with Neighbor Bobby launching into an extended rant, claiming “fluoride causes gender confusion” and describing the Spanish flu as a bioweapon “designed not to touch Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.” He also mentions, “I cut the head off a whale with a chainsaw,” and there’s a direct reference to the dead bear he once transported in his car. Ultimately, he is escorted away by two men in white suits, presumably to a psychiatric facility.
“Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness” airs Fridays on HBO. The show places David in critical moments of history, from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the trenches of World War I to the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. The comedy series has not shied away from critiquing contemporary political figures. The second episode featured the late Rob Reiner portraying George Washington in a sketch that labeled Trump as a “sociopath,” “lying asshole,” and someone who is “friends with a pedophile.”
