Why I Hate Entourage

Miscellaneous TV

By B-Side | Monday, June 6, 2005 | 4:23 am | 21 Comments

adrian_grenier12A lot of my friends love Entourage. In fact, they swear by it. I personally hate it. Okay, maybe I don’t hate it (I reserve that honor for Yes, Dear), but I certainly have great disdain for the show. With the exception of Jeremy Piven and occasionally Debi Mazar and Jerry Ferrara, the series is largely humorless, substituting the word “bitch” and “f–k” for actual wit and comedy. To its credit, many douchebags in Hollywood actually speak like these vacuous characters, but realism doesn’t always equate to comedy, especially when the story arcs lack the imagination or cleverness that elevates other sitcoms such as Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, or even Scrubs.The problem is that Entourage carries a self-satisfied air; a deluded belief that just because it captures the sound and rhythms of the Hollywood glitteratti, it therefore is funny. At its core, the humor, the sensibilities, and the subject matter of the series seems to be written by the very characters lampooned in Entourage. It’s a show made by Hollywood insiders for Hollywood insiders (and hipsters who dare to dream of such lofty social heights). As a result, we get a muddled, wannabe satire that often shares the shortcomings it tries so hard to send up. There seems to be no point of view, no perspective on the Hollywood way of life. For better or worse, the characters simply float along, occasionally facing minor dilemmas or stumbling into bizarro comic situations (Val Kilmer anyone?). The show often eschews satire for hipster name-dropping, and sidesteps the pitfalls of fame (or having a friend who’s famous) in favor of, well, more hipster name-dropping. As a result, we get a semi-satirical, semi-revelatory comedy that never takes off. Like a trendy ironist who knows to add just the right amount of self-deprecation to seem cool, the show seems to mock Los Angeles entertainment culture and at other times revel in its superficial perks. Of course, anyone who’s ever lived in the city will confess that L.A. does inspire such dual reactions, but this paradoxical view of Los Angeles should play out with the characters, not the uneven tonality.

This is a show that quietly thumbs its nose at fame, fame-seekers, and social climbers and yet will go out of its way to validate its existence through extensive cameos, name-dropping, and movie lingo. Like the insecure cool kid we all know and love, Entourage never shies away from mentioning an industry name or a local fixture (glitzy supermarket Gelson’s, for example). The producers will claim this is merely for authenticity, but it only feels like masturbatory self-awareness.

It’s a shame that Entourage spends so much time jerking itself off because in reality, the show has a great premise and a largely talented ensemble. Many people love Kevin Dillon who plays the washed up, lesser-known brother (Drama) to Adrien Grenier’s Vincent, but I think he overacts painfully. Still, several viewers excuse this because they’re so enthralled with the clever parallels to Kevin and his real-life brother, Matt Dillon — a bit of stunt casting that reinforces the self-satisfied insider aura of the series. As for Grenier, he’s completely miscast as the hot, young actor taking over Hollywood. I don’t believe for a second that this waifish guy could ever be the next Jake Gyllenhaal or Tobey Maguire. After all, this is an actor whose previous claim to fame was starring with Melissa Joan Hart in Drive Me Crazy. Also not helping out the ensemble department is Kevin Connolly whose bland character infiltrates nearly every scene.

Unfortunately, despite it’s great premise, the series simply fails to live up to its satirical potential. Granted, it does have it’s moments, and last night’s season premiere featured a few gems with Amanda Peet and later with Drama’s baby agent. Unfortunately, these admittedly sharp flickers of comedy are few and far between, and the only thing that sustains us is the hope that Jeremy Piven’s character will burst onto the screen to deliver another Emmy-worthy tirade about Hilary Swank and her vagina.

Ultimately, the same self-absorption that dominates the characters also bogs down the show. Maybe that’s it’s postmodern point: the line between fake and real no longer exists. After all, the people who laugh at Jeremy Piven saying “Hug it out, bitch” are the same people who then turn to their friends and now say, “Hug it out, bitch.” Hmmm… Maybe that’s what I should do: hug it out, bitch.

What do you think about Entourage? Am I crazy? Start the hate mail now…

About

21 Comments

  1. 1
    erin
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 6:05 am

    you’re not crazy, you’re spot on. entourage is agonizing. the problem, in my opinion, is the lack of genuine conflict in these people’s lives. like you said, there is the occasional minor dilemma, but come on. involve me.

    the good news is six feet under premieres tonight.

  2. 2
    ang
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 7:47 am

    Here Here. I couldn’t have put it better myself. One of the few shows on televison I WON’T watch.

  3. 3
    NoneYerBiz
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 8:38 am

    I sense someone never made it in Hollywood and now sits behind a computer. Let it go, let it go.

  4. 4
    Jerry
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 8:50 am

    Great write-up as usual. You are not crazy, but you are wrong. Maybe you are too close to the real Hollywood that you can’t just appreciate this casual half-hour show. For those not anywhere near LA and Hollywood, it a light, fun and behind the scene look we don’t get.
    And yes, Kevin Dillon does overact, but he always has. At least here it is meant to funny. As for criticizing Kevin’s charachter as bland, well, that is what most of us non-Hollywooders are like (i.e., not prone to superficial hysteria).
    What’s funny, its not like this is a favorite show of mine, your comments just got me fired up.

  5. 5
    jack
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 9:05 am

    thanks, b-side, for proving that it isn’t just me that finds this show painfully insipid, self-congratulatory, and utterly irrelevant. i have tried to see it from the ‘group of guys having guy times and guy antics’ angle, but the fact is that these guys are idiots, none of them remotely interesting. johnny drama’s desperation is painful, not amusing. only agent ari is fun to watch, ’cause you can tell piven is having such a blast going over the top again like he did back in his ‘PCU’ days, before ‘Ellen’ and a long list of sidekick roles in legal thrillers. adrien grenier has negative charisma and is utterly unconvincing as a rising star, and vince is written as such a dipshit that the whole ‘i want to be a serious actor’ thing is just cringe-worthy. when he sat in ari’s desk last night and did his little colombian drug-lord impression, i felt genuine embarassment for him.

  6. 6
    BabyBaby
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 9:12 am

    It’s true most of the characters are grating and moronic. But I must watch for Piven. He is brilliant and fun to watch, and I want to have his children.

  7. 7
    A-girl
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 9:46 am

    Sorry for this rude interruption, but Seacrest is co-hosting Regis and Kelly. God, I hope I’m not the only one not at work yet! He was talking about “Man Affection” (apparently you *can* touch the Seacrest). Kelly even set him up with an old widow from the studio audience. Does Ryan even date women his age?

  8. 8
    yourmom
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 10:38 am

    B-Side, I completely agree about Yes, Dear but I just want to know what you hate about that show?

  9. 9
    Nikkie
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 11:28 am

    I couldn’t agree more with this review. I was on the “inside” when I lived in L.A. and was beyond disturbed by how real the show was. I could only sit through about 10 minutes of the very first episode. Last night, I figured I’d give it another go and…it is unwatchable. Your take on Grenier is perfect!

  10. 10
    Hinha
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 2:12 pm

    Agreed on most points. But, while I used love Jeremy Piven in almost everything he did, I just can’t look at him since he got those cheap and tacky hair plugs. OK, the plugs suit the character, but I find it too tragic to look at on a once cute (bald head included) guy.

  11. 11
    mp
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 2:23 pm

    I totally agree – I just wish they would put Piven and Mazar on another show about hollywood with four central characters who are even slightly interesting and complex.

  12. 12
    Jake
    Posted June 6, 2005 at 3:36 pm

    Who said it was a comedy? I never really thought of it as one.

    It’s a drama more than anything.

    And it’s a fun drama. Not Sopranos or The Shield good, but fun.

  13. 13
    Fritz
    Posted June 7, 2005 at 12:49 am

    Thank God! I was beginning to think that I was the only one that didn’t love, love, love this show! Even the people that I know who hate everything seem to like it and I just don’t get it.

    There are definitely worse shows, but I don’t understand why this one gets so much adulation.

  14. 14
    527
    Posted June 7, 2005 at 11:27 am

    I’ll admit, during the premiere, I wondered if I was the only one who was slightly annoyed at the hint of “we’re on the inside, you’re on the outside” seething from the show … so good call, b-side. I’ve noticed no one commented on the turtle character, not being a west-coast native, I didn’t find his whining of no one appreciating his ‘live off my friend’ lifestyle particularly “funny” or “dramatic” … but then again, I’ll probably check it out again next week anyway.

  15. 15
    Lala
    Posted June 7, 2005 at 11:53 am

    I absolutely agree that it’s nowhere near as quality a show as Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm or Scrubs. But I think it’s a fun show to catch when there’s nothing better on.. which on Sunday nights this summer, is pretty much every week, in my opinion. Piven’s hilarious and I love to see Hollywood types portrayed as the self-centered, materialistic, shallow jerks most of them are. At least it shows stars more realisticallly than how saintly they like to portray themselves in magazines and on talk shows.

  16. 16
    lron
    Posted June 7, 2005 at 6:56 pm

    they just need to add aLOT more sex
    everything you said is accurate
    also, they are playing it way safe:
    -where are the CULTS? a scientology parody is timely and way ripe, but they’ll never risk thetan rage
    -the grenier character is too pure, he needs to invest SOME ego
    -kevin dillon is not overacting. most actors are retarded and clueless
    -more DRUGS too

  17. 17
    r dub
    Posted June 8, 2005 at 1:26 pm

    I wish I liked the show, it’s the hip TV du jour. But really, TURTLE drives me nuts. Not so much him, but that they end every scene he’s in with a smart ass comment by him, followed by the whole cast turning around and looking at him, mock exhasperation, and a “Tuuuuurtle!” They may as well say “Beaver!” It’s like a “You Can’t Do That On Television” skit. They should kill a character off. Really. They should.

  18. 18
    Janet
    Posted June 8, 2005 at 7:41 pm

    I watch Entourage and I enjoy it, but I really watch it BECAUSE of the Piven man. But then again, I’m still sulking over the premature demise of the late, great dramaedy, Cupid. I tend to have a problem moving on.:(

  19. 19
    Anon
    Posted June 9, 2005 at 5:00 am

    Thank you for that! I hate this stupid, shallow show, too. The women are just arm candy (and they all look alike regardless of race or age, have you noticed?), and I still can’t understand why the handsome movie star has so damn little to do. (Adrian Grenier was great in a film called “The Adventures of Sebastian Cole,” btw. Check it out.) Jeremy Piven does rock, though. Gotta give it up to him.

    Ugh. I hate you for this crap, Mark Wahlberg. Even more than I normally hate your punk ass.

  20. 20
    mm
    Posted June 11, 2005 at 6:27 am

    you’re right on the money.

    the raves this tripe gets in the mainstream is more proof that critics are as divorced from reality as this show is.

    i suppose it’s possible to make a good show about witless, vulgar egotists living relatively problem-free lives, but it would take genuine satire to bring it off. There’s no real insight here and precious few laughs.

  21. 21
    D.
    Posted June 26, 2005 at 7:43 pm

    here are all the whinners problems. the show is not meant to have any real value. it is meant to entertain and show marky marks semi-entourage life he led. we all know how all of hollywood is obsessed with themselves but the show is written very well especially pivens character and my opinion is it is one of the best things on TV right now. if you are from NY you know what these guys are like and how i wish i could live that life ( im from queens ny) it’s a dream and everyone is basically watching what happens in the dream. if ya don’t like it don’t watch it, stop bitching and let your women let go of your testicles sounds like a bunch of whinning and moaning in here.

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