Larry David and Nathan Fielder Ignoring Each Other at an Oscar Party Is Peak Awkwardness

After spending more than three hours laboriously praising one another and enduring the stress of distributing miniature gold nudist statuettes to their friends, celebrities were able to finally get some downtime following the Academy Awards broadcast at the annual post-show Vanity Fair Oscars Party. Judging from the red carpet design, the theme of this year’s event was: “I sure could go for some McNuggets right now.”

This swanky function taking their decorating cues from a garish clown who hawks garbage food wasn’t the only thing that captured the attention of the internet. The party hosted major Hollywood stars like Sydney Sweeney, Margot Robbie and Chris Evans. Also walking the red carpet? The 76-year-old man who both popularized masturbation contests and viciously assaulted a beloved Sesame Street muppet.

Noted curmudgeon Larry David walking the red carpet is amusing enough on its own, but then, to the delight of comedy fans, a photographer was able to snap a picture of David with fellow cringe comedy legend Nathan Fielder. The star of Curb Your Enthusiasm and the mastermind behind Nathan for You and The Rehearsal (not to mention the wildly uncomfortable The Curse) were together at last. They were just hanging out at the bar, smiling and chatting about— no, wait, they’re both just awkwardly staring into space completely ignoring each other. Which, come to think of it, is 100 percent extremely on brand. 

To be fair, a lot of people sharing this photo are cropping out David’s wife, Ashley Underwood, who was standing just next to her husband at the bar. Still it’s especially funny to see David with his back turned to Fielder, who we can only assume had a bunch of friends with him just outside of the frame.

For some, this was a pretttttty, prettttty big deal. In the past, a number of comedy fans have even suggested that David and Fielder should collaborate, perhaps in a TV or movie project in which David plays Fielder’s father. And if you think that sounds like a bad idea, perhaps this A.I.-generated image of such a collaboration, apparently suggested by a fan, will change your mind — if, that is, it doesn’t haunt your dreams for all of eternity.

But now that these two have been in close proximity with one another at a party and seemingly didn’t even bother to interact, it sure doesn’t appear likely that they’ll become the Lennon and McCartney of comedies where misanthropic men ignore social cues while audience members cover their faces and yell at the TV. 

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