Get with the Entourage

Hollywood has often been ridiculed for its obsession with itself. And rightly so, given the amount of media that daily dedicates itself to proliferating the belief of Hollywood’s grandiose supremacy. But not all of this coverage is hogwash. Some if it is actually possesses entertainment value beyond the “I just can’t look away” awe of a car wreck. For every Celebrities Uncensored, there’s a Curb Your Enthusiasm, and for every America’s Sweethearts, there’s an L.A. Story.

This July, HBO reconceptualized the Hollywood tell-all genre with its new sitcom Entourage. It’s the story of Vincent Chase, a kid from Queens, N.Y., on the elusive ascent to Hollywood stardom. As Vincent takes three of his hometown buddies along for the ride, Entourage becomes a vicious, hysterical and—most notably—a dead-on Hollywood farce. It’s no wonder given that Mark Wahlberg, a celebrity with his own reputation for mischief, serves as executive producer. The show also boasts a staff of writers that includes a Seinfeld vet, a pedigree that endows the show with tomfoolery and a wicked sense of humor. Whether the characters are arguing the merits of starring in a superhero franchise (“We’re gonna get you the action figure with a huge cock”), or cruising for tail in accordance with the L.A. dating rituals (“Catch and release”), there is no Hollywood stigma Entourage will not confront.

While Entourage stars Adrian Grenier (best remembered as the stud-muffin from Drive Me Crazy) as Vincent, the true star of the show is the incomparable Jeremy Piven. In his role as Vincent’s agent, Ari Gold, Piven is finally able to break away from his status as John Cusak’s smart-aleck sidekick. It is Ari’s politically tactless quips and his verbal sparring with Vincent’s best friend and pseudo-manager, Eric (Kevin Connolly), which stand out as Entourage’s greatest moments.

In spite of the show’s celebration of Hollywood’s material excesses and incorrigible sycophancy, Entourage does actually have a heart, and that heart lies in the friendship that Vincent and his entourage share. For as much as his three childhood buddies are shameless mooches, Vincent’s friends are also fiercely loyal to and protective of him. Entourage trumpets these two attributes as necessary for any person hoping to successfully navigate the shark-infested waters of Hollywood. No, make that the shark-infested waters of life in general. It is the wit and skill with which this dynamic is explored that makes Entourage such a pleasure to watch. In the end, perhaps Entourage has a lesson to teach: No matter how hard Hollywood may try, sometimes the truth is just stranger than fiction, or as Ari would put it, “Even the truth sometimes seems fake.”