In an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Larry David needs tickets to attend religious services on the Jewish High Holy Days. (Most synagogues require attendees to arrange for seats ahead of the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement.) Larry fails to get them in time and resorts to buying from a scalper. He eventually learns the tickets are counterfeits and is escorted out of the sanctuary. It’s clear he has zero interest in the services for which he paid an inflated price.

Like all good satire, the episode raises an interesting...