Moderators did their best to address the growing concern among forum members that rampant toxicity was ruining the overall show experience. Rick and Morty’s subreddit nearly imploded as people clashed over these ideals. When two of Rick and Morty’s writers, Jessica Gao and Rachel Becker, were targeted by Rick and Morty stans, the most common complaint spewed was making Rick more vulnerable and exposing him to the pain he causes his family. He was, in their eyes, a god because of his intelligence and ability to put his own aspirations before anyone else’s. This was the fanbase who saw Rick’s selfish, aggressive personality as the ideal alpha male a person to aspire to be. It was embarrassing, but it wasn’t surprising.
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Like Fight Club diehards before it, this group of Rick and Morty fans ruined the series for so many of us. The disturbing parallels between Rick and his most devout supporters that lurked beneath the surface during the first two seasons was now prominently on display. The same group of people who embodied the “to be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Rick and Morty” meme.
That toxic side of Rick’s character, however, came to define a reactionary, outspoken group of Rick and Morty fans. His actions were driven by an inherent selfishness, an inability to care for anyone other than himself. Rick may be the most intelligent human in the galaxy, but he was a neglectful, emotionally abusive prick with abandonment issues and narcissistic tendencies. The parts of Rick and Morty fans identified with were the same characteristics that Harmon and Roiland were trying to riff on - ironically, toxicity in humans. We wrote that the way Rick and Morty fans reacted to the Szechuan sauce debacle proved it was something that had to be done “due to their love of a show they think makes them look smart or that they feel justifies their loneliness.” Harmon’s comments about Rick and Morty fans misunderstanding what they’re watching echoed for weeks.
#Toxic side rick and morty toxicwap tv#
Harmon told Entertainment Weekly that “these knobs, that want to protect the content they think they own - and somehow combine that with their need to be proud of something they have, which is often only their race or gender.” It was a sentiment he followed up just weeks later, telling Polygon “I think if you’re talking to someone about whether or not something sucks it’s a good indication that they’re not watching TV right.” Adult Swimīut what we continued coming back to was the harassment occurring within the community and the disappointment of Rick and Morty’s creators. We also watched as Elon Musk proclaimed his love for the series and other celebrities took notice of the show’s clever storytelling. Its long-time fans, who waited (somewhat impatiently) for more than 18 months between the second season and the third, watched as mainstream media outlets labeled the Rick and Morty community as despicable. Rick and Morty’s cultural identity was at a tipping point in 2017. The second group, driven by an obnoxious compulsion to turn their obsession with a joke in their favorite series into something more, stormed McDonald’s locations across the United States, hounding part-time employees in search of a limited-edition Szechuan sauce. One group targeted the show’s new, female writers on Twitter, blaming them for “ruining” the version of Rick and Morty they’ve come to adore. The toxicity around Rick and Morty’s third season came from two separate groups that upon first glance seem to have nothing in common. It wasn’t even the fault of the majority of fans, many of whom voiced embarrassment at being associated with the louder, reactionary group causing a toxic ruckus. It wasn’t the fault of critics who applauded Rick and Morty’s third and most acclaimed season. It was of no fault of co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, who pleaded with fans on Twitter to stop their hostile and immature antics. It’s impossible to talk about entertainment and general pop culture in 2017 without reflecting on the phenomenon - and toxicity - of Rick and Morty. The series will end with Polygon’s Best of TV and Best of Movies pieces. Each will examine why the author believes that moment to be one of 2017’s most extraordinary. These personal essays will examine the best, most important and weirdest moments that occurred in television, film, streaming and YouTube/Twitch in 2017. Polygon is kicking off its best of entertainment series, which will run through the end of December and beginning of January, coming to a close just before the 2017 Golden Globes.
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