‘Rick and Morty’ Creator Dan Harmon Hates When ‘The Meanest Person In A Conversation’ Quotes The Show
In 2017, after season 3 came out, Rick and Morty was the most-watched comedy on TV by millennials. The show’s garnered a cult-like following since its debut, hosting some of TV’s most passionate fans.
While Rick and Morty creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland love that the show they pour so much of themselves into reaches audiences far and wide, Harmon did mention one pet peeve of his in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
What Justin Roiland is tired of seeing from ‘Rick and Morty’ fans
The publication asked the creators which reference they’d grown tired of hearing over the years.
“The second half of that question is really difficult. But the first half would be the ‘wubba lubba dub dub’ catchphrase. Only because we were making fun of the idea of stupid catchphrases. [At first] it wasn’t at all that and then it was funny because it was a dumb catchphrase, and then we subverted it by making it mean something really depressing,” responded Roiland.
He continued: “The hardcore fans get the irony behind it. But I think some fans maybe don’t? I hate to s*it on anything because I don’t want to bum anybody out. I don’t want somebody to be like, ‘I love that!’ And then for them to read that Justin hates it. I don’t hate it… You set me up, man!”
It bums Dan Harmon out to see the ‘meanest [people]’ quote ‘Rick and Morty’
But Harmon took the opportunity to address something else that’s bothered him about the fan base’s usage of the show’s content.
“This isn’t really an answer to the question, but it always bums me out when somebody uses a meme of a quote for the show and it’s being used by somebody who isn’t the greatest specimen. I hate it when a line from our show is being used by the meanest person in a conversation online,” he said.
In an average episode of Rick and Morty, the show’s outlook ranges from realist to cynical–and almost never optimistic. Rick, one of the show’s titular characters, is widely considered to be an a*shole. In fact, there’s an ongoing question bubbling beneath the surface of many of the family-centric episodes: Does Rick love his family?
So it’s easy to see how the show could attract some rough-around-the-edges fans. As Harmon’s noticed, some “mean” people use the show, probably Rick’s words, to illustrate their points. And it bums Harmon out.
But, at the end of the day, the creator’s OK with it. Rick and Morty is for everyone, even “the meanest person in a conversation.”
“It is what it is,” he said. “It’s a popular show. I don’t think, ‘Oh God, I’ve done something terrible.’ I wish only saints and cool race car drivers liked our show, but then we wouldn’t make any money.”
Read more: When The ‘Rick and Morty’ Creators Think The Show Will End
