Rick and Morty

Rick and Morty has garnered a lot of attention since its very first episode. When you think of a Rick and Morty fan you may picture a rabid jake storming McDonald's locations for sauce cups. I started off with a resonable level of interest, not attacking fast-food workers for less than an ounce of sauce, but I really appreciated the creative, intricate plots. As I remember more of the abuse I endured as a child, I have quickly become completely intolerant of the show.

Has the show gotten bad? Do I just not get it now? No, I think many plotlines in newer episodes are clever, with great sci-fi concepts. What I have become less tolerant of is the show's underlying dynamic. The last episode my husband had on was particularly disturbing. The point of the storyline was that Rick abuses his entire family, but especially Morty. He literally sacrifices his grandson's life over and over. The only thing that matters to Rick is advancing his own projects. Projects that often lead to violence and death, despite what he claims they are for.

My primary abusers were my grandparents. Watching a show that is entirely centered around a dynamic where a grandfather abuses his grandson in some of the most violent and despicable ways possible is triggering, to say the least. The idea has been presented over and over that Morty is destined to be kicked around, because it seems to be happening in every alternate dimension. This is a disturbing message. One that says that abuse victims have no recourse and shouldn't bother trying to escape their situation. It says on some level they must deserve it, that there is no way out; not even going to an alternate dimension would help you, because you always are, and always will be, a victim.

That's not clever or good sci-fi. I love sci-fi for the amazing possibilities it presents, for the forward-looking technology that writers and artists invent. I don't expect any media to show us a perfect world. It certainly isn't what we have now. I only wish the show were not entirely centered on the concept that a high IQ gives you the right to do anything and everything, especially to abuse your family and supporting staff.

I know that Rick is supposed to be an iteration of the mad scientist character trope. I am not against media having bad villains, for the truly evil of the world to be shown for what they are, but Rick and Morty misses the mark in this case. Despite the frequent reminders that Rick isn't a good guy, the narrative still centers on him, and reinforces all of his ideas. Because of this most fans don't see it that way, and they take this as a tacit endorsement of their own detrimental urges and bad behavior. They take it to mean that intelligence is king, and they should be worshipped for it, even though statitically speaking, very few of them are hyper-intelligent.

The other problem, which I would rather not harp on, is the running theme of incest. It is sometimes used as a horror element, but many times it's just a big joke; come on, it's just a joke. For many people, the joke isn't funny. And whether you are trapped by violent family members or the bounds of a plot, it is a damaging dynamic to repeatedly project.

Am I going to go on a rage campaign against a cartoon? No, it would be a waste of time. The die-hard fans seem to love the show for all of the reasons I hate it. They think Rick abusing Morty and everyone else he meets is hilarious, and many even seem to enjoy the inappropriate family interactions. It would be unhealthy on my end to try to keep others from watching because it is triggering for me. All I can do is try to avoid watching it myself.

So, I don't feel the hype surrounding Rick and Morty is commensurate with its value, but that's just my opinion, man. If I'm not pushed into viewing it, I suppose I don't really have any complaints.

K.B. Silver