Rick and Morty - Look At Me!!

I'm really hoping that the beginning of the next season (2022??) is the adventures of Beth and Evil Morty.

Grenn wrote:
TheMostRad wrote:
ruhk wrote:

That’s always been the MO of the show though, starting from way back in season 1. There’s a deeper mythology that they occasionally visit, but all that takes a back seat to general high-concept sci-fi hijinks and fart jokes. There were one and a half seasons (and three years) between Evil Morty’s two appearances, Bird Person has only appeared in the show four times total and he’s supposed to be Rick’s oldest, closest friend. They’ll (probably) get around to addressing all that stuff eventually but they’re going to take their time.

But then by contrast they addressed the clone issue in the very next episode. That was set up to be just as long-term mysterious/ambiguous, yet they closed that chapter in the very next episode.

Did they? He said the gun was for Jerry, but we don't know. Just moments later, he used a fishing hat prop to fool the President. If he really loves his family, especially his daughter, then why wouldn't he begrudgingly go through with this farce when a Beth clone gets existential? That could be his own perverted way of looking out for her. And they really aren't afraid to let interesting story threads dangle for a long time. Evil Morty (or Short Rick as I call him) only appears twice, with three years and seventeen episodes between those appearances. I can see them holding onto an episode where real Beth returns or teasing us with seeing her in the background later.

And I should have known this episode would have some lasting impact. Whenever Rick and Morty are getting along too well things usually pivot in some interesting ways (see Interdimensional Cable #1).

Well said.
Also, whether or not Beth is a clone, could still be considered ambiguous given the conversation at the end of the episode. If nothing else the finale gave us Rick saying "Doctor Who-in' this Motherf**cker".

I actually don’t think the clone issue will EVER truly be settled- you just know that they’ll mine it for throwaway jokes in the future.

I'd watch it.

Finally took the dive into this show. Man I love it. So dark! Almost done with the 2nd season and then need to find a way to catch up on season 3.

Is it dusty in here...

It just started raining. Inside my cube.

That was nice and sad. I forgot Beth shot him and that is why he has the cane.

"He wants you to know he's sorry you didn't have any bad memories of him"

That's just not fair...

Roiland just announced on twitter/instagram that they’ve finished contract negotiations with Adult Swim and R&M is officially renewed for 70 episodes. That works out to 5-6 seasons but knowing Roiland it’s entirely possible he just pulled the “70 episodes” number out of nowhere as hyperbole.
Regardless, he implied that production has already started as well. If they follow the schedule for the previous season it means new episodes in early 2020, just in time for the apocalypse!

That's some schwifty news!

Whoo! Came to post about that!
So instead I'll post about somebody putting in background Rick and Morty as ponies in a recent episode of MLP:FiM.
At first I saw a report (the nerdist) talking about how ppl were really angry, but then I looked more into it and I think they exaggerated.

Rick did say he was going to get that Szechuan sauce in the ninth season.
Of course if there's infinite universes it should still be around, somewhere. Which makes me wonder, is there a consortium of Ricks who are hoarding it or preventing access?

I hope Rick and Morty continues to be great.

I hope their fandom burns in eternal hellfire.

Harmon and some of the staff writers have been pretty vocal about being disgusted by what’s been going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way of addressing it in an episode.

ruhk wrote:

Harmon and some of the staff writers have been pretty vocal about being disgusted by what’s been going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way of addressing it in an episode.

Totally wouldn't be surprised if they start the next season off with two blatant big middle fingers to all those dirtbags.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
ruhk wrote:

Harmon and some of the staff writers have been pretty vocal about being disgusted by what’s been going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way of addressing it in an episode.

Totally wouldn't be surprised if they start the next season off with two blatant big middle fingers to all those dirtbags.

Who won't get it, or will think it's not at them. Sort of like how I like Tool, but I'm not one of those Tool fans.

Mixolyde wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:
ruhk wrote:

Harmon and some of the staff writers have been pretty vocal about being disgusted by what’s been going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way of addressing it in an episode.

Totally wouldn't be surprised if they start the next season off with two blatant big middle fingers to all those dirtbags.

Who won't get it, or will think it's not at them. Sort of like how I like Tool, but I'm not one of those Took fans.

I'm wondering if they'll dumb it down and put it in very simple terms... basically make it a PSA episode. It'd be interesting. But, even if they made it understandable, those types of people would just skip it, so there's no winning I guess.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
Mixolyde wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:
ruhk wrote:

Harmon and some of the staff writers have been pretty vocal about being disgusted by what’s been going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way of addressing it in an episode.

Totally wouldn't be surprised if they start the next season off with two blatant big middle fingers to all those dirtbags.

Who won't get it, or will think it's not at them. Sort of like how I like Tool, but I'm not one of those Took fans.

I'm wondering if they'll dumb it down and put it in very simple terms... basically make it a PSA episode. It'd be interesting. But, even if they made it understandable, those types of people would just skip it, so there's no winning I guess.

I don't think it's an issue of it going over their heads and needing to dumb it down so they get it. They understand and choose not to get it.

Sometimes a trog is a trog. Just please don’t feed the trogs, okay?

ruhk wrote:

Harmon and some of the staff writers have been pretty vocal about being disgusted by what’s been going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way of addressing it in an episode.

Can I get sources on any of this? Are we talking about different stuff?
edit: I think we're talking about different stuff.

RolandofGilead wrote:
ruhk wrote:

Harmon and some of the staff writers have been pretty vocal about being disgusted by what’s been going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they find a way of addressing it in an episode.

Can I get sources on any of this? Are we talking about different stuff?
edit: I think we're talking about different stuff.

Harmon has been open about being disgusted by the behavior and general obnoxiousness of some of the hardcore R&M fans on his Harmontown podcast, and he started another podcast called “Whiting Wongs” with R&M writer Jessica Gao as a direct response to the misogyny and racism directed towards the writing staff during season 3. Several other writers and staff have been vocal about it on twitter.

ruhk wrote:

he started another podcast called “Whiting Wongs” with R&M writer Jessica Gao as a direct response to the misogyny and racism directed towards the writing staff during season 3. Several other writers and staff have been vocal about it on twitter.

That's also a reference to his own f*ckup of casting a white woman to play an Asian character in Dr. Wong rather than a person of Asian descent.

bnpederson wrote:
ruhk wrote:

he started another podcast called “Whiting Wongs” with R&M writer Jessica Gao as a direct response to the misogyny and racism directed towards the writing staff during season 3. Several other writers and staff have been vocal about it on twitter.

That's also a reference to his own f*ckup of casting a white woman to play an Asian character in Dr. Wong rather than a person of Asian descent.

That particular blow up... I am bothered by the prospect of holding voice actor casting to the standard of matching character characteristics to voice actor characteristics. Part of the beauty of voice acting to me is the ability of really talented professional voice actors to create vocal characters to embody any role is a way that would be inappropriate for on-camera work. Some of my favorite male performances are voiced by women, and vice versa. The ability of people like Maurice Lamarsh, Tara Strong, Rob Paulson, Sean Schemmel, Billy West, Todd Haberkorn, Brian Tee, I could go on forever... to embody characters whole with just their voice. I feel like we would lose something valuable if voice casting was forced to cast for type.

EDIT: I foolishly forget the best voice actor of all time (OF. ALL. TIME.) Steven Blum.

I was just about to smack your hand about Blum. Bang.

thrawn82 wrote:
bnpederson wrote:
ruhk wrote:

he started another podcast called “Whiting Wongs” with R&M writer Jessica Gao as a direct response to the misogyny and racism directed towards the writing staff during season 3. Several other writers and staff have been vocal about it on twitter.

That's also a reference to his own f*ckup of casting a white woman to play an Asian character in Dr. Wong rather than a person of Asian descent.

That particular blow up... I am bothered by the prospect of holding voice actor casting to the standard of matching character characteristics to voice actor characteristics. Part of the beauty of voice acting to me is the ability of really talented professional voice actors to create vocal characters to embody any role is a way that would be inappropriate for on-camera work. Some of my favorite male performances are voiced by women, and vice versa. The ability of people like Maurice Lamarsh, Tara Strong, Rob Paulson, Sean Schemmel, Billy West, Todd Haberkorn, Brian Tee, I could go on forever... to embody characters whole with just their voice. I feel like we would lose something valuable if voice casting was forced to cast for type.

EDIT: I foolishly forget the best voice actor of all time (OF. ALL. TIME.) Steven Blum.

I understand and I'm certainly not up on all the political or ethical ramifications regarding this. But voice acting, just like real acting, isn't some perfect meritocracy where the best person is found through an unbiased process and then brought on to voice the character flawlessly. It has the same institutional racism and biases as everything else, and actively working to diversify your cast is, I think, a very good thing.

Keep in mind that this was the first Asian character on Rick and Morty. And Jessica Gao, the the writer of that episode and the co-host of the podcast originally mentioned, stated:

So when I wrote it, I specifically named her Dr. Wong because there haven’t been any Asian characters, and any time I can, I want to give an Asian actor who isn’t Kumail [Nanjiani] a job. So I wrote her as Dr. Wong, she’s drawn as Dr. Wong. We actually started auditioning the gamut of Asian actresses, and in the middle of auditioning these Asian actresses, we get word that Susan Sarandon wants to be on the show. She says she loves the show. The suspicion is, maybe her kid loves the show?

So we’re not going to say no to Susan Sarandon asking to be on the show. This was the very next meaty female role that was going to be on the show. Her voice is great. She’s wonderful, she’s great. But she’s not the Dr. Wong I pictured […] There were so many Asian women that could’ve done it.

So they didn't hire an Asian woman because a big name wanted to guest star and that was the path of least resistance. It wasn't that she was going to be the only one who could do it justice, they just wanted to get a celebrity cameo in there.

Also of interest may be The Problem with Apu which recently came up again due to the Simpsons writer's ham-fisted oblique response to it a few weeks back. That, and the conversation generated around it, deal with the issue of harmful stereotypes coming to define a minority for so much of America, even ones that didn't intend to be hurtful.

Representation matters and diversity really does help everything become better, be it in writing or in voice acting. As much as you love your favorite voice actors I'm positive a diverse cast would simply mean you'll get even more favorites as time goes on.

Yea and I realize there is nuance and institutionalized racism involved because this is america. I was just trying to communicate that I don't think it's a net gain to force Asian characters to only be played by asian voice actors, anymore than it is a net gain to have Brian Tee and Lauren Tom only voice Asian characters, or Phil Lamarr only voice black characters, or Sarah Silverman only voice Jewish stereotype lady characters.

EDIT Ok I narrowed down what gives me the weird feeling: the unspoken insistence that in order to create an opportunity in voice acting to hire an Asian voice actor, you have to create an Asian character for them to voice.

I think it's more the only way the writers can easily get those actors hired, as they aren't the ones in charge of casting. That's not so much an unspoken insistence as the way it was in this one case.

If Jessica Gao had written a Dr. Thompson instead of a Dr. Wong and drawn them as a white lady the chances of their casting team hiring an Asian actor to voice them would be pretty low, even though that would be perfectly acceptable. By making the character Asian she significantly bumped up the chances of hiring an Asian voice actor.

And instead they got a white celebrity voice. It isn't a burn-them offense, but it is a damned shame.