Rick and Morty, for the unenlightened, is an animated sci-fi/comedy series by Community creator Dan Harmon and voice actor Justin Roiland. It’s a highly irreverent show that satires sci-fi tropes while simultaneously paying homage to sci-fi stories — its main arch focuses on the inter-dimensional, inter-galactic adventures of misanthropic science genius Rick and his slow-witted grandson Morty.
But Rick and Morty is way deeper than that, and the combination of deep sci-fi and nihilistic comedy probably explains a notorious fanbase that more than often comprises of cringeworthy, self-important pricks. The best way to exemplify the fandom would be through this infamous post on Reddit:
To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Rick and Morty. The humour is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer’s head. There’s also Rick’s nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation- his personal philosophy draws heavily from Narodnaya Volya literature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realise that they’re not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Rick & Morty truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn’t appreciate, for instance, the humour in Rick’s existential catchphrase “Wubba Lubba Dub Dub,” which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev’s Russian epic Fathers and Sons. I’m smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Dan Harmon’s genius wit unfolds itself on their television screens. What fools.. how I pity them. 😂
And yes, by the way, i DO have a Rick & Morty tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It’s for the ladies’ eyes only- and even then they have to demonstrate that they’re within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand. Nothin personnel kid 😎
There’re also the riots that broke out during the recent McDonald’s Szechuan sauce controversy — a whole other Rick and Morty-related shenanigan that you can read about on Polygon.
No Szechuan sauce madness here, but there still is a formidable fanbase for the Adult Swim series. Which is why it’s awesome news to hear that Funzing Singapore will be organizing a Rick and Morty pop-up bar at The Armoury on June 11 that promises to be “a night of trivia, burping, molecular mixology, and pickles”. No high IQ needed to attend, but it would make sense to actually be a fan of the series unless you want hundreds of jokes and references to sail over your head.
Tickets are up for sale on Funzing; stay updated on the Facebook event page.
