Ten Reasons Why Rick & Morty is a fine piece of MetaFiction (and poetry)
Photo by Tommy Tang on Unsplash
- Multiple Ricks and Mortys indicate an awareness of mass production as well as multiple dimensions. This means that the Morty on your screen is (and isn't) the same as the Morty on my screen. To quote Rick at the end of the first episode, "Rick and Morty dot com forever!"
- Rick Sanchez sure loves to talk to us. His infamous catch phrase at the end of the episode, "wubba dubba dub dub" ("I am in great pain, please help me,") is also addressed to us, reinforcing the notion that he wants us to rethink the archetype of the asshole-genius.
- Jerry and Beth's tour based on the Titanic film is such delicious commentary on fiction; and obsession with it. Ironic when you consider the obsessive behaviors among fans of shows like Rick and Morty....(this blog post included)?
- Jerry: "Sound like our stories were connected by a theme." // Rick: "Not really. probably a cosmic connection your mind mistakes for thematic." // Jerry: "Oh." // Rick: "Old Rick! Ruining everything!"
- Interdimensional cable! Absurd animated improvisations mimic the YouTube tradition.
- From the episode "Look Who's Purging Now," Rick explains Morty's violent outburst by assuring him that it's due to the candy bar he ate "from the first act." We are worried that Morty may have acted inconsistently, but Rick assures us both: "your character is totally protected."
- (After a slow motion moment) "Knock it off, SlowMobius."
- Jerry about James Cameronion rings on the Titanic tour: "Great. Not only is the ship not sinking, but the fourth wall has been broken."
- Rick: "I don't want to be the 'a little help' guy, but, a little help?"
- Morty's response to the movie trailer about Jan Michael Vincent: "Is it important that we know who Jan Michael Vincent is in order to get this?" No, Morty. No, it isn't. We both know it.
I'll leave you with a question: If Rick and Morty are from Earth C-137, where are we?