Popular Show 'Rick and Morty' Makes Controversial 9/11 Joke, Sparks Polarizing Response
Most people are aware that adult cartoons like “South Park” or “Family Guy” often use potentially offensive subject matter as the basis of their jokes.
But the risky scripts generally seem to be accepted by people who are aware that they are in fact jokes.
However, some fans felt that Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” may have crossed a line with a 9/11 joke during Sunday’s episode.
The animated sci-fi hit usually involves some sort of interdimensional hijinks with mad scientist Rick Sanchez — who is drunk at least 99 percent of the time — and his grandson Morty.
The show is also known to make dark and vulgar jokes, often involving Rick’s nihilistic outlook on life.
In the seventh episode of the fourth season, titled “Promortyous,” Rick and Morty are seen flying through a planet with two buildings resembling the World Trade Center’s twin towers, which were destroyed by Islamic terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.
As they fly toward the towers and swerve around them at the last second, Rick says he’s “proud of us for not” crashing into the buildings, while Morty says “it would have been cheap.”
The implication from the show’s writers was that they could have mocked the 9/11 terror attacks by having Rick and Morty crash into the towers, but made a conscious effort not to do so. Of course, the joke was that by breaking the fourth wall, the writers were able to include a 9/11 reference anyway.
Immediately following those comments, the two blow up an alien harbor, recreating a Pearl Harbor-like scenario.
Once the grandfather and grandson duo return home, Morty continues with the 9/11 jokes.
“So, you did a 9/11?” Morty’s mother, Beth, asks.
“Almost did a 9/11. We went with the Pearl Harbor. We’re pretty classy,” Morty responds.
It wasn’t long before the controversial joke made its way to Twitter for discussion:
@RickandMorty this season sucks and on top of it your making 9/11 jokes? How about instead of making two shows that suck make one good one?
— Jay (@ZedNickadeemus) May 11, 2020
Is Rick and Morty still doing 9/11 jokes?
Because wow, that’s so funny in 2020.
— Poynter_Marcsman (@poyntermarcsman) May 11, 2020
Not Rick and Morty with the 9/11 jokes ??????
— kat the snake (@KATMIRIAMXO) May 11, 2020
Some fans of the popular series found the joke to be humorous and “creative.”
Rick and morty man, you gotta be creative and bold to joke about 9/11 and pearl harbor like that.
— Rithik Paikkadan (@maymeesa) May 12, 2020
THIS RICK AND MORTY STARTED OFF WILD LMAOOOOOOO. “im sorry i didnt 9/11 Pearl Harbor before breakfast”
— lil Spring Cleaner (@Tiim_____) May 11, 2020
Some “Rick and Morty” fans are clearly OK with pushing the envelope of political correctness in the name of humor.
But the fact that this particular joke received any flak at all from fans shows that the creators of the sitcom may have found their limits.
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