John Mulaney on "Late Night with Seth Meyers"

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The "Rick and Morty" Rift

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Adult Swim Not too long ago, I paid a visit to the Rick and Morty subreddit. I wanted to see what people thought about the first half of the recent fourth season of the show, which I really enjoyed. In doing so, I realized something very interesting about the fanbase, or at least the fanbase as it is represented on anonymous message boards. More than any other show, the  Rick and Morty  fanbase does not agree on what makes the show great. Not only do they not agree - at risk of oversimplification, they seem split into two diametrically-opposed sides. What really stuck out to me, as I looked through the online commentary, is that one side seems to love the show more for its dramatic elements, while the other seems to love the show more for its comedic elements. This presents an interesting dilemma for the  Rick and Morty  writers, and it will be interesting to see how they handle it moving forward. The first half of the  Rick and Morty  fanbase is ...
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The Turn to the Serious

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  Photo: CSA Images via Getty Images A recent trend that I have found interesting – and not in the least bit frustrating – is the blending of comedy and drama. It is not so much that I find dramatic comedies or comedic dramas to be bad, it is more that, from what I have noticed, too strong a trend in the serious direction can do a disservice to the comedy genre. Right now, it seems that shows/movies that are more dramatic, albeit with funny moments, are lauded as great comedies, overshadowing actual comedies that might not grab the culture as much in that moment. There seem to be fewer actors in the world of comedy who base their career solely off of their comedy, more often blending comedic work with dramatic work as they navigate their career in the entertainment industry. Looking to the past, the blending of comedy and drama is definitely not specific to the present. Comedic actors/comedians have often delved into more dramatic work, with Bill Murray ( The Razor’s Edge and Lost...
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The Challenge of Long-Running Comedy TV

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