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 ...
Photograph: BBC Limmy’s Show is unique in that it comes from a context that I am less aware of. Other movies or shows can be contextualized from certain familiar comedy scenes (i.e. the world of Saturday Night Live , Upright Citizens Brigade, the Judd Apatow comedy universe). Limmy’s Show is a sketch show that comes out of the Scottish comedy world, and the creator’s alternative comedy world within that world, making it very unique to me. However, that makes the fact that I connect with it all the more satisfying. Part of the uniqueness of this show comes from its European-ness – and more specifically, its Scottishness. Just as Monty Python connects me with a British sensibility and Flight of the Conchords connects me with a New Zealand sensibility, this show connects with a Scottish sensibility. The show is filmed in Scottish locations, has a lot of its sketches occurring in what look like authentic pubs, and a lot of the characters played on the show seem to be Scottish arche...
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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