The Rickolution of Political Satire: Rick and Morty’s Fresh Take on Political Satire
Document Type
Panel Presentation
Start Date
19-4-2018 3:30 PM
End Date
19-4-2018 4:45 PM
Keywords
satire, pop culture, politics
Biography
Cameron Austin is a West Virginia native. He is a graduating senior majoring in International Affairs with minors in Spanish, History, and Economics. After graduation, he hopes to someday teach English in Spain or a Spanish speaking country.
Major
International Affaris
Advisor for this project
Dr. Jamie Warner
Abstract
Adult cartoons such as South Park and The Simpsons have always commented on politics in a subtle (or not-so-subtle) way. In 2013, cable network Adult Swim released a new show, Rick and Morty, that follows the adventures of scientist Rick and his grandson Morty. Although heavily science-fiction based, the show, like South Park and The Simpsons, brings its own commentary on political issues. However, unlike South Park and The Simpsons, Rick and Morty’s commentary does not seek a side on any matter. In this paper, I seek to explore how the evolution of satirical political commentary in adult cartoons has changed from South Park to Rick and Morty. Additionally, I will be examining how—with superheroes, a talking pickle man, and the infinite Rick’s and Morty’s in infinite dimensions—are used to not only poke fun at political issues, but also give a lesson on the issues.
The Rickolution of Political Satire: Rick and Morty’s Fresh Take on Political Satire
Adult cartoons such as South Park and The Simpsons have always commented on politics in a subtle (or not-so-subtle) way. In 2013, cable network Adult Swim released a new show, Rick and Morty, that follows the adventures of scientist Rick and his grandson Morty. Although heavily science-fiction based, the show, like South Park and The Simpsons, brings its own commentary on political issues. However, unlike South Park and The Simpsons, Rick and Morty’s commentary does not seek a side on any matter. In this paper, I seek to explore how the evolution of satirical political commentary in adult cartoons has changed from South Park to Rick and Morty. Additionally, I will be examining how—with superheroes, a talking pickle man, and the infinite Rick’s and Morty’s in infinite dimensions—are used to not only poke fun at political issues, but also give a lesson on the issues.
