Posted in: Adult Swim, Rick and Morty, TV | Tagged: rick and morty, south park

Rick and Morty Co-Creator Dan Harmon Explains Show's "South Park" Rule

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon explained the Adult Swim series' "South Park" rule and how it applies to writing a season's episodes.

When it comes to social satire and tackling all of the weird and wonderful (and everything in between) things that make humans human, Adult Swim's Rick and Morty has been twisting the knife with the best of them for the past seven seasons (with Season 8 shaping up to keep the tradition going). But when it comes to "hot topics" and in-the-moment headline-grabbers, the animated series tends to steer clear. During a recent interview ahead of the premiere of the eighth season, series co-creator Dan Harmon discussed how the writers look to Trey Parker and Matt Stone's South Park when deciding on making a pop culture reference.

"We have a 'South Park' rule, which is, 'Let's not play a 'South Park' game because 'South Park' can do it faster and better than us.' So it's one thing for the thing you're referring to is like, 'Oh, they're in 'Squid Game' outfits,' so it's a direct reference. And it's sometimes hard to predict this, I think that it's when something is so culturally impacting, then we go like, 'Well, it's going to be timeless no matter what or it's gonna feel like a timely reference, but people will. If you get it or don't, it doesn't hinge on it," Harmon explained during his interview with Cinemablend.

The Emmy Award-winning animated series' co-creator used the current controversy surrounding Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, a hot topic now, but one that may not have the staying power for when the episode would air. "I think our rule would be if somebody were to pitch, you know, 'I think that this should be an episode about Justin Baldoni.' We would be like, 'Let's not lose a 'South Park' contest by addressing something that is so energized right now,'" Harmon shared. "We won't make our stories about that stuff. We might make references to what we hope are kind of timeless classic kind of pop cultural things."

Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode 2: "Valkyrick" Preview

Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode 2: "Valkyrick" – Space Beth calls her dad for a ride. Here's a look at the episode trailer that was released by Adult Swim Europe earlier today, followed by series co-creator Dan Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder discussing how the new season is impacted by Rick Prime no longer being a factor:

Season 8 Spotlights Post-Rick Prime Fallout: Dan Harmon & Scott Marder

While we know writing this will usually lead to some not-so-friendly reactions, the seventh season of Adult Swim's Rick and Morty was the best season from top to bottom of the Emmy Award-winning series' run so far. Just to be clear, that's absolutely not meant to disrespect previous seasons and episodes. It's just that Season 7 found that perfect balance between canon & overarching mythology adventures and standalone efforts while keeping the humor and heartbreak hitting hard. In the midst of all that, Rick (with some serious help from Morty and Evil Morty) finally slayed his "Moby Dick" in Rick Prime. So… what now? Even though there were several episodes after "Unmortricken," Harmon and Marder shared with Forbes how Rick, Morty, Beth, Jerry, Summer, and Space Beth will still be processing where things go from her in a post-Rick Prime world.

"We're hyper-aware of the choices we've made, and we see people dealing with the ramifications of that," Marder shared. "I'd say Season 8 is putting a little bit of a spotlight on Rick and the Beths. [Rick is] figuring out how to be in their lives for real, now that he's not in their lives to covertly kill Rick Prime." Harmon added, "If there's a theme to Season 8 … it might be that people are running out of other people to blame for what's happening to them. And that comes with a whole new challenge. Rick solved this supposed problem with his fists, but then that trickles down to everybody. [For example], Morty doesn't have the crutch anymore of claiming that his grandpa is dragging him everywhere against his will, and Rick doesn't have the crutch of saying, 'You guys don't matter.' Jerry and Beth have long since stopped blaming each other for the lack of fulfillment in their careers and things. The stories in Season 8 continue that theme in a linear way."

Adult Swim's Rick and Morty is back for Season Eight! Life has meaning again! Anything is possible! Look out for adventures with Summer, Jerry, Beth, and the other Beth. Maybe Butter Bot will get a new task? Whatever happens, you can't keep Rick and Morty down for long. People have tried!

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