phoneboothproductions-blog

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Had a little something on my leg... #cat #catsofinstagram #catcafemad #meow #kitten #peace

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Some sort of death concoction they call the Main Street #alcohol #beverages #refreshments #madisonlife #theyserverefreshmentsyes (at Old Sugar Distillery)

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#halloween #costume #imdying

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See, not all graffiti is bad. #eveningwalk #worldpeace #madison #madisonlife

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My goofy little girl. #catsofinstagram #meow #kitty #luna #cat

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#catsofinstagram #meow #lazyday #cat #prettykitty #luna

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My view most of the last few days. #fortwayne #indiana #dogs #dogbutt #family (at Fort Wayne, Indiana)

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‘Put a Saddle on Your Universe’: One Guy’s Uneducated Thoughts on Purpose vs. Choice in ‘Rick and Morty’

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR RICK AND MORTY S3E9 “THE ABC’S OF BETH”

I want to talk about season 3 episode 9 of the insanely successful sci-fi comedy series Rick and Morty. In the episode, entitled “The ABC’s of Beth”, Rick’s daughter Beth finds out that Froopy Land, which she originally thought to be her imaginary childhood fantasy land, was actually a real place constructed by her genius scientist father to keep her occupied. This discovery comes with a number of realizations, some involving cross-breeding and cannibalism (Do you really expect any less from this show at this point?); but the biggest bombshell comes when Beth learns that Rick created this imaginary realm not to avoid parenting responsibilities, but because Beth was, in his words, “a scary fucking kid”, and he felt that she would have been a danger to “every less-than-polite little boy or gullible animal that might cross [her] ‘socio’ path”. Beth is resistant at first, but soon the aforementioned cross-breeding/cannibalistic plotline pans out in such a way to convince her that Rick is absolutely right: she’s as cold and indifferent as her father. This realization leads us to this scene: 

This clip has been driving me nuts since this episode aired. In a conversation less than two minutes long, this show manages to both present and address, in a satisfying manner, a pretty big question when it comes to existence: if you were presented the choice to either stay in your current life, or go out into the world and live an entirely different one consequence-free, what would you do? What makes this idea and this entire episode great is that it’s a question with no answer. Rick doesn’t tell Beth what to do. He gives her advice based on his experience. He makes it clear that whether she chooses to be replaced by a clone, or stay with the family, both options are logical and understandable. It’s her choice. As Rick says, “...no matter what you choose, you’re finally gonna chill the fuck out.” At the end of the episode, we don’t know what she chose. And I think that’s the point.

(Granted, this could ALL be undone in the season finale on Sunday, but as of this writing, the answer has not been revealed.)

Now, a disclaimer before we go any further. My professional experience with philosophy does not extend past two introductory courses in college, and honestly my Rick and Morty experience isn’t much better. I tend to be resistant to pop culture phenomenons due to some misplaced sense of hipster-like superiority, and because of that I was really only brought on board just barely in time to be caught up for Season 3. Much like Rick, I’m an asshole, but I’m not oblivious to my shortcomings. So if something in here doesn’t add up or misses some greater point, just chalk it up to my idiocy. These are just the rambling thoughts of an overthinking fan.

The show, and specifically the character of Rick Sanchez, seems to be built pretty heavily on the idea of nihilism; that is, the belief that life and the universe are completely devoid of objective meaning. This is illustrated and even explicitly stated in several episodes. For example, in the episode “Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind” from season 1, Morty, presented with the knowledge of infinite Ricks and Mortys from infinite universes, questions whether that devalues his relationship to Rick or elevates it since it’s strong enough to sustain itself over so many different realities. Rick’s response is to quickly debunk Morty’s theories by revealing that Ricks needs Mortys to camouflage their intelligent brainwaves, thus ridding the duo’s relationship of any meaning. Morty subsequently becomes upset about this loss of meaning, only for Rick to point out that it’s Morty’s choice to take it personally. 

This could very easily be seen as a metaphor for the universe itself under the guise of nihilism. We may see something in the world that seems to have inherent meaning, such as the intricacies of nature or the idea of love, but in the end, it can all be explained away logically, and stripped of its meaning. Indeed, nature’s complexity, as well as the reason we feel love, can be dismissed as accidental results of evolution; ways for the planet and humans to adapt and survive. If you take this way of thinking far enough, you can rob anything of its supposed meaning until you’re left with a vast, meaningless void that is our universe. For much of the series, we’re led to believe that this is where Rick parks his outlook on life. He recognizes the utter pointlessness of trying to have a meaningful life, so he does the opposite, constantly trying to indulge in as much pleasure as possible. The only time meaning enters the equation is with the inclusion of Morty.

In the example I mentioned before, Morty ultimately decides to assign his own meaning to his and Rick’s relationship, and tries to demand that Rick does the same. Rick does finally give in, and tells Morty that since he’s “the Rickest Rick”, it would make sense that he has “the Mortyest Morty”. This is an answer which he very clearly doesn’t give a lot of thought to, and seems to be given solely to quell the upset Morty who won’t shut up. This is characteristic of much of the series; Rick only allowing meaning to exist in his life when forced into it by someone else, usually Morty, but also at times Summer and Jerry. The one character who’s been largely absent from these deeper moments, and who up until now has barely been involved in Rick’s adventures...is Beth.

Beth, in a weird way, has become one of the show’s most intriguing characters to me. The daughter of a super-intelligent mad scientist forced into an unhappy marriage due to a pregnancy, who then has her mad scientist father reenter her life several years later. It really feels like there should be more to Beth than this largely typical suburban mom with which we’ve been presented until now. Thus, “The ABC’s of Beth” was a very welcome episode to me. I wanted to see what happened when Beth dove headfirst into her father’s world. Is she just as intelligent as her old man? What was her childhood like with Rick as a father? How does someone with that background end up in such an ordinary vanilla family life? Well, luckily, this episode shed some much-needed light on Beth’s backstory, elevating her from a character I really wasn’t that invested in, to perhaps one of the show’s best.

Beth laments in several episodes about being robbed of her choice when Jerry got her pregnant with Summer. The life she’s lived since then has not been of her own choosing whatsoever, but rather out of necessity to provide for her children. This is demonstrated in the episode “Rixty Minutes”, where she gets to see an alternate reality where she never had Summer or Morty, and she’s living out her perfect life. In the end, however, she realizes that, even in this ideal world, she still ends up falling in love with Jerry. This episode hints at the idea that, given the choice between perfection and her current reality, she might just choose the latter. Of course, a lot has happened since that season 1 episode, including a pretty cold and heartless divorce from Jerry, so it weirdly makes sense to bring up this question again, and “The ABC’s of Beth” does so rather explicitly.

Which brings us back to the clip I presented at the top of the article. Beth had to realize and accept who she was: a sociopath too smart to care about purpose, just like her father. Rick is quick to point out that, “When you know nothing matters, the universe is yours”. Once again, Beth is offered a choice; a glimpse into what life could be like without having to be tied down by “the kids, Jerry, [her] job, and...ABC’s The Bachelor”. The difference here, as Rick says, is that she now realizes that she’s too smart to believe in a higher purpose. Or as Beth herself says rather bluntly, “I’m all out of excuses to not be who I am.” 

This is where existential, or optimistic, nihilism comes in, which follows the backbone of nihilism; that there is no objective meaning in the universe, but puts an optimistic spin on it by pointing out that because the universe has no meaning, it’s up to the individual to apply their own meaning. In other words, if you accept the pointlessness and chaotic absurdity of reality, it gives you the ultimate excuse to live life however you want to, knowing you are fully in control. This is the “gift shark”, so to speak, that Rick presents to Beth. She can agree to be cloned, go out and fulfill her dreams, and come back when she feels like it, and that’s perfectly okay because it’s her choice. Or, she can stay with the family and change nothing about her life, and that is also perfectly okay for the same reason. It is Beth’s decision alone. Nobody, not even Rick, has any business telling her what she should choose. She is, in essence, putting “a saddle on [her] universe”. 

Thus, the moral of the episode, as I understand it, is that whatever you do in life, make sure it’s your choice, because the only person capable of creating meaning in your life is you. If you want to go out, work your ass off, and carve out a life of wealth and power, you should go do that. But I really appreciate that the episode throws in the other side of that coin, which so much pop culture fails to represent; the idea that it’s equally okay to “stay, and luxuriate in a life you finally know you’ve chosen”. Society will always want you to go with the status quo and achieve some universally agreed upon benchmark for “success”. If that path is something that resonates with you, go for it. But for everybody else who feels hollow and empty following such a common way of life, you should be allowed to create your own definitions of success and meaning. We don’t know what Beth ultimately chose, and that’s okay. Her decision is hers, and your decision is yours.

But, hey, as I said, the next episode could make everything I just wrote here completely irrelevant. This series is absolutely unpredictable from episode to episode, but that’s just part of the insane, chaotic joy that Rick and Morty brings to the table, and I’m okay with that.

Thanks for reading! :)

[phoneboothproductions-blog]

I like this new weekly tradition #comedyclub #openmic #comedy #haha #makemelaugh #funnyboy #monkey (at The Comedy Club on State)

[phoneboothproductions-blog]

I...can't even attempt something clever this week. New reviews up for AMERICAN ASSASSIN and the move that just about broke me...*sigh*...MOTHER. Good God. http://phoneboothproductions.com/ #movie #review #mother #jlaw #jenniferlawrence #americanassassin #michaelkeaton #letsgetnuts #wtfdidijustwatch

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Round 2...hopefully no descriptive narration this time. Almost time (again) for MOTHER! #movie #movienight #mother #jlaw #review (at Marcus Palace Cinema)

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Sounds about right :) #art #willystreet #fair #fest #friendship #alliterationisfun #peace (at Willy Street Fair)

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So just kidding! They accidentally played a version of MOTHER with descriptive narration over the normal audio. They offered either a refund or swap out for another ticket so NOW I'm seeing AMERICAN ASSASSIN...which I would've seen on Tuesday anyway so no difference to me! :) Almost time for AMERICAN ASSASSIN #movienight #americanassassin #movie #oops#review (at Marcus Palace Cinema)

[phoneboothproductions-blog]

New Darren Aronofsky movie with Jennifer Lawrence AND Javier Bardem? That's all I need to hear. Hell. Yes. Almost time for MOTHER!! #mother #movie #movienight #review #jlawrence #peace (at Marcus Palace Cinema)

[phoneboothproductions-blog]

One is a chilling, creepy horror experience, and the other...could very well be mistaken for one... New reviews up for IT and HOME AGAIN! Check them out! http://phoneboothproductions.com/ #movie #review #it #itmovie2017 #homeagain #reesewitherspoon #scarymovieandalsoit

[phoneboothproductions-blog]

Laughing and stuff #comedyclub #comedy #laugh #makemelaughfunnyboy (at The Comedy Club on State)

[phoneboothproductions-blog]

Feeling proud of my bumper stickers. No more excuses or apologies for how I live my life. It's time to speak from the heart! 😀#madison #madisonlife #statestreet #peaceofmind #peaceandlove #peace (at State Street)