In the wake of “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn being fired from the Marvel movie franchise due to controversial tweets from his past, “Rick and Morty” creator Dan Harmon has deleted his Twitter account after a 2009 video surfaced in which he feigns sexually assaulting a baby doll.
As ComicBook.com reports, the video is actually a short comedy sketch titled “Daryl”, a parody of Showtime’s serial-killer series “Dexter”, with Harmon reportedly describing the character as “a baby rapist with a heart of gold.”
In the sketch, notes the website, “Harmon’s character enters through a window, removes his pants, and while half-naked, rubs his genitals against a baby doll on a couch.”
“Originally made with Showtime, Dan Harmon presents a groundbreaking new show about the darker side of therapy,” reads the video description on Channel 101, an alternative website co-founded by Harmon, where the skit was posted in 2009 (the video has apparently been disabled).
The “Daryl” video resurfaced over the weekend, resulting in a wave of controversy after numerous people called out Harmon for producing a comedic depiction of child rape.
Harmon issued a statement on Monday night apologizing for the content of the video. “In 2009, I made a “pilot” which strove to parody the series Dexter and only succeeded in offending,” he said (via Deadline). “I quickly realized the content was way too distasteful and took the video down immediately. Nobody should ever have to see what you saw and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
Adult Swim – the network which broadcasts “Rick and Morty” – also shared a statement, explaining that the video “does not reflect the type of content we seek out.” It is understood that Harmon will remain on the show.
“At Adult Swim, we seek out and encourage creative freedom and look to push the envelope in many ways, particularly around comedy,” an Adult Swim spokesperson said. “The offensive content of Dan’s 2009 video that recently surfaced demonstrates poor judgement and does not reflect the type of content we seek out. Dan recognized his mistake at the time and has apologized. He understands there is no place for this type of content here at Adult Swim.”
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While Harmon — who also created NBC sitcom “Community” — has built his career on edgy humour, many felt the “Daryl” video was over the line, as demonstrated by tweets such as these:
However, numerous Twitter users came to Harmon’s defence, pointing out that Harmon’s entire comedy career has been about pushing the envelope:
Harmon is no stranger to controversy, publicly feuding with “Community” star Chevy Chase and even being fired from his own show due to “creative conflicts” (although he was later rehired).
