Top 5 Celeb Reactions to Parodies in Rick and Morty
#5: Mike Nawrocki
“Never Ricking Morty” Mike Nawrocki may not be the most familiar name, but you’ve undoubtedly heard of his most famous creation, “VeggieTales.” “VeggieTales” is a children’s animation franchise told through a Christian lens. Secular animated series like “Rick and Morty” don’t often go this route, so color our surprise when the title characters began praying to halt the Story Train. In proper “VeggieTales” fashion, they’re greeted by a group of anthropomorphized Christian mascots, including vegetable-themed ones. Though “VeggieTales” and “Rick and Morty” may seem like diametrically opposed series, Nawrocki was happy to see the nod, saying, “You know that when you are being satirized, you've left an impression.” He’s certainly not wrong there.
#4: Margaret O’Rourke
“Bushworld Adventures” Though “Rick and Morty” doesn’t produce as many episodes as other adult cartoons, fans have been treated to a plethora of extra content, including a series of non-canonical webisodes. One such webisode is “Bushworld Adventures,” an eleven-minute short produced by Australian animator Michael Cusack. With a distinct animation style, “Bushworld Adventures” draws much of its humor from the Land Down Under, specifically mentioning the city of Bendigo. When Rick and Morty finally get to the Victorian city, there’s not much to see. Margaret O’Rourke, the Mayor of Bendigo at the time, told the Guardian Australia that Bendigo is “nothing like what has been displayed.” But seeing as interest in the city skyrocketed with the episode’s airing, O’Rourke added, “I guess any publicity is good publicity.”
#3: Elon Musk
“One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty” Parodies are prevalent on “Rick and Morty,” but they’re usually centered more on general IP than specific celebrities. This, however, is perhaps the most notable exception. In the episode “One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty,” Rick assembles a heist crew, one of whom happens to be Elon Tusk. Hilariously, real-life tech mogul Elon Musk actually voiced himself in this episode - well, the toothy version of him, anyway. Months prior to the episode’s airing, Musk changed his Twitter handle to “Elon Tusk,” leaving the Internet to scratch their heads. It’s safe to assume that Musk enjoyed his time recording for the show. Though we’re sure not even Heist-o-Tron could’ve predicted the name change explanation, let alone Musk buying Twitter outright down the line.
#2: Robert Englund
“Lawnmower Dog” Just the second episode in the show’s history, “Lawnmower Dog” also debuted one of its most memorable movie parodies in Scary Terry. A “legally safe knockoff” of Freddy Krueger from the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise, Terry terrorizes the titular duo as they travel through multiple dreams, often spouting his favorite expletive. Robert Englund, the man synonymous with bringing Freddy Krueger to life, was very receptive to the shoutout. When asked in an interview, Englund called Terry “great and [...] very funny.” He’s even taken to signing Terry merchandise when fans bring it to conventions. Honestly, it fills our hearts with joy to think of a parody going over this well with its intended target.
#1: Christopher Lloyd
“Rick and Morty” (2013-) The fact that Rick and Morty are a play on Doc and Marty from “Back to the Future” is very evident. So it stands to reason that a show this popular would work its way back to the film trilogy’s greatest stars. In a 2018 interview with the Phoenix New Times, Doc Brown actor Christopher Lloyd revealed his affinity for the show. Though not an avid watcher at the time, Lloyd did call it “a lot of fun.” Still, the story doesn’t end there, as fans’ dream casting was answered in 2021 when Lloyd played Rick in a series of live-action ads for Season 5. Alongside Jaeden Martell as Morty, Lloyd is hysterical in the role, creating a pinnacle in meta postmodernism.