Why the Biggest Red Flag in 2022 is to be a ‘Nice Guy’
Why the Biggest Red Flag in 2022 is to be a ‘Nice Guy’
Justin Roiland, Andrew Callaghan, and so many others
AH JEEZ RICK, I-I knew you y’know had some questionable morals but I-I-I never expected this…like damn, I gotta think some things over.
In all seriousness, I’m sick and tired of America’s obsession with “nice guys.” It’s like a twenty-four-hour news cycle of celebrity worship and scandal.
Justin Roiland? Domestic abuser. John Mulaney? Cheater. Andrew Callaghan? Sexual assault. Adam Levine and Ned Fulmer from the “Try Guys”? Cheaters, both. And the list goes on.
It’s always these “harmless” nice guys that are the biggest creeps:
They’re always monetizing their “niceness” for their brand
Nice guys put on a presentational face of being “good” to manipulate or take advantage of people while downplaying or covering up something sinister about them.
They have a cult of personality like an African dictator
They’ll slap you when making a G.I. Jane joke at the Oscars
Jordan Peterson once said: “If you think tough men are dangerous wait until you see what harmless men are capable of.”
Celebrity and nice guy worship is a mental illness.
It’s time to do something about it.
“I turned myself into an abuser, Morty. I’m Felon Rick!”
“Rick and Morty” series co-creator (and voice actor of 60% of the show’s characters) Justin Roiland was charged this week with one felony count of domestic battery and another felony count of false imprisonment by intimidation and violence.
There’s a collection of his texts circling the web, here is one to a minor:
Let me step back and say I hope the victims and their families get the justice they deserve. Nobody is above the law. If Justin did what he’s accused of, he deserves to be held accountable.
But I do also wish Adult Swim actually waited for convictions and not just immediately fired Roiland the instant the allegations were made against him; collectively, I think we already forgot about the L that Warner Bros. took during the Johnny Depp trial.
Still — I don’t have much sympathy for Roiland.
You have a responsibility to protect yourself. If you play around with underage girls it will blow up in your face and ruin your career.
So, what to make of this? Of Rick and Morty? Of NICE GUYS? I grew up on Justin Roiland, he was a pillar for the voice-acting animation community:
He played several main characters in “Adventure Time”
He acted in “Gravity Falls” and is good friends with the creator.
He’s behind 2023’s most popular video game “High On Life.”
While I realize all that might not mean much to you, it meant everything to my generation. It’s why the allegations were so shocking.
But they were especially devastating to people who overidentify with the show; who treat pop culture like a religion:
Justin Roiland was a pope and “Rick and Morty” the bible.
If you don’t believe me YouTube search “schezwan sauce freakout.”
It’s OK to appreciate actors and artists for their roles or work, of course.
But the level of “personal connection” some people have to them is a little concerning, and it can blind us from seeing their true character. I legit had an ex-girlfriend HARD cry because John Mulaney cheated on his wife (who he bragged about in his comedy). I mean, I was sad. But five minutes later I made a turkey cheese sandwich with just tomato.
I think we need to realize that these people are not saints, no one is.
It’s the problem with parasocial relationships. Nobody knows any of these internet personalities on a personal level. We think we do, we build them up like gods. Then when they make a mistake, it’s like the world has crumbled beneath our feet! We’re crestfallen.
There was an actor turned governor turned President in the 80s
Hey, celebrity worship is nothing new.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is under the age of 12.
Ronald Reagan won the presidency in the ’80s because people saw him as a larger-than-life hero on the silver screen. It was like electing The Rock. Or Donald Trump. But all this celebrity worship and nice guy circle-jerking has a price: We’re trying to fill the void in our hearts where actual human connections should be.
The void where your career should be prioritized; your mental health should be taken care of; your relationships should be nurtured; your money should be managed; your dreams should be followed.
Celebrity worship, like any addiction, is a form of procrastination.
“Procrastination is the most common manifestation of Resistance because it is the easiest to rationalize. We don’t tell ourselves, ‘I’m never going to write my symphony. ‘ Instead we say, ‘I am going to write my symphony, I’m just going to start tomorrow.” — Steven Pressfield
It’s like everyone giving Mindy Kaling crap for “Velma.” Who cares? Seriously. Scooby-Doo is a cartoon from the dinosaur age and most of the episodes sucked (besides that one with the mummy). Why the hell should I care if she doesn’t respect the integrity of the source material?
I have taxes to file and sandwiches to make!
The same went for “nice guy” Andrew Callaghan. I watched his documentary on HBO Max and loved it. The next day he confessed to sexual assault.
I pray for the victims. I know someone traumatized by a similar experience and it’s not funny. I hope Callaghan gets the mental help he needs, too. But an obsession over him, as one was quickly building on the internet, didn’t lead me down a trap door. I have to be as undistracted in my own life to do what’s best for me and those I care about.
In closing, be careful who you place on a pedestal. Take inspiration from media and pop culture, but make sure it’s you who is in control of your own life.
Don’t let the idols actually be your idols.