Harmon issued an apology for the clip 2 years ago, but it is now reviving due to tags used by QAnon supporters on the right.
Recent attention has been drawn to the prank video on social sites, along with calls to discontinue the Adult Swim program, eleven years after “Rick and Morty” co-creator Dan Harmon filmed it and 2 years after issuing an apology.
An apology was issued. Although the video has been the subject of criticism before, this most recent incident offers a fresh twist: Frequently, posts advocating the deletion of “Rick and Morty” use hashtags popular among followers of the vast right-wing conspiracy group QAnon.
The “Daryl” clip, a spoof of “Dexter,” made its debut at Channel 101 Comedy Club in 2009.
It shows Harmon’s persona scaling a window, removing his pants, and stroking his genitalia on a baby doll sitting on a couch.
At the commencement of the video, Harmon makes an appearance on camera to inform viewers that the content to come is “controversial.”
In 2018, when the video reappeared, Harmon encountered anger on social media, which prompted him to cancel his Twitter account. Just in time, he made this statement:
“In 2009, I created a “pilot” that attempted to imitate the show “Dexter” but only failed to offend. I removed the video immediately after realizing it was just too offensive. I apologize because what you witnessed should never have been seen by anyone.”
“Rick and Morty” broadcaster Cartoon Network supported Harmon in criticizing the video.
In the week that, the video was in circulation once more. It’s commonly tweeted with the hashtag #SaveTheChildren.
According to reports, that hashtag was originally meant to generate cash to benefit the Save the Kids organization but has now been appropriated by QAnon supporters.
The Hashtag Being Overrun
As a result of the hashtag being overrun by pro-QAnon material, Facebook temporarily disabled it.
For those without prior knowledge, QAnon is a vast conspiracy idea that has rapidly acquired popularity throughout the latter months of 2017.
Its central thesis is that a global network of elite pedophiles, including Hillary Clinton and other Hollywood celebrities, dominate the world.
They think that Donald Trump is attempting to reveal this group’s activities.
Although QAnon has a large number of devoted supporters, probably, many people who post the Harmon clip along with #SaveTheChildren are not aware that they’re supporting one of the group’s hashtags.
According to a Times investigation, well-known fitness bloggers and mother bloggers have started using the hashtag to publish anti-trafficking images.
However, some individuals who comment on Harmon subscribe to QAnon.
In reality, for the past two years, some followers have brought up Harmon and “Rick and Morty” in the light of purported Hollywood pedophilia.
In July 2018, a Twitter user shared screenshots of both the clip and hashtags #QAnon and #Pizzagate.
