Dan Harmon, the creator of NBC sitcom ‘Community’ and co-creator of the animated series ‘Rick and Morty’ is the latest Hollywood figure to be marred in controversy over supposed ‘jokes’ centering on pedophilia and rape.
In a pilot episode that screened back in 2009, Harmon, also an actor, plays the role of a child molester named Daryl. The 5-minute video posted on Channel 101 was intended to be a parody video of sorts, with the site describing it as a “groundbreaking new show about the darker side of therapy.”
“What seems to be troubling you?” a man playing the role of a therapist asks Harmon in the video.
“Can I trust you?” Harmon responds, in character as Daryl. “Of course, you can trust me I’m your therapist” the other actor replies.
Harmon then remarks, “I rape babies.”
The 45-year-old producer appears to be somewhat aware he could be crossing the line, offering up a short disclaimer at the beginning of the video.
“You’re about to watch my controversial new pilot, Daryl,” he says. “Now I have to warn you I originally made it with Showtime for their audience because it’s a little groundbreaking for normal people to handle. But maybe you’ll surprise me. Good luck.”
Other scenes throughout the show are similarly disturbing. At one point Harmon rubs his private parts on a plastic baby doll.
In the wake of the video re-surfacing again online, Harmon reportedly deleted his official Twitter account. In a saved archive of his Twitter in January this year, the creator had about 619,000 followers. A representative of Harmon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hollywood Pattern
Harmon is the latest in a series of recent incidents involving high-profile Hollywood figures caught up in controversy. Director James Gunn was fired by Disney on July 20, after a series of inappropriate Twitter posts were dug up and reported on by a number of media outlets.
Gunn, who directed the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and produced “Avengers: Infinity War,” attempted to defend his tweets which made light of pedophilia, child abuse, and rape, in a sequence of statements on his personal account.
“Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo,” Gunn wrote on July 19. “As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.”
1. Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo. As I have discussed publicly many times, as I’ve developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 20, 2018
In the past, Gunn also made fun of the Holocaust, AIDS, and the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The director is a political liberal who has frequently tweeted negative comments about President Donald Trump.
“For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it,” he wrote.
Gunn’s tweets have since been criticized and caught the attention of lawmakers. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) who called for him to face a judge.
“Wow. These #JamesGunn tweets are just horrible. Child rape is no laughing matter. As Texas SG, I handled far too many child sexual assaults,” Cruz said on July 21. “Truly evil. I’m glad Disney fired him, but if these tweets are true, he needs to be prosecuted.”
Wow. These #JamesGunn tweets are just horrible. Child rape is no laughing matter. As Texas SG, I handled far too many child sexual assaults. Truly evil. I’m glad Disney fired him, but if these tweets are true, he needs to be prosecuted. pic.twitter.com/1IgHC18J4x
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 21, 2018
A Disney representative called Gunn’s Twitter feed “offensive” and “indefensible” in a statement announcing his firing.
In another case last week, old Twitter posts by actor-comedian Michael Ian Black about child molestation resurfaced on social media. Mike Cernovich, a journalist who dug up Black’s tweets, called Gunn “Another Hollywood pedophile” on Twitter.
In one of many such posts, Black wrote: “Now that the kids are in bed, I feel like I should probably put my pants back on.”
In December last year, Disney executive Jon Healy, 58, was charged with felony child sex abuse for assaulting two underage girls about a decade ago. Healy, the director of music publishing at Disney, allegedly abused the first girl when she was 15 and began abusing the second girl when she was 11 and continued until she was 15.
Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced former film producer accused of sexually assaulting scores of women, is already facing three sex crime charges, including allegations involving two women, which carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. He could potentially end up with life behind bars.
The influx of such incidents could be attributed to Weinstein’s high-profile case which rocked the media headlines for quite some time. Weinstein’s story also spurred on the #MeToo movement, a hashtag on social media encouraging women to write on Twitter about and publicize their experiences to expose cases of sexual assault.
In another high-profile case, former “Smallville” actor Allison Mack was arrested over sex-trafficking charges and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Mack was allegedly the second in command in the NXIVM secret society. She was released on a $5 million bond amid an ongoing investigation.
From The Epoch Times
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