The stars of Adult Swim’s nihilistic sci-fi cartoon series “Rick and Morty” got to present an award at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards — and like the show, it got pretty dark.
Rick and Morty (both voiced by series creator Justin Roiland) presented the Emmy for Outstanding Reality or Competition Series, with Morty joking that the pair were uniquely qualified because of the premise of their show — it sees the pair traveling between infinite realities, where they find all kinds of weird and hilarious things.
However, Rick, the oft-drunk scientist and Morty’s grandfather, quickly announced that he was going off-teleprompter to make an important statement to the Emmy audience.
Rick presented a small alien creature and said that it was a living Emmy. “It’s an herbivore, it mates for life and it’s capable of complex emotions,” Rick said, and then told the audience that the creatures were nailed to a wooden base and had their wrists stuck to a metal ball, before they were finally dipped in gold. The result was the Emmy statues that all the winners were taking home during the ceremony.
“You’re ruining the night, Rick,” Morty told him, to no avail.
“Everyone that takes one of these home is a monster,” Rick told the audience.
Rick and Morty just appeared live at the Emmys and ruined everyone’s good time #RickandMorty #Emmys pic.twitter.com/Fw2HubiiV7
— adult swim (@adultswim) September 18, 2018
Rick asked the Emmy creature if he was rooting for the show “Atlanta” to win, and then told the audience that the creature’s squeaky, non-English response was it saying that it did want “Atlanta” to win. “Smaller crews mean less of his offspring die,” Rick explained. “You know, that is a complex emotion.”
“Can you just present the damn award already?” Morty complained.
With Rick’s political message completed, the “Rick and Morty” duo finally announced the winner of the award they were drawn to present — which went to “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Also nominated in the category were “American Ninja Warrior,” “Top Chef,” “The Voice,” “The Amazing Race” and “Project Runway.”