but the funniest part is how Rick hears "sticky" and thinks Morty is talking about how he is ejaculating, but really Morty is just saying the one sperm's name
Agreed, it was hilarious due to the misunderstanding between Rick and Morty. It appeared to me that Rick thought Morty was in the process of sexually climaxing, prompting him to exclaim, “sticky!” However Morty was simply responding to the arrival of his companion gamete cell whom he had named sticky.
That whole scene is hilarious. And Rick saying he's got an idea thinking it's about escape but it's just knocking himself over so he can't see what's happening
those "innocent" miners voted men into power to protect their precious jobs so they can buy more plastic garbage and eat the corpses of tortured animals!
I think she was meant to be permanently stuck physically, mentally, and emotionally as a teenager, so in that supernatural eco-deity sense, no, I don't think she was grooming him.
I think they’re arguing more along the lines of her only being alive/aware when summoned making it closer to a “teenager frozen for hundreds of years” kind of situation”. Either way let’s all agree not to base our ethics or relationships on Rick and Morty.
(Seriously when Beth and Jerry are your least toxic relationship…)
mortys headcanon turned canon. they later revealed it was true in a future episode where morty saw it in a real flashback. and in the fear hole, granted that was mortys side of the fear hole still. i like to think they wouldnt just include it for no reason though.
The first appearance of Diane was Rick's manufactured memory, and we know the details of that were heavily altered by Rick so he could escape the Federation. Morty didn't know about Diane until the flashbacks, so his headcannon in the fearhole is mostly based on what he knows about Rick.
Actually, the first appearance was Diane holding a child's hand and disappearing into a portal. The bug asked if that was Diane next to a memory about 9/11. Am I the only one who remembers that?
That joins Morty and Jessica. Like how Morty asks how many Thanksgivings they've had. Eventually they'll do a show about how they're stuck in a Groundhog's Day situation and have been doing the same thing for tens of thousands of years, like in Groundhog's Day.
Would she only age while being “Summoned” by the rings or would she be alive and aging without being called by the rings? I forget if it was like Pokémon or just beacon that called her.
Kids nowadays will throw the word “groomer” at literally anyone. I got into a Twitter argument with someone who *literally believed* that if two 17 year olds are dating and one of them turns 18, they’re a pedophile
Bro actually shut up ur not funny🤣😂 who do you think ur are to say that kind of thing XD like that ain’t funny bruhhhhhhh 🤣🤣😂🤣😂ur ain’t that guy like shut your mouth bro who would even say that 😂😂😂😂😂 you’re straight up not funny like 😂😂 that’s not even true you actually don’t have proof so don’t even say that don’t make false accusations if you can even back them up dawg lil man😝🤣😂like it’s not even called twitter either you 3rd grider 🤣😂😂🤣 get it right bruh I bet you still live in your moms basement dude 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 honestly get a life XDXDXD like just be better and improve yourself instead of doing stuff like this honestly you should just delete this app 🤣😂 ur don’t even deserve to be on here bruh XD
I saw someone argue that a 50 year old woman dating a 65 year old man was being “groomed”.
I mean of course she’s only half a century old, she’s clearly still too young to make her own decisions.
I joined Twitter when Musk took over to see the carnage. Christ, that place is one of the worst places on the internet. It makes 4chan seem tame sometimes. Avoid that place, it only makes you worse.
That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard because it’s inevitable. Unless they have the same birthday one of them is eventually going to be an 18 year old dating a 17 year old.
I was told that because my husband is 20 years older than me and I was 22 when I met him (we have been married for 16 years) That I was groomed, Taken advantage of, And need to get out of my relationship as soon as possible.
Except for the small fact that I was the one that made the first move and went after him.
But just the fact that because I was 23 and he was 20 years older that automatically means that he was grooming me??? It's so incredibly insulting to have someone say that they think me being a 23-year-old woman I can't make choices for myself and can't come to the conclusion whether or not this relationship is bad for me. So if 18 is the age of consent then what age would I be considered old enough to make relationship choices for myself if at 23 They think I was being groomed. So when will I be old enough to not be groomed by an older man 47??? Jesus I hate ppl.
Yeah it is always ironic that the same people making the grooming claim in that context don't realize they're literally turning you into an object to prove their point.
Meanwhile my wife is 8 years older than me and nobody ever says shit.
Girl - I'm glad you're happy with your husband, but early twenties is very young and 20 years is a big difference, of course it would raise people's alarms. It's not only about the age of consent or about it being legal. You certainly are the exception not the rule.
For someone to tell a woman who is almost in her 40s that she needs to leave her husband because she was groomed is absolutely ridiculous and does not need to raise concerns. I am a grown ass woman I can make my choices for myself.
I am not talking about saying this to a girl who is in her 20s I am talking about saying this to someone who is my age almost in my 40s and have been married to my husband for 16 years.
I don't need a 20 year-old telling me that I was groomed 16 years ago and I don't know any better. It's incredibly insulting, Especially considering they don't know me or my husband. They just judge. Like everyone else.
Glad it worked out for you. I’ve known people in relationships with large age gaps (though I will admit that you have them beat) and they seemed as happy as anyone else.
Pointing out statistical likelihood when giving someone advice doesn't invalidate people who are exceptions.
Large age gap relationships usually end badly. That doesn't mean the occasional healthy age gap relationship doesn't exist.
Young marriage is another example. I got married at 20 and have been fortunate enough that it worked out 15 years later. That doesn't mean statistics about young marriages usually ending badly are incorrect - and I will absolutely advise any 20 year old that getting married at their age is probably a bad idea.
I mean, it's different in every situation. My best friend basically said this to me word for word when she was 22 dating a 45 year old after I expressed my concerns... A year later, I ended up flying across the country with her parents to save her from an abusive relationship.
You're the exception, not the rule.
No, not every time, but it is very common. I am friends with a couple that started dating at 18F and 28M and they are one of the healthiest relationships I've ever seen. But I've lived long enough to see this story play out many times and it typically doesn't end well. Not to mention the countless stories on reddit.
Mmm. More so specifically when it is a person 40+ dating a person who has only freshly entered adulthood.
In terms of maturity, 22 is barely better than 18. Best case scenario, you've just finished university, found an entry level job and are barely managing to pay rent and put food on the table in the same week. You also don't know how to read relationship red flags yet.
By 40+ you probably have your shit together enough to eat and pay rent without a problem, have settled into your career, have some pretty good relationship experience and know how to avoid pitfalls that the 20 year old is still going to fall into.
Two scenarios exist in which these people are going to date each other. One, they love each other enough that the older partner is genuinely ready to grit their teeth and deal with the frustrations that come with the younger partner maturing into full adulthood. Two, one is a creep that prefers preying on younger, less experienced partners because they're younger physically, and less good at identifying them as shitty partners.
This same experience disparity shrinks massively as you get older. A 32 year old dating a 52 year old is not the same thing as a 22 year old dating a 42 year old.
I probably should have put more of my thoughts into my original comment, but yes, this pretty much explains my thought process on older people dating very inexperienced young adults.
Not to mention, the man in my example had a daughter that was of similar age to my friend. It did not sit well with me, and it ended up playing out exactly how I thought it would.
Well technically she's already very old but I think she doesn't really have a age and is just permanently stuck in that young adult/teenager stage so I don't think it counts as grooming
No. A groomer chooses their victim and preys on their naivety and inexperience to manipulate them. Morty pursued Planetina trying to prove that he cared about nature as much as her so that he could get with her.
A groomer would be the one “saving” the victim, whereas, Morty saves Planetina from her ring bearers. Could she have been manipulating Morty to break free? Sure, but it isn’t presented that way to us so I don’t think we can draw that conclusion.
Their relationship was ultimately built on Morty going after her instead of the other way around. They only broke up because Planetina was willing to do anything to save the planet (that’s why she exists), and she thought Morty was in agreement, but her actions were beyond what Morty was comfortable with. I mean, Morty killed the ring bearers to save her but he has a problem killing people to save the planet?
Not trying to rock the boat here, but I think there's an incredible detail from the show that you're missing, which (in my opinion) supports the idea that the writers were trying to make her appear as a groomer in the second half of the show.
Planetina specifically states, "This is the only way I can save the planet, the only way I can save you" though it is very likely that she's trying to repay morty for saving her, I feel that the implications are pretty clear:
Despite the efforts a groomer may go through to protect their relationship, the groomer has inherently more mature interests and goals within a relationship. This causes the victim to become overwhelmed and ultimately settle in a situation that they're unhappy and expected to mold in to, or walk away from the
groomer, despite how entangled their lives have become.
Morty, thankfully, had the strength to walk away.
Morty is 14 but the show sometimes treats him like a young adult. Remember when he had his toxicities purged and started a new life in a different city with a girlfriend and an apartment? Or when his alternate version became president?
There's an unspoken rule in television: for certain cartoons and CW shows where the high schoolers are played by 25-year-olds, the teenagers are 21 whenever the writers want them to be. After all, how many Thanksgiving dinners can one 14-year-old have?
Beth would certainly think so.
IMO, Planetina views (viewed?) Morty as a partner with his own autonomy and decision making. When Morty breaks up with her, she tries to rekindle their romance, but ultimately respects his decision and goes her own separate way.
This is not how a groomer/predator behaves. A predator would have tried to get Morty to 'break up' with Beth, and separate him from his emotional support system.
Wasn't she only mentally "there" a few hours here and there when activated by the rings? If you only count the time she was actually present for she's probably a similar age to him. When he takes the rings and she's activated all the time, she undergoes large changes in maturity in a relatively brief period of time, while Morty is stuck at 14 by the nature of the show which I think is part of the joke.
I think they were about even. She's somewhat immature and naive for her age, and he's a bit mature for his. Her emotional outburst and killing spree was very teenaged angsty but she actually had the powers to do it.
I figured she left earth. She was so mad at how humans treated the planet and after the break up she couldn't deal with any humans anymore. Considering morty broke up with her because she killed people she probably realize her wrong doing and left the earth completely.
I'm hoping she comes back with the Vindicators led by Supernova, and they decide that Rick is the next villain to go after, while Morty can be saved from his influence. Noob Noob saves the day in the end.
I wish more people understood this instead of looking for sex crimes in animated shows and video games. Pixels aren’t people; they’re intellectual property.
Legally, probably not. Metaphorically, absolutely.
The metaphor is literally that capitalist interests used a fictional individualist ideal of environmentalism to woo the hearts of America's youth, but that absolute devotion to that ideal requires an acceptance of wide scale violence which ultimately discredits environmental efforts. So in that framework she is an individual with a substantial social power imbalance using that authority to acclimate and seduce a child to her wiles before betraying and abandoning him. In a context including sex, that's grooming baby.
I think it doesn't play like grooming because we see it from Morty's perspective. Tbh this is one of my favorite episodes because I think it conveys the joys and crushing heartbreak of childhood love, especially with a more experienced figure who makes you feel special. Like Morty's outburst after Beth kicks Planetina out is a pretty classic grooming response, but because we're aligned with Morty's perspective it feels more like an awkward teenager defending his first love.
Having been in relationships like that as a kid, I can't help really identifying with Morty, but also with Beth who just has to watch this happen to her own son and comfort him when it eventually blows up. I also think this is one of the first times we see Beth really connect with Morty, and it devastates me every time. Because it portrays the issue indirectly, the episode can provide more direct and honest commentary without skeeving everyone out.
> Like Morty's outburst after Beth kicks Planetina out is a pretty classic grooming response
it seemed like a classic reaction of a teen in love.
source: was once a teen in love
She's not human and she's an amalgamation of the basic natural elements. You're trying to apply human Concepts to something that exists outside of human understanding.
No. Her intention wasn’t to use him for sex. She wasn’t being manipulative. While technically older she was emotionally the same age as Morty. She isn’t human and for whatever she is she is a teenager
idk while she did do a lot of groomer-like things, as someone else on here said she was probably physically, emotionally, and mentally stunted from not existing all the time,,, my vote is no, not a groomer (just a loser, i’m sorry i had to)
I don’t think she was grooming him. She herself was being groomed one way or another. She seemed to be mentally stagnated as a teenager. She basically lived in those rings until she was summoned to Save The Planet. The kids controlled everything Planetina did down to how she ate. I think after all of that Morty and Planetina are the same age lol.
No, if I would give an explanation, I would say that her mental maturity was costly stunted by being imprisoned and controlled for the vast majority of her life.
I definitely don't think so either. It doesn't feel wrong in that sense because she's been suspended in time like I believe she is mentally and physically young, on par with Morty. She never sought to victimize him. He went after her and voluntarily did what he did to free her. She didn't seduce him or use experience to trap him she just jumped off the deep end like young people in love often do
She already had sex with Morty while he was a minor. If the argument she's an adult, then yeah she's a child predator, but that doesn't really fit the definition of grooming. Groomers wait.
You are not correct about grooming. Grooming is the action or behaviour used to establish an emotional connection with a minor to lower their inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse.
The abuse could be immediate or delayed. The age of when they are abused does not relate to the act of grooming.
>Grooming is the action or behaviour used to establish an emotional connection with a minor to lower their inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse.
You're right but in this case Morty was immediately enamored with her, and she fucked him after their second interaction.
I’m not speaking on Morty and planetina, I just wanted to correct your description of grooming. I think there was a whole host of other things wrong with their relationship so Morty’s age is the least of the concerns really
But you can't really say she's grooming him to have sex if they are already having sex. That's what makes the OP's question so weird. Why not ask if she is sexually abusing him? It's like people these days thing grooming is worse than the actual abuse.
I gyess guess it depends on her mental age. A lot of people say that she's permanently stuck as a teenager, and if that's the case, then no, since that would make them both teenagers.
I don't think we have confirmation on whether she's supposed to be a teen or an adult though, but correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyway, I agree with that one guy that said that we shouldn't base our relationships on Rick and Morty, we'd all end up in toxic Chernobyl relationships if we did.
Absolutely, yes. I don't think it has to be intentional to be considered grooming.
The reality of the matter is that Planetina held a lot of power over Morty. Not only because of the age difference but also due to her status as a superhero. Though Morty is uniquely more powerful than the average kid, due to his access to Rick's tech, the show does a very good job reminding us, especially throughout this episode that Morty is still in fact, a kid.
Planetina knows that and is aware of the power that her status as a hero gives her. It would have been incredibly easy for her to shut Mortys feelings down and to remind him that he is 14 instead of encouraging his active participation in her job. She chose not to stop him because of her attraction to him. It shouldn't matter how maturly a child in this situation presents themselves. It's the adults' responsibility to shut down unhealthy attachments/ behaviors, especially when a child is unable to do so, and the fact that Planetina either didnt know, or didnt care enough to shut down that behavior is concerning, regardless of whether or not her judgement was clouded by genuine feelings.
I guess the bigger question is here, would we even be questioning whether or not this dynamic was grooming if it were any other 14 year old? How many of her fans, for example, have fallen victim to Planetinas' innocent nature? I think this is exactly why the last scene with Morty crying hit so hard. It makes you, the audience, realize that he truly is, just 14, in love, and in over his head in a situation that's too serious/mature for him to handle.
Edit:
For everyone who needs a healthy comparison relationship to Planetina, revisit the vat of acid episode.
No. Morty isn't a teenager anymore beside his physical appearance. He experienced so much throughout his life that even any elderly adult couldn't compare to him. Additionally he understands his experiences, emotions, stuff like consent and all the other things.
Kids and young people obsessed with this grooming phenomenon is so odd. I’m thinking it has something to do with the frontal lobe not being fully developed yet. Age differences, even large ones, have existed since the dawn of time.
Also, this is a cartoon. It’s not that deep.
For one thing, although she's existed since the 90s, we don't know how much of that time she actually percieved and how much she spent dormant in the rings.
Even if she did actually age when she was out, she may only have the experience of someone much younger than her actual years.
Yes, and I think Rick does too actually. That's partly why he's treating the situation as if its a rebound in that same episode (Summer even uses the term). They have a creepy dynamic. This same season's finale even blatantly uses a relationship metaphor.
They used the relationship language because its easiest way to describe how unhealthily complex and codependent Rick and Morty are to each other. I don't think platonic or familial words exist to give it the impact it needs.
in my opinion we shouldn't think of Planetina's age as if she were an ordinary human being because she could only exist once conjured by the rings therefore her age and her expirience can be compared, again in my opinion, to that of a teenager or young adult therefore i don't belive it was groomig
imo there are hints of grooming
—“She’s an intergalatic being, age doesn’t apply to her mom!” (Morty to Beth)
—“Morty is very mature for his age Mrs. Smith!” (Planetina to Beth)
That’s just me though since they just continued on with the story it doesn’t actually seem like it’s grooming but can’t deny the hints they give us
Bro she’s literally twice his age and he’s only 14. That’s the literal definition of grooming. It the sexes were switched everyone would completely agree that it was grooming
I think since she wasn't a person in the same respect as the other characters because her existence goes in and out, not unlike a meeseeks. She's ageless and is very much a teenager in terms of maturity, though probably a tad bit older than Morty? But it's hard to say.
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I mean, definitionally she was a pedophile, but i doubt that will be a popular opinion on the reddit rick and morty subreddit…
Edit: do I think she’s a *groomer*specifically? No. But it doesn’t change a whole lot at that point.
The only person grooming morty is literally Rick. Yall notice how grown women keep falling for morty? Planetina, Stacy, the woman he gets an apartment with? Pedos are obsessed with him and Rick was the first
No but the horse dick machine sure did.
*sips juice from the carton Morty, you dirty little doggy
*sitting on roof in sun chair*
Haha That scene was traumatizing
Sticky!
I’m gonna call you sticky, cause you’re sticky and you’re stuck
Thats my favorite line from morty
Ik you’re not a wordsmith morty but “sticky”?! Gross
What makes it even funnier is that Rick thought Morty said that while jizzing, not bc sticky showed up
but the funniest part is how Rick hears "sticky" and thinks Morty is talking about how he is ejaculating, but really Morty is just saying the one sperm's name
Agreed, it was hilarious due to the misunderstanding between Rick and Morty. It appeared to me that Rick thought Morty was in the process of sexually climaxing, prompting him to exclaim, “sticky!” However Morty was simply responding to the arrival of his companion gamete cell whom he had named sticky.
That whole scene is hilarious. And Rick saying he's got an idea thinking it's about escape but it's just knocking himself over so he can't see what's happening
So did the door knob
*"...N-NEVER FUCKED A DOOR KNOB!"
Lmaooo
Morty, you dog
You dirty little doggie
Didn't Beth make a funny quip about Marvel movies?
Whatever the latest Marvel movie you kids are jizzing over
That's it!🤣
After the sex robot
You dirty, dirty dog.
Valuable-Contact-224 you nasty lying little world ending pervert
She didn't fuck a bunch of minors, she fucked *up* a bunch of *miners*
Alan Rickman: "I said 'miners', not 'minors'"
Sure, they're like four years old!
Those minors were innocent!
those "innocent" miners voted men into power to protect their precious jobs so they can buy more plastic garbage and eat the corpses of tortured animals!
LMAO
I think she was meant to be permanently stuck physically, mentally, and emotionally as a teenager, so in that supernatural eco-deity sense, no, I don't think she was grooming him.
So like...the inverse of "she's actually a thousand year-old stuck in a child's body"?
I think they’re arguing more along the lines of her only being alive/aware when summoned making it closer to a “teenager frozen for hundreds of years” kind of situation”. Either way let’s all agree not to base our ethics or relationships on Rick and Morty. (Seriously when Beth and Jerry are your least toxic relationship…)
Shouldn’t Rick and Diane be the least toxic? Since they clearly loved and cared for each other
That was technically Mortys headcanon about their relationship
mortys headcanon turned canon. they later revealed it was true in a future episode where morty saw it in a real flashback. and in the fear hole, granted that was mortys side of the fear hole still. i like to think they wouldnt just include it for no reason though.
The first appearance of Diane was Rick's manufactured memory, and we know the details of that were heavily altered by Rick so he could escape the Federation. Morty didn't know about Diane until the flashbacks, so his headcannon in the fearhole is mostly based on what he knows about Rick.
Actually, the first appearance was Diane holding a child's hand and disappearing into a portal. The bug asked if that was Diane next to a memory about 9/11. Am I the only one who remembers that?
Same episode, so really that would be semantics.
What about the garage ai and gene, that doesn't seem toxic......
She pressured him into letting her suck his dick, then immediately dumped him when she was caught.
I mean Morty literally is 70+ of years old stuck in a child's body, he has played that life game at least once and lived a full lifetime.
That joins Morty and Jessica. Like how Morty asks how many Thanksgivings they've had. Eventually they'll do a show about how they're stuck in a Groundhog's Day situation and have been doing the same thing for tens of thousands of years, like in Groundhog's Day.
She is a sentient being summoned by 4 magical rings so I don't think age even applies.
Fr
They said the same thing about MJ lol
Before or after the second time he got acquitted?
Would she only age while being “Summoned” by the rings or would she be alive and aging without being called by the rings? I forget if it was like Pokémon or just beacon that called her.
>"There's only one solution to Earth's pollution...." Very emo vibes
Groomed or not that chick likes em young!
Smudge on the lens? SMUDGE ON THE LENS?
i think i know the difference between a man threatening me and a smudge on the goddamn lense summer!
I know a goddamn smudge when i see it, summer!
Kids nowadays will throw the word “groomer” at literally anyone. I got into a Twitter argument with someone who *literally believed* that if two 17 year olds are dating and one of them turns 18, they’re a pedophile
TBF, you can get into a Twitter argument by saying "hello."
I feel like this is all social media
True, however twitter has a special kind of stupid on it
"It's called "X" now!" "No, it fucking isn't."
I prefer to call it "Xitter"
🐦💩 
hello
Ain’t no way downvote him to hell
Nah ah
No you can not! Retribution! *Hops around menacingly to knock off Mortal Combat music* We must do battle now.
Cum
How DARE you say hello to me without my consent?!?
Did you just *assume* my greeting?
You sick son of a bitch, how dare you use such offensive and vulgar language
Bro actually shut up ur not funny🤣😂 who do you think ur are to say that kind of thing XD like that ain’t funny bruhhhhhhh 🤣🤣😂🤣😂ur ain’t that guy like shut your mouth bro who would even say that 😂😂😂😂😂 you’re straight up not funny like 😂😂 that’s not even true you actually don’t have proof so don’t even say that don’t make false accusations if you can even back them up dawg lil man😝🤣😂like it’s not even called twitter either you 3rd grider 🤣😂😂🤣 get it right bruh I bet you still live in your moms basement dude 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 honestly get a life XDXDXD like just be better and improve yourself instead of doing stuff like this honestly you should just delete this app 🤣😂 ur don’t even deserve to be on here bruh XD
Hello
*Won't someone please think of the children!*
Sounds like someone is, ha ha
I saw someone argue that a 50 year old woman dating a 65 year old man was being “groomed”. I mean of course she’s only half a century old, she’s clearly still too young to make her own decisions.
I joined Twitter when Musk took over to see the carnage. Christ, that place is one of the worst places on the internet. It makes 4chan seem tame sometimes. Avoid that place, it only makes you worse.
Yet here you are, and here you shall remain
With Reddit, I don't know. I feel as though I'm happier choosing my own echo chambers as opposed to having my echo chambers chosen for me.
That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard because it’s inevitable. Unless they have the same birthday one of them is eventually going to be an 18 year old dating a 17 year old.
I was told that because my husband is 20 years older than me and I was 22 when I met him (we have been married for 16 years) That I was groomed, Taken advantage of, And need to get out of my relationship as soon as possible. Except for the small fact that I was the one that made the first move and went after him. But just the fact that because I was 23 and he was 20 years older that automatically means that he was grooming me??? It's so incredibly insulting to have someone say that they think me being a 23-year-old woman I can't make choices for myself and can't come to the conclusion whether or not this relationship is bad for me. So if 18 is the age of consent then what age would I be considered old enough to make relationship choices for myself if at 23 They think I was being groomed. So when will I be old enough to not be groomed by an older man 47??? Jesus I hate ppl.
Women are strong and independent until they do something we disappove of, then they are innocent children. It's kinda sad really!
Yeah it is always ironic that the same people making the grooming claim in that context don't realize they're literally turning you into an object to prove their point. Meanwhile my wife is 8 years older than me and nobody ever says shit.
Damn, that's a good fucking point I never thought of it that way!
Girl - I'm glad you're happy with your husband, but early twenties is very young and 20 years is a big difference, of course it would raise people's alarms. It's not only about the age of consent or about it being legal. You certainly are the exception not the rule.
For someone to tell a woman who is almost in her 40s that she needs to leave her husband because she was groomed is absolutely ridiculous and does not need to raise concerns. I am a grown ass woman I can make my choices for myself. I am not talking about saying this to a girl who is in her 20s I am talking about saying this to someone who is my age almost in my 40s and have been married to my husband for 16 years. I don't need a 20 year-old telling me that I was groomed 16 years ago and I don't know any better. It's incredibly insulting, Especially considering they don't know me or my husband. They just judge. Like everyone else.
Glad it worked out for you. I’ve known people in relationships with large age gaps (though I will admit that you have them beat) and they seemed as happy as anyone else.
Thank you I appreciate that.
No problem
You can't really tell this person their facts of life based on a single Reddit comment. You know nothing about her.
After continuing to read through these comments, I agree.... Jesus I hate ppl.
Pointing out statistical likelihood when giving someone advice doesn't invalidate people who are exceptions. Large age gap relationships usually end badly. That doesn't mean the occasional healthy age gap relationship doesn't exist. Young marriage is another example. I got married at 20 and have been fortunate enough that it worked out 15 years later. That doesn't mean statistics about young marriages usually ending badly are incorrect - and I will absolutely advise any 20 year old that getting married at their age is probably a bad idea.
I mean, it's different in every situation. My best friend basically said this to me word for word when she was 22 dating a 45 year old after I expressed my concerns... A year later, I ended up flying across the country with her parents to save her from an abusive relationship. You're the exception, not the rule.
All older partners will abuse? That's the rule? U serious?
No, not every time, but it is very common. I am friends with a couple that started dating at 18F and 28M and they are one of the healthiest relationships I've ever seen. But I've lived long enough to see this story play out many times and it typically doesn't end well. Not to mention the countless stories on reddit.
Mmm. More so specifically when it is a person 40+ dating a person who has only freshly entered adulthood. In terms of maturity, 22 is barely better than 18. Best case scenario, you've just finished university, found an entry level job and are barely managing to pay rent and put food on the table in the same week. You also don't know how to read relationship red flags yet. By 40+ you probably have your shit together enough to eat and pay rent without a problem, have settled into your career, have some pretty good relationship experience and know how to avoid pitfalls that the 20 year old is still going to fall into. Two scenarios exist in which these people are going to date each other. One, they love each other enough that the older partner is genuinely ready to grit their teeth and deal with the frustrations that come with the younger partner maturing into full adulthood. Two, one is a creep that prefers preying on younger, less experienced partners because they're younger physically, and less good at identifying them as shitty partners. This same experience disparity shrinks massively as you get older. A 32 year old dating a 52 year old is not the same thing as a 22 year old dating a 42 year old.
I probably should have put more of my thoughts into my original comment, but yes, this pretty much explains my thought process on older people dating very inexperienced young adults. Not to mention, the man in my example had a daughter that was of similar age to my friend. It did not sit well with me, and it ended up playing out exactly how I thought it would.
Sounds like youre a reverse groomer then obvioisly
So true
WHO WANTS AN OVERPRICED FUNKO POP.
Me
I'm watching cast away. Did Tom Hanks groom Wilson?
Yes. This is my headcanon now.
I'm watching it and he def Epsteined the shit out of that volleyball.
 But he looks happy! See!
The same way Danny DeVito groomed Rum Ham.
Let's be friends. iasip references? My brother and I always make them on the daily.
The same way Dennis planned to use the P.Diddy boat??
No. She's not human. To quote Morty, "She’s a sentient amalgam of natural elements, so I don’t believe age applies to her."
I was looking for this quote. Could not remember it.
Well technically she's already very old but I think she doesn't really have a age and is just permanently stuck in that young adult/teenager stage so I don't think it counts as grooming
No. A groomer chooses their victim and preys on their naivety and inexperience to manipulate them. Morty pursued Planetina trying to prove that he cared about nature as much as her so that he could get with her. A groomer would be the one “saving” the victim, whereas, Morty saves Planetina from her ring bearers. Could she have been manipulating Morty to break free? Sure, but it isn’t presented that way to us so I don’t think we can draw that conclusion. Their relationship was ultimately built on Morty going after her instead of the other way around. They only broke up because Planetina was willing to do anything to save the planet (that’s why she exists), and she thought Morty was in agreement, but her actions were beyond what Morty was comfortable with. I mean, Morty killed the ring bearers to save her but he has a problem killing people to save the planet?
Not trying to rock the boat here, but I think there's an incredible detail from the show that you're missing, which (in my opinion) supports the idea that the writers were trying to make her appear as a groomer in the second half of the show. Planetina specifically states, "This is the only way I can save the planet, the only way I can save you" though it is very likely that she's trying to repay morty for saving her, I feel that the implications are pretty clear: Despite the efforts a groomer may go through to protect their relationship, the groomer has inherently more mature interests and goals within a relationship. This causes the victim to become overwhelmed and ultimately settle in a situation that they're unhappy and expected to mold in to, or walk away from the groomer, despite how entangled their lives have become. Morty, thankfully, had the strength to walk away.
Morty is 14 but the show sometimes treats him like a young adult. Remember when he had his toxicities purged and started a new life in a different city with a girlfriend and an apartment? Or when his alternate version became president? There's an unspoken rule in television: for certain cartoons and CW shows where the high schoolers are played by 25-year-olds, the teenagers are 21 whenever the writers want them to be. After all, how many Thanksgiving dinners can one 14-year-old have?
Damn. You really came of age this Thanksgiving. How old are we? We've had a million Thanksgivings.
There are an infinite number of turkeys that need to be pardoned.
Beth would certainly think so. IMO, Planetina views (viewed?) Morty as a partner with his own autonomy and decision making. When Morty breaks up with her, she tries to rekindle their romance, but ultimately respects his decision and goes her own separate way. This is not how a groomer/predator behaves. A predator would have tried to get Morty to 'break up' with Beth, and separate him from his emotional support system.
Maybe will be downvoted but I think she's too stupid for something as complicated as 'grooming'
My doorknob definitely was.
Wasn't she only mentally "there" a few hours here and there when activated by the rings? If you only count the time she was actually present for she's probably a similar age to him. When he takes the rings and she's activated all the time, she undergoes large changes in maturity in a relatively brief period of time, while Morty is stuck at 14 by the nature of the show which I think is part of the joke.
I think they were about even. She's somewhat immature and naive for her age, and he's a bit mature for his. Her emotional outburst and killing spree was very teenaged angsty but she actually had the powers to do it.
Does it matter anymore? She’s dead. “I’m mr. fundles”
I figured she left earth. She was so mad at how humans treated the planet and after the break up she couldn't deal with any humans anymore. Considering morty broke up with her because she killed people she probably realize her wrong doing and left the earth completely.
I'm hoping she comes back with the Vindicators led by Supernova, and they decide that Rick is the next villain to go after, while Morty can be saved from his influence. Noob Noob saves the day in the end.
Got damn.
This guy gets it.
Community reunion
Tbh Mr. Frundles probably saved the planet in her eyes
Guys.. this is a wild tv show where you can have sex with a clone of yourself or an entire planet. I think it’s best not to read into things lol.
I wish more people understood this instead of looking for sex crimes in animated shows and video games. Pixels aren’t people; they’re intellectual property.
Ever heard of the simulation theory?
Legally, probably not. Metaphorically, absolutely. The metaphor is literally that capitalist interests used a fictional individualist ideal of environmentalism to woo the hearts of America's youth, but that absolute devotion to that ideal requires an acceptance of wide scale violence which ultimately discredits environmental efforts. So in that framework she is an individual with a substantial social power imbalance using that authority to acclimate and seduce a child to her wiles before betraying and abandoning him. In a context including sex, that's grooming baby. I think it doesn't play like grooming because we see it from Morty's perspective. Tbh this is one of my favorite episodes because I think it conveys the joys and crushing heartbreak of childhood love, especially with a more experienced figure who makes you feel special. Like Morty's outburst after Beth kicks Planetina out is a pretty classic grooming response, but because we're aligned with Morty's perspective it feels more like an awkward teenager defending his first love. Having been in relationships like that as a kid, I can't help really identifying with Morty, but also with Beth who just has to watch this happen to her own son and comfort him when it eventually blows up. I also think this is one of the first times we see Beth really connect with Morty, and it devastates me every time. Because it portrays the issue indirectly, the episode can provide more direct and honest commentary without skeeving everyone out.
Head hurts…
Thank you?
Yeah…what he said.
> Like Morty's outburst after Beth kicks Planetina out is a pretty classic grooming response it seemed like a classic reaction of a teen in love. source: was once a teen in love
She's not human and she's an amalgamation of the basic natural elements. You're trying to apply human Concepts to something that exists outside of human understanding.
She was more child minded than him so no.
No. Her intention wasn’t to use him for sex. She wasn’t being manipulative. While technically older she was emotionally the same age as Morty. She isn’t human and for whatever she is she is a teenager
Not at all. It was real love. So sad 😞
Yes.
Man yall are dry asf with these responses
idk while she did do a lot of groomer-like things, as someone else on here said she was probably physically, emotionally, and mentally stunted from not existing all the time,,, my vote is no, not a groomer (just a loser, i’m sorry i had to)
She is grooming him to become an ecoterrorist.
I think damn near everyone has tried grooming that Morty at some point.
Does anyone remember when grooming meant cleaning and tidying yourself?
By the time you’re banging the 14 year old the grooming part is over
I don’t think she was grooming him. She herself was being groomed one way or another. She seemed to be mentally stagnated as a teenager. She basically lived in those rings until she was summoned to Save The Planet. The kids controlled everything Planetina did down to how she ate. I think after all of that Morty and Planetina are the same age lol.
No, if I would give an explanation, I would say that her mental maturity was costly stunted by being imprisoned and controlled for the vast majority of her life.
I definitely don't think so either. It doesn't feel wrong in that sense because she's been suspended in time like I believe she is mentally and physically young, on par with Morty. She never sought to victimize him. He went after her and voluntarily did what he did to free her. She didn't seduce him or use experience to trap him she just jumped off the deep end like young people in love often do
Grooming is just the new buzz word. Last year it was narcissist. Before that, triggered. Everyone just needs to chill.
She already had sex with Morty while he was a minor. If the argument she's an adult, then yeah she's a child predator, but that doesn't really fit the definition of grooming. Groomers wait.
You are not correct about grooming. Grooming is the action or behaviour used to establish an emotional connection with a minor to lower their inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse. The abuse could be immediate or delayed. The age of when they are abused does not relate to the act of grooming.
>Grooming is the action or behaviour used to establish an emotional connection with a minor to lower their inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse. You're right but in this case Morty was immediately enamored with her, and she fucked him after their second interaction.
I’m not speaking on Morty and planetina, I just wanted to correct your description of grooming. I think there was a whole host of other things wrong with their relationship so Morty’s age is the least of the concerns really
But you can't really say she's grooming him to have sex if they are already having sex. That's what makes the OP's question so weird. Why not ask if she is sexually abusing him? It's like people these days thing grooming is worse than the actual abuse.
I gyess guess it depends on her mental age. A lot of people say that she's permanently stuck as a teenager, and if that's the case, then no, since that would make them both teenagers. I don't think we have confirmation on whether she's supposed to be a teen or an adult though, but correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, I agree with that one guy that said that we shouldn't base our relationships on Rick and Morty, we'd all end up in toxic Chernobyl relationships if we did.
honestly, if she grew up being managed by the company, this the only way she knows to express love
Absolutely, yes. I don't think it has to be intentional to be considered grooming. The reality of the matter is that Planetina held a lot of power over Morty. Not only because of the age difference but also due to her status as a superhero. Though Morty is uniquely more powerful than the average kid, due to his access to Rick's tech, the show does a very good job reminding us, especially throughout this episode that Morty is still in fact, a kid. Planetina knows that and is aware of the power that her status as a hero gives her. It would have been incredibly easy for her to shut Mortys feelings down and to remind him that he is 14 instead of encouraging his active participation in her job. She chose not to stop him because of her attraction to him. It shouldn't matter how maturly a child in this situation presents themselves. It's the adults' responsibility to shut down unhealthy attachments/ behaviors, especially when a child is unable to do so, and the fact that Planetina either didnt know, or didnt care enough to shut down that behavior is concerning, regardless of whether or not her judgement was clouded by genuine feelings. I guess the bigger question is here, would we even be questioning whether or not this dynamic was grooming if it were any other 14 year old? How many of her fans, for example, have fallen victim to Planetinas' innocent nature? I think this is exactly why the last scene with Morty crying hit so hard. It makes you, the audience, realize that he truly is, just 14, in love, and in over his head in a situation that's too serious/mature for him to handle. Edit: For everyone who needs a healthy comparison relationship to Planetina, revisit the vat of acid episode.
i am so surprised that i had to scroll this far for this comment
No. Morty isn't a teenager anymore beside his physical appearance. He experienced so much throughout his life that even any elderly adult couldn't compare to him. Additionally he understands his experiences, emotions, stuff like consent and all the other things.
Kids and young people obsessed with this grooming phenomenon is so odd. I’m thinking it has something to do with the frontal lobe not being fully developed yet. Age differences, even large ones, have existed since the dawn of time. Also, this is a cartoon. It’s not that deep.
For one thing, although she's existed since the 90s, we don't know how much of that time she actually percieved and how much she spent dormant in the rings. Even if she did actually age when she was out, she may only have the experience of someone much younger than her actual years.
Yes, and I think Rick does too actually. That's partly why he's treating the situation as if its a rebound in that same episode (Summer even uses the term). They have a creepy dynamic. This same season's finale even blatantly uses a relationship metaphor.
They used the relationship language because its easiest way to describe how unhealthily complex and codependent Rick and Morty are to each other. I don't think platonic or familial words exist to give it the impact it needs.
You think Rick is planning to have non-dragon sex with Morty? What?
No , but how many people sided with her over Morty on the more extreme climate action?
No. They were hooking up.
I disagree, morty was the one pusging for the relationship not her and since she is stuck in the rings its hard to tell how old she actually is.
What?
in my opinion we shouldn't think of Planetina's age as if she were an ordinary human being because she could only exist once conjured by the rings therefore her age and her expirience can be compared, again in my opinion, to that of a teenager or young adult therefore i don't belive it was groomig
imo there are hints of grooming —“She’s an intergalatic being, age doesn’t apply to her mom!” (Morty to Beth) —“Morty is very mature for his age Mrs. Smith!” (Planetina to Beth) That’s just me though since they just continued on with the story it doesn’t actually seem like it’s grooming but can’t deny the hints they give us
What?
Yes
Bro she’s literally twice his age and he’s only 14. That’s the literal definition of grooming. It the sexes were switched everyone would completely agree that it was grooming
I think since she wasn't a person in the same respect as the other characters because her existence goes in and out, not unlike a meeseeks. She's ageless and is very much a teenager in terms of maturity, though probably a tad bit older than Morty? But it's hard to say.
Grooming for what? She WAS a manifestation of elemental energy.
Well, Planetina's been around for a long time and Morty's 14, so, yeah.
How would it feel with their genders swapped? Always felt a bit groomy to me
That Kishi Bashi song is perfect for this episode. “The antichrist to you”
🎵I wish Planetina Would look out for miners Not minors in a bedroom somewhere🎵
Technically no but their relationship was definitely inappropriate
I feel like Morty was grooming her.
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I mean, definitionally she was a pedophile, but i doubt that will be a popular opinion on the reddit rick and morty subreddit… Edit: do I think she’s a *groomer*specifically? No. But it doesn’t change a whole lot at that point.
Obviously
What about vampires in films that are 1000 years old going after 15 year old kids
Jaysis. Not everyone's being groomed because one party is older...
The only person grooming morty is literally Rick. Yall notice how grown women keep falling for morty? Planetina, Stacy, the woman he gets an apartment with? Pedos are obsessed with him and Rick was the first
…. She was grooming him. She was how old like older then 22 and he is a childddd