It's simply a part of life for any Community fan to worry about the show's cancelation, which always feels moments away. We have lots of reasons to worry: low ratings, schedule fuckery from NBC, the perception that the show is too weird and meta and insular. Our newest and juiciest reason to expect the show's demise was the feud between creator Dan Harmon and Chevy Chase which recently spilled out onto the internet. To recap very quickly: Chase stormed off the set when Harmon made some last-minute script changes, Harmon cursed him out at an event for the cast and crew, Chase left him an angry voicemail, and Harmon then played the voicemail for a small group of fans. Maturity!
Neither Harmon nor Chase have a reputation of being easy to work with, and some started to worry that a fight that seemed to be escalating would imperil the show, which, we've established, does not need more imperiling! Finally, after an outpouring of concern from the fans, Harmon realized that no matter how much he personally doesn't like Chevy Chase, he should probably just suck it up for the good of the series he's put so much effort into and which is so beloved by its fans. So he took to his blog to apologize for his behavior and assure us that the show's future isn't in jeopardy. Well, at least not because of this:
I’m really not supposed to be commenting on the situation, which I think is great advice, because anything I say will extend the story’s life and cause more fans discomfort. But as a guy who blogs or tweets every time he wipes his butt, hugs his cat or hurts his girlfriend, it’s conspicuously weird of me to say nothing at all about the giant fart with my name on it that you’ve been inhaling. It feels dishonest not to acknowledge it, it feels rude to the caring fans of the show, people who are tweeting me their concerns that I’ve jeopardized something they fight to protect, those are the sentiments that are [rightfully] the most painful because every choice I make, I try to make for the good of the show, and the show is not an expression of my ego or entitlement, it’s an expression of my desire to make strangers happy. When that’s not happening, when I’ve done something that hurts an audience, it’s always an accident. So I have to just acknowledge my mistake and apologize for it to the fans. Even the people that hate the show that are tweeting heckles at me are right, I’m a selfish baby and a rude asshole and not a person to trust with your feelings.
He goes for quite a while longer in the post, in which he shows a refreshing awareness of how much of an idiot he was being when he played out that voicemail rant. So you can take that newest little worry off your shoulders, fellow Community-philes! Please return to your regular worrying.
[Above: Happier days.]
