You've probably seen the bright colors and the "wacky" scientist on a lunchbox or a t-shirt and thought, "Hey, it’s a cartoon, how bad can it be?"
Stop right there.
If you’re looking for a Rick and Morty parents guide because your ten-year-old is begging to watch it, you need the unvarnished truth. This isn’t The Simpsons. It isn't even Family Guy. It is a nihilistic, high-concept sci-fi sitcom that pushes every possible boundary of taste, logic, and existential dread. Honestly, it’s brilliant. But for a child? It can be a total nightmare.
Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, the show follows Rick Sanchez, a genius alcoholic who drags his grandson, Morty Smith, across the multiverse. While it looks like a fun adventure, it’s actually a deeply cynical exploration of how meaningless life is in an infinite universe. That’s a heavy lift for a kid who’s still mastering long division.
What the TV Rating Doesn't Tell You
The show carries a TV-MA rating. That stands for Mature Audiences. In the United States, that means it’s specifically designed for people 17 and older. It isn't just a suggestion.
Parents often assume "mature" just means a few curse words. With Rick and Morty, it means graphic depictions of alien anatomy, frequent drug use, and some of the most creative gore you'll ever see on a screen. Think exploding heads, but they're neon green and dripping with interdimensional bile. It’s "cartoony," sure, but the impact is still there.
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The Language Factor
The dialogue is fast. It’s sharp. And it is incredibly foul. You will hear every word in the book, including frequent use of "f***," though it was originally bleeped on Adult Swim (streaming versions often leave it uncensored). Rick’s catchphrases are often fueled by burps—which are actually a result of his constant drinking—and his insults are cutting. He doesn't just call people names; he deconstructs their entire self-worth in a three-minute monologue.
Violence and the "Gore" Problem
Let’s talk about the episode "Pickle Rick." It’s famous. People love it. In it, Rick turns himself into a pickle to avoid family therapy. Sounds funny, right? Within ten minutes, he has slaughtered an entire colony of rats and used their brains and limbs to build a mechanical exoskeleton for himself.
The violence is often played for laughs, but it is relentless. Characters are disintegrated, flayed, and mutated into "Cronenbergs"—grotesque masses of flesh and limbs. If your child is sensitive to body horror, this show will provide enough nightmare fuel to last until they’re thirty.
Sexual Content and Themes
While there isn't much graphic "on-screen" sex, the show is hyper-sexualized in its humor. There are plotlines involving "sex robots," unintended pregnancies with cosmic entities, and jokes about very specific fetishes. It’s high-brow sci-fi mixed with the lowest-brow toilet humor imaginable. It’s a weird cocktail.
The Mental Health and Nihilism Trap
This is the part of the Rick and Morty parents guide that most people overlook. The physical stuff—the blood and the swearing—is easy to spot. The psychological stuff is sneakier.
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Rick Sanchez is a miserable person. He is a functioning alcoholic who frequently contemplates suicide. In one famous scene at the end of "Auto Erotic Assimilation," Rick attempts to kill himself in his garage after a breakup. It is played completely straight. No jokes. Just a depressing song and a fade to black.
Morty, the protagonist, is often traumatized. In the episode "Rick Potion #9," Rick and Morty accidentally destroy their entire world. Instead of fixing it, they travel to a parallel universe where that version of them just died. They bury their own corpses in the backyard and take over their lives. Morty spends several episodes visibly shaking from the trauma of seeing his own dead body.
- Existential Dread: The show constantly reminds the audience that there are infinite versions of them and that nothing they do matters.
- Toxic Relationships: The marriage between the parents, Beth and Jerry, is often depicted as a codependent, miserable wreck.
- Drug Use: Substances are used as a coping mechanism for the misery of existence.
Why Do Kids Want to Watch It Anyway?
It’s the "forbidden fruit" effect. The show is everywhere. It’s in Fortnite. It’s on TikTok. It has a fast-paced, "random" humor style that appeals to the Gen Alpha and Gen Z sensibility. The animation is vibrant, and the world-building is genuinely some of the best in modern television.
If you have a teenager (15+), they might actually get something out of it. The show deals with complex themes like the burden of intelligence and the importance of family, even if that family is broken. But for younger kids? They’ll miss the satire and just see a cool scientist being "edgy."
Navigating the Conversation
If you’ve already found your kid watching it, don't panic. But don't just ignore it either.
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Ask them what they like about it. Is it the sci-fi gadgets? The monsters? If it’s the science, maybe steer them toward something like Lower Decks (still adult, but lighter) or even Gravity Falls, which has that same "weird mystery" vibe but is actually appropriate for middle-schoolers.
Common misconceptions about the show usually involve people thinking Rick is a hero. He isn't. He’s a cautionary tale. If your teen is watching, that’s the most important conversation to have. Rick’s brilliance doesn't justify his cruelty. If a kid starts mimicking Rick’s "nothing matters" attitude, that’s a red flag.
Practical Steps for Parents
- Watch "Meeseeks and Destroy" (Season 1, Episode 5) alone first. This episode captures the show's range: from silly blue creatures that help you with your golf swing to a very dark, borderline-assault scene involving Morty in a bathroom. It will give you a perfect barometer for whether you want your kid seeing this.
- Check the Streaming Settings. If you use Max or Hulu, ensure your parental controls are active. Rick and Morty usually sits right next to kid-friendly stuff because it's "animation."
- Use Common Sense Media. They have a granular breakdown of every single instance of swearing and violence if you need specific data points.
- Consider "Gravity Falls" or "The Owl House" instead. These shows offer high-concept sci-fi and fantasy with deep lore but without the nihilistic "life is a joke" undercurrent.
Honestly, Rick and Morty is a masterpiece of modern writing, but it’s a masterpiece written for adults who have already lived a little. It requires a level of emotional maturity to process the tragedy behind the comedy. Without that maturity, it’s just a guide on how to be cynical and mean.
Wait until they’re older. The multiverse isn't going anywhere.
Actionable Insight: If your child is insistent, watch the first three episodes of Season 1 with them. Do not leave the room. If you find yourself constantly cringing or wanting to explain away the behavior on screen, that is your internal "parental instinct" telling you they aren't ready. Trust that instinct over the "it's just a cartoon" excuse every single time.