>>151518579

>Zach: It’s also that classic thing where more people are talking about it being a controversy than [actual backlash]. One person said something. That certainly wasn’t a commentary on fans. If you go to a convention, especially around the beautiful cosplay babes, some gentlemen really have no hygiene sensibilities. Also, guys go to the X-rated conventions. I’d say 99.999 percent of the people that I’ve run into that are fans of Smiling Friends have been great. So it’s not a commentary. No one’s done that to us yet.

>Cusack: It’s not in Smiling Friends’ nature to be topical or political or anything like that. Like Zach said, anytime there’s anything like that, it’s one percent backlash on something that they’re reading into, and most people are like, “You’re reading too much into it.” It’s always funny to observe.

>>151518579
Why not just post this in one of the other Smiling Friends threads? There's already at least two up right now.

>>151518579
>Bluesky vs Twitter

You know what's funny about this is the person that started this all of WAS on bluesky but everyone told them they were being stupid and they got piled on they deleted the original post, someone then went on Twitter with the screenshot posted it with "DUDE LOOK HOW WOKE AND SNOWFLAKE BLUESKY IS" the controversy then went on for an entire week on Twitter while bluesky moved on

>>151518606
>>151518593
>Hadel: It’s also that classic thing where more people are talking about it being a controversy than [actual backlash]. One person said something.
>Cusack: ...anytime there’s anything like that, it’s one percent backlash on something that they’re reading into, and most people are like, “You’re reading too much into it.” It’s always funny to observe.
Good to see that Zach and Michael are aware enough to know how a lot of these cases are nontroversies that aren't worth their attention beyond saying "haha, that's silly" in good faith and moving on. I think they know that a good portion of the fanbase, for whatever reason, reads way too far into everything that's said and fails to take it as just a joke. Ties into what Zach says later on in the article.
>Hadel: It’s baked into the show where we’ve hidden all these fun little things that we do want people to find. But it’s almost like we’ve turned up people’s schizophrenia pattern recognition, where they’re now looking for something everywhere. I’ll have some people go, “That’s a reference to Bomberman 64!” You’re like, “What are you talking about?”
They know that people will schizorant about the show, but that doesn't stop them from putting in the type of humour they like because it's on the audience to pull their heads in and recognize what the intention is, not for them to self-censor their style for the sake of not enabling a bunch of internet weirdos.

Anyone who read it as a commentary on trans people rather than a joke about con creeps is either being intentionally disingenuous or an idiot.

>>151518779
same shit

>>151518779
Id say its pretty telling that trannies felt attacked when it wasn't targetting towards yhem

>>151518579
>People read into it too much.
Just like people read into you saying porn is bad too much, huh?

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>>151518779
correct take

As someone who fucking hates trannyism, I didn't even think it was a trans joke. It made me think more of that creep who assaulted Emiru at Twitchcon. Alan was literally also dressed as a female character and nobody cared.

>>151519688
>people

You don't count as a person, schizo-chan.

>>151518779
It didn't even occur to me that it could even be read as a trans joke until people on here pointed it out, it just does not read that way to me. Con guys dressing as sailor moon is as old as time.

>>151518593
>especially around the beautiful cosplay babes
This sounds like a 60 year old man.

>>151518593
>especially around the beautiful cosplay babes, some gentlemen really have no hygiene sensibilities

I love how he talks like that even in interviews.

>>151518579
>Is Adult Swim arm-twisting you to keep it going?
>Cusack: Even our agents think we’re going to go to season 80. (Laughs.) Our reps and Adult Swim are like, “Surely, we’ll go on forever.” But Zach and I know what’s best for the show. The Beatles are so cool. They ended with Abbey Road on a peak, and it’s like this nice little discography you can go back to watch. Leaving the audience wanting more is the best.
This was the most interesting part. I like getting to hear about the more corporate side of a show and that the creators aren't as invested in milking the product. It was already obvious Adult Swim latched onto this as their new Rick and Morty, something they want to push into pop culture with their meet up displays of the SF HQ and stuff, but it was interesting to actually hear them say the execs and agents do expect it to be milked and last much longer than Zach and Cusack care to.'

They even said if by the end of Season 5 they have a thousand ideas they won't let it run much further. That's pretty nice to hear for an episodic comedy. Even serialized shows will try and make up new shit if they can milk it, but usually it's those where I'd hear "I have a story in mind and once it's told it's done" like with Hirsch (and that was before micromanaging overworked him and he cut 3 seasons to 2.)

>>151520060
No, the most important part was:
>But in that office of Smiling Friends, they would all have different politics. One of them would be a quote, unquote more Democrat voter. One would be slightly more Republican.

Seriously, what are each character's politics? Who's the republican of the group?? We need to get to the bottom of this so we can finally agree on whether the funny cartoon guy would agree with me on capitalism and open borders and the evil of woke

>>151518579
Troon seething good

>>151518579
>they immediately had to respond to twitter posts
so it was totally a joke about troons, got it

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>>151519808
>Con guys dressing as sailor moon is as old as time.
This, how old is this photo?

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>>151518579
Is this how he gets back into starting twitter arguments again?

>>151518579
>>151518593
Sounds like these two are reading into this too much

>That guy who has no sense of humor is dressing as a girl
>Maybe he's not joking.
FUCK sorry guys I was reading into it to much.

>>151518779
Ok groomer

>>151518579
>it was so funny
>no really it was so funny
is he really reading posts online all day seething about them

>>151518779
There's really nothing stopping you from reading it as both at the same time

>>151518579
hes so afraid of losing the trannies in his audience that he wont admit what hes mocking while simultaneously bringing up culture wars lol

I can't believe people care about this!
So anyways, here's multiple paragraphs of us caring about this.

>>151520684
What makes someone want to make their own dirty laundry public like this?

>>151518579
>ignore every other controversy
>feel the need to speak about this one to bitch about twitter
bro why did you delete your tweets if you are going to kick up your old habits again.

>>151518579
I understand why, but it's really funny to read old political spats Zach used to get into all of the time, and then him now being like
>y-yeah the show's apolitical and we don't even really think about politics h-haha...

>>151518579
Hadel is the kind of person to Google his name every day apparently

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>the shitposting bots arrived
i hate the future and how quickly everyone just accepted that most shit on the internet are now from literally bot generated engagement farming.

>>151520838
He clearly wanted everyone to forget and now he is doing it all over again

>>151520794
>>151520823
They were asked directly by the interviewer, they didn't bring it up themselves.

>>151518579
>First of all
He is arguing like Corey would

Holy samefagging ITT
Bring back the IP counter

>>151520917
That was Michael's quote

>>151518593
>It’s not in Smiling Friends’ nature to be topical or political
President Jimble was not about anything real at all

>>151520936
Didnt know Cusack was a troon
They/them are arguing like Corey would

>>151518579
>gay rape is funny

Why do they talk about this show like it doesnt exist whenever the material comes up? Always treating viewers like they are wrong to recognize anything the characters are saying or doing. You could ask them about the Jared Fogle scene and they would walk on eggshells about it not wanting to upset any Subway fans.

>>151518579

>>151518606
you can hardly find mention of it on bluesky where everyone was bitching on twitter about the post that was deleted

>>151521043
They're smart and know how to avoid controversy, if something edgy happens in the show they'll go "it's just a silly show don't read into it" but if they're asked about something not-edgy they'll have a loredump ready and take the question seriously. It's dishonest but it works.

>>151521043
It's some of the most basic PR management you can do. Smiling Friends is becoming (if it isn't already) Adult Swim's next big cash cow, so nobody involved wants to rope it into some stupid controversy and hurt it. Michael and Zach can make edgy jokes in the show, but it's best to play dumb and give politician-level answers on any interview question that might be slightly controversial. If the Jared Fogle joke were brought up to them, I guarantee they would step around it and not discuss it directly. Not an indictment on them, to be clear. They're just trying to be wise and protect the show

>>151518593
>It’s not in Smiling Friends’ nature to be topical or political or anything like that.
Oh come on Michael. Sometimes it's not even subtle

>>151521091
You realise the loredumps are jokes too, right?
You aren't that easy to fool, are you?

>>151519866
They discussed on oneyplays that stuff they used to say ironically ended up becoming part of their actual vocabulary, like "epic".

>>151518593
starting to maybe think maybe this was not so funny to them

>>151520946
>>151521115
President Jimble was supposed to be a Chris-chan character as the president and he was not even voted in, he got in because Pinhead died due to bad shrimp.

>>151521091
>they're smart
Or just dishonest

>>151521085
Bluesky tends to have its own bubbles so "controversies" don't really spread like on twitter due to not having a super forced engagement algorithm.

>>151521138
There was no US election being referenced since that would be topical and political. Just an incidental episode about nothing.

>>151521142
Oh, anon, the bearer of truth and champion of honesty, bring down these foul cartoon guys for being deceitful. Smite them with the light of reality!

>>151521043
Other edgy animated shows did not have their creators pussyfooting this hard around interviews. Comes off like they are scared of losing everything and cant be brave about their own writing despite being fine to put it out there.

>>151521162
Precisely. Having an episode about AN american president doesn't mean it's about current american president. IT's not like when a movie like deep impact and independence day came out, the average person would think they were direct commentary on Clinton/Bush presidencies. They were just random presidents to fill the spot.

>>151521190
What a bitchy ass response. Did that really touch a nerve that someone called the behavior dishonest?

>>151521043
>>151521107
Wow, do you know them so well that you'd know 100% how they'd answer? Wow, you must be true experts.

Literally that image of a guy creating their own strawmen, get a life.

>>151521220
Except it's about the election and American politics. It can't be about something and not be about it. Or is this the lying that >>151521091
was talking about where we know what it is about but dont want to admit it when confronted about it?

>>151521230
Nah, just showcasing how nothing your statement was. What if they were dishonest about comments about a shitty cartoon joke? What's supposed to be a proper answer or action?

>>151521243
>anon vicariously living through eceleb enough to defend their honor against basic ass questions
every interview does have them saying how the show means nothing with no point when the finale was an entire lore episode

>>151521248
What the fuck are you talking about? The election was one by a third party candidate, Mr. Frog and in the Smiling friends universe that's not even that rare.

Get over yourself man.

>>151521277
>Defending the honor
No, just pointing out that getting angry at POTENTIAL responses about questions that were never made to them is fucking retarded.

>"Yeah, they are little rats, they'd totally pussyfoot around every single topic, yeees"
Yeah, then what? Going to make a sad, frustrated post on Kiwifarms or something?

>>151521138
...so? Did you watch the episode? And there are more examples, almost every episode. I don't think that anything like that happened in the Squim one

>>151521264
You overreacted to someone acknowledging something as simple as dishonesty like it personally offended you

>>151518779
Trannies are just that retarded

>>151521243
Well no, but I can make a fairly confident guess. Michael and Zach are not the first people to ever make a show with edgy humor, nor are they the first people to answer interview questions as carefully as possible to protect their show.
>>151521296
I'm not even angry about it, I'm just saying how it is. They aren't two bros on the internet making a cartoon to have a laugh anymore. Smiling Friends has a massive staff of people involved that would be affected if something happens. It's in their best interest to answer interview questions as safely as possible

>>151520946
>>151521138
>>151521162
In all fairness the US elections basically are a championship between the mentally disabled and/or evil so there's no way they could've done a presidential episode without it feeling like commentary on something irl

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They're not going to acknowledge anything as specifically political, it's in their best interest not to.

>that's not a tranny, it's a man dressing up as a woman!
uh...

>>151521296
that is a lot of anger for something so basic
its just a cartoon you shouldnt care so much

>>151520794
Do you know what an interview is?

>>151521352
>Interviewer : What would those politics be?
>Cusack : Our politics are all over which is why they aren't here right now. They don't exist. Next question.

>>151518579
>There was Bluesky versus Twitter stuff — that’s classic. [The difference between the platforms is] becoming more of a thing now.
There was one post. We had threads looking into this controversy and there was one post that was so light, it was just like "a mean spirited joke is one that has the potential to used against someone". That's it. That's why even he said it was a controversy and then said it wasn't.

>>151521352
>>151521382
>all over the place
That's admitting they have some nazi beliefs. Based.

>>151521375
Something where you can respond briefly instead of going as long winded as this and admitting you paid too much attention to it.

>>151518593
>more people are talking about it being a controversy than [actual backlash]
true. many such cases. monetizing commentary made already shitty social media infinitely worse.

>>151521392
It was so funny though anon. That one post was so funny. Did I mention how it was so funny?

>>151518593
Oh don’t try to walk back your dog whistling chud shit now, Mr. Cusack, Mr. Hadel! Now that we got you by the fuckin balls you cower away and squeak “i-it’s not that serious guise.” we’re not gonna take this shit anymore, you hear me? WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT

>>151521410
One of the members of MDE is a writer on the show.

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>>151521392
That's what Zach was saying

>>151521476
>STOP MOCKING MY FAVORITE ECELEBS FOR BEING SPINELESS

>why are right wing grifters always looking for things to get mad about

>>151518579
Its insane that a single post deleted on bluesky gets this much of a reaction that even the creators knew about it.

People say Smiling Friends has become Rick and Morty but it's actually the next South Park
>"erm ACKSHULLY they agree with ME politically" - both lefts and rights

>>151521480
No the fuck he’s not. He just does the end credit photoshops. Bicflame isn’t funny at all

>>151521043
same reason they nuked their twitter accounts and began kissing up to hollywood elites.
is this the end of tranny jokes in smiling friends?

>>151520157
Charlie is chud coded so he is right-wing. Glep too since he voted for Mr. Frog. Pim and Alan are democrats but they're chill with different opinions, they even agreed with Glep's reasoning for voting Mr. Frog. Mr. Boss is probably a centrist or doesn't care too much about politics, he only wanted President Jimble to win because he's really confident on his boys and was sure they would make him win the election so he put a lot of money on it.

>>151521558
Hadel talked about the person who spammed threads about him too. Terminally online despite running a successful television show.

>>151518779
>intentionally disingenuous and an idiot.
Ftfy.

>>151518779
The original comment did not even go that hard but it did not stop people from chasing them off

>>151521358
My point precisely.

>>151521043
They are handling being edgy with baby gloves.

While transphobia is not only acceptable but a good thing that should be encouraged, I believe Simon and Jimmy's explanation.

>>151521710
Your point is that you are mad anyone would suggest anything negative about the show you love. Tough shit. Accept it is a cartoon so people can talk about it. Or sperg out in rage while people continue to recognize cowardice.

>>151521043
If they got more brave people might remember their affiliation to shadbase

>>151518593
>99.999 percent of the people that I’ve run into that are fans of Smiling Friends have been great
So he liked the furry convention fan art?

>>151521736
No, I was talking about people literally creating scenarios and questions never even brought up to get angry about how these cowards won't be direct about. It's just pathetic kiwifarms bullshit.

This show's fanbase is even more rabid than rick and morty's

>>151518779
Why does everyone forget that Alan was also crossdressing

>>151521043
Just watching Oneyplays you know better.

>>151518606
You would be surprised how positive BlueSky is about Smiling Friends.

People glaze this show not being cynical but there's not a single sincere moment in it.

>>151521962
Their approach is to act like they are above everything

>>151521982
The classic Matt and Trey approach

>>151522002
Except they even admit in commentary and interviews when they are ripping into something

>>151521352
>"all over the place"
>psychicpebbles advocating the great replacement theory

>>151518579
Did they get asked about Insane Critters?

>>151522002
Matt and Trey had a running joke about Barbara Streisand being the worst person on Earth because she called to boycott Colorado after they passed legislation that banned anti-discrimination laws against gays.

>>151521874
And people still out there saying that SF can't be the new R&M because the show doesn't take itself seriously enough for the fanbase to ever devolve into pretentious redditors

>>151522079
They're just saying they try to have more nuanced views. Sorry anon, but MDE remains the only verifiably chuddy AS show.

>>151518593
these two sound so spineless in interviews

>>151522651
bro it takes literally seconds to find anything he posted or said over the years to confirm what those politics are

>>151521627
Most modern day creators and even writers on shows linger the web after an episode releases just to look around and see where people's thoughts are. I don't know why everyone is really trying to push constant complaints and shitposting about Zach like these threads NEED a problem for everyone to have. Isn't Dolly bad enough? Cusack also knows about fan reception and stuff, but I guess for some reason that's not terminally online because no one thinks of or cares about Cusack.

>>151522830
Like people have been saying they do this to protect the show from controversy. Ge cordial in interviews and edgy for the cartoon

>>151519808
>Con guys dressing as sailor moon is as old as time.
You akai can't do it anymore without people assuming it's a gender identity thing. You literally got dudes in full beards dressing as Misty from Pokemon, and today they genuinely identify as female and expect you to respect that

>>151522961
Straight guys do maid cat girl shit and it's funny. Fuck off.

>>151518606
Yeah it's stupid tribal shit that falls apart on closer inspection but people love to get smug and imagine the reaction to be larger than it was. Even here people kept trying to start up shit with that post and got called out repeatedly for it. Stuff like that always reads like someone farming engagement.

>>151523163
They aren’t straight

>>151523163
yea it's funny when I'm pounding their ass later that night

>>151522079
White people getting replaced is objective reality though.

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>>151522651
There was nothing wrong with Sam being a chud, you can literally find Zach getting into twitter spats and debate shit about whites being replaced. The problem that you don’t consider was that Sam didn’t brush it under the rug and clean up the act for a network and treated it like a YT channel. He turned a silly Buzzfeed article into a spectacle, and continued to post shit flinging on Twitter. getting a show clearly went to all their heads because there was an old video where they’re driving in LA fucking with people.

>>151520157
Charlie is explicitly a conspiracy theorist MAGA
Boss and Glep are opportunist Republicans, they just like low taxes because they're rich
Pim is a classic liberal, compassionate enough to vote dem over social issues but not willing to upset the apple cart
Alan is demsoc

>>151523600
>The guy who hates everyone around him is demsoc
Checks out.

>>151518579
>I love that people overreacted to a single post online
Why did you love that?

>>151523658
Because it's funny.

>>151523400
I guess this is why hadel stopped debating people and deleted all of his posts

>>151523658
because it was funny bro. it was so funny that he spent 10 minutes stumbling over himself to say how much he didnt care by showing how he cared too much and followed every detail of it

>>151523400
Psychicpebbles doesnt want you to share this image.

>>151523400
got the vid of pebbles streaming with sargonofakkad?

>>151523400
the funniest part of all of this is how many troons think this guy is on their side.

>>151518593
If this is how much they cared when one person said something then how are they going to handle any actual criticism in the future

>>151518593
>It’s not in Smiling Friends’ nature to be topical or political or anything like that.
Is he retarded

The real funny part is how catty /co/ gets about this show and Hadel

how do groypers on twitter not get that the narrator guy at the end is the butt of the joke, it's not a dog whistle by the creators it's literally mocking people who do that and then try and deflect with the "it's just a thought experiment YOU'RE the bigoted ones!" line

>>151524887
Zach is very much of that frame of mind. I'm sure it's not obscure but saw a podcast with them the other day and he said "it's a Rorschach test" like 3 times about different things in the show, such as Mr Frog's slur

>>151525004
yeah i kind of think it was a self aware bit
i mean there's also a difference between writing something that's actually meaningless and using it as a rorschach test, and randomly dropping an obvious dogwhistle like what the narrator said and then going "erm if that's how you interpreted it then you're the racist one" to deflect when people don't find it funny, smiling friends jokes for the most part feel like the former to me and they're also actually funny

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>>151525004
But it's just an ambiguity that loses meaning when he came from livestreams where he laughs loudly at anti-atheist soijak memes and is happy to know a lot about Hitler. That ambiguity is less of a joke and more of a shield.

>>151523400
Either he's chilled out since then or he's very good at hiding his power level.
Regardless I don't really care though as long as the show is funny, only a child can't enjoy something made by a person he disagrees with.

>>151525004
>Zach calls an edgy joke a Rorschach test
>Flashgitz calls an edgy joke a Rorschach test, too
Definitely hiding their power levels

>>151525371
>only a child can't just laugh at funny things and not think too hard about what they're supporting
I don't think anyone on the show is a nazi, but this is a dumb thing to believe. Yes, someone can be a pearl clutching faggot, but that's different from being childish here.

>>151523600
Alan's dad kinda reminded me of Lenin lol

>>151521880
Alan is also part of the con creep group

>>151518593
>It’s also that classic thing where more people are talking about it being a controversy than [actual backlash]
This.

>>151525141
I'm fed up with the "Hitler bad" meme being repeated on this board.

>>151518579

>season finale

I thought Hannah mentioned that there where 2 more episodes this season.

>>151521954
I wouldnt, its a tranny show

>>151523600
Can Pim even vote? He's Australian. Or does America have a giant community of Australians in this universe?

>>151525371
>That one oneyplays vid where chris makes a dindu nuffin joke and zach goes "oh my god" but stops himself from saying more

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>>151521476
>WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
NO
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
ANYMOOOOOOOOOOOOORE

>>151525371
>Either he's chilled out since then or he's very good at hiding his power level
Newgrounds and /b/ were both your bog standard white boys in terms of world view, this isn't some shocking revelation.

I only noticed on the next night's rerun but I like how the wizard shrugs at Pim during the Charlie accusation bit.

>>151523400
damn he is god fucking awful at debating kek

>>151523809
did he do that? I though that was Jonathan Tronathan

>>151523163
>straight

>>151525371
He's a grown ass man with a popular show to run and people's livelihoods depending on michael and him. It's very easy to shut up and not burn it all to the ground just to get chud brownie points.
The only way to get him now is rape accusations

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>>151520060
>Even our agents think we’re going to go to season 80
That is fucking terrifying. It's one thing for execs to push for a show to be milked, but for their own agents, the people supposed to help them, to do it too?

I don't think I want to live in a world where Smiling Friends gets the FLCL Progressive treatment.

>>151527117
>uh by the way, i just wanted to bring this up, but when i was inside the giant smiley face in brooklyn today the creator of smiling friends rubbed his hard penis up against me until i climaxed, i just wanna say i'm really not ok with that
>huh? are you referring to me?
>yeah i'm referring to you
>i-i didn't do that
>i swear- i swear i felt you
>wait wait, not only did i not do that, it's not even possible, i haven't had my penis on me all day today, i lent it to cusack, look, he posted about his intercourse with his wife at that same time
>gosh, i didn't know cusack didn't have a penis. maybe it was just the way my allan dildo was positioned, forget i said anything im sorry
>i mean the vibe's ruined now dude

>>151527117
thats quite the jump

>>151518779
I like the wagging finger homelander reaction to
>See a fat ugly disheveled lecher in a dress
>Immediately assume it's transgender
>Ignore Alan the sexual dinosaur being in a dress too

Not religious in the least but I love how true
>Wicked men flee when no man pursueth
is

>>151518579
>>151518593
What are their thoughts on their black fan base?

>>151520157
The obvious comedy is to upend your expectations. It's too obvious for PIm to be democrat, charlie republican.

Pim is a republican because he's pro-life. You'd think this is impossible but one of my freshman university professors was a nice granola eating vegan who voted republican firmly due to being pro-life
Charlie doesn't vote.
Alan likes some policywonk shit in the democratic platform or you can hear in his voice doing the weird head-bob I remember him doing in an early episode "Because I like their pol-e-cees on tax-ation"
Glep is a swing voter and you can't understand the fuck what he says.
The boss isn't able to vote - but not because he's a felon, rather he's not a US citizen.

>>151518579
Were there people that were offended by this? Why did theu decide to self insert as a fat gross gay weeb?

>>151519842
it sounds exactly like something he would say, but in like a deep voice with a speech impediment

>>151529076
I doubt niggas watch this shit, Smiling Friends is pretty white in it's humor