Rick Sanchez— deranged and narcissistic scientist/alcoholic, living with his daughter, her husband, and their two kids after a long, unexplained hiatus— is the true star of Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon's Adult Swim animated series, "Rick and Morty." At first glance, Rick seems like what most would call a "bad influence" (e.g., he makes Morty miss a ton of school to go on adventures, he is inebriated most of the time, and he is rarely polite). All of those things aside, Rick is actually a super cool guy. In fact, he's total role model material, and everyone can learn something from this part-time rapper, part-time intergalactic space genius.
Role Model Quality Number One
He is hella confident about his intelligence. Rick is a goldmine of wit and dark humor that I can only hope to one day aspire to. 'Nuff said.
Role Model Quality Number Two
Rick challenges Morty to question things we would otherwise be taught to accept as truth. He also isn't afraid to tell Morty the truth, even if the truth is uncomfortable to hear. For example, most kids wouldn't really give a second thought to their parents' pacifying explanations for the occasional existential crises about which some kids are prone to raise questions. Rick, on the other hand, encourages Morty to question these ideas and explore them on his own. Also, do you know any children who have been introduced to the multiverse theory? I didn't think so.
Role Model Quality Number Three
Rick is a genius surrounded by a world of incompetence. We can all relate to that to some degree, I imagine. Rather than acknowledge his super-intelligence and dwell upon the realization that there's no point in pursuing anything else because no one will ever grasp it to the degree that he does, he grumpily trudges through life and pursues the advancement of his understanding of the universe.
Role Model Quality Number Four
He pursues scientific advancement, even though his family will never truly understand the significance that his discoveries have on the universe. I can relate to this because, while I might not always be acknowledged or praised for a job well done, I still try to excel in everything I do and learn for the sake of learning. Rick's intrinsic motivation and the ability to grind hard without ever having anyone who understands and praises the magnitude of his work is extremely admirable.
Role Model Quality Number Five
Rick stays calm, cool, and collected, no matter what is happening. This could be because he's drunk 99 percent of the time, but I still admire his ability to communicate to others that, since nothing really matters in the long run, there is no point in getting worked up over things he can't control or worrying about silly things like identifying his "life purpose."
As you can see, Rick is a pretty cool guy that I think a lot of people could relate to. No, the first season doesn't quite portray the nicer sides of his character, but give him a chance. Although Rick does possess a few flaws that most would deem representative of his character as a whole, I disagree. Yes, he's totally inappropriate and probably shouldn't be around children, but he's also cynical, sardonic, and cooler than I'll ever be.
I see Rick Sanchez as a character to look up to and, to a degree, emulate, because he's actually the coolest grandpa on television. Wubba lubba dub dub.
