Fandom Questions, Part I: The Good Place, Plus Parks and Rec (Public Post)
I actually only answered three questions; I'm putting two under a cut because spoilers for all three seasons.
Does Chidi have a disorder of some sort?
The actual question was a little different, and I addressed it in the original post, but I've since edited it. Not fond of giving misconceptions attention, even when it's negative.
I think that while in the real world, Chidi might be diagnosed with anxiety, ultimately he's so attached to the concept of ethics that common sense often evades him. For instance, the shoe dilemma. He spared a friend's feelings. That's just basic human decency, and doesn't really require an ethical creed. However, because Chidi lives his life by ethics, he can't see that. We all have moments like this, admittedly - something is technically wrong on a larger scale, yet seems right in the moment. Not because we're being Eleanors and selfish, but because it might legitimately be the best course of action for another individual or multiple individuals. It's kind of like an inward trolley problem: Do you tell the truth and have everything ugly out in the open, or do you tell a lie against your better judgment and spare a few knowledge they might not want or need? Chidi... takes these dilemmas to an extreme, however. That being said, it's also a comedy, so we have to allow for dramatic/comedic exaggeration.
Jason is another one who seems like IRL, he might have a disorder or disability. He almost seems developmentally delayed at times. That being said, I think this goes back to the point I just made about some of it being dramatic/comedic exaggeration. Andy Dwyer on Parks and Rec was similar. And truthfully, even IRL not everyone who isn't very bright is developmentally delayed. A lot of people just don't have much common sense and/or understanding of the world outside of their limited scope. I think it's more likely that's the sort of person Jason is supposed to portray, because someone with developmental delays going to the Bad Place seems way harsh. Of course, it's also harsh to go to hell for not having the same opportunities as other people, but that's the whole point of the show.
What have you learned about moral philosophy from watching The Good Place?
I don't know what I've learned per se, but I definitely find myself examining my actions and motivations, as well as the actions and motivations of others.
And that's where the spoilers end, although now we're getting into slight Parks and Rec spoilers.
Which TV show do you like better, "The Good Place" or "Parks and Recreation"?
I like both, but for very different reasons. I like that for all it's a comedy, The Good Place asks serious questions and has serious stakes. On the other hand, I kind of like the more vanilla, warm fuzziness of Parks and Rec. It's fun to rewatch. Especially if I've had a bad day.
The only problem I have with it is that certain aspects of the show are more awkward now. Tom's character in particular did not age well. Pre-#YesAllWomen, pre-#MeToo, the innocent pervert trope was a lot more bearable. I think it's cringier now because we've begun to examine how real Toms are actually problematic. So there's that. The other thing is that the time jump to 2017 in season seven is... bittersweet. I didn't even love it at the time, and I think part of me didn't love it because I KNEW it was going to end up being terribly ironic in some way. I couldn't have known how ironic, but I had reservations. I've re-watched the season, and... it's fine, I basically just have it in my head that it's a lovely parallel universe where Trump lost, but it's definitely the Greg Pikitis in the room.
It helps that Parks and Rec doesn't seem to take place in our reality anyway. Pawnee manages to change in size as the plot demands, so clearly there's some sort of parallel universe magic going on. ;)
Conversely, The Good Place actually helped me through a bad time related to current events. No spoilers, but there's a point in season three, "Jeremy Bearimy," where the characters are at an impasse. I was going through a bit of an existential crisis, and that episode was everything I needed. If I ever meet Michael Schur, I owe him all the thanks in the world.
Still, I love both shows, and they're comforting in their own way. The Good Place makes me think about how we can better our moral compasses by examining our perceptions of people and ourselves. Parks and Rec has Leslie Fucking Knope. Win-win!
Does Chidi have a disorder of some sort?
The actual question was a little different, and I addressed it in the original post, but I've since edited it. Not fond of giving misconceptions attention, even when it's negative.
I think that while in the real world, Chidi might be diagnosed with anxiety, ultimately he's so attached to the concept of ethics that common sense often evades him. For instance, the shoe dilemma. He spared a friend's feelings. That's just basic human decency, and doesn't really require an ethical creed. However, because Chidi lives his life by ethics, he can't see that. We all have moments like this, admittedly - something is technically wrong on a larger scale, yet seems right in the moment. Not because we're being Eleanors and selfish, but because it might legitimately be the best course of action for another individual or multiple individuals. It's kind of like an inward trolley problem: Do you tell the truth and have everything ugly out in the open, or do you tell a lie against your better judgment and spare a few knowledge they might not want or need? Chidi... takes these dilemmas to an extreme, however. That being said, it's also a comedy, so we have to allow for dramatic/comedic exaggeration.
Jason is another one who seems like IRL, he might have a disorder or disability. He almost seems developmentally delayed at times. That being said, I think this goes back to the point I just made about some of it being dramatic/comedic exaggeration. Andy Dwyer on Parks and Rec was similar. And truthfully, even IRL not everyone who isn't very bright is developmentally delayed. A lot of people just don't have much common sense and/or understanding of the world outside of their limited scope. I think it's more likely that's the sort of person Jason is supposed to portray, because someone with developmental delays going to the Bad Place seems way harsh. Of course, it's also harsh to go to hell for not having the same opportunities as other people, but that's the whole point of the show.
What have you learned about moral philosophy from watching The Good Place?
I don't know what I've learned per se, but I definitely find myself examining my actions and motivations, as well as the actions and motivations of others.
And that's where the spoilers end, although now we're getting into slight Parks and Rec spoilers.
Which TV show do you like better, "The Good Place" or "Parks and Recreation"?
I like both, but for very different reasons. I like that for all it's a comedy, The Good Place asks serious questions and has serious stakes. On the other hand, I kind of like the more vanilla, warm fuzziness of Parks and Rec. It's fun to rewatch. Especially if I've had a bad day.
The only problem I have with it is that certain aspects of the show are more awkward now. Tom's character in particular did not age well. Pre-#YesAllWomen, pre-#MeToo, the innocent pervert trope was a lot more bearable. I think it's cringier now because we've begun to examine how real Toms are actually problematic. So there's that. The other thing is that the time jump to 2017 in season seven is... bittersweet. I didn't even love it at the time, and I think part of me didn't love it because I KNEW it was going to end up being terribly ironic in some way. I couldn't have known how ironic, but I had reservations. I've re-watched the season, and... it's fine, I basically just have it in my head that it's a lovely parallel universe where Trump lost, but it's definitely the Greg Pikitis in the room.
It helps that Parks and Rec doesn't seem to take place in our reality anyway. Pawnee manages to change in size as the plot demands, so clearly there's some sort of parallel universe magic going on. ;)
Conversely, The Good Place actually helped me through a bad time related to current events. No spoilers, but there's a point in season three, "Jeremy Bearimy," where the characters are at an impasse. I was going through a bit of an existential crisis, and that episode was everything I needed. If I ever meet Michael Schur, I owe him all the thanks in the world.
Still, I love both shows, and they're comforting in their own way. The Good Place makes me think about how we can better our moral compasses by examining our perceptions of people and ourselves. Parks and Rec has Leslie Fucking Knope. Win-win!