Dan Harmon talks Television with Marc Maron on GT4: "Hamburger" Art and living in a "concrete, Orwellian Honeycomb"

VIDEO: GT4 - Dan Harmon On What Really Happened With Community

Dan Harmon on his artistic aspiration for Television

DAN HARMON: Why do they win? Why does the robot get to eat the people? The thought never crossed my mind Marc. I aspire to mainstream success. Television is a populous, derivative, democratic medium. You're suppose to make a hamburger that everyone wants in their mouth. That's when you know you're doing it well. I grew up on Zemeckis, Spielberg and people who believed that making things for everyone didn't mean it had to be stupid
MARC MARON: Do you think 'Community' was that hamburger.
HARMON: Sadly enough - Yes. I think in the third season you can start to see me go "Never mind, just give me a good review in the Times".
MARON: It's a very misunderstood hamburger... 

Dan Harmon on Television's role in society

HARMON: Good TV should be like crack in that every rock gets the job done. Yes you're meant to keep smoking it and there's a difference to a one rock experience and an overall crack experience
MARON: So you weren't really making burgers at all. You were making crack?
HARMON: I mean that's the goal in TV. Crack, cigarettes, pick your metaphor. Its not exactly a healthy thing we're doing. A Mac and Cheese isn't healthy. It's not good for you. You should be watching Nova. You shouldn't be watching Joel McHale and a couple of knuckleheads in a community college. But that being said, people work hard and they watch 6 hours of TV on average because they live in a giant concrete and steel honeycomb. What else are you gonna do? Rollerskating?... We live in an Orwellian system with a habit trail. With television you're engaged with the pacification of the masses but I think the masses need to be pacified, they deserve it.

Find other Marc Maron posts below:
- AV Club's Nathan Rabin talks about Podcast Culture on Marc Maron's 300th episode of WTF
- Actor, Writer and Traveler Mike White speaks to Marc Maron about Adventure
- Dan Harmon talks Television with Marc Maron on GT4: "Hamburger" Art and living in a "concrete, Orwellian Honeycomb"
- Is Andrew W.K a persona that has been played by multiple actors? Marc Maron in conversation with Andrew W.K.