Celebuzz obtained a voicemail that Chevy Chase left Dan Harmon sometime last year, in which the cranky comedian calls “Community” a “f*cking mediocre sitcom” and says, “I want people to laugh, and this isn’t funny.”
Other notable excerpts:
I’m doing sh*t in that f*cking place in that wheelchair and it’s cut down, down, down, down. So it’s what? So people can following the f*cking story between Joel and Gillian and love affairs and kissing? Come on, man! You’re missing the f*cking point! I mean, this is not my kind of comedy. I thought you hired me for what I do that’s funny. You’ve got to give me some range.
I should have this talk with you face to face but I didn’t want to because I really like you. I think your writing is great. I think everything you do is great. But the really problem is, Dan, that you’re not there when we shoot and you’re not there when they edit so you don’t even know what you have.
If you want me on this f*cking show again, I got news for you, I don’t want it! It’s just a f*cking mediocre sitcom! I want people to laugh and this isn’t funny. It ain’t funny to me because I’m 67-years-old and I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve been making a lot of people laugh a lot better than this.
Basically, Chase’s problem is that “Community” too often chooses romantic subplots over pure comedy, and as someone whose biggest claim to fame is “SNL,” which is nothing BUT jokes, he doesn’t get why Harmon and his editors pick heart over humor. That, and he’s upset his material never make the final cut. AND he’s an old, “get off my lawn” grump. Listen to the full voicemail here, and then let’s remember the time Chase starred in Cops and Robbersons. Now THAT’S comedy.
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/679/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/abed-happy-college-show-650x365-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/chris-thumbs-up-650x364-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/dancing-chandler-150x150.gif)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/evil-annie-150x150.png)
Save the drama for Michelle Obama.
I will *not* save the drama for Wilmer Valderrama.
I just wanna get a condo.
“It ain’t funny to me because I’m 67-years-old…”
Anndddd there it is.
If I were a Big Bang Theory fan *shudder*, I’d rub this article into the faces of all my Community loving friends. “Oh, you think our show is so bad? Well, at least one of our cast members doesn’t hate it.” Then I’d try to kill myself because I’m a BBT fan, only to realize I’m already dead.
Hey – the genius behind “Oh Heavenly Dog” knows what makes people laugh!
The fact that you played the “Cops and Robbersons” card is weak as f***. I’m pretty sure that Chevy Chase has a handle on what’s funny and what isn’t. “Community” has become hammy and witless over the past year. Chevy Chase is spot on.
How is the “Cops and Robbersons” card weak? Take a walk through Chevy’s IMDb page through the last twenty years; “Community’s” first solid thing he’s done since the ’80s.
I think Josh is trying to be funny, thus the Cops and Robbersons card. It was appropriate.
I never said Chase doesn’t know what’s funny and what isn’t. He’s great in Caddyshack and Vegas Vacation. But are you really going to argue “Cooperative Calligraphy,” the episode Chase seems to be referring to, isn’t fan-fucking-tastic?
Cops and Robbersons was the first card I pulled when I read this the other day. But I can pull other cards too. You have Snow Day, Vegas Vacation, Orange County, Hot Tub Time Machine which was alright, but not because of him. The list of bad choices is long and painful. Then there was his ill-fated talk show. My point here is that you’re weak and the trolling is not good.
Cooperative Calligraphy is exactly what makes this show great, and it is exactly what’s been generally lacking this season. Fantasy storylines and deep life lessons have destroyed the quick banter style of the show which is what hooked me in the first place. This show in it’s first season was incredibly clever and fast. That “Community” seems to have disappeared, and that is what I took from Chevy Chase’s comments. And I think he’s right.
I would have gone with Man of the House or Our Italian Husbands.
SHOULD HAVE SAID KARATE DOG.
BUT HIS NAME IS NORMAN ROBBERSON. Get it?!?
Three words: “Nothing but Trouble.”
I liked Cops and Robbersons. Of course I saw it when I was ten. I also said I was a Sayian on my family tree project when I was ten, so that should be factored in too. Also, Chevy Chase didn’t have a huge role in Orange County, but John Lithgow did, are you thinking of him? Perhaps there could be a John Lithgow/Chevy Chase swap, or an evil twin episode. Anyway, I don’t really agree with anything Chase says about community as a show. I do think he is funny on it, and I do think he is a great comedian and probably does have great outtakes. I also think he is a great, big dick. A dick whose dickery has been well documented for close to 40 years. Pierce as a character did have a somewhat darker turn last season, where he sometimes was more antagonist than generally funny in an episode. Perhaps this is what Chevy Chase started to get pissed about as the series went on. Perhaps Harmon started to write more episodes that way because Chase was pissing him off so much, and thus the feud continued. The main point is, the late great Jack Palance was in Cops and Robbersons, and there is no need to drag his good name in the mud with “The Chevy Chase Show,” in existence, which made “The Magic Hour,” look like “Masterpiece Theatre.”
Hey now, we all have our opinions. Andyboy can think the “Cops and Robbersons” card is weak, that’s perfectly fine.
That’s why I’m playing “The Chevy Chase Show” card.
Hey! I already played that card…don’t make me lay my blade on ya.
Cops and Robbersons aside, I take exception to Stacey calling him out on Nothing But Trouble. That was and always will be a great movie. Maybe not because of Chevy but I still don’t want it compared to some of Chevy’s other turds.
Matt, took a walk through Chevy’s IMDB, and you weren’t kidding. I think he would have been better off not working at all. Anyway, I tried to take a stroll through your IMDB page, but I couldn’t find it. Do you have a pseudonym I should search for instead?
Me on Chevy Chase: “BOOOOOOOOoooOOOooOoooo”
In fairness, much of Season 2 was unfunny solely because of Chevy’s presence.
“WHY WONT YOU LET ME STUDY”
His character in the second season was atrocious.
Not sure if this is sardonic or sincere, but I agree. S2 Pierce was horrible; I might’ve been unhappy playing that character too.
Chevy. Chase. Show.
Chevy Chase HAD a handle on what is funny. HAD.
he just wants a bigger trailer. and hes not going to leave his trailer until his bigger trailer gets here.
This is all Luis Guzman’s fault. Somehow.
biggest claim to fame is SNL? WHAT IN ALL THE FUCK?
He was Clark Griswold and Fletch and one of the three amigos, do not try to play Chase off as some has been piece of shit.
A fair complaint. Josh: less time watching Glee, more time catching up on ’80s comedy classics.
How is saying his most well known role is SNL calling him a has been piece of shit? I think that’s the first thing people think of when they think of Chevy, especially because it’s a TV show, LIKE COMMUNITY.
Also, all of the movies you mentioned were made over 20 years ago (Vegas Vacation is a piece of shit), so, isn’t he a has-been?
The Chevy Chase Show, Cops And Robbersons, Funny Farm (which was shit), Fletch 2, Modern Problems, Memoirs of the Invisible Man, and on and on ad infinitum. Chevy Chase is shit.
oh man, i loooove vegas vacation, 3rd only to christmas vacation and vacation vacation
No corrective lenses tonight Mr Papagiorgio?
Rusty: “No sir, I do not require them!
Yeah, I like Vegas Vacation and I like Funny Farm.
Anyway, Josh, I think the complaint is that you made it sound like SNL was the only thing he had going for him and that even that wasn’t a big deal. I know it’s not what you meant, it’s just the way some could have taken it.
@Matt Exactly. *80s* comedy classics. Fletch was 27 years ago. And Chase’s never been known as a writer. I think Dan Harmon is both brilliant *and* an unbelievable asshole, but the show is great. And Chase’s comedy has mostly been physical or the awesome read of a line. I watch Community every week, and it’s never been, “What’s Pierce gonna do this time?”
Vegas Vacation is NOT a piece of shit. So underrated, and Beverly D’Angelo ages like fine wine. Try watching it again.
@Albert- that’s the point though. Watch Fletch, for anyone born in the early eighties he is the benchmark for delivering a quick one-liner. Same thing with physical comedy- watch xmas vacation, him as gerald ford on SNL.
The more I read about Harmon, the more I think the writers on Community just didn’t like him, and they just kept putting him in more and more humiliating situations each week. I think he was being poorly used, called Harmon out on it, and now Harmon is being pissy about it.
in chevy chases defense, he was in caddyshack. do I need to say more?
this.
I forgot about Caddyshack, but yeah, he was awesome in this.
You guys mentioning roles that are over 20 years old to site how funny Chase still is is…funny
I dunno, Karate Dog is pretty recent.
site site site site is is is is
Longest voicemail ever? This is like a butt dial that was on purpose.
He was also in Fletch and the Vacation series so I think it’s probably fair to say he knows a little bit about comedy. Honestly- is he wrong though?
We all love Community for it’s meta charm and all the things that make us so devoted to keeping it on the air- but objectively, is it a good comedy? It’s certainly not the funniest- not even close. Try watching either of the blanket / pillow fort episodes with someone who doesn’t watch the show- its complete nonsense.
Chevy Chase is a dick, no one is going to argue with that but I get where he’s coming from. Look at his character over the last season and a half- he’s increasingly turning into a sad sack. The incompetent, racist, clumsy old guy- I think the writers could have done so much more with him. Knowing the history now it almost seems like Harmon has just been f-ing with him intentionally.
I was trying to think of how to word my thoughts on this and I see you’ve done it for me.
Honestly, Chevy is probably the funniest part about Community (in my opinion). I still think the sailing episode from season 1 is the best one, and Chevy makes it.
She’s a no good B!
She’s a GDB…
YES! His physical comedy in that episode was brilliant.
He’s still a fucking fantastic physical comedian. The scene with the soft serve machine from a few episodes ago was genius.
Pierce flailing around on the pavement after falling overboard is possibly his finest moment.
@ JoshK: Cosign on the soft serve bit. Either Chevy Chase should do more physical comedy (maybe he’ll break a hip), become a full-fledged villain (D&D, Fistful of Paintballs, but without the character rehabilitation), or GTFO.
Funny or not, I have a feeling someone should have given Chevy a serious beating a long time ago, but never did.
It makes me so sad that Sparky Griswold is such a raging asshole.
Pierce has his moments, but I don’t think his exit would hurt the show, in terms of quality or ratings.
He’s an old homophobic douche. Nobody likes him. Sure, Harmon is a dick too but he’s at least a self aware dick.
Nah, Chevy can’t play Pierce for 3 years without being at least a little self aware.
Lance:
Even if he hates every minute of it?
Throw a ton of money at Bill Murray to replace Chevy. Bill >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Chevy
TO get Bill Murray, the show’s budget would jump to “Terra Nova” levels.
Maybe Chevy’s expectations are out of line here. Honestly — is Community really a “comedy”? I love the show, and it makes me laugh, and it’s 30 minutes, so it’s easy to assess it by traditional sit-com standards, but they’re definitely trying to do something more than a traditional sit-com that can be just as effective but not as linear and laugh-out-loud funny as “sit-com” might suggest.
And of course if you watched the pillow-fort/blanket fort episodes as your inauguration into Greendale, it would seem nonsensical and unfunny — but I could say the same if I dropped a newbie into the 4th episode of season 3 of the Sopranos, or the 5th episode of season 2 of Mad Men. Harmon, et al., are playing a longer-game here, and are writing for an audience that can pay attention over time. And for that, I’d just like to say: thank you for respecting the intelligence and patience of your audience.
Good points all. I’ve mentioned this before, but when my grandfather watched an episode of Community with me, he thought it was, and I quote, “the dumest thing I’ve ever seen.” It’s a “new” kind of comedy (like you said, they’re playing the long game), and I think Chase thought he was singing up for a joke-after-joke-after-joke sitcom. SNL, this ain’t.
I can’t remember the last time SNL had any jokes. ZING
While I love Community, and I find it hilarious, I do see Chevy’s point; this isn’t his thing, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that he’s more suited for different things. He’s just pissed off because they hired him, and yet they’re not letting him do what he’s good at.
I’d prefer Chevy staying, but it doesn’t seem to be all that possible, I guess. I mean, if he was just a supporting character, or if he didn’t do much in the series (like Paul Schneider on Parks and Rec. Who the hell remembers Mark?) I’d be fine to see him leave. But he’s a big part of the cast, and the show, so I’ll be really bummed out to see him go.
Even the funniest man alive can lose his fastball, and the thing to remember with Chase is he was NEVER the funniest man alive, he was just the most photogenic member of the original SNL cast.
It’s fine to prop up Vacation and Fletch, Vacation in particular is one of the greatest comedies of all goddamn time, but even George Carlin and Richard Pryor got less funny as they aged, and Chase wasn’t on their level to begin with.
Holy shit how has no one mentioned Fletch?!? Caddyshack, Christmas Vacation, Vacation and Vegas Vacation were great. I think this a younger group of commentors.
Hell, Man of the House was underratedly funny bc of him, granted it was more slapstick comedy. If He played an old Fletch his scenes would rarely be cut.
Woah. Maybe Chevy Chase IS the real-life Kenny Power. Hot shot, temperamental beginning (1975-1989, from SNL to Christmas Vacation), slumped forever, had a real chance to make it for a second time (Community), but started complaining again, which will ultimately be his undoing.
Sorry for the Bill Simmons-like aside.
Nah, I think he’s more like Fredo. No, Red from Shawshank. Wait, I’ve got it. He’s Dirk Diggler.
He’s everyone from Beverly Hills 90210 and Hoosiers COMBINED.
I’m just gonna go ahead and say it – Spies Like Us was Chevy’s best movie.
*thinks* Fuck.
You may be right.
The scene with him taking the test in the eyepatch and sling, then pulling out the answers with his “hurt” arm always has me laughing.
His one-liners when they’re dropped into the forest and greeted by ninjas are incredible.
Community is a very above average network sitcom. I will never understand the fawning and adulation it receives all over the internet. Even as a pop culture referencing, “intelligent” comedy it falls short of many others that are and were on the television.
Such as?
Archer
Wings, obviously.
LOWELLZ
To play Evil’s Dadvocate, first animation will kinda always provide greater leeway for specific kinds of comedy. If you took an Archer script and paced and edited it the same way, live-action, I don’t think it’d work. (Same thing, vice-versa. See: Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas). Second, while I really like Archer, for every one great joke, there seem to be three that rely on boundary pushing for the sake of boundary pushing….
Well, yeah, Archer’s a great show, but it doesn’t push the boundaries of its genre like Community, does it? I mean, it’s a spy show, and it’s animated, so it can do more things with less budget. Community does things and push boundaries more than any other show of its kind does.
When I refer to Archer, I’m going more for the writing, character development/interaction, etc. in comparing the two, which the animation factor doesn’t really play into. Sure you can do more visually with animation, but I always thought of the animation as more of a backdrop to the characters interplay than the driving force. And plot definitely isn’t the strong suit of Archer.
In terms of Community pushing boundaries, I don’t think it’s doing anything more genre defying than say, Arrested Development did in terms of everything. Writing, plot, visual gags, pop culture, acting, editing; every single aspect of that show was pushed to the limits in terms of what a half hour comedy could do.
Ironically, I see Community as more of a live action cartoon when it comes to visual style and plot. I still think it’s a decent show and I am in no way endorsing what Chevy Chase has to say.
First off, comparing Archer and Community is like comparing Mad Men and Game of Thrones. They’re both great and sharply written, but are otherwise two different beasts.
The thing about Community is just what you said in your first sentence: it is an above average network sitcom. That doesn’t sound great until you realize just how many steaming loads of crap that the networks bring out every year, whether it is a returning “favorite” on CBS or a new show on anywhere else. Community, with perhaps the exception of Happy Endings, is nothing like anything else on the Networks. Maaaybe it’s not the most intelligent comedy on television, but the fact that it’s on NBC and still called intelligent is absolutely astounding.
@chickens dont clap
Ooh, I disagree with you on Archer. I always thought plot is what Archer’s best at. Every episode is in one way or the other a perfect combination between a spy show and a sitcom. I mean, Get Smart is mostly a sitcom with spy themes, while Chuck’s sitcom elements and spy elements can be very detached to each other (sometimes, they’re not even related). In terms of being a ‘spy comedy’, Archer does it best; the plots are pure comedy, but also filled with as much action as you want from a spy show. It’s very balanced that way.
I don’t watch Community, but I know enough about Chevy Chase to think that he should be grateful for the opportunity. He has done nothing worthwhile in 20 years and the fact that he was given a spot on a new sitcom was nothing short of a Hollywood miracle. You don’t hear Teri Hatcher complaining about the writing on Desperate Housewives.
I think this whole spat just reinforces the rumor that Chevy Chase is a dick and no one wants to work with him.
I’m really curious as to what current TV shows Chevy thinks are great comedies.
He has an endless loop of The Chevy Chase Show playing in his house.
So, that show.
He was a big Shit My Dad Says fan when it was on CBS. Seriously.
Does Chevy honestly think he’ll get better or higher profile work if he leaves Community? It’s a network sitcom dude, things can only go down from here.
He needs to realize that for the remainder of his career, he’ll be relegated to playing the kooky old dude no matter what the project is. No one gives a shit about Chevy Chase anymore, no matter how good films like Christmas Vacation or Caddyshack are.
Is Chevy his own agent? If not, I imagine an endless string of suicides like Paris Hilton’s pets on South Park.
The only reason Chevy made this additional call was to save face with the cast. He knew Harmon would again release it, hence the digs being at the editors and Harmon himself. He said whats done in production is funny vs. what shows up on TV. Honestly axing Chase would better the show. If theres anyone we could do without it’d be him. The xenophobic jokes and his rich white guy act can only carry his character so long. Its shelf life ran out about mid way through season 2.
I think this voicemail was from before the angry one, just not released until now.
On the topic of his physical comedy, does Chevy not think that maybe he should evolve beyond that? I mean, nothing against him but, he’s getting old. Physical comedy won’t be around forever, and “crotchety old man” is a stereotype that works on this show. He should embrace being employed.
Gotcha. I don’t get where his angers coming from. He’s on one of TV’s most successful shows (not basing that on the ratings, cause well fuck that shit)
I really hope Community is renewed for a 4th season. They’ve beaten 30 Rock in ratings every night since they’ve been back. That’s gotta be a plus. Especially considering The Office is about to blow up like the Hindenburg.
I quite disagree with everyone here who’s saying that Chevy Chase can’t be funny anymore. The Cookie Wizard scenes in the April Fools episode of Community was the funniest acting I’ve ever seen.
Seriously, people: “Nothing but Trouble.” It’s got Dan Ackroyd with a prosthetic penis nose. And a legit Digital Underground performance!
And then there’s this: “The movie actually ends with Chevy Chase getting so nervous and flustered that he runs through a wall Bugs Bunny style…”
(Source: [videogum.com])
Running through walls? Now that is exactly the sort of thing Chevy Chase finds hilarious.
Don’t forget 2pac!
You shut your damn dirty mouth! That movie was brilliant!
Of course, I did suffer from lead poisoning as a child, so….
I’ve said it once before.
Chevy is right. Community is a “mediocre sitcom”
It’s an amazing TV show. It’s not trying to be “Seinfeld,” it’s trying to be “Freaks and Geeks” (but sillier)
I’m intrigued, if you think Community is mediocre, what do you define as “great”?
I think Tim’s point is that it is better than a sitcom, it’s an amazing TV show.
Agree with Tim and Guns of Brixton……
Community is not “really” a situation comedy……..even though it truly makes comedy of its situations.
It is a “different” show….just look at the claymation episode and the Ken Burns style pillow fight episode…
Ah, I misinterpreted the post. My apologies.
Chevy Chase seems to have had a history of being a dick…..but ……there is some truth in his complaints……
As far as his uselessness in Season #2…..how much writing freedom is given to Chevy…?
Never enjoyed chevy chase. Never laughed at him, never enjoyed his movies.
Also i can’t recall a tv show character (Pierce) being so constantly written to have no redeeming qualities.
Chevy Chase should be happy that at this point in his career, well that even still has a career. Take a look at his IMDB page. Before Community his career had dissolved to cameo appearances in bad movies.
He’s one mistake away from doing Activia commercials… ask Jamie Lee Curtis how thats working out. Not a ton of praise in working for the bowel irregularity industry.
So apparently now we’ve learned three things this week should never be brought up on Warming Glow:
1) The debatable comedy chops of Chevy Chase.
2) The debatable breast to hip ratio of Jennifer Love Hewitt.
3) The debatable superiority of sausage over bacon.
4) The debatable correct term for sugary carbonated beverages
I will have no more of this ill talk toward Dusty Bottoms. No more, I say!
So this is what a CommFlaWa looks like!
All this blah, blah, blah and NOT ONE ALISON BRIE GIF?!?!?? WTF?!?!?
I’ve had the same thought as Chickens don’t clap. Community is animated sitcom rules applied to live action. While it’s great in that sense, it’s not leaps and bounds above the animated comedies it emulates. Were Community a traditionally animated show, it would be met with a sea of “meh.” Because the rules are applied to live action it seems fresher.
Community is the future of sitcoms, catering to a lower span of attention. 22 minutes of bite-sized comedy chunks with a thin continuity just to make sure old people can feel comfortable following a plot. When the next two generations are weeded out and buried, we’ll see sitcoms that follow the Adult Swim model of “you can kill the entire cast in an explosion and bring them back next week with no repercussions.”
I think that is a perfect banner. In the episode Chevy’s Character was upset that all the good lines went to Jeff. Its like Life imitating art.
Or wait… it is meta?
My thoughts:
He’s an ACTOR.
With a series regular role.
Getting steadily paid (well).
And doesn’t like it when his scenes are cut due to the vision of the show.
And still gets steadily paid while not having to do VO work for The Karate Dog Part II.
Fire him.
“Why am I stuck on this MEDIOCRE SITCOM when I possess this TREMENDOUS–ACTING–ABILITY???”
He’s absolutely right, Community is mediocre and got lower and lower ratings because nobody wanted to watch it.The only reason its still around was because of internet backlash from sites like this who just would NOT shut up about it when it went off the air because if theres one thing the internet loves is having a HIPSTER show to like because nobody else likes it, the other thing the internet loves is a bandwagon. It’s important to point out that even though Community got a few good weeks just from the internet buzz the ratings now are even lower than before it went on hiatus.
Actually, every show in that time slot dipped last week. Hell, some dipped even lower than Community.
And, I know that you and a lot of people like to put the ‘hipster’ label on things that fewer people like, but considering the quality of more popular shows, I think there’s a good reason why the internet keeps defending less popular shows.
I don’t know a single hipster that watches Community. It’s on Broadcast TV, wayyy too mainstream for them.
in fairness to Chevy (while its clear he’s at least had problems with his co-workers) I used to work at a country club he would go to and he was really nice when I met him and the staff that had been there longer than I was all said he was pleasant for as long as they’d known him. (and this was a place where NY’s elite would frequent and many were despicable pricks)
I’ve just found this and it broke my heart [images.4chan.org]
Isn’t that from Scream 4?
Great, Chevy, bite the only hand that’s gonna feed you these days. Well, you’re definitely not gonna be seen as funny now, especially not this Community fan.