I like Paul Rudd. He’s handsome, and affable, and he makes me laugh. But I have to wonder how much, if any, thought went into his recent role as Glen Stubbins on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.
Last Wednesday’s episode saw Rudd, who played last season’s victim, narcissistic actor Ben Gilroy, make a guest appearance as Glen Stubbins, Ben’s former stunt double.
The unexpected reappearance of Rudd on the show should have made for a fun and surprising beat, but instead somehow ended up being an uncomfortable and racist trope-filled act that felt out of step for a show that has previously embraced diversity so fluidly.
The setup involves Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Oliver (Martin Short) searching for clues on Sazz’s murder by paying a visit to “Concussions,” a bar frequented by stunt doubles. There they run into Ben’s now unemployed stuntman, Glen Stubbins, whose likeness to Ben is obviously uncanny.
However, Stubbins is revealed to be a stupid, toothless, drunk, and aggressive Irish man, waving his clenched fists about in the manner of a 19th century pugilist while threatening the encroachers in a lilting generic accent that most Americans would probably guess at as being Irish-ish. Stubbins has even named his weapons of choice “Bono” and “The Edge,” and he uses them to run our trio from the bar, before eventually choosing to help them instead.
But sure look. No harm, right? It’s comedy, after all. And Irish people are generally ok with a bit of good-natured ribbing. Some of us have learned to laugh it off, or to return fire with US stereotypes of our own. One glance at Irish Twitter (it’s an Irish thing. Look it up.) will show you the Irish can sling it just as hard as they take it. So where exactly is the problem?
To answer that, we must accept that the character of Glen Stubbins is not new. Stubbins didn’t make his debut on Only Murders in the Building. This particular Irish stereotype has been knocking around since the 19th Century, and is one that is familiar to both the Irish, and to Irish-Americans.
In fact, Colonial-era depictions of the Irish by cartoonists, particularly during the 19th century, were deeply rooted in this manner of stereotyping, caricature, and reductionism.
These roughly hewn representations were part of a broader political attempt to dehumanize and justify British colonial rule over Ireland with Irish people portrayed as being violent, drunk, and incompetent. Negative narratives painted them as unworthy of self-governance or equal treatment. Which is convenient if you’re trying to colonize a nation.
In the United States, during waves of Irish immigration in the 19th century, similar caricatures were employed to marginalize Irish immigrants and associate them with crime and disorder in cities like New York and Boston. Publications like Harper’s Weekly and The New York Times contributed to this with imagery that dehumanized the Irish, particularly during political events like the draft riots of 1863.
The stereotyping, caricatures, and reductionist portrayals of Irish people were a powerful tool of control and marginalization. By presenting the Irish as barbaric and incapable of self-rule, colonial powers legitimized their domination while fostering disdain for the Irish both within Britain and the US. These depictions had long-lasting impacts on the perception of Irish people, influencing their treatment even to this day.
Sadly, Wednesday’s episode of Only Murders in the Building didn’t end the racism with the character of Glen Stubbins. With no body, Sazz’s fellow stuntmen were left unable to mourn her in their particular and specific fashion. Cue Charles as a stand in — or in this case — a lie down. Dressed as Sazz, Charles played dead on a pool table while an offensive parody version of an Irish Wake took place around his prone body, complete with some manner of Irish dirge.
The scene involved each stunt double approaching the body to say a few words, and then smashing a “breakaway” bottle over the deceased’s head. Of course, when a real bottle is accidentally substituted for a fake one, all hell breaks loose and a bar brawl ensues.
Yes we get it. The bar is called “Concussions” and it’s filled with stunt doubles. The scene is so on the nose it practically punches you in the nostrils. So why create an Irish Wake setting, considering Ben is the only “Irish” character? Did the show feel the need to hammer home the notions of violence and drunkenness one last time? Yes. It seems it did.
Close your eyes for a moment and conjure up the most offensive black, brown, or Asian stereotype you can think of. Perhaps it’s one you’ve seen while scrolling an unmoderated social media platform. Or on the Facebook page of that weird guy you used to go to school with whose posts have taken a bit of a turn since 2016. Or maybe it’s in the form of a tired joke from a work colleague you’re forced to spend time with. Whatever you’re thinking of is probably pretty awful right? Grotesque, dehumanizing, deeply, deeply wrong.
Now imagine that same awful “character” discussed in the writer’s room of a popular TV show, fleshed out in a screenplay with dialogue further reinforcing the caricature, then somehow successfully passing the Network’s notes which is designed to catch such things, delivered to the hands of a willing comedy actor, filmed, and acted with enthusiasm.
America needs to have a deeper conversation about racism and why so much of it is considered acceptable TV viewing.
And Paul Rudd, your accent needs work.