Kenan Thompson Advocates for ‘Good Burger’ Legacy Despite Dan Schneider Controversy
3 min read
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Kenan Thompson, renowned for his role on Saturday Night Live, remains hopeful for the future of Good Burger, despite the troubling reputation of its creator, Dan Schneider. In a recent interview with Variety, Thompson expressed his desire to continue the adventures of Dexter Reed and Ed, envisioning future projects helmed by different writers.
Kenan Thompson already revisited the beloved characters in Good Burger 2, released last year. The sequel was written by Kevin M. Kopelow and Heath Seifert, who co-wrote the original film. “Those guys know the cadence of those characters just as well, without having tarnished careers,” Thompson remarked. “It’s about us, as opposed to who had the first idea years ago.”
Reflecting on the impact of Schneider’s controversies on the Good Burger franchise, Thompson expressed his sadness, stating, “It’s just sad that that has to be our conversation… The separation of the artist and the man conversation didn’t come into my life at all until recently. There was no need to do that. A guy was a pig, and we knew he was a pig, but it wasn’t like the deviousness since, like, [Bill] Cosby and [Harvey] Weinstein. All that stuff is just way out of bounds.”
Kenan Thompson doesn't want Good Burger thrown 'in the trash' due to Dan
— Larry (@VHSLMG01) June 6, 2024
Schneider's 'tarnished' reputation 🟠
"I think we're all still figuring it out and navigating. Because the trauma is real, the victims are very real. I don't want to gloss over that," the "SNL" star said 🟢 pic.twitter.com/q1mFma8jcx
Thompson acknowledged the broader dilemma faced by society when dealing with the works of controversial figures. “That whole thing has just been such a burden for recent times — the conversation of, Do we still listen to Michael Jackson? Do we still listen to R. Kelly? What do we do with The Cosby Show? I think we’re all still figuring it out and navigating. Because the trauma is real, the victims are very real. I don’t want to gloss over that. We also don’t want to just throw really solid, creative things in the trash either.”
Dan Schneider’s controversies were highlighted in the Investigation Discovery series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, where former Nickelodeon stars accused him of racism, sexual harassment, sexism, and verbal abuse. Schneider left the network in 2018, but the series also uncovered that two individuals convicted of child abuse, Brian Peck and Jason Handy, were part of Schneider’s production teams.
Thompson, who starred in Schneider-produced shows such as All That and the spinoff Kenan & Kel in the 90s, noted that he did not personally witness the negative behavior depicted in the docuseries. He shared, “I feel so guilty saying that. All those things started happening after our tenure, because, I guess, no one would even dare. It wasn’t that kind of environment.”
Recalling his early days at Nickelodeon, Thompson added, “There was no dictatorship about it all. We were all building something and, when you’re building something, I don’t think anybody’s cocky enough to be pulling things behind the curtain.”
In summary, while Kenan Thompson acknowledges the serious allegations against Dan Schneider, he believes that the legacy of Good Burger and other creative works should not be discarded. By working with new writers, Thompson hopes to keep the spirit of Dexter and Ed alive for future generations.
Shivam Kumar
Hi, I'm Shivam Kumar. I'm pursuing Journalism honors from the IP University. I love the skill of writing and looking forward to learn more of it. Also I love traveling and experiencing new things every day....
