Glenn Howerton was shushed by a rude man in Italy
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In the “Always Sunny” season 7 episode, “The ANTI-Social Network,” the gang visits a trendy new gin bar and settle into one of their usual arguments, only to find themselves being shushed by a stranger. Naturally enraged by this experience (to be fair, the gang is almost always enraged by anything that inconveniences them), Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) use the internet to try and find the man, while Dennis and Charlie (Charlie Day) hunt him down with their own methods. Elsewhere, Frank (Danny DeVito) creates a viral video to promote Paddy’s Pub, using one of his trademark alter-egos, Dr. Mantis Toboggan.
The gang’s fixation on this petty grievance was partially inspired by Glenn Howerton’s own experience on a trip to Italy that he and his wife took with some friends. Howerton reflected on “The ANTI-Social Network” in an interview with Vice:
“That was based on a real thing that happened to me. Back in 2010, my wife and I were traveling with two of our close friends, Tom and Lindsay, in Italy. We were in this beautiful little Italian restaurant grabbing lunch and we started getting into the wine. I think we were being really loud, but we just didn’t realize it. We’d had probably two or three bottles of wine and it’s the middle of the day. And all of the sudden, we heard this ‘Shhhhhh!’ And we looked over, and it was a tourist couple.
“Granted, we were definitely being a little too loud, but I just remember we were like, ‘Did I just get shushed by a grown man? I just got shushed by a grown man!’ Come over to the table and say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry, we’re trying to enjoy a nice meal, can you keep it down a bit?’ Of course we would. But to just shush us? I’m a grown man!”
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 7 is one of the series’ best
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“The ANTI-Social Network” stands out as one of the best episodes of season 7 of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” which says a lot given that this season is one of the series’ most memorable in its entire 20-year run. This was a season that included some notable classics such as “The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore,” which was a send-up of the MTV reality series that was a pop culture phenomenon at the time, as well as “CharDee MacDennis: The Game of Games,” which featured an original board game created by the characters that features one unforgettable gag after another, and the two-part season 7 finale, “The High School Reunion,” where the Gang confront their teen years, culminating in a hilariously humiliating dance sequence.
But perhaps the most memorable aspect of season 7 of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” was the sudden change in show creator Rob McElhenney’s physical appearance. McElhenney put on 60 pounds of fat for comedic effect. He made the decision after watching a popular network sitcom and noticing that the cast members appeared healthier and more attractive as the years went on. This was not reflective of most viewers’ real-life experiences, given that these successful television stars can afford to have personal chefs and Hollywood trainers to maintain their physique. Given the nature of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” McElhenney felt that if any show were to subvert that trend, it would be his. (McElhenney wanted his fellow castmates to follow suit, but they declined.)
