Why does Irma have trouble getting men?

[TurtleFan2012]

She looks pretty to me. If she REALLY wants a man, all she has to do is get rid of the glasses, let her hair down, lose the grandma clothes and you got yourself a man.

[CyberCubed]

That's the gag. She thinks she's ugly.

[gobo]

You try finding a man in '80s children's cartoon New York. :P

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Irma's problems getting men are just intented to be a funny part of the show's plot, of course, so you can still laugh more at the show when you are older.

[ZariusTwo]

Irma has her own set of problems, she's been shown to have a psychotic edge from time to time, and she's quick to turn on a man if she feels he has effects on other women (look at how she sabotauges her own relationship in "Sky Turtles" just because April is affected by the gravity-altering device)

[Mona_Lisa]

She looks pretty to me. If she REALLY wants a man, all she has to do is get rid of the glasses, let her hair down, lose the grandma clothes and you got yourself a man.

I liked her "look" in that Ep. where she's "Super Irma"!:D

[Scud]

She looks pretty to me. If she REALLY wants a man, all she has to do is get rid of the glasses, let her hair down, lose the grandma clothes and you got yourself a man.

.... so basically change everything about her? :teek:
Wait wasn't that the plot to "She's All That". :tcool:

[Zany Orange Dude]

She probably scares away any men who are interested in her by immediately latching on to them.:tlol:

[pannoni1]

Irma probably acted too much like a 1950s woman and the men that tried to date her saw her as too "square" and old-fashioned for the era, and it especially works poorly in a progressive city like New York. Being shy and klutzy also turns men off, not to mention trying to keep the station in order. When she wants a man, she also tends to "try to hard" by being too desparate and not relaxing and being a more normal person.

[Icebot]

She came pretty darn close to getting one in Turtle Terminator, I think she would have won that handsome guy if only that imposter didn't hurt him and stuff.

[Killer Moth]

Irma probably acted too much like a 1950s woman and the men that tried to date her saw her as too "square" and old-fashioned for the era, and it especially works poorly in a progressive city like New York. Being shy and klutzy also turns men off, not to mention trying to keep the station in order. When she wants a man, she also tends to "try to hard" by being too desparate and not relaxing and being a more normal person.

I don't disagree -- especially with the New York liberal aspect and how such men would view a woman like Irma and the values she may represent -- although, for most of her run, most of the men she ended up with were basically cads. (And to her credit, she usually saw through that, from what I have viewed.) It's not exactly her fault for the dating pool is so shallow, but, as Sweden fan said, it's part of her running gag.

Not that it mattered, as most of the major human male characters all had considerable or deal-breaking flaws, anyway. (Yes, the Rat King was crazy awesome, but what sane woman would want to date him?) That is not to say there weren't decent eligible men, like Blodgett (and maybe Season 1 Vernon). And Season 8 had introduced several interesting human male characters, like Col. Winter or Krakus, but since Irma was already being written by then... Oh, well.

It's a pity she didn't know Baxter pre-mutation. It would have been very adorkable to see. Hell, if she could find attraction for the Rat King, would pre-Fly Baxter be that much of a stretch, had the opportunity presented itself?

[General Tragg]

These huge glasses don't help.

[mysterycolor]

These huge glasses don't help.
what's so bad about a girl in glasses ;)

[Slade]

Because that's how the character was written. :trazz:

No but seriously, I don't think Irma was supposed to really be attractive. Although i could be wrong, been a while since ive seen the OT. She's the nerd type. Also she looks like Velma, Ugly Betty, and that Chipette who's name I can't recall. Jeanette maybe?

[Impervium Gem]

Being your true self can be difficult whenever nervousness and doubts join the game so this might be a thing, though it's more about how she sees herself. I heard several times that love is often found by just being open to feelings or new people instead of thinking of nothing else than how big the desire for a partner is, not to be alone anymore.

Perhaps she doesn't visit the right places, could need a hobby that wakes her interest in getting out more. What would complicate that is probably her eagerness as well as misinterpretations, her believing two men were fighting over her even though their 'fights' are of a completely different reason than what she assumes, for example. Irma is pretty pushy there, she seems to want too much right at the beginning which might put a man off before he could ever discover feelings for her.

[mysterycolor]

it could also be that she was part of a kids show that didnt focus on romantic relationships... though i will say that it is a shame you are able to name so many nerdy characters that have bad luck with love (you forgot Daria!)- truth be told us nerdy girls tend to blossom in college, when we truly come into our own- but it doesnt have to involve ditching the glasses or changing clothing styles... it is just that priorities are different and high school stereotypes & cliques are suddenly irrelevant.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I don't disagree -- especially with the New York liberal aspect and how such men would view a woman like Irma and the values she may represent -- although, for most of her run, most of the men she ended up with were basically cads. (And to her credit, she usually saw through that, from what I have viewed.) It's not exactly her fault for the dating pool is so shallow, but, as Sweden fan said, it's part of her running gag.

Not that it mattered, as most of the major human male characters all had considerable or deal-breaking flaws, anyway. (Yes, the Rat King was crazy awesome, but what sane woman would want to date him?) That is not to say there weren't decent eligible men, like Blodgett (and maybe Season 1 Vernon). And Season 8 had introduced several interesting human male characters, like Col. Winter or Krakus, but since Irma was already being written by then... Oh, well.

It's a pity she didn't know Baxter pre-mutation. It would have been very adorkable to see. Hell, if she could find attraction for the Rat King, would pre-Fly Baxter be that much of a stretch, had the opportunity presented itself?

I've seen an Internet Fan Fiction Net story where Baxter Stockman is de-mutated into the TMNT, and develope a romantic relationship with Irma.

[Leo656]

Those librarian-type chicks are cuh-raaaaaaaaazy when the lights go out. Any guy that rejected her didn't know what they'd be missing. :P

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Those librarian-type chicks are cuh-raaaaaaaaazy when the lights go out. Any guy that rejected her didn't know what they'd be missing. :P

Irma is not a librarian, no way.

[gobo]

Is there no such thing as a metaphor in Sweden? :roll:

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Is there no such thing as a metaphor in Sweden? :roll:

Maybe, but I can't recall any Swedish fictional character right now.

[Leo656]

I think maybe "metaphor" got lost in translation. No worries.

What I was referring to is Irma's "type". In America, awkward, shy, plain-looking, nerdy-looking, over-dressed girls with glasses are often compared to librarians. The fetish or appeal to it is that all that shyness and bad clothes could be covering up a crazy hot chick, and that they tend to be even wilder than sluttier girls because they're so pent-up, not getting as much attention from guys.

In my experience, this is 100% true in many cases. Nerds have some serious skeletons in their closets. Thank God.