Do you have to be a social misfit to enjoy TMNT in "old" age?
 

Well, I know I am. A social misfit that is. TMNT is my comfort zone.

Now, if I were to tell someone how much I care for TMNT, I think they would give me an odd look. Actually, I've never met a grownup who was crazy about TMNT, let alone watched/read it at all actually. And I must admit, if I suddenly met a person who fits the description of a real TMNT fan (as opposed to someone who simply has fond memories of the show), I too would raise an eyebrow and start wondering what's wrong with the dude or dudette... not necessarily in a bad way, but I would find it to be odd indeed.

So who better to ask than the good people of this forum... are most of you, erm, social misfits or odd in other ways? :)

Yes I think so, people who usually at one point or another are TMNT fans to me.
I'm sure some one will love to come along and dissagree with me because it just wouldn't be a day without that, anyway It's just how I see it.
The turtles themselves had been missfits and outcasts, so I related to that allot just like with other mutant characters like the X-men, etc.

But I'm sure there are every day people who like the turtles, I personally haven't met a single one that hasn't been a : Nerd, Gay, Lesbian, Gamer, Toy Collector, Goth, Metalhead, insert more labels here, etc.

I guess it all comes down to what you think is normal compaired to what the rest of society thinks is the norm for a person.
So no I don't think you need to be but I'd say most of us indeed are.

Well I guess I enjoy TMNT because it was my favourite cartoon when I was a kid. So I feel I have a strong connection to it and watching it brings out my inner child :)

When I was a kid, I'm not sure I identified with them because they were misfits. It probably had more to do with them being really cool characters in the OT. Maybe to a certain degree the misfit part helped but frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if I back then didn't even realize that they were misfits or for that matter, I didn't really know myself well enough to realize I was going to end up as a misfit myself.

But today I can identify with the misfit part for sure.

I'm a proud, almost militant nerd. I make no bones about enjoying comics and bad cult movies.

As for people who are older than your average TMNT fan, I'm sorry BL, but I'm looking at you. Love ya!

People see me as a pretty normal guy that just happens to have a weird quirk or two. TMNT is one of those weird quirks. People who know me well enough, though, know that my TMNT fandom is kind of a way of "paying respect" because TMNT is what got me interested in martial arts in the first place.

The answer to the poll is a proud loud AYE!

I admit to being weird. I have pet mice. I collect dolls and sometimes even play with them. I am in a sorority. I watch anime and read manga- and have even played a few RPGs. I am a fashion plate. I am a professional who hopes to be buying her first home soon. I am 30 years old and look much younger. I have my own religious and political beliefs. I use big words all the time. I have a thick accent that nobody can identify (ok, so it does not correspond to where I first lived due to my copying my father's accent).

But I am not a complete and total social misfit either.

im lucky i have 2 kids now so i can like the turtles without people looking at me funny. but i think i love the turtles more than my kids do. :tgrin::tcool:

I don't fit any of those (except nerd, to an extent). I'm not a jock, but I play basketball everyday after school, go to WVU football games all the time (just got back from the spring game), play baseball in the summer, hang out with kids that don't give a rats ass about TMNT, listen to punk rock... and whatever else I do. Even if I don't look it, I'm easily the nerdiest of my freinds, yet I'm the coolest guy at the comic shop :D If I didn't wear TMNT shirts, most people wouldn't know I'm a fan, but my close freinds/family know about it and don't think I'm too crazy.

So no, I'm not a social misfit but I enjoy my solitude more than most do (but I still voted yes).

Ok mama's boy:lol:

lol, I actually am one!

I wonder what the blokes who run the comic shop think when they see me come in before or after work wearing professional attire yet getting all excited about the new Turtles comic or the cartoon or any other geek things like anime.

Well there ya go country mouse, you's one of us after all!:P

Oooh, good to know!

I can proudly annonce myself a social misfit:D funny i always wondered how other tmnt fans considered them self in the social hierarchy:P?

I live alone and only normally leave the apartment for work. I rarely have anyone over. I sit on my bed and stare at my TMNT figure collection several times a day for about a minute or three at a time.

I'm not a social ANYTHING!

yea I'm odd...I love cartoons and comic books. One of my gf's friends gave me the oddest look when I told her I just went to see the TMNT movie. She said "but....that's for kids!" and looked completely confused.

hahahaha yeah! It's always fun bringing a date home and into my bedroom where I had my entire MIB TMNT figure collection as wallpaper hah:lol:
Boy the looks and comments I'd get.

Hey! He stole my answer! And, actually, you stole my question! Why, you bunch of thieves. :x But, the word, 'misfit', is less derrogatory than the 'outcast' I was thinking into the question... So, good thing you got to it first. ^_^

mis·fit - a person who is not suited or is unable to adjust to the circumstances of his or her particular situation.

TMNT has kind of been a weird hobby and obsession of mine for over 15 years. During that time, social acceptance, financial obligations, and other factors have all played a considerable part in how my once innocent hobby, has devloped into a freaky obsession to "collect 'em all".

When I was younger, it wasn't weird to have a box of toys in the bottom of the closet. My parents were not rich and I earned every toy I ever got. This instilled the much needed knowledge of how the real life works. I took very good care of the few toys that I ever did get and appreciated the fact that I was rewarded for my work. (Taking garbage out, doing dishes, yard work, etc.) At this point in my life, I relied on my parents to buy them for me, and TMNT was socially acceptable with other people my age.

As a teenager, my childish hobby took backseat to school, cool kids, and girls. I only had a part time job fixing computers, and lacked the funds for all the demands of adolescence. From this point on, only family members and long-time friends knew bout my addiction to TMNT.

I have had 2 part-time jobs for the last 9 years, and there are ZERO TMNT fans at either. I work in a UPS warehouse damaging all of your valuable ebay stuff. lol. It's a manly environment, kinda like a construction site. NO WUSSIES ALLOWED! So little ooze covered turtles aren't the topic of conversation quite often. I am also a freelance graphic designer, and mostly deal with clients via email. That doesn't leave much room for chit-chat about the coolest episode in season 6. lol.

I was about 25 when I met a girl who not only knew what TMNT was, but thought it was cool that I was a fan. The day came for me to show her my now very massive collection. She thought it was weird, like any normal person would. It's been 3 years, and she has actually bought ninja turtle stuff, but she really enjoys Marvel Legends.

Besides that, I live a rather secluded life. Does that make me a misfit? I can adjust to my surroundings and am socially secure in the way I present myself, I just like the ninja turtles. It is kind of like a comfort zone. If I am having a bad day, surrounding myself with all my TMNT goodness makes me feel better in a childish, playful way.

Oh yeah, one more thing... NINJA TURTLES RULE!!!

Awesome 'delivery' of that info. :lol:

"Normal", "odd", "weird", "social misfit", etc. are all just a matter of perception. My only clear definition of "weird" would be if I met someone who said they've never seen a single episode of The Simpsons. I mean, after almost 20 seasons, you have to have caught at least one episode at some point.

In regards to the poll. No. Different, maybe, but I don't consider myself to be "odd" or a "misfit". Everyone has their hobbies and interest and if someone else wants to think less of me for what mine are, then with all due respect, they can f*** off!

ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!:lol:

"Odd" is very subjective. Normal people sometimes try to describe themselves as a bit odd because that makes them feel more special but having small quirks does not make you odd. That's normal as every single person on the planet has them.

The deviation has to be substantial.

I lift weights, I play football ("soccer" for you americans), I swim, I smile the prettiest smile you could imagine when prompted to do so among strangers... I have higher education and am taking three more years... I might be getting married soon... from the outside, nothing might seem that strange with me. I probably come off as a very mild mannered and intelligent looking chap. But it's because I'm a part time ninja. :) I know the game of deception and I move in the shadows.

Yes that might've sounded like an overactive imagination but that's what really many odd people do. They try to conceal their true nature. I only exist as myself among my closest friends. To the outside world, I'm just an act. A phony! :o That could probably be said about most people though. They don't act like themselves when in public. But then we get back to the degree of deviation from the norm.

By now it might sound like I actually enjoy this game I'm describing but frankly, the one thing I've wanted the most my entire life, was to be normal. But hey, I'm sounding a bit too emo now. I thought I was done with that phase of my life... :lol:

You don't have to be a weirdo to be a TMNT fan... but it sure helps! :D

To the uninformed, I might not seem odd either. But, I'm pretty sure one can't even resemble a tame (i.e. realistic) form of Monk without being weird. I've just been dealt a bad hand for playing the popularity game, and so I've found better uses for my time and effort. Why would I want to run myself ragged just to be of 'adequate' normalcy? I'm of the opinion that those who don't like my individuality aren't worth my concern. I like myself better than when I was a clueless follower (ages ago).

Next testament, please. :D

The main fuel to my TMNT fire is how deeply nostalgic I am (and have always been, as early as 5th grade). While still in my childhood I wanted to go back to the 3-6 ages, I've always had a good life, I just realized at a very young age that life gets worse as you grow up. The reason I got into TMNT (after it had died out) was when I moved we had to wait about half a year for our house to be built and we had 5 people and a dog living in my grandma's small house while all my stuff was in storage. My main form of entertainment was the TMNT games for the NES, and stuff just picked up from there.

So turtles was my gateway drug into nostalgia :lol:

The comic book lover/avid reader stereotype had to come from somewhere. I know when I go into my local shop to pick things up I always see the same people browsing and the same clerk. I don't know them so I'll save my judgement but I do know myself and I have to answer the poll question with "yes" :(

I wouldn't consider gay or lesbian people to be "social misfits" either, lol.

And I don't think I'm a social misfit,...unless you consider one in high school to be one for life but I don't think life starts until after high school ends anyway so... ha!

But I talk about the ninja turtles a bit, usually around DVD release time, and even get friends to watch them with me. It's almost "cool" to like cartoons from the 80s tho! I know people in their mid 20s that watch other 80s cartoons and they're.. (ugh, I hate the word but) "normal".

Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Too bad some people cannot get past the high school stage.

I was the class nerd in high school. Not only that, but I was very dorky as well- very socially awkward.

Yet the former ugly duckling has blossomed into a swan.

"still has those fantasies of walking into a class reunion and having jaws drop"

Perhaps to an extent. You don't have to be a complete oddball, but maybe a certain amount of eccentricity is involved. I know my family sometimes think I'm weird when I tell them about how I've been watching the movies again and am thinking about getting more of the DVDs. I try to explain it's a nostalgia thing. Being a huge comic book fan, which is usually considered dorky, is part of the reason why I'm still a Ninja Turtles fan.

I'm not odd cos I like TMNT

I'm not a social misfit, I actually get along with everyone, and go out of my way to meet ppl, I have a gf, I handle public situations well, and im pretty sharp when it comes down to it, so social misfit no, misfit in general oh god yes.
Tho honestly I find that nowadays toy collecting, and hobbies like such are pretty accepted, almost everyone I know watches cartoons, and collects figs to some degree.
i'm 25, and most of my buds are between that, and 35, so my joys of collectordom have always seemed kinda normal,( yea I hate the word too) Besides, toons, and comics are what made me the person I am nowadays, I learned about power, and responsibility from Spidey, the Turtles showed me at a young age the importance of honor, I learned alot of family values from the X-Men, and the importance of controlling oneself from Hulk.
Not to mention I credit comics in general for a love of reading when I was a tyke, and for the fact that it got me interested in martial arts at a young age, and that really helped through school.( no getting shoved in lockers for me, I found it more fun to bully the bullies:lol:)


PS, when I think about it, how many ppl love Godzilla, and wasnt he just an atomic mutated lizard, he didn't even have mad ninja skills lol.

Are you one of either, cause if not you have no idea.:|
I mean sure there are some people who are in hidding and play it safe but those of us who are themselves in society are not very well accepted I'd have to say, hence being a social missfit.
I'm sure some could argue that you bring it upon yourself, but there are just allot of people who hate on someone for who they are without even knowing them.
And it shows up allot on the internet because people who ar cowards can be big when they're hidding behind a computer screen.
No you're odd because you're in love with Nightwatcher.

Better than alcohol and drugs
 

It's much better to be interested in cartoons when you are old than alcohol, drugs or tobacco.

Johan that is so true!

It's also what I say when my parents complain about the money I spend on TMNT, DVDs, figures, etc.

I'll freely admit I'm not what most people would define as "normal"; I read comics (probably way more than I should), I collect figures (NECA's TMNT, Sideshow' Star Wars, Mattel's DC stuff), I still love many things most others my age consider "childish" - TMNT, the classic Disney films (mostly the 90s era), Batman: The Animated Series and it's follow ons up to JLU, etc. But that's who I am. I never really talk about these interests at work, but I do with my friends and I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend who has similar interests. It was great going with her and another friend (all of us in our twenties) to see TMNT.

So yeah I'm not what most people consider "normal", but then again what's "normal" these days? And wouldn't the world be a really dull place if we were all that way?

http://www.poster.net/50-cent/50-cen...un-1076368.jpg

:lol:

Sad but freakin' true...everyone wants to be and acts like almost every place I go. ugh:dead:

I am and I don't consider myself to be abnormal because of it either. I know and realize that some people do but for myself, I don't really. At the same time though, I don't think there is a normal. Even on the basis of this topic, it seems like "normal" is defined by the person that participates in sports and other voluntary activities that are highly social but in reality, what percentage of people does "normal" represent? I would say less than 1/4 of people are "normal", which is hardly a majority so does that mean they are no longer normal?
There is no such thing. It's a perception we allow ourselves to exist to either place us on the inside or the outside.

Closer to your post, I don't think being gay makes someone a social misfit either. A lot of gay people that have accepted themselves for what they are work fine with making friends with other gay people and non-gay people that accept the concept of the existence of "being gay". I realize that being gay still isn't as widely accepted as I'd like it to be but where I live (canada), I have yet to really experience anything directly negative that is personal to me. Sometimes it feels like society is out to get me but for the most part, it seems to be going smoothly when I take religion and right-wing politics out of the equation.

Ah you don't live in the US no contest, Canada is awesome end of story.:lol:

Interesting topic. I voted no. I would not call myself a social Misfit...I'm pretty damn weird, but all my friends know and accept it, and I'd say I have a large group of friends. I had a beautiful quite "social acceptable" girlfriend for about two years until recently, and ya, I'd say no, you dont have to be....or maybe it just depends on your definition of misfit. I would say I'm pretty different from all my friends, but I still have plenty of friends. I'm pretty glad to say that I think me being so open with all the ninja turtle comics, dragon ball z dvds, and spider-man crap, that it makes my friends feel pretty eased around me, like they can be themselves.