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Mikey's ADHD/ADD
I thought I start a thread on this as alot of people here don't know the full details about ADHD/ADD and keep blaming the writers on treating Mikey badly and think that ADHD/ADD is just an excuse.
First off the writers are doing a great job, they are doing their homework on ADHD and other things that link with ADHD. They are trying to get the message out there to the world that ADHD is a metal disorder and that millions of children do suffer with it. People who don't know about the condition, blame the parents and think it's a stupid excuse. Seriously people, you need to do your homework and read up about ADHD/ADD. Here's few things that connect Mikey with ADHD, I posted this a few months ago in another thread. Quote:
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Sorry, couldn't finish the post.
Got distracted by a dime. :P |
Sorry I'm adding another post to show some of the amazing things Mikey has done.
(have to put under spoilers as they are big posts. Also I did not write these, someone put them on Tumblr a few months back, they are not updated either) He’s compassionate/has a big heart Spoiler:
He’s really strong, brave, and pretty protective of his brothers/family: Spoiler:
He’s a hellava lot smarter than his brothers (and a lot of the fans it seems) give him credit for: Spoiler:
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It seemed liked they cooled down a lot on the ADD/ADHD thing, though since season 1, so seeing it pop up again at full force can be disheartening to see at times...but I'm surprised I didn't catch or even think about the red dye thing or the food chemicals affecting his behavior. It was more over the top than usual and I usually make associations like that when something is off as not everything can be viewed as black and white. Good catch.
Boy, I really am distracted by my work and visa predicament... |
I highly, highly doubt the people behind the show have put 1/10 as much thought or research into it as you have. It's a throw-away, catch-all phrase that the writers can lean on in order to make Mikey more of a Spaz, because "that's funny". Not that the condition itself isn't real, BUT, it's seriously over-played, over-diagnosed, and it's become a trendy "buzzword" used to describe any kid who's goofy.
I know it's real, because I have friends whose kids have it. There's also degrees of it, as far as some cases being more severe and others more benign. But I'm sensitive to this; my wife was misdiagnosed with ADHD when she was a teenager, back when every kid who talked back or "couldn't concentrate" in school was suddenly "miraculously" discovered to have ADD/ADHD. My wife had, and does NOT have, any symptoms at all of ADHD. Just to be clear. But, she was diagnosed by an "allegedly" trained doctor, and put on medications that caused serious problems including sleep disorders, depression, and suicidal thoughts. God knows what would have happened if she hadn't stopped taking that garbage they put her on. But anyway, she wasn't diagnosed because she had it, she was diagnosed only because it was "hip" and new at the time, and getting your kid hooked on Ritalin is a convenient way to get them to do what you tell them to. So, anyways, I've seen the whole "ADHD" thing from both sides, and I highly doubt the writers were serious in any way when they first stuck that tag on Mikey. I promise, it was as simple as, "Well, nowadays when kids act like morons, we blame ADHD; Mikey's kind of dumb, so let's use that to explain it." Maybe more recently, they've retroactively put some superficial "symptoms" of it onto him, but I swear that wasn't their original intention; it was a gag, and a lazy one. I've still seen nothing from Mikey that comes close to anything like the behaviors of my friends' kids of similar age. And as I've said, I'm aware there are degrees of severity. But I maintain, Mikey doesn't have ADHD; he's just stupid. The writers don't want to own up to that, thus, the "miracle diagnosis" used by so many parents, teachers and "doctors" beforehand. It's dumb. Anyone who thinks they're trying to "keep it real" or raise any kind of awareness, or even just make Mikey more sympathetic, is giving this show's writers way too much credit. We've seen how many episodes so far? Frankly, the show's writers aren't that clever, to have even put as much though into it as you'd like to give them. We've seen ample proof of that. :lol: |
I just think they make Mikey act like a retard because little kids find it funny. I mean, they're the target audience for this show no matter how you look at it.
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I agree with that assessment. Mikey in other versions has NEVER been ADHD or ADD. In Mirage, he was laid-back and a bit lazy at times, told jokes sometimes, and was out-going and friendly, compassionate, and even a bit creative. But NEVER had attention or hyperactive issues. In the OT, he was laid-back, lazy, and a bit goofy at times, told jokes and was "obsessed" with pizza and comics, but still- no ADHD or ADD, just a chilled-out, slightly silly personality.
In the movies, he was very much the laid-back guy like in Mirage, who liked to sit back and relax, was a little lazy (his trying to "cheat" at the punishment in SotO), and liked to annoy Raph. He was fun-loving, told jokes, and had a thing for junk food, but NO ADHD. He was even a bit introspective at times in SotO and TMNT III. He wasn't hyper, didn't have any issues paying attention, and at times even understood Donnie better than the other two when he went into his "techno-speak". (In SotO, he was the first one to realize what Prof. Perry meant about ingesting the anti-mutagen, even before Donnie realized they'd have to FEED it to Tokka and Rahzar!) In 2K3, he was immature, a bit goofy at times, and obsessed with comics and video games and horror movies, still lazy, and kind of "dumbed down", but NEVER exhibited any signs of ADHD. He pestered Raph and Donnie, but wasn't obnoxiously hyper nor had a short-attention span. Again, he was compassionate and fun-loving, but still knew how to pay attention when needed, and was smart enough to understand most of what went on around him- unless it was Donnie talking.... He also was occasionally a big-headed a$$-hat, but that's another issue. So WHERE does this "ADHD" come from?! It's a convenient excuse to make him dumb and silly and make REALLY stupid mistakes that a teen his age should KNOW BETTER then to make. Like eating the pizza after MONTHS in the fridge with no power in the latest episode. He would know better than to eat something so old and covered with mold. (In the original film, he wouldn't even touch a pizza that had just a couple day's growth on it!) He also says or does things that are more like the thought-process of a seven-year-old than a kid in his mid-teens. Basically, the writers use the ADHD excuse to make him do things that NO kid that age should/would realistically do. If anything, he's borderline mentally challenged in Nick, which is ALSO something that is only being played "for laughs". It's just plain lazy and uninspired writing, is all it is. Nick has taken a character who USED to be well-rounded and had interesting flaws AND positive attributes, and has "taken it up to 11" with the negative ones, making them FAR worse than they've ever been and even adding NEW ones, while making the positive ones nearly non-existent, just for the sake of making him what is considered (by six-year-olds) to be "funny". |
Holy long posts! :o
Nice ready, cheers for sharing! :D |
Mikey having ADHD makes no sense.
Mikey being a 24/7 toker, on the other hand, makes perfect sense. In every single incarnation. Too bad Nick can't just "go there". It's not like the kid's fooling anybody. |
Is there any official source stating Mikey has ADHD? I don't think it was ever mentioned in an episode and the only place I've seen it listed is Turtlepedia, which anyone can edit. I'd be honestly surprised if Nick put in a mental illness for it's character, even if it's a positive heroic character used. Just seems a bit of a liability, given that uppity soccer mums went crazy after a My Little Pony character was named Derpy. I tried looking for his bio and failed, Nick.co.uk's one doesn't show it, I've been told on the USA site it does, but can't really get on there without being redirected.
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I've heard Big Bang Theory fans asking if Sheldon Cooper has autism, and the writers totally deny it, so if a live action sitcom aimed at adults doesn't feel inclined to give a main character a mental disability, I'm betting a Nickelodeon cartoon for children definitely won't!!!
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And yet they "did". I have seen it in his character profile on the site, quite a while back, to be sure, but it WAS there as "official". And totally bogus, IMHO. As I said before, he's NEVER had any of those attributes in ANY OTHER VERSION! Though Leo's joke about him being a stoner might apply to the OT and 2K3.... (The junk food obsession, the attitude, the voice....) Hardly in the movies or comics, though. (Bay turtles being a possible exception. I can certainly see him being a "toker" there, LOL!) |
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Mikey and Raph were both baked in every single scene of the first movie, I don't know how you can't tell. I mean, Raphael keeps a better handle on it, but it's there. And don't even get me started on Casey. Even wide awake, his eyes just refuse to open more than half.
That movie's actually a lot funnier if you can picture a bong just off-screen to the left of every shot. |
You're funny, Leo. You should KNOW, it wasn't a bong. Knowing Splinter, it would'a been a hookah.
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Remember that time in the Mirage comics where he laced Leo's tea? Hilarious. I totally always wanted to see "Fearless Leader" trippin' balls. Fo' sho.
When stuff like that is canon, I'unno how anyone can doubt that Mikey is fried. |
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Didn't they drop the whole ADHD aspect before the series started? And honestly, they never should have thought of the idea of giving him ADHD. 2k12 Mikey is just becoming more annoying and outright dumb to the point where Ciro and them either don't know exactly what to do with him or just making him this way for humor's sake.
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Sadly, no, I don't. Never read the Mirage comics, beyond a few issues from the "Classics" collections. (#1, #3, and #4, so- not many issues....) That sounds pretty epic for a prank, though! Sheesh, and the worst I've ever had him doing was switching the sugar and salt for Donnie's coffee, LOL!!! Or oiling the handles on Leo's swords. I'm still looking for the ultimate prank for Raph for a story I'm doing- any suggestions?? |
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For the recent episode seems to really give off the strange "Ralph Wiggum-esque" thing, now that you mention it. Interesting comparison. Even in the Take NY Back stuff, and his messing with Donnie's retromutagen seemed off. I wonder if he was just going stir crazy or something being cooped up while the Kraang were screwing things up. |
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But yeah, Splinter is a dirty hippie who pushes drugs on his "kids". Pass it on. |
They've got it in canon that 2k12 Donnie has OCD as well, don't they? I'm positive I remember reading that somewhere.
Whether it's actually a decent portrayal of someone with OCD is up for debate... he just comes across as a regular nerdy science dork in this one (IMO). I may well have missed something, but I can't recall him ever being obsessive about germs, keeping things lined up/symmetrical, counting/checking things repetitively or even hoarding, all of which are signs of OCD. |
I dunno, I think it's like ADHD, where there are different types/degrees of it. My hubby is slightly OCD in that he counts his steps when he walks somewhere and hast to have pictures just perfectly straight AND symmetrically aligned, I get it with some things like having to keep all my movies, games, comics, and even books organized JUST so (by genre, author, series, book/movie order, and such), or by keeping EVERY note, map, or character sheet, monster stat, etc that I've EVER used for my D&D games, in case I need them later.
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I honestly think Mikey is dumb and made that way for laughs.....sadly.
being hyper and unfocused is one thing but straight up stupid is another. I thought Ciro did a "stupid pass" for Mikey?.....He needs start triple checking...or just tell the writers to stop writing Mikey like an idiot. :ohwell: Beast Boy is a good example of a jokester that isn't as smart as the rest of the team but has alot of heart. |
"But he's the FUNNY one...! How will you know he's the Funny One if he doesn't do or say something OUTRAGEOUS in every scene he's in?!"
They'll tell you they "have to" do his character that way, because it's a kids show. And kids are awful at appreciating anything nuanced or subtle. Thus, the box of giant crayons with only 6 colors they give you on your first day of school. "No, no, you're not ready for purple. We'll give you purple when we think you're emotionally ready to handle purple." And in turn, Mikey's a spastic nitwit constantly so you can tell he's supposed to be "funny". Because that's all kids understand. |
In one interview I remember Greg Cipes said " Mikey is evolving". Perhaps they made him stupid because they want to maje him mature at some point in the series.
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How can people say he's dumb and stupid.
Yes he makes mistakes but it doesn't make him dumb and everyone makes mistakes. Yes he's has goofy moments but that doesn't make him dumb. Yes he get's over excited (Which is part of his ADHD) but that doesn't make him dumb. Yes he does lack intelligence and some knowledge but thats part of his ADHD and he is improving. Name one stupid dumb mistake he did in: Within The Woods Buried Secrets Vision Quest Return to New York Serpent Hunt The Pig and the Rhino Battle For New York (Please don't include pressing the button by accident and eating disgusting food because they are running gags.) Mikey has improved a lot since season 1. He listen's to the other turtles plans. He has good idea's and his brother's listen to him now. He has lead the team in Into Dimension X and Battle for New York Part 2. He can sense things that don't seem right, like in Buried Secrets. (Yes they didn't listen to him that time but I expect next time they will). He brothers are taking him more seriously now, it just takes time. He had a lot of devlopment in Battle for New York and had some awesome moments. Spoiler:
Mikey is devoping, improving and getting more mature but it's happening at a slower pace. He can't just change overnight and become normal just because he was amazing in one episode, you have to give him time and patients. If he does make a silly mistake, he will learn from it and improve next time. |
That's just it, he's a savant. He's meant to have very low intelligence yet be an absolute master at just doing things by accident and having them work in his favour. He is fairly dumb, most characters even in universe noticing it. He's just good at doing things without thinking too hard about them. Mikey is stupid, Mikey is dumb, but it doesn't mean he's not awesome and skilled where it counts. He's personally my second favourite turtle, but I completely understand he's easily the stupidest of the four, at least in terms of intelligence and knowledge.
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Sorry, but I don't count eating disgusting food when you should know better as having ADHD/ADD. I think there are times where Mikey is just dumb and does stupid things because the writers think it's funny to make him that way. Yes, he has had good moments and done good things, and that's great, but you can't ignore the dumb stuff either.
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Mikey is not dumb, the writers arn't making him dumb. They are making him a role model for children who struggle with ADHD/ADD.
The cartoon is showing them how Mikey struggles with it and how he overcomes it. It also shows how Splinter and his brothers deals with Mikey's problems and how it can be struggle sometimes and how they can overcome it. So Kids will recognise that they have the same problems as Mikey and it will show them how they can cope, by giveing them a confidence boost when they see Mikey having good idea's, leading his team ect Most children with ADHD/ADD will have emotional and social problems because they are probably bullied in school I expect they are called dumb, stupid or idiot by other children. So if your calling Mikey dumb, then you are calling every children with ADHD/ADD in the world dumb. Ask me this, How many childrens cartoons are there that deals with ADHD/ADD and I don't count The Simpsons or any other adult cartoons. |
Most kids with ADHD are annoying spastics though.
People keep praising disorders like that, but they're still disorders. It's like polishing a turd. Quote:
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I struggled when I was in school and I had extra help but it helped. I was bullied because of it and I have a confidence issue and even though I have improved quiet a bit, I still struggle with it now. |
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Sheesh, you guys.
Anyway, to steer it back to discussing Mikey, I'd say poor or mis-characterization is typical of most visual TMNT media, whether it's film or TV. The Fred Wolf cartoon radically changed Raph's character (ignoring his anger issues); the 2003 and 2012 cartoons both made Mikey exceptionally annoying (and stupid); the 2014 movie turned Donnie into an uber-nerd... For my money, the best characterizations are almost always in the comics. |
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I read your reasoning and considered your point of view. However, I don't know if children with ADHD are aware of their problem. When they watch the cartoon I don't think they think about Mikey's improvement since season 1 but they only see that a goofy turtle eats gross food. Yeah, it's supposed to be funny but on the other hand, it is disgusting and shows a bad example for children. But hey, it is just my opinion. When I was kid I tended to follow some bad stuff what my brother shown me. We even had a kid in kindergarten who had ADHD and was acting really strange and odd. My mates laughed at him and sadly, I took part in it, too. I didn't understand he had some kind of problem just only when my mother explained to me that he has some "difficulties." Later, I understood what it meant to be bullied and I had difficulties as well. So, in exchange I was put in his shoes just in another way. I love Mikey's goofy personality but making him do disgusting or painfully dumb things is not a good point. |
I also see where you're coming from, Vicky, but a lot of kids may not understand that Mikey is just like them. They may just say he's funny and leave it at that. And I'm not saying people with ADD or ADHD are idiots. I'm just saying Mikey is because he's done some things that are moronic. I think he's more mentally retarded with some of the stuff he's done like putting mutagen on himself. That's not something a kid with ADD would do. One of my sister's stepsons is ADD, and he's actually a very smart kid and knows right from wrong. Seems to me that at fifteen, Mikey should know better about certain things, but he doesn't, thus making him an idiot.
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Most children will be watching it with there parents and they will know that Mikey has ADHD and tell there children he is also struggling with the same problem and tell them how he overcomes it with confidence. Also there parents will tell there children whats right and whats wrong. Mikey did learn from his mistake from Mikey get's Shellache and it was due to his lack of confidence, he hasn't done anything like that since then. |
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