"Which Ninja Turtle Are You" or "The Funny Four"

[Seil]

I watch After Hours. It's interesting, sometimes makes valid points and provides a different view on mundane topics. Cue Ninja Turtles (http://www.cracked.com/video_18260_which-ninja-turtle-are-you-lifes-most-important-question.html). The argument breaks down in the video like this: groups of four in media are different than other super hero teams, because their characters fit into certain roles, which can then be applied to the viewer.

Ninja Turtles was the "most pure" inception of this, what with the loyal, honorable leader, then you've got the nerd, the joker and the angry one. The video makes the argument that it's teaching young children... a valuable lesson about belonging? I think. I don't know, I lost track when they said that the best Power Ranger was the green one. (I mean Zack's Zord piece was a mammoth! Black for life, yo.)

But it's an interesting idea - is your favorite Ninja Turtle a reflection of yourself? Or a reflection of who you want to be? Is that true for... say... The Fantastic Four? Sex And The City? I don't know. But I do know that I want an excuse to say that Michalangelo was pretty radical.

[Sky Warrior Bob]

I kinda liked Slash. His inconsistent personality that was completely dependent on who was writing for him. Barbaric dunderhead at one point, to insane genious at the opposite. The square peg of the Ninja turtle scheme. An outsider to the end.

Sure, he was a dismal failure of a cartoon villan, but which (if memory serves) the turtles could only defeat by sending him away. Rather than confronting him head on.

As for the solid 4, I could never pick a favorite myself. I enjoyed them as a team, but I never settled on a particular fav.

I wonder how Venus de Milo & Robo-Turtle fit into this scheme. Since they're even closer to Ninja Turtles than Slash is.

[Jagos]

But Slash is just Michaelangelo +11.

I'd say out of the core, I switched from Mikey to Donatello. When I began pursuing things that were more intellectual in nature, I just saw Mikey as a lazy slacker instead of this rad turtle to emulate like I did when I was a kid.

[Aerozord]

I liked Leo myself, what I dont get is why my brother liked Don. didn't suit him at all.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Donatello was thebest. All the others sucked. Science fact.

[phil_]

We did this in June. You, Seil, made this thread in June. Give it some time, man.

Still Raph, as I'm still a moody loner who can't get along with anyone.

[Intern Nin]

Fun fact: If you stand in front of a mirror inside of an unlit room and say "Venus de Milo" three times without blinking, Peter Laird will appear behind you and then beat you within an inch of your life with a pipe spanner.

I'll go with Raph, since he was always my favorite.

[Seil]

We did this in June. You, Seil, made this thread in June. Give it some time, man.

Still Raph, as I'm still a moody loner who can't get along with anyone.

I tried to steer this purpose into talking about group psychology and how actors and writers have made stereotypical roles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMOlTA1qzXw) that can somehow still seem fresh and interesting today.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I always like Leo the best. I am nothing like Leo though. If anything I probably fit somewhere between Don and Raph.

[Seil]

What this conversation is about now is people picking their favorite cartoon character and applying his best parts to themselves without thought.

[Amake]

I'm not sure I've ever seen Donatello display any personality beyond his choice of weapon; slow, methodical, precise and long-reached. But I always respected him.

If we're going by elemental symbolism, I'm thinking he has to represent earth, Leonardo wind, Raphael fire and Michelangelo water. Thoughts?

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Using the humours which had traditional elemental links you get
Donatello is melancholic- earth
Mikey is choleric- fire
Raphael is sanguine- Air
Leo is phlegm- water

[BitVyper]

Everybody is Wolverine.

[Fifthfiend]

I'm Batman.

[Doc ock rokc]

I liked it better when Batman was statler and waldorf

[Fifthfiend]

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5199/attachmentfv.jpg

[Magus]

Well having a team of super characters, each of which fulfills a particular archetype, is a common comic book convention. If you look at something like the X-Men, Justice League, Fantastic Four, etc. they don't only have different powers but usually a particular type of personality, i.e. loner, smarmy dude, intelligent nerd, etc.

It's also common in network television shows such as NCIS, Castle, etc. where you have a team, or even action movies with a team of people.

As for what it says about society, it is that we love stereotypes and feel more comfortable when we can shove people into a particular slot, which is then reflected in our fiction. We all pretend we don't but we do, all the time, especially with people who are just acquaintances or who we have never met. Usually with close friends or relatives we are aware they are three-dimensional people, but otherwise we have to really practice and train to keep from stereotyping people, always being self-aware of what we are doing at all times.

That said, in fiction it is a very good tool to quickly provide a basis for a character without having to do a bunch of exposition--with the TMNTs a person who has watched the show or movie or read the comic for about five minutes can tell exactly what each of these characters is like and how they will react to any given situation and usually their motivations (if we see Raph acting sarcastic all the time we realize he's probably jealous of the leader character, Leo, and insecure about his own position).

Anyway, we can all feel Raph's pain, literally, in this video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYOlByBRCww) I always did that when playing the TMNT NES game as well, it's a common strategy. No wonder he is so pissed all the time! Maybe if he just gave up those sais...

@Fifthfiend: Yo, Fifth, if you are Batman the thing in your sig that says "MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEAAADD" should clearly link to this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUPBgYeanZ0)

BTW is that image in your sig from this comic (http://www.pvponline.com/my-parents-are-dead/), 'cause it looks totally different. What webcomic of amazing artistry is it from?

[BitVyper]

I'm Batman.

Batman is the best he is at what he does. AKA Wolverine.

[Fifthfiend]

AKA Wolverine.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/posindustries/facepalm/1287884559101.jpg

[BitVyper]

Fifthfiend can barely contain his berserker rage.

[Krylo]

April O'Neil.

[Doc ock rokc]

We are both the sexiest member of any team we join.

What if you both join the same team?

[Seil]

Actually, April O'Niel was pretty sexy....

But she's no Elisa Maza.

[Magus]

The new April O'Neil in the new TMNT comic isn't even a reporter anymore, unless she's an undercover reporter posing as a scientist or something. I've only read one issue...in any case I'm not sure how I feel about it.