#tmnt mikey is coded girl autistic

[brightlotusmoon]

On AO3 I saw a tag for "Smart Michelangelo" in a 2012 fic and I almost cried. That shouldn't have to be a thing. Google search results for Mikey in general shouldn't be suggesting that he is the stupid turtle. I'm tired and I have insomnia.

Mikey isn't stupid, Mikey is very smart, and in my lifetime it will be a complete fact.

ADHD characters like Mikey being portrayed as class clowns, immature, naive, and mascots for vicarious embarrassments has apparently been a Discussion Trigger for... huh, 17 years now.

[flockofcrowsinaturtleshell]

Why I like Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

(my part of the letter from my last reblog)

Up until about three months ago, I disliked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I saw the trailer for the Bayverse live-action TMNT and quickly decided I hated it. The live-action designs and the turtles’ attitude towards April felt gross, and I suppose that I, a young teenage girl at the time, felt like I didn’t fit in the target audience.

Flash forward to four months ago. I’m scrolling through my Tumblr feed – looking for Ninjago fanart and completely disregarding the target audience for lego ninja – when I see something under the “For you” tab.

It’s a Rise comic, but I don’ recognize it as TMNT yet. It’s a drawing of a scruffy-looking teenage boy, with long black hair and a hockey stick. He appears to be underground, looking a little lost. He turns, and before him sits a giant robot, deactivated and covered in moss. It’s a turtle, I realize, but I still haven’t realized that it’s a TMNT comic.

Then the boy calls his Uncle Donnie, who’s a turtle in purple. It’s then that I realize; I’ve been tricked. I’m reading a TMNT comic and genuinely enjoying it. I begrudgingly give the comic a like and go on with my day.

Over the next few weeks, I keep seeing more of the comic. To my horror, I’m actually enjoying reading it. One month after discovering the comic, I give in. I go to the first page of the comic and read from the beginning. 

It’s the story of a family trying to survive in a world overrun by invaders. Their family is made up of four color-coded turtles who make up the nebulous concept of uncle-dad, their entirely human older sister, and the scruffy-looking teenager they-re all trying to keep alive. This family dynamic is one I quickly grow to love, and the comix earns itself a place in my heart.

And then I watch the Rise movie.

Skip ahead to the present. I just watched the Rise movie two days ago (it had me in tears). As I write this, I’m also trying to figure out a plothole in the seventh chapter of the fanfiction I’m writing. Just yesterday, I finished designing the skeleton of my yokai character (because why not. I love speculative anatomy). I’m still reading the comic, which just updated yesterday. I’m happy with my new interest.

I love Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the family dynamic. I’ve always been a fan of unconventional families, and I’ve grown a liking for color-coded squads. I enjoy how April is more like a sister than a crush for the boys to fight over. I feel a certain kinship with Donnie, as an autistic-coded middle child who loves to learn. I absolutely adore Raph, the person who’s had to step up to care for their siblings and yet hasn’t quite grown out of the stage of life where he’s just a kid. Mikey is so silly and adorable, and he reminds me of my younger sister; the youngest and somehow the wisest at times. Leo feels just like a character from the first show I ever had such an interest in (Lance from Voltron: Legendary Defender) and I think he’s pretty awesome. 

I also enjoy the show’s unique takes on some things. I find it cool how the turtles are all different species. I love how this iteration’s version of Casey Jones is an energetic young woman from a rival clan. I find it interesting how Karai is a loving ancestor instead of an enemy. I love the artstyle of the show, where each turtle’s design is unique (compared to other shows where the only way I can tell them apart is by the color of their mask). I think it’s cool how the backstory is different from some of the other iterations, how the turtles were mutated on purpose and how Splinter used to be a famous actor. I think the yokai are awesome, how they’re like mutants but were there long before. I enjoy finding the little references, like the pictures of other TMNT shows on Donnie’s conspiracy board, or the fact that the source of yokai power is a Kraang. 

I have so many questions left unanswered about the show, and I’m sure others do as well. I would love to see the return of Rise. I have no doubt that it would be awesome.

#unpause rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles

– Crow

P.S. The comic I am referring to is by @somerandomdudelmao on Tumblr. I have no words to describe how much the comic means to me. Cass, if you’re reading this, thank you. 

[lotus-duckies]

the queerness of 2012 is really weird because it straddles the line of plausible deniability so well and the fact it's so obviously edgy teenage boy coded, so when something kinda queer happens you're like "wait was that intentional or" as opposed to Rise, where the queer coding is blatant, especially with its usage of gender nonconformity and literally putting a rainbow flag into the show

so anyway here's an essay about leo's bisexuality. yes this will be covering his crush on karai in a romantic context even though everyone hates it and wants to rephrase it as gender envy, i'm sorry but someone has to do it

The first question we must ask, does Leo have some kind of indication of having attraction to more than one gender?

There was a tumblr post recounting canon tmnt facts, one of which says the art book states that Leo has a 'man crush' on Captain Ryan.

Which, I am wheezing at the idea that the thing that makes Leo imperfect is the fact he has a man crush on Captain Ryan. Nothing else, just the man crush.

I did google the definition of a man crush because even though I am clearly just so manly what the heck is that.

-an intense and typically non-sexual liking or admiration felt by one man for another. -a man who is the object of another's intense liking or admiration.

Yeah that's approximately Leo's relationship with Captain Ryan, an intense admiration for a fictional man. Obviously, having a man crush doesn't automatically mean you're attracted to men, but given Leo's general behaviors in the show, I'm more inclined to believe he does have Some Kind of attraction to men.

Karai

The thing about Leo's crush on Karai is that it was executed in a distinctly different way than any of his brothers' love affairs.

With his brothers, they're very open about the fact they're into whatever girl the narrative has assigned them. Donnie's crush has been known by everyone since episode 1 and he and Mikey are not subtle about their admiration. Raph was talking about how cool he thinks Mona is and if turtles and newts can go on dates even though she was introduced as an antagonist before becoming an ally.

Karai was also introduced as an antagonist who Leo has some kind of attraction to, but he hid it. He refused to tell his family about it, only telling April who then chastised him about it. His family only found out by accident, and even then he either didn't tell them he liked her, shrouded in excuses of "We both like the fine craftsmenship of swords" and "I can see the good in her, I can save her", or begrudginly added "I guess I sort of liked her" at the end.

This reads as a very queer narrative, closeted kids discovering themselves and only their friends know out of fear of getting rejected by their families.

And this is also why I do think Leo has an Actual Crush on Captain Ryan. Trying to explain it as having an admiration for Captain Ryan and wanting to be a hero is much the same as trying to explain why he was hanging out with Karai, wanting to help her or admire swords.

His personality as a Very Good Boy who follows the rules and cares if they accidentally hurt people exemplifies the changes he went through from Karai's influence.

(also like. if space heroes is supposed to be a parody of star trek. girl star trek is so horny. and Leo says that space heroes has a ton of fans currently, implying he's seen the fanbase, and the very strong possibility that the fanbase is mostly populated by gay fanfiction

and yknow. Leo's the embodiment of 2010's tumblr fangirl, which has a lil queer autistic in it)

Karai is very visibly a lesbian, an edgy punk butch lesbian, and she and Shinigami lowkey embody a butch femme dynamic and the fact Karai is depicted as the more formidable, domineering force with a sword and Shinigami as a bit more pathetic with a cat is reminiscent of the japanese lesbian dynamics from this post. It's all very gay.

And she's an antagonist lesbian to Leo's closeted and internalized biphobia.

She represents the desire to give up and be swallowed by selfishness, forgoing responsibility and cleanliness in favor of having fun.

Leo is resistant to giving in. His attempts to do so immediately get shut down, and he's rejected by his family, even for a moment, for wanting to go do Bad Things. He tries to fix Karai, make her good and acceptable. But he slips further, eventually falling into Karai's circle to be gay and commit crimes against the Foot Clan empire.

In this way his sexuality is explored through self expression, the moral ambiguity, and transition from an absolute rule follower caring deeply about the affects his actions has on others to burning a building full of money. It's very classic "good girl getting corrupted" story telling, but at the same time it isn't, because Leo maintains an overall good moral compass, he just grew up. Sometimes killing people is a necessity, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes people get hurt.

Being queer stops being this huge shameful, evil thing and it starts just being part of you.

[brightlotusmoon]

Headcanon for all versions of Mikey: He actually will watch documentaries if they're on the right subject. Mostly nature and medicine, because deep down Michelangelo is utterly fascinated by how humans work. Don't you dare call him stupid.

He'll watch medical shows like he watches horror films, actually.

[brightlotusmoon]

This was in 2012, when being ADHD and/or autistic was still badly misunderstood and stimming wasn't seen as good or natural.

Now, at least on Tumblr, we are free to love and chew our favorite art things and then tell each other about it. Just like cats.

[brightlotusmoon]

One HC I've already wanted to explore was the Rise boys being less.. humane(?) as a result of their Yokai nature. I always saw them being more Blue-and-Orange Morality/Fair Folk (Donnie messing with our brains? Meh. Taking the last slice of cake? DIE!) (Just an example of the "Fair Folk" aspect effecting their reactions.)

This is a common headcanon that I've seen discussed! In fact, the stuff I've been writing with @remmushound touches on this.

Draxum did specifically try for warriors.

And the turtles are absolutely fae. They're cryptids, after all! Actually, I did recently write an entire post on why Mikey automatically is fae, and part of it was making deals and wording requests.

Also, a few years ago, Kassiane, the autistic activist who coined both neurodivergence and neurodiversity (not Judy), and I had a whole discussion on neurodivergent folks and fae and cryptid culture. The Ninja Turtles was part of it.

[brightlotusmoon]

In a discussion about "goofball" characters (usually ADHD) using pop culture and fantasy as coping mechanisms, social levelers, and emotional outlets:

THIS GUY.

In the 2003 and 2012 series, Mikey regularly quoted films, books, television, comic books, and media phenomenon so accurately that it's saved their shells multiple times.

Didn't get much credit beyond a "sigh, really, Mikey?" or "...huh, Mikey had a good idea" but that's just teammates and sibling banter. It did get frustrating when they kept scolding him but he did have really bad timing.

Remember 2007 when he was very obviously participating in research and planning while being loud and somewhat overbearing in his exuberance? 1990 when every other sentence was a script and a zing? Archie, where he grew up to be a multimedia artist working in an orphanage? Mirage where he...uhh, he wound up an interplanetary POW set up by someone he thought he could love and being tortured for no reason and realizing the hatchlings aren't even his...? I'm sure optimistic memeing is still a thing when you're trapped on an alien planet participating in a war you never wanted...? (Oh hi John Crichton of Farscape how the hell are you)

[brightlotusmoon]

Someone just told me that Mikey is the guy hanging off the ledge just because he can while his brothers hold his ankles to make sure he doesn't die, and I just realized how exact that is.

He trusts and relies on his team to have his back so he can use his privileges openly. So he can goof off, be carefree, be rude and childish and silly and annoying. He's always had that cover, and it reminds me of how so many fic writers still see him as too innocent and naive. But the shield his brothers held over him was transparent.

I think that's why I love AUs where his darkness is so full of silence and loneliness.

[brightlotusmoon]

20 year old headcanons updated: Mikey hiding even deeper depths when he knows keeping secrets in this family is Bad, but genuinely afraid of various types of rejection and abandonment and having his teasing attitude hurled back at him with sharper teeth. Started with 2003, increased with IDW and 2012, exploded with 2016. Rise is the outlier because Dr Delicate Touch already exists.

[brightlotusmoon]

Brain Box - Chapter 1 - RyochanWolfgirl - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003) [Archive of Our Own]

My friend who is working on the Good Genes AU with Monster Mikey is also writing another Good Genes AU, with Monster Donnie and also psychic Mikey. She's been transferring from FFnet, where there is a nifty 2003/2012 crossover featuring psychic Mikey.

https://m.fanfiction.net/u/959443/Ryo-chan-wolfgirl

Apparently I have very influential headcanons!

Tagging @incorrect-2003-tmnt-quotes @thelaundrybitch @mysticboombox

[brightlotusmoon]

Hey TMNT fandom,

What are Michelangelo's comfort foods beyond pizza?

This is mainly for Bayverse but I need to hear headcanons for all iterations.

[brightlotusmoon]

I promise I will answer this, Anon, it's just gonna take a while because there's like twelve of him! And I have Feelings about each one.

[brightlotusmoon]

Many TMNT fanfics and sometime canon over thirty years: Ugh, Mikey, shut up, that's silly, that's rude, that's inappropriate, that's annoying, that's obnoxious, that's illogical, that's utter nonsense, you can't say that, why did you say it like that, you have the worst timing, quit goofing off, stop messing around, we don't have time, don't touch anything, don't talk back, stay focused, have a bap on the head by the Ancient One for voicing a simple yet potential inane thought.

My Fanfics: Huh, Mikey, wow, what an unusual and unique statement, it is very insightful, let's take it into consideration. No really, it might be a good idea.

*spreads arms, raises eyebrows, looks around*

[brightlotusmoon]

Reasons I always thought TMNT Michelangelo was fae:

1 Don't make deals with him unless you want chaos specifically.

2 He's a natural born trickster, a psychic empath, and is deeply insightful.

3 If you don't word your request right, he will skate right through the loopholes.

4 He's a skilled performer and highly charismatic. He's also a creative and an artist and martial artist. He knows all about acupressure points, emotional regulation, psychological weak spots, how to build confidence, how to shatter confidence.

5 Let him give you a nickname, it's just easier.

6 He will get very attached, he's permanently touch starved, just treat him like a cat.

7 Don't worry. He'll find you. He'll always find you.

[brightlotusmoon]

I love exploring 2003 Mikey from a psychology standpoint because around that era, most folks with ADHD were forced to mask. False ego, false confidence, desperate for real validation and willing to play the fool for it. I was already in my 20s and just diagnosed so I was often irritated that canon never let us see Mikey's masks drop beyond plot specific moments that were too few. I basically took him as a character and adopted him. I always tried to explore who he was when he wasn't goofing around and during darker intimate moments. I saw so much potential for cyclothymia, rejection sensitivity, hyperempathy, repressed emotional traumas, false memories, chronic nightmares and parasomnias. Anyone who thought 2003 Mikey as the most emotionally resilient was a good thing probably didn't understand how resilience is built from trauma.

This thought brought to you by a post in my FB ADHD group about Impostor Syndrome and being more of an introvert but with strong extrovert qualities. Wondering when they get to truly be themselves in a world not built for them. Especially the ones who are also autistic.

Just don't get them angry.

[brightlotusmoon]

In one of my ADHD support groups, someone asked what we all see as a "superpower" or advantage from ADHD. The following comment fits Michelangelo so well that I wish the fandom could have diagnosed him back in the 2000s when it was still seen as a nuisance before we had entire online communities and labels to put on ourselves:

---

"I think my ability to see connections between things is enhanced by my adhd and helps me see solutions that others might miss, or deem to unrealistic to say out loud. During this last year my tendency to process thoughts out loud has actually been useful too! As we try to figure out how to do our very hands on people based work differently sometimes as I “think out loud” one of my tangents will get someone else thinking on a loosely connected idea and eventually we come around to a practical version of my original outlandish idea.

Oh, the other thing I used to be really good at (but which may have waned some as my symptoms have worsened) is what I call Translating English to English. I was able to readily see where communications break down or how people are misunderstanding each other, and I could explain concepts or situations in ways that people got it.

I experience delight and excitement very readily, and people love that I will laugh at EVERY joke, even the ones that get crickets from everyone else."

---

Someone else mentioned Associative Thinking, which we are masters of - which 2003 and 2012 Mikey got slapped on the head for doing out loud and Rise Mikey got accepted for with a simple "I don't understand how your mind works." Not even I understand how my own mind works.