"Destination Imagination" speculation and discussion

[Ridureyu]

Well, which of the following methods SEEMS more likely for Mr. Herriman to do?

1. Lift a finger in the air and declare, "I say, young man! This behavior is entirely inappropriate! I must demand that you cease your attempt to eat Miss Francis right this very moment, or there shall be severe consequences!"

or

2. Bodily hurl himself at World, putting himself in harm's way, and actually attack the thing.

[antgirl1]

...True. But I don't think World would've let Mr. Herriman finish, ZAAAPPP!

[Lynnie]

Originally Posted by Ridureyu

2. Bodily hurl himself at World, putting himself in harm's way, and actually attack the thing.

The funny thing is, I can almost imagine him doing it, after seeing "Let Your Hare Down", not to mention his freaked out reaction to "Bob Marley" in "A Lost Claus".

[jekylljuice]

Originally Posted by Ridureyu

I know that the term applies to a huge range of disorders, some of which are only mildly hampering, others of which have a greater effect on life. it's like Tourettes, which for the most part is NOT about shouting random obscenities. Most Tourettes sufferers ust have a tic or an audible sound. However, generally speaking you'll be discussing the most extreme aspect.

Well, sure, if you want to keep the stereotypes and the stigma alive. It's a misrepresentation of the disorder, and as an OCD-sufferer myself (not mild, not extreme; just standard), I think I have a right to object to it, much as a Tourettes suffer has every right to object to the assumption that their disorder is primarily associated with coprolalia and little else. Calling it "insanity" is just crass...at least, it is to me.

In the case of Foster's, I do not think that Mr. Herriman's behaviour is intended to be symptomatic of any particular kind of disorder. To me, he is simply an authority figure, and the associated character traits are exaggerated for comic and, on occasion, dramatic effect.

[bloonuggets]

If you missed it, it's on again Sunday (12/21) at 7 PM.

[Cassini90125]

Originally Posted by jekylljuice

In the case of Foster's, I do not think that Mr. Herriman's behaviour is intended to be symptomatic of any particular kind of disorder. To me, he is simply an authority figure, and the associated character traits are exaggerated for comic and, on occasion, dramatic effect.

Given that Foster's is a children's cartoon I don't think that the behaviour or personality traits of any of the characters is intended to display any sort of disorder. When Craig was creating Bloo he didn't sit down with a psychology textbook and review the clinical definition of narcissism; he just said "self-centered" and went from there. The characters behaviours and personalities are intended to be funny, period, and no amount of fan overanalysis will ever change that.

[Mr. Marshmallow]

I think its just natural adult thinking or theorizing being applied to cartoons which as Cass said, the creators did not think of at the time or were not intending to say that. When I saw Darkwing Duck when I was a kid, I didn't think of applying any ideas of psychological disorders or mental diseases to explain why some of the characters are like that.

Its the same thing I have always talked about when it comes to attraction to cartoons. When I was a kid, I always got confused or never understood why Chip and Dale always went crazy for Gadget's affections or why the Animaniacs always went "Hellooooooo Nurse" when the Nurse came by, same for Minerva Mink.

When we watch cartoons as we get older we tend to look at things with a better understanding, start picking up on things that were hinted at or we missed or possibly implied. Though in Fosters case I don't think there is really anything to Mr. Herriman's disorder theory. One could just as equally theorize that Wilt has OCD (obsessive compulsion disorder) with the "I'm sorry" stuff.

[jekylljuice]

Originally Posted by Mr. Marshmallow

When we watch cartoons as we get older we tend to look at things with a better understanding, start picking up on things that were hinted at or we missed or possibly implied. Though in Fosters case I don't think there is really anything to Mr. Herriman's disorder theory. One could just as equally theorize that Wilt has OCD (obsessive compulsion disorder) with the "I'm sorry" stuff.

Exactly. Some of Wilt's behaviours (in particular, the excessive apologising) certainly ring a lot truer with my own experiences with OCD than any of Mr. H's, and it is admittedly one of the reasons why Wilt appeals to me as a character, but at the same time I do not believe that he is actually intended to be any kind of portrayal of an OCD-sufferer. These are simply character traits which have been given particular prominence in defining and developing his personality, and utilised for the sake of both comedy and pathos. The same goes for all of the characters' personality flaws.

One of the key problems with taking the exaggerated personality traits of a cartoon character and casually alligning them with a real-life disorder is that there's a strong possibility that you'll wind up offending someone who actually does have that disorder. That's what I've been trying to get at here.

[pitbulllady]

Originally Posted by jekylljuice

Exactly. Some of Wilt's behaviours (in particular, the excessive apologising) certainly ring a lot truer with my own experiences with OCD than any of Mr. H's, and it is admittedly one of the reasons why Wilt appeals to me as a character, but at the same time I do not believe that he is actually intended to be any kind of portrayal of an OCD-sufferer. These are simply character traits which have been given particular prominence in defining and developing his personality, and utilised for the sake of both comedy and pathos. The same goes for all of the characters' personality flaws.

One of the key problems with taking the exaggerated personality traits of a cartoon character and casually alligning them with a real-life disorder is that there's a strong possibility that you'll wind up offending someone who actually does have that disorder. That's what I've been trying to get at here.

I'd categorize Wilt's "I'm sorry's" as the same as someone repeating phrases such as "like" or "you know" or, as is often the case where I live, finishing off lists with the phrase, "...and (expletive)". It's a habit, generated partially from his emotional state in the past, and partially from the culture and geographical region where he was created. You will hear "I'm sorry" a LOT down here, whether or not the speaker is really apologizing for anything, since it's also a means of drawing attention to a particular situation, as in "I'm sorry, but Zaxby's chicken kicks (expletive, again)", a phrase uttered to me last night on the phone by one of my friends when the topic of take-out food came up, or "I'm sorry, but Clemson has been to WAY more bowl games than USC"(another snippet, from my father this time, debating the merits of their respective college football teams with the preacher, of all people), which means more or less, "I respectfully disagree with you". It could be argued that Wilt has a mild form of OCD, but then, when you really get into nitpicking, MOST of us do. Mr. Herriman is more properly referred to, in terms of personality traits, as "anal retentive". Everything has to be JUST SO, no room for error. Part of THAT has to do with HIS era, too; "back in the day" people were just expected to strive for perfection and adhere strictly to rules. Any of you who have ever had close contact with a person who grew up around the turn of the 20th Century knows how these dear folks frown upon our "lazy" and "careless" society.

pitbulllady

[Howard]

I do not know if I said anything here already. I found this movie wonderful, and adventurous! Everyone had an equal part (even though it centered around you-know-who), and everything about it, spelled AAA. I found the quality in writing equal to the older episodes. Kudos to the writing team. This movie is destined for an award.