User blog:Don25/Great analysis of Mike and because many consider it offensive, thanks to the user Dancergirl600

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tUfFvslAi8&lc=UgjS8S02dHZKe3gCoAEC

"Dancergirl600

3 years ago

I defended Mike for a while, but over the past week I did a lot of thinking, that I defended Mike more than I should have. Now don't get me wrong, I still like Mike, but let me say this. I have come more and more to understanding on why people don't like Mike, but at once let me look from the writers perspective on why they possibly portrayed Mike the way they did, I normally look on both sides of the argument, so i'm gonna do it here.

One of the first and many reasons why people don't like Mike is because his disorder is not portrayed realistically you know not showing a whole lot of symptoms of DID or giving explanations of how DID forms, which is usually from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, which is pretty deep and serious stuff. For a guy with DID, Mike doesn't seem like he has gone through any sort of thing like that, that's not to say that he hasn't gone through any of that, but the show gives us little backstory for us to know that he has. Mike seems like a kinda cheerful and friendly guy, not saying that all people with disorders are always depressed or something, but i have heard that many do go through a lot of anxiety or depression, something Mike is not really seen with, making his disorder a bit hard to take seriously.

Now i have heard from the writers, that Total Drama is a parody. Yeah some people actually pass Total Drama as a reality series. No Total Drama is a parody, when something is a parody like a parodized world like Total Drama, its not suppose to take things in a realistic way. The writers said that the contestants, including Mike are suppose to be based on real types of people but not portrayed in the exact same way. Ok i get that writers, but parody doesn't always mean its excusable. Even if Total Drama is a parody and is mostly light-hearted drama and comedy, if there is one thing you should have taken seriously it should have been Mike's disorder. Give Mike a backstory where we can sympathize for him and portray some symptoms to at least tell people that a disorder is a serious thing.

The other big reason is that people feel that Mike's disorder is being made fun of and not being seen as a problem, i wouldn't say at least not entirely. Let me explain, Mike's disorder is seen as a problem. Chester doesn't help during challenges, might even make things worse. Vito nearly damaged his relationship with Zoey, Svetlana is one of the reasons why some try to take advantage of Mike for challanges. Manitoba made sexiest comments, and Mal landed him in Juvie. I'll give the writers a little credit for seeing it somewhat as a problem, but that's not what people meant when they said see it as a problem, they meant like show what emotions people with disorders go through, symptoms, and the whole abuse they go through as a way of telling young viewers that its a serious mental issue, not something to laugh at,

Last reason is Mike's label. Mike is labeled as Multiple Personality Disorder, well first of all, the actual name is now Dissociative Identity Disorder. Multiple Personality is what it use to be called, now there are still call it by its old name or don't even know its new name, heck i didn't know that what it was called until recently. I still refer it by MPD, more out of habit and because its easier to remember, but back on track. First of all the labeling were usually used to define sterotypes which is a problem. DID isn't a sterotype its a mental illness. I have feeling that the writers didn't know what to define Mike by as a sterotype so they just used his disorder, which still doesn't make it better. Also Mike seems a bit to define by his disorder. There is only one, ONE episode where his disorder isn't brought up or even seen, that was the last episode of Season 4. A person should not be defined by their disorder but who they are as a person. They do try to hammer in that Mike is a nice guy who is very encouraging to his friends, but we don't get to see that a whole lot, because Mike's alters steal the show just by their appearance alone. The writers did say that it wasn't their intention to define Mike soley by his disorder, and to an extent i kinda believe that. But if you don't intend for him to be define by his disorder, have episodes that build his up his own character, give him other interactions and friendships, and conflicts that don't involve his disorder.

There are far other reasons why he isn't liked (reset button), but i don''t feel like explaining every detail. I'm sure people can figure out for themselves. If you're wondering why i'm not being enraged at the writers and i'm being somewhat understanding, well for starters it's because i again don't feel like meant any harm and still don't think they were trying to mock disorders. I'm not saying they portrayed correctly, no they didn't do that, and they should have thought this one through. Now here is what i'm willing to do, if the writers ever bring back Mike, since they normally bring back main cast, they probably will,and for any reason bring his disorder back, its a cartoon, i'm sure they will find a way. I expect the writers to do a better job, meaning portray it more realistically but at once build Mike's character at once, without his disorder being involved. I'm not asking the writers to show every little detail of DID, but do take it more seriously.

Yeah guys I could be more enraged at the writers but i don't usually get offended, but i do acknowledge and respect why people do find him offensive. For any Mike fan, even if you don't find Mike offensive, do acknowledge that people do find him offensive and you should respect their opinions. Yeah i could be angry at this show for Mike's portrayal. But i know other shows have done far worse things with taking a serious issue and taking it extremely unseriously or unrealistically or have given very terrible and offensive moral, which are in my opinion, are far more deserving of my rage then even this. "