published in 2014 on my tumblr
Useless online pop-culture quizzes are a fun thing to do when you find yourself in dire need of procrastinating at work. So when I’m pretty much tied to the office chair but mentally unable to process any more work-related information, I do those to pass the time and numb my brain. My most recent stint of this kind made me find out who I’d be as a Marvel villain or in the Star Trek universe.
The interesting one though was the quiz regarding which Superhero team I should be joining. I am certainly glad I am not meant to be part of the Powerpuff Girls; I was at first a little disappointed at not getting something more glamorous, like the Avengers. But then I figured that my result is awesome and appropriate and generally, just what it should be. I should join the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
It makes a lot of sense. This was one of my favorite cartoons growing up. The heroes in a nutshell have something of the allure of old cowboy movies. They are essentially outlaws, living as outcasts at the brink of society, not bound by any of its rules. They have however their own strict code of honor which they follow and strive to do good and be… well, the best turtles they can be according to that code. In short – a very idealized image of the rogue hero for which I have always held a fascination. Heroes with a sense of humor, because I never can resist a pun, a punchline or a snarky remark when the opportunity presents itself (and it does a lot).
Moreover, my two favorite turtles have always been Leonardo and Donatello, in this particular order. This again makes a lot of sense, since you usually root for the character you identify with. A quick glance at the Wiki reveals the following about my favorites:
The tactician, courageous leader and devoted student of martial arts, Leonardo wears a blue mask and wields two long and razor-sharp katanas that slice through nearly anything solid. As the oldest of the four, he bears the burden of responsibility for his brothers and sensei, which often leads to conflict with Raphael.
The scientist, inventor, engineer, and technological genius, Donatello wears a purple mask and wields a bo staff, Donatello is perhaps the least violent turtle, preferring to use his knowledge to solve conflicts, but never hesitates to defend his brothers.
I have no interest in actually holding a leadership position. However, I seem to naturally gravitate to being a leader, or rather being a leader naturally gravitates to me, at least informally. It annoys me when people are slow to grasp ideas and concepts, develop a plan to organise chaos or take the next logical step, so I naturally assume the role to suggest that. It bothers me when there is a question hanging in the air or a situation just screams for a stance and no one steps up to take it, so I just fill that void. I hate responsibility, even more so for things that are completely or even partially out of my control but hey, someone needs to do it and if no one else will, I’ll roll up my sleeves. I’ll fight and bite if I really have to, but I’d so much rather preferred it if we all got along. If petty arguments didn’t get in the way, there’d be more time to figure out the real issues and tinker around and everyone (but mostly me) would be so much happier.
So, while I hold these time killer quizzes to be about as accurate as a daily horoscope (that is to say, not at all), the result actually fit this time, albeit not because of the reasons mentioned in the result. Apart from that, they also got the mask colors wrong there, which instantly inflamed my nerdy self.
