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Melvin and the Silent Diagnosis for a Brilliantly Broken Psyche
Hypothetical Diagnosis Insecurity masked with narcissistic tendencies characterized with compulsive obsessions driven by blatant autism, and no that is not an immature insult I test extremely highly for Asperger's myself Here's the Evidence: (I will state before hand that Melvin-borg is a completely separate character in my mind, and thus will not be included in this particular theory. Melvin decided not to turn out like him, so they are canonically separate characters) He is obviously and frequently inspired by George and Harold, but his deeply embedded fear of rejection makes him dangerously bitter, and it doesn't help that everytime he breaks out of this protective shell, he is rejected or betrayed once again. It’s important to note that while he may be high-functioning (aka: Aspergers) he is still Autistic. That’s because Asperger’s is not a form of autism- it is autism. Period. And any kind of autism or mental attypicality left untreated can develop in to many, many other severe mental disorders, or, in general, make life a metric heck ton harder and complicated than it already is. I also need to confess that I test highly positively for autism myself as well as being an INTP female (Myers-Briggs Personality Test). Not to brag, but all that combined with my naturally creative nature makes me rare af, but it also means I can't communicate or handle stress #liketheothergirls, so that has lead me to being/feeling bullied and ostracized. I also have anxiety and depression issue which run in my family, and mild insomnia, and may or may not be relapsing into an eating disorder. Paired with psychical problems like acid reflux and severe neck tension, health, whether psychical or mental is of uttermost importance to me. It suffices to say, autism is not easy to deal with and if not taken care for properly a person, especially if not made at least aware of what autism truly is, it can truly ruin their life. Combined with the neglectful nature of his parents (at least in the books) I and many others in this fandom truly believe Melvin is at least autistically coded. Not only does this fit the archetype of his character but it also fits the theme of the books to a TEE. At its core, CU, of all things, is a children's book series, about living your best life despite not being “normal.” Even characters like the teachers or Mr Krupp who strive for “normality” are shown to actually have deeply repressed creativity, or, in some cases, deep trauma from their own childhoods. It suffices to say that I resonate deeply with Melvin. Say what you want about him or me, I was able to relate to him the second he spoke his first line in the second book. Sorry to turn this into a long vent, but I feel it is best to use myself to support this theory as well as harder evidence, even if it is mostly a means of self-therapy. To start, we both are obsessed with school even to a detrimental degree. Ever since head-start (Pre-K but a million times better), these "book-smarts" were the first thing I ever truly excelled at. When the other kids bullied (or as I now know as teasing) me, I would lose myself in a stack of homework or a book 2-3 grades past my grade level (this is before I drew or wrote as a main hobby). Similarly, Melvin is rarely seen without a book or gadget, just like me. We both over analyze things and hide our feelings. We both have intense crushes on others but are terrified to dare express them, or do but to nothing but awkwardness. We were both science kids, and fascinated by words and/or numbers alone (I still am just in a more artistic way). We both struggle to communicate and relate to others. We both have a unusual sense of humor and are highly observant of surroundings all the while missing what’s in front of our noses. We both have interests that quickly spiral into obsessions and dropping the obsession only when sick of it. We both practice similar forms of stimming. We both not only thrive but crave control and structure with the world around us, even to the point of being "control freaks" and creating odd habits, routines, and rituals regardless of whether they are necessary or make sense. We both have an intense fear of intimacy and rejection to the point of practicing self-isolation and in some cases self harm or other unhealthy coping methods (seen with Melvin over eating sweets or over working himself. For me it’s disordered eating or self flagellation, something I have all but completely dropped but still) We also both tend to see ourselves as inferior to others and attempt to mask those feelings with a superiority complex (I feel bad for my siblings but I didn’t know what I was doing, and no it was not abusive just sibling rivalry and I’m the oldest anyway, and we are country kids and understand “rough-housing” =/= using each other as a punching bag, but accidents happen I'm sorry) We both seem to become easily overstimulated and have explosive mental and emotional breakdowns when things just . . . become too much However the harsh divide between male and female and fictional and nonfictional means we both present certain traits differently. Whereas he presents a more linear line of thinking my mind is overwhelmingly sporadic. Also, I have over sensitivities to touch and light (and sometimes certain noises, but not anything not normal? Wfk.) But maybe he does have oversensitivity but I can't think of an example off the top of my head. Enough about me however. I know Melvin and autism has been done to death. Hell, I just did it to death. My actual theory is more on the inner mechanisms of his mind and predicting how he will develop should the series allow for full character development. Also, similar to my Krupp theory, I will be listing his crimes out and give him a proper sentence for his age and maturity level (which will be light as I am sympathetic to his plight). This is already getting too long, so Imma try to finally get to the point. Characters with autism are honestly a mixed bag, sometimes there as standardized as my mystery Daddy Sherlock Holmes and other times they are as subtle as Pearl or Peridot from Steven Universe (has Rebbaca Sugar confirmed this? sorry). Honestly, it does distress me that autism is almost always used to have an evil genius character or some weird side character for brownie/ diversity points. (this makes me a bit hypocritical I guess, considering my own stories. I guess tropes are tropes for a reason) And while Dav Pilky May not be subtle with his scholastic politics or humor his one spectacular tool in his writing books has always been, when it comes to his characters, showing instead of telling. This is something I latched on to even as a kid, and I was already thinking up theories on the characters before I even knew character theories were a thing. Like what happened to Harold's Dad (hint, hint). Why was Harold's sister rarely used? Does Mr Krupp actually like their comics (a now accepted theory, but not just min? And many many others I'm probably never gonna write. It took until how long in the books to reveal George and Harold have ADHD? Before that they were simply described as being as smart as Melvin but just in different ways. Personally I feel that autism is inverted ADHD. This is an opinion I’ve recently formed so if I’m wrong bloody attack me in the comments. Anyway, Melvin presenting autism makes him the perfect foil to George and Harolds’ more sporadic antics. The only true difference between autistic folks and ADHD folks is that those with autism tend to crave a structured environment full of rules, and set goals to achieve, while such an environment is HELL to children with ADHD (aka:George and Harold). (Even though if with adults they can trust, children with ADHD thrive in structured environments if they are surrounded by adults or authority figures they can trust.) I know some will tell me ADHD is on the spectrum, but I just learned this like actually the other day and don’t fully understand it. My prediction is that Melvin will eventually and naturally mellow out if just because staying so high strung all the time is a huge waste of mental energy. I know good as hell I had to. Also, he mellowed our in the books and went from a screeching revenge exacting lil narcissistic white boi prick to a person who simply wants to pursue his interests and even helping George and Harold (selfishly, but help nonetheless). He even went from enjoying the fame and attention of hero-ing to realizing it did not fufill him. Indeed quite the opposite. His true passion lay in solving world problems through science, and I don't think the ending for him in the books could have been any more perfect considering his character. In the Netflix show, similar to how I think Krupp's personalities are merging, I believe that Melvin will eventually become more like his Broski alter ego (which I calmly demand more of). Overall, given that this show needs to go back to the status quo more often than not, I don't think his core character will ever change, and it doesn't need to. Multiple times throughout the series he's been shown to crave friendship from George and Harold, despite audibly hating him . Textbook Tsundere, I know. He will form a friendly rivalry with George and Harold, I have almost no doubt about that, taking the season 1 finale, season 2 finale, season 3 first episode, and halloween special into consideration. (Yeah, if someone will send me clips I will give them my eternal gratefulness) To conclude, because by god this is long, Melvin is, SHOCKER, just a little kid. A little kid who likes muffins and dolls and has big hopes and dreams. A little kid whose love for science and unrecognized creativity is channeled into making inventions that are even more impressive than those of Professor P (sorry P). But he is a little kid with his own needs and stuggles which at this point remain unmet. His parents are canonically neglectful, I cannot repeat that enough times. The effects of neglect are a hell-hole of its own regardless of growing up with undiagnosed autism. But that's just a theory- Alright, that was a banger, I guess next up is Melvin-borg since writing this has given me some interesting ideas for him. Let’s see how long this hyperfocus train will go!
#captain underpants#melvinsneedly#melvin#georgeandharold#george#harold#mrkrupp#davpilky#theory#cutheory#thetheorizer#thetheory#filmtheory#booktheory#tvtheory
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Let’s draw Dog Man from the Dav Pilkey book series. Have fun and enjoy! 🤎💙💛 #dogman #dogmanart #howtodraw #easydrawing #learntodraw #artforkids #davpilky #easydrawingforkids https://www.instagram.com/p/CcX81ExrdFv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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Having a Learning Difference, Executive Processing Disorder, making writing rather challenging, myself, it is AWESOME to know that Dave Pilkey also has a Learning Difference, Dyslexia! Anything is possible! #LD #LearningDifference #LDProudtoBe #DavePilkey #DaveWhiteJr #iDreamBigBigDreams #JacknPopPop #Dyslexia
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CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE SOUL-KILLING CRIMINAL INSANITY OF MR.KRUPP
Dav Pilky he might hide under the guise of being a children’s writer, but don’t let him fool you. He is a creative genius, and he the universe he set up in his Captian Underpants books, movie, and show (where he made sure he was part of the writing) is one of the most intriguing my INTP Brain has ever come across. I know that I shouldn’t overthink these things, but my Asperger's wont let me, so over this next however how long, I will be putting out theories on each of the main characters of this silly, potty-humor riddled franchises in order to expose ALL the dark implications Dav Pilky left in his strokes of imaginative brilliance.
Mr Benjamin “Benny” Krupp, the main antagonist. The cruel, cold-hearted principal deadset on expelling the thorns in his side, George and Harold. However, at least in the Netflix show, he is one of the most complex yet unhinged characters I’ve ever seen in children’s animation. Having had his creativity and childlike purity sucked out of him as a child by his emotionally (and possibly physically abusive) mother, who willing brought produce to throw at him. This fiasco at the 4th grade talent show broke him, and made him the cruel principal we all know and loathe.
However, since he still turned mean, it is entirely possible he was just born mean.
Just like inside out he has multiple Krupp's in his head, and while George and Harold ( I will get to this!) also do this, Krupp seems to have even more splits, again, on top of being split between cu and krupp. While I don't want to copy and paste the theorizer's partrick theory (watching his video will probably help you understand what I'm saying better), there's no telling how many personalities are inside of him. Each of his personalities seem to be paired with one of his obsessions. What I’m most interested in is his underlying psychology and the constant switching between the personalities.
(while I’m editing this, I was re-watching episode 11, and realized he references beatniks, which could help when establishing the time periods he or his mother lived in)
Gluttony- guacamole (and other various high-calorie food) George and Harold being expelled- Cranky Krupp Etc. But one thing is VERY clear, Mr Krupp in the books is an absolute SOCIOPATH, even doing or allowing things to inadvertantly get George and Harold KILLED. As a matter the fact, I speculate that the only reason he didn't directly kill them himself was because it would expel him from his position as principal and get him in prison- and prison is the one thing he hates more than George and Harold.
In some instances, he can come up with master plans to expel George and Harold and other times he's too dumb to know where his keys are even when they are in his hands. However, I don't think this version of Krupp is a sociopath, simply a hurt and deeply lonely person who, still inexcusably, wants to hurt others, in an attempt to understand his own traumas and gain a sense of control that was stripped away from him. However, there are multiple moments where it almost, ALMOST seems like he wants to be friends with George and Harold. (Beause seriously, who wouldn't want to be friends with them, their tree house has grape soda dispensers and CABLE.) Let's face it, he not only reads but STANS their comics and their pranks. He obsesses over them nearly nonstop, whether out of intense hatred or fufilling his role as a principal. Speaking of which, I thoroughly believe that him being the principal, for better or for worse, is, inevitably the one roll he will always come crawling back to. If he's ever done something truly intellegent, it's when he basically said, that the is the hot hair for their water ballon. It gets to a point to when Future Melvin and Melvin fire him, he completely loses it and ends up in the middle of the woods screaming at two gerbils, absolutely believing they are George and Harold. His sanity hinges on George and Harold's presence, without them he has no one. He absolutely adores their freedom, individuality, and creativity, How a neglectful and phycologically abusive man like him is able to continually gain George and Harold's sympathy is, quite frankly, disgusting and a textbook example of manipulation, but since season 3 ends with them on okay terms. Based on his past behavior and trailers for the Choice-o-rama, I doubt that will last for long, and I am forced to believe his maniac behavior in the choice-o-rama trailers was due to a personality switches. In the episode where he traveled off to find the fountain of hair, he recognizes only George and Harold by name, strange. He takes the entire group with him and doesn't show a hint of his usual cranky self. Afterall, he was no longer in a position of power anymore and- that's it. Power is the key here. Whenever he's not in a position of power, he becomes unhinged and even more compulsive, spending his entire life savings just to get his hair back. Speaking of his hairloss it's obviously due to stress but it is just another example of his obsessive personality. In season 3, there is a moment where he is taking to a toilet plunger with his toupee on it like it's his therapist. While this served both as a joke and an attempt to keep his backstory relevant, it is yet another moment of a schitzophrenic breakdown on the his part. ALso don't forget, the moment when he snapped his own fingers and didn't transform. This could be one of three things: a mistake, proof that he can't turn him self-into CU unlike his other iterations, or that he does, indeed, have some sort of subconscious free will of when he turns into CU. This all feeds into the theory that Krupp not only reads but enjoys the CU comics, so much so that he wanted to be Captain Underpants, thus allowing himself to fall prey to George and Harold's hypnotism. How else would he be able to mimic him so perfectly, his catch phrases, his behavior, his inflections, all nailed to a tee. One rule of hypnotism is that you can't hypnotize someone who is not willing to be hypnotized, and you can't hypnotize someone to mimic something they are unfamiliar with. There are reasons to believe their personalities are merging, that there is a possibility that one of the personalities inside of his head, who is, indeed the personality of CU, is trying to break free and take control. However, that should be a separate theory on his own. Summary: His crimes (throughout all three franchises) Child abuse, child neglect Harassment Blackmailing Unlawful discipline Stalking Purposeful Endangerment of children Animal cruelty (implied) Arson (implied; all as Mr. Krupp) Indirect assault (as Captain Underpants)
What's my diagnosis? Disassociative Multiple Personality disorder spawned by abuse, suplemented with multiple obsessive compusions and moments of PTSD induced schitzophrenia. Since this is a rough draft, I am open to suggestions, edits, and examples.
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