The character designer who worked on April O'Neil for the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) flick described the assignment as 'making her relatable and grounded in the real world'.
O'Neil's appearance began in comic form as a grown woman, likely black or multiracial, and attractive. Most people have probably never seen that April O'Neil. GenXers are more familiar with the red-haired yellow jumpsuit-clad news reporter.
THE NEW TMNT FILM IS OUT! #TMNTMovie When I joined #MutantMayhem my first assigment was to work on April O'neil. NO PRESSURE.
— James A. Castillo (@jmurfish) August 4, 2023
We tried making her relatable and grounded in the real world while keeping some of the details that make her so iconic. I personally love her in the film pic.twitter.com/QEcvaBbyf1
April has mutated throughout the years from probably-person-of-color, to white woman, to teenager, to black teenager, and now … potato with legs.
“I’d betta not catch you turtles in my frickin’ pool.” pic.twitter.com/iC9P5icY2C
— John A. Douglas (@J0hnADouglas) August 5, 2023
L-O-L! They did the meme. 💀
“Related and grounded in the real world” means a fat BIPOC chick going to Walmart in dude’s mind lmaooo
— ✖️ (@LoneStarTexian) August 5, 2023
Thankfully, this April is more grounded in the real world … of girls who fight crime with teenage turtles who have the ability to speak English and use their humanoid arms and legs to execute flawless Ninja skills.
If you wanted to keep her iconic than why did you purposefully make her ugly https://t.co/AmEHmeyPwQ
— Ahmed Al Asliken 🕋☪️✈️ (@assliken) August 5, 2023
Ya know, there's nothing wrong with our icons being attractive. We know, we know 'conservatives freaking out about cartoons again' and all that stuff.
We're just suggesting that maybe, in a country plagued by childhood (and adult) obesity, 'relatability' is overrated and modeling our heroes after who we should strive to be was a better plan.
Apparently sex appeal was not iconic enough pic.twitter.com/CWv7oud6xo
— Katie Roome (@RedHedgedragon) August 5, 2023
There's the April GenX remembers. You know, the one who existed when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actually grew into a worldwide money-making phenomenon.
We had this, you gave us that. pic.twitter.com/EztmRCGsDn
— DriveBy Geek 🥃 (@DriveByGeek) August 5, 2023
The 2014 April was a total Fox … a Megan Fox.
"We tried to make her relatable and grounded in the real world" https://t.co/hObzp3Oy5z pic.twitter.com/t36jDprmlx
— Shaniqua Posting Delusions (@DeIudedShaniqwa) August 5, 2023
LOLOLOL!
Notice the diversity dealers decided to go with Chubby O'Neil now that she's black (a change which occurred in 2018). Like, why couldn't black April be a smokin' hot terrapin teammate?
Apparently ‘grounded and relatable’ means making April as an ugly, dumpy black woman. Is *this* how you see us?!? 🙄 https://t.co/DOH1eKsKwu
— La Reina🇺🇸Creole🇩🇴🇯🇲🇵🇷🇹🇹🇨🇺🇭🇹🇲🇽🇨🇴 (@LaReinaCreole) August 5, 2023
Libs always find a way to hose black folks.
As a blk woman, what am I supposed to relate to in these images? https://t.co/kxUvnBy8Cz
— Jean Gentry (@JeanGen09181213) August 5, 2023
Well, she's got turtle buddies, wears a yellow coat, came right out of the body-positive dogma playbook … yeah, we've got nothing.
You're supposed to like it because they're trying to check a bunch of diversity boxes, and you're just supposed to applaud because you're one of them.
Was googling Black women who are reporters and/or anchors in New York too hard? You know, for the sake of being grounded in the real world. https://t.co/k3NtsrRLSz pic.twitter.com/nAhMdnkz3W
— David Failkips (@davidfailkips) August 5, 2023
Seems relatable enough to us.
"while keeping some of the details that make her so iconic." https://t.co/beS4m4P7Ma pic.twitter.com/k7h1h9ADtV
— Voldiras (@Voldiras) August 5, 2023
Iconic detail kept: She works with mutant turtles.
Ken does not approve of this low effort design pic.twitter.com/Wu7w1BXfzX
— Lofti Pixels (@loftipixels) August 5, 2023
Ha! Honestly, we can't wait for Big BMI Barbie.
My favorite iconic part of April is her not having a chin
— Regular panda (@fistbros4) August 5, 2023
Bwahaha!
Surprised you kept the turtles green, not very relatable in this day n age
— Scotty (@scottyisatwit) August 5, 2023
We would not be surprised at all if there was a conversation at some point where someone said 'Do all of the turtles have to be … turtles?' LOL.
Without looking, 100% guaranteed pronouns in bio.
— Fuzzy Dunlop (@FuzzyTaylor235) August 5, 2023
Pronouns in bio guarantee!
He called it.
— Wombat.socho (@wombat_socho) August 5, 2023
They've finally done it!
For the record, plenty of tweeters were perfectly happy with this take on the character.
You guys got something really special with this April
— OHMIGOSHTURTLES❤🐢🐢🐢🐢YEAR OF TURTLEMANIA! (@TMNT4EVA) August 4, 2023
Really loved her and het role in the film 💛 pic.twitter.com/d2ylOtrIRk
If you had shown us this without any context, we would have guessed it was the latest attempt at Velma for Scooby Doo.
These were perfectly relatable. https://t.co/cG9vuUxTmk pic.twitter.com/71SI6FPJU7
— Mack (@kenzietuff) August 5, 2023
We don't see the problem here.
Next time you come up with concept art on an already beloved character for 20+ years, I suggest using some inspiration from the originals. pic.twitter.com/UV4KVo8bFs
— Kayla💜CatPURRccino (@KCatpurrccino) August 4, 2023
Is that too much to ask?
If you want a condensed shot of what makes culture in 2023 so unbearable, this person and this tweet is for you. https://t.co/tAfSajyJEx
— Normal Degen Behavior (@liddle_lefty) August 5, 2023
Pre-diabetic Wonder Woman is gonna be off the hook!
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