Analysis of Donnie's Diet
Here's another one of my in-depth analyses of Rise, this time focusing on Donnie and offering a personal perspective on what his eating habits might be like.
I'll take his autism into account for this analysis, but it won't be a clinical assessment (since that's not my area of expertise); it will be more of an experience-based perspective.
An interesting point to note before diving into the topic is that people with autism who have dietary challenges tend to fall into one of two extremes: theyāre either very sensitive to flavors and textures (which limits their food variety) or have very little sensitivity (so they tend to eat just about anything).
Here, Iām trying to figure out whether Donnie is more of a picky eater or, on the contrary, can eat a wide variety of foods.
Within the fandom, Donnie is often described as a picky eaterāa character trait highlighted by the fact that the series shows he hates pineapple on pizza and likes flavorless juice.
However, throughout the series, there are more moments where Donnie seems to be someone who likes to eat everything than someone who is particularly picky (at least in this regard).
By this, I don't mean things like him liking Todd's lemonade, but rather eating foods that would be sensory overload if he really had a sensitive palate.
Take the scene in the episode āWar and Pizzaā where he gets hit with a cakeāthe first thing he does is lick it (I think that probably wouldnāt be the first instinct of someone with a sensitive palate).
Also, in the episode āOperation: Normalā, where he eats that disgusting pizza with Leoāeven when April asks them to switch pizzasāheās the one who insists on trying it.
And then thereās the sandwich he makes in the episode āBreaking Purpleā; in this case, Iām particularly struck by the number of ingredients it hasāquite a few, with a variety of flavors and textures.
Iād also like to point out that at the beginning of the episode āPortal Jaked!ā, he tells his brothers he wants to try the new vegetarian pizzaāwhich is curious, considering that soft-shelled turtles eat almost 100% meat. This shows a certain openness to new flavors and an interest in trying them, something that a person on the autism spectrum who is sensitive in this area would typically prefer to avoid.
Now, does this contradict his aversion to pineapple on pizza? Not necessarily; Donnie may have limited preferences regarding certain foods he doesnāt like, but the series seems to show that there are more foods he enjoys than those he doesnāt.
Here comes the comparison with my own case and that of another person with autism I know.
In my case, I have a low sensitivity to taste, so I tend to eat a wide variety of foods, and there are very few I refuse to eat.
The other person with autism I know is the oppositeāheās very sensitive in this regard. He eats only a few types of food and doesnāt usually mix them together; if he can eat a dish with just one ingredient, he wonāt complain. He avoids restaurants or social situations that force him to try new foods, since he has little tolerance for the flavors and textures news.
Based on this, Iād say it seems that Donnie is more the type of autistic person with low sensitivity to taste, which probably makes him the one among his siblings who has eaten the most things.
Fun fact: People on the autism spectrum with this trait often eat non-edible things as kids (at some point, I got to taste grass, ants, dirt, and even wallpaper), and I think thatās why April and Splinter considered using his stomach to get rid of the Krangās key š
I hope you enjoyed this mini-analysis šāØ
Oh! And avoid eating inedible things š
