Donnie, Caine, and the Complexities of Low Empathy
Before this blog stats, I'd like to clarify something.
This post focuss on low empathy. Low empathy is one of the possible traits a person with autism may have. I am NOT officially diagnosed autistic. I have traits that mimic symptoms of both autism and ADHD; I'm still on the journey of discovery myself and unearthing my possible neurodivergence, but for now, this blog is just from the eyes of a neurotypical person who relates heavily to the neurodivergent community in some aspects.
That being said, I apologize in advance for any misconceptions this blog may create. I've done my research and tried my best to prevent any from happening, but mistakes can happen.
Also, SPOILERS for The Amazing Digital Circus, and none for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles because I haven't finished the show yet.
Thank you for reading, and now onto the ACTUAL blog!
Happy Disability Pride Month, everyone!
This is a month dedicated to raising awareness on the many disabilities affecting people all over the world, from physical ones such as cerebal palsy and muscular dystrophy, to neurodivergences such as autism and ADHD, and autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and chronic pain that may cause disability during flare-ups. While I personally do not identify as disabled myself, I have many friends and even some family members who do, and I cherish them very much.
In a world where disabled people are often forgotten and/or scrutinized for the things they cannot control, it is so important to have time dedicated to learning more about them and to teach the general population that disabled people aren't burdens- they're HUMANS.
We have come so far with representation in the media on disability, but there's still so much work to be done in regards to erasing stigma surrounding certain traits neurodivergent people may have. One of these traits is low empathy.
When you think of the trait of having low empathy, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Low empathy is, "a diminished ability to understand or share the feelings of others, affecting social interactions and emotional connections." There are two types of empathy: cognitive empathy (being able to mentally process how a person is feeling), and affective empathy (sharing in those feelings). A low empathetic person may struggle in one or both of these areas. They may struggle to read a room, have seemingly adverse reactions to serious situations, or come off as deadpan or aloof, much to the frustration of those around them.
Chances are, you consider low empathy to be a phrase with a negative connotation, and that's okay, because the way most people in society see it right now, it is. But with more awareness on it, we can change that. Before I began watching Rise, I didn't even know what low empathy was. It goes to show how impactful great representation really is.
There have been two shows that have been on my mind a lot more as of recently, and both of these shows do a great job representing what life is like as a person with low empathy. These shows are Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ROTTMNT), and The Amazing Digital Circus (TADC).
If you follow my main account, @tumblydove, you'll know that I'm currently in the process of binging the entirety of ROTTMNT, and that I've been blogging my experience doing so (#dovely watches rottmnt). I relate to each of the turtles in some way, shape, or form, whether it be Raph's status as the oldest, Leo's self-doubt, and even the underestimation of Mikey. But one character that's stuck with me a lot is Donnie. This isn't anything special; he's by far the most beloved of the main cast, and for good reason- the dude is FUNNY ASF (JOSH BRENER DESERVES A RAISE), and quite relatable too.
Donnie is autistic. ROTTMNT writer Ron Corcillo has confirmed it in multiple tweets, and those in the Rise fandom who are autistic generally relate heavily to his character. One of the most significant traits of autism that Donnie shows is low empathy. In situations where the rest of his brothers may have an outwards emotional reaction, Donnie appears to be aloof, until the situation affects him directly- THEN he showcases strong emotions.
Take the episode 'Pizza Pit,' for example, in which all of the turtles' favorite pizza chains start to mysteriously vanish into the ground. The first one to disappear is Mikey's favorite pizza place, and while he's distraught and Leo and Raph are suspicious, Donnie doesn't seem to care at all, checking his phone and saying it's "open until ten." He's replacing emotion with logic, trying to make sense of what's going on even if he doesn't react the same way immediately.
And then, Donnie's favorite pizza place goes away, and he, now just as upset as his brother, says this: "I only pretended to care when it happened to Mikey's favorite place but now that it's happened to ME... I hurt." It's a prime example of masking, something that many neurodivergent people do on a daily basis. What's important in this instance though is that Donnie feels comfortable taking the mask off in front of those he knows and cares about, because he understand that they will love him regardless.
Despite ALL this, nobody reacts adversely to Donnie's low empathy. When Mikey calls out his brothers for not caring about his pizza place vanish, he doesn't just target Donnie, but Leo and Raph too. Ironically, he, a person with heightened empathy, seems to be closest to Donnie at times of all people.
Donnie's neurodivergence is never directly brought up in the show or made a massive plot point, and frankly I think this is for the better. It shows that neurodivergence isn't something to be scared of or worried about- it's just there. Donnie is loved and cared for by his brothers no matter what, and that's beautiful.
On the other side of the spectrum, we go from a, frankly, extremely underrated cartoon, to one of the most popular cartoons of this decade, hell, even this MILLENIUM: The Amazing Digital Circus, beloved for its themes surrounding mental health, community, and finding hope in nothingness.
We've all heard of it, and most of us have seen at least one episode of it. It's the show about six humans (Pomni, Jax, Ragatha, Kinger, Gangle, and Zooble) who find themselves trapped in the aforementioned 'digital circus' after putting on an abandoned VR headset one day. The burden of being in the circus is heavy, and when life gets too much to handle, the characters might abstract, becoming a monstrous, glitched-out version of themselves with no way to reverse it. Now, their job is to not just find a way to escape, but also to learn how to come together and be a family in the process for the sake of their sanity.
The ringmaster of the digital circus is Caine, an AI programmed by an engineer named Mike Dobby. As he was fed more and more info about the outside world, Caine grew unstable, and he was thrown away and replaced by another AI. Eventually, Caine broke out of containment, broke into the brain scan program of the computer he was generated on, and created the Amazing Digital Circus.
Unlike Donnie, who is authentically himself, Caine's very existence is tainted by inferiority. His biggest desire in life is to relate to humans, but he fundamentally lacks that ability because he isn't human himself. So he pampers them with fun adventures he thinks they'll enjoy, but only causes them to miss home even more. He cannot help Zooble with their feelings of gender dysphoria because Caine barely even understands what gender is. He doesn't understand why the circus inhabitants are so displeased with him after the whole Beach Episode incident because he just doesn't understand.
And yet, he tries, SO badly. All he wants is to be loved, but he barely know how to show proper love to others.
Some popular fan theories online state that Caine may be an allegory for autism, and honestly, I can see that. He has fixations, fidgets, and 'melts down' when routines and plans are out of place. He is objectively the antagonist of TADC, but his actions are really only villainous in Episode 8, fueled by the Bubbles surrounding him as he lost himself further and further. Everything else comes from the 'goodness' of his own heart.
In episode 9, Caine is 'redeemed.' After seemingly being killed by Kinger at the end of episode 8, Caine sees the consequences of his actions for the first time. He looks on the internet and sees the people he's harmed, actually SEES them for who they are in their authentic human forms. And while he still cannot fully relate to them, still struggles to see what they want, he's learned that he can still be loved when he sits down and tries to listen.
Overall, I'm mixed on his Glitch and Gooseworx handled Caine's return, but this particular part was done beautifully, especially the scene with the Moon. Throughout it all, the moon still loves Caine. When Caine felt frustrated the moon was there. When he thought he lost it all, the moon was there. "It may take time, but all good things do. I still love you."
May this kind of love find me.
Both Donnie and Caine experience low empathy in vastly different ways. They are both implied, explicitly, or theorized to by on different sides of the spectrum. But what unites them both is their ability to be loved. Donnie may not experience emotions the same way others do, but he can be loved while still being himself. Meanwhile, the circus residents are learning to love Caine. It will take time for them to recover from the harm he caused to them, but they're getting there.
This is the type of world I hope we can one day have. A world where neurodivergent people no longer need to hide themselves. A world where traits of all kinds can be accepted. A world where low empathetic characters are no longer myths or legends but real icons, and where a little autistic and/or neurodiverse child can live knowing that they can be accepted no matter where they go.
And we're getting there faster than I thought.
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