The Oscars MBTI: Terence Fletcher, ENTJ, “Whiplash”

(Before we begin: Trigger warning for verbal, emotional, and even physical abuse. I myself had to keep some Angry Birds Star Wars handy while watching Whiplash, just so I didn’t get too keyed up. The film is very well-made, and deserves all its praise and awards, especially for J.K. Simmons, who’s a delightful person completely unlike his character. If you’re sensitive to the sorts of situations portrayed in the story, though, you don’t have to see it—or even read this post, quite frankly. Also, spoilers.)

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshal, the Trailblazer

Best Supporting Actor of 2014, J.K. Simmons

Terence Fletcher is pretty much as big a stereotype of the evil, unhealthy ENTJ as you’re going to get this side of Twyin Lannister. Director Damien Chazelle instructed actor J.K. Simmons: “I want you to become non-human. I don’t want to see a human being on screen anymore. I want to see a monster, a gargoyle, an animal.” That’s the kind of character we’re dealing with here. Buckle up.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Fletcher wants to win. He wants to win every competition, and win it perfectly. He wants only the best students in his studio, and he will resort to insults and abuse to perfect them and mold them to his ends.

He picks at every mistake and demands perfection, repeatedly stopping the band after only a few notes if they don’t sound right. He threatens punishment for potential mistakes, and even humiliates and kicks out a student who’s not sure if he made a mistake, because not knowing was bad enough. It’s all in pursuit of Fletcher’s goals.

In the last act of the movie, Fletcher sets in motion a plan to destroy his former victim/protégé Andrew. He knows Andrew was the one whose testimony got him fired (Ni making the Intuitive conclusion), but he pretends to be friendly with him, and invites him to play in his new group. Once they get on stage for a big performance, Fletcher announces a new number that Andrew has not rehearsed, and the trap is sprung.

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition (Ni), “Anticipate the Experience”

Before I even saw Whiplash, I knew enough about the character to assume that Fletcher would end up being an ENTJ or ESTJ. Both are led by their dominant-Te, and both often get cast in movies as domineering authority figures. The difference comes in where they get their authority from.

ENTJ: Saito, “Inception”

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshal, the Trailblazer

Saito’s the Executive Producer. He’s the one with the money, the one writing the checks and funding the whole enterprise. He loves the idea of the movies, but he also wants to make sure he gets his money’s worth. If he thinks things aren’t going in a profitable direction, he can turn into a bit of a control freak, and he’s the only one who dares order the Director around.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Saito takes matters into his own hands. He’s not above a bit of threatening to get Dom Cobb to take the Inception job. When the team is trying to figure out how to get on Robert Fischer’s plane, he simply buys the airline. Saito puts himself on the team despite everyone’s objections, in order to make sure the plan goes right. It’s kind of like a producer casting himself, or adding a pet issue to a movie that sticks out with its obvious artifice (catch Kevin Smith’s story about the giant spider for an example).

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition (Ni), “Anticipate the Experience”

Although Inception holds something of a mythical status amongst dream-workers, Saito has zeroed in on it as the key to his goal. He knows the idea he wants planted, and he knows the man he wants for the job. He’s certain that breaking up Fischer’s company will ensure the long-term survival of his own company.

ENTJ: Miss Piggy, “The Muppet Show”

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshall, the Trailblazer

Miss Piggy was first performed by Richard Hunt (of Scooter fame) in the first season of The Muppet Show, before he and Frank Oz began switching duties. Then Frank Oz broke out with that voice and that attitude, and the rest is history. Miss Piggy is often held up as a positive, strong female character, but sometimes I wonder if she’s a dude’s caricatured idea of a strong woman—melodramatic, flamboyant, yet butt-kicking.

I say this, and yet my first public performance was with Miss Piggy and Snoopy puppets, when I made my kindergarten class sit and watch a show I’d made up. They were unimpressed.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Even with her typical Muppet-style dysfunctions, Piggy’s a fine example of an ENTJ, and the first lady ENTJ I’ve had the pleasure to profile for Heroes and Villains. She’s kind of a big deal, is what I’m saying.

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Miss Piggy is a woman who knows what she wants. She won’t let anything or anyone (or any weirdo-whatever-he-is) deter her from her goals, and she works hard to get there. She demands to be heard, and she often demands stage time from her reluctant boyfriend/producer, Kermit.

Time and again, Piggy rescues herself from whatever predicament she’s gotten into by the end of the movie (any Muppet movie, just pick one) when the others prove themselves to be useless at helping her. She often takes charge of situations, especially when Kermit’s not around to focus everyone. In The Muppets (2011), she organizes the kidnapping of Jack Black, which she admits is not an action Kermit would approve of, but it gets the job done.

Miss Piggy’s intense drive to succeed has the unfortunate side effect of distracting her from her personal commitments. After fawning all over him, she abandons Kermit twice in The Muppet Movie to follow a job lead. She’s not afraid to literally walk all over her amour when her career goals demand it.

Without Miss Piggy’s star power, however, The Muppet Show wouldn’t be the success that it is. She throws herself into every pursuit with full commitment, whether it’s singing, acting, modeling, or—as any good Muppet does—laughing her head off at her own dumb jokes (Piggy cracking herself up is my favorite Piggy; just watch an episode of Dr. Bob). And when it comes down to it, she’ll stand up for her frog and her friends, and woe to anyone who picks the other side.

ENTJ: Rocket, “Guardians of the Galaxy”

ENTJ, the Commander, the Field-Marshall, the Trailblazer

Adapting characters from one medium to another can sometimes result in a few changes. I haven’t read the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, but the blogger at Zombies Ruin Everything has, and he has a nice article typing the original comic-book versions of the characters. He also wrote a follow-up that types some of the supporting characters in the movie.

I’m sticking to the big five for this series, and so that brings us to a rousing end with Rocket Raccoon! (Note: the title for this post calls him only “Rocket,” since he doesn’t seem to know what a raccoon is in the movie. Like he says, ain’t no thing like him except him!)

Dominant Function: Extraverted Thinking (Te), “Organize the Experience”

Rocket knows what he wants and takes charge of situations immediately. Despite his small size, he rules the roost at the prison as soon as he enters. With Groot as his muscle, he informs all the inmates that Quill belongs to them: “You wanna get to him, you go through us! Or, more accurately, we go through you!”

Rocket judges others by their usefulness to his goals. He’s clearly irritated with Groot’s spaciness, but he keeps him around for his effectiveness as a fighter—and, one would think, because he doesn’t talk back much. When we first meet him, he’s getting a kick out of judging people’s fashion and lifestyle choices as he searches for a target. When Rocket tells Quill he needs a guy’s prosthetic leg for their escape plan, he says, “God knows I don’t need the rest of him. Look at him. He’s useless.” He also gets frustrated when Quill says stealing the battery in the prison is impossible, and yells at him to find a way to make it happen, because it’s essential to the plan.

Rocket has escaped from 22 prisons and has no doubt he can escape from this one. He plans the entire escape step by step, and then effectively carries it off on the fly when the sequence is triggered early. Throughout the movie, he’s the first to raise objections to any plan anyone else comes up with, mustering a good laugh at Quill’s “12% of a plan.” By the end of the movie, Rocket is giving orders to the Nova Corps, directing their defense of the planet when Ronan’s forces attack.

Auxiliary Function: Introverted Intuition (Ni), “Anticipate the Experience”

Rocket is always planning one step ahead of everyone else. He can see all the moving parts he needs to make his plans work—whether it’s escaping a prison or building a new gadget or weapon. He criticizes others’ plans for their short-sightedness, pointing out to Quill that asking them to help him fight Ronan is asking them to die.