# Type the Rifftrax or Mst3k guys



## Kebachi (May 27, 2014)

I've often wondered what mbti types Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett might possibly be but have never been able to settle on any one type. Are there any fans of Rifftrax or mst3k here and if so what are your thoughts? 

I'd also be interested in the characters being typed as well (Crow, Servo, TV's Frank, Dr. Forrester, Pearl, Gypsy, etc...)


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## Kebachi (May 27, 2014)

I never get help on these threads, I haz crai face nao. 

Judging from this video alone I'd say they use a lot of Ti. The video itself is 1950's sooper Te at work:





Mike - INFJ?
Crow - ISTP?
Servo - ????


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

I'm going to attempt it, but I am also going to post a mini-disclaimer that I have no guarantees of accuracy! I am definitely not a specialist, as has been pointed out to me any times in the past.

From others I have seen, people prefer to approach typing in two different ways: by contrasting the MBTI facets I/E, N/S, F/T, J/P and then verifying the functions in use, and then there are those who attempt to identify the perceptions and evaluation functions outright. I tend to prefer the latter in cases like this, and the former when I actually talk to a person.


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## Kebachi (May 27, 2014)

Yeah, I tend to try to figure out the functions but the problem with a show like this is that they have a staff of writers behind the jokes. Mike is the head writer and they do have characters that are pretty consistent but...some jokes can throw me off on their type.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. It is difficult to tell with fictitious characters. They can vary a lot based on a number of factors- also, I am not a trained professional. 

MyersBriggs/Examples of Artisan Personalities in Stories - Television Tropes & Idioms says that Mike is ENFJ and Crow is ESFP, they don't have anything about Servo.

I didn't come to the exact same conclusion, and I am probably wrong, but in the interest of figuring out _why_ I am wrong, here are my thoughts, and I am interested in your take on them.

_*Mike
*_I think Mike is an ENFJ because of how often he refers to concrete data, although when he does refer to concrete data, it is as if the data is conclusive of something that isn't really in the data.


When viewing the title "A date with the family" he comments that he prefers to be just friends with his family, playing on the fact that going on a date with your family is weird. 
When the video asked a question about the kids he comments "Well look at em?" his judgement implicitly clear, he thinks they look awkward, and he thinks their appearance is self-evident, no additional details need be specified. 
When pointing out the boy needs to get ready for dinner Mike notices the oil in his hair (Se) and comments "He has to strip and replace the oil in his hair with summer weight", this is that cutting sarcasm that are pretty typical of INFJ/ENFJ. 
 
_*Crow*_
I really think crow is an ENFP rather than ESFP because of how reinterprets situations and information into something entirely different.


When the narrator explains that the boy and girl look content, Crow adds: "They're high!" which is another example of reinterpreting the situation in my opinion, because I didn't see that at all until he mentioned it. 
When the mother is explained in the living room and described as changing into night time clothes Crow adds "Into vampire ... (couldn't make out the last word)", which just seems totally random (like Ne), but based around that it is turning to night time. 
When the older brother encounters the younger brother rushing to dinner, Crow comments "Brother runs a boy cleaning service on the side!" which actually isn't so random after I finally noticed that the kid is dirty (hurray inferior Se!) so maybe he is ESFP after all. 
 
_*Servo*_
I honestly can't tell when Servo is talking. So, I have no idea. :/

Edit: They both come across as extroverts to me because of how quickly they comment on things, and that is probably due to the fact that it is all scripted, so... I dunno. ~.~


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## Kebachi (May 27, 2014)

Sequestrum said:


> Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. It is difficult to tell with fictitious characters. They can vary a lot based on a number of factors- also, I am not a trained professional.


I'm by no means a trained professional, but I can't help by try to figure this out as I'm a huge fan and I've always been curious. Rifftrax is probably the best out of the two series to use in typing the actors because it's Mike's baby with the help of the other two instead of a huge cast. Not many Rifftrax clips or episodes on youtube though since it's still an ongoing web series so mst3k is all I can really link here. Not that it can't be useful for this. 



Sequestrum said:


> MyersBriggs/Examples of Artisan Personalities in Stories - Television Tropes & Idioms says that Mike is ENFJ and Crow is ESFP, they don't have anything about Servo.


Thank you for linking that! I had no idea they had been typed anywhere. Guess I didn't look in the right places. 



Sequestrum said:


> _*Mike
> *_I think Mike is an ENFJ because of how often he refers to concrete data, although when he does refer to concrete data, it is as if the data is conclusive of something that isn't really in the data.
> 
> 
> ...


I agree wholeheartedly, and can see him as an ENFJ as well. I tend to lean more towards INFJ for him only because he seems more subdued, like he's taking in more information than he's giving out. He seems to be aware of the environment around him and the emotional states of whoever/whatever he's focusing on. He picks up on patterns of behavior well, which is indicative of Ni, even if he isn't always right about what's going to happen, which can also be indicative of Ni, lol:






I will say he has a knack for inadvertent destruction (he's accidentally blown up more then one planet) and has occasional creepy violent zone outs, like when he's thinking about a past indiscretion against him, or one of his old jobs. Seems to indicate inferior Se to me more than anything. 



Sequestrum said:


> _*Crow*_
> I really think crow is an ENFP rather than ESFP because of how reinterprets situations and information into something entirely different.
> 
> 
> ...


ESFP for Crow, eh? I wouldn't rule it out. In fact it kinda makes sense. In the past I always thought he lead with Ti and had inferior Fe. I can see where that's erroneous though, he's not exactly swimming with empathy, in fact he can be downright cruel and self centered. I'll have to think more on that. He is good at reinterpreting things, which is why I always figured he uses Ni rather than Ne. Ni is more geared towards thinking about things from different angles. Crow certainly lives for the moment so I've always seen him using Se. 

His Te is...bad, lol: 











He does several short films throughout the series, all of which are lacking in factual data and are usually biased. 



Sequestrum said:


> _*Servo*_
> I honestly can't tell when Servo is talking. So, I have no idea. :/


If I had to guess I'd say that Servo seems ENFP to me a lot of times. He likes to show off his underdeveloped Te in that typical know-it-all fashion, and has infantile Si hissy fits and neediness. He also tends to notice what is missing using his dominant Ne. Not sure if I'm right on that or not, but here are a few skits featuring him that make me think that. He's also known to be the musical one of the trio, always coming up with songs or singing little ditties during the movies:

70's song: 






Canada song: 








Sequestrum said:


> Edit: They both come across as extroverts to me because of how quickly they comment on things, and that is probably due to the fact that it is all scripted, so... I dunno. ~.~


I can see that. My guess is that the bots are extraverts while Mike is the introvert.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

I'm still in the process of watching some more of the actual episodes. All of the clips you've posted were hilarious though, I probably won't have anything else to add until tomorrow though. Sorry for the delay!


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

Okay, so I watched the Jack Frost episode and first I'll say... wow, that movie would have been awful to watch without Mike, Servo, and Crow.. lol. Especially when it got to the witch and the cabin part.. ._.

I think you are right on about Servo being an NFP, though I am starting to think he is an INFP based on the amount he speaks versus both Mike and Crow. In addition to that, I kind of find that his comments require a little more depth of processing than those of Mike and Crow, the sort of depth that you would expect from an introvert.

I am going to watch the Agent for H.A.R.M. episode next I think. What do you think about Servo possibly being an introvert though?


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## Kebachi (May 27, 2014)

Sequestrum said:


> What do you think about Servo possibly being an introvert though?


I definitely wouldn't rule it out as a possibility, INFP's and ENFP's use all the same functions just a different order. The main reason I think ENFP is because he has infantile hissy fits which really make me think of inferior Si. He can be pretty haughty and nit picky though, so inferior Te isn't out of the question. He does like to show his Te off when he can. 

I think I'm going to watch through some episodes again too, jog my memory a bit.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

Kebachi said:


> I definitely wouldn't rule it out as a possibility, INFP's and ENFP's use all the same functions just a different order. The main reason I think ENFP is because he has infantile hissy fits which really make me think of inferior Si. He can be pretty haughty and nit picky though, so inferior Te isn't out of the question. He does like to show his Te off when he can.
> 
> I think I'm going to watch through some episodes again too, jog my memory a bit.


Yeah, I see what you are saying now. That does follow along with how he reacted during the end of the Jack Frost episode too. Servo thought his outfit was very clever, then Mike and Crow started criticizing it and it really threw him off into a fit, telling them exactly what they were to him in his anger.


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## Kebachi (May 27, 2014)

I just realized that they're all feeling types according to our theories on them XD
That's actually kinda funny when you realize it's a show centered around riffing movies. I guess if it were a T dominant show it wouldn't be as lighthearted and the characters would probably be more critical rather than jovial and all encompassing.


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## Kebachi (May 27, 2014)

Hmm...on retrospect I think you're right, Sequestrum. I think Servo may in fact be an INFP rather than an ENFP. Just got done watching HobGoblins and Final Sacrifice and he really does seem like he leads with Fi.


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## Sequestrum (Sep 11, 2011)

Kebachi said:


> Hmm...on retrospect I think you're right, Sequestrum. I think Servo may in fact be an INFP rather than an ENFP. Just got done watching HobGoblins and Final Sacrifice and he really does seem like he leads with Fi.


It's possible that there is a bit of a shift from episode to episode... maybe checking the Dom+Tert loops might reveal additional evidence to support one or the other?


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