This whole situation

"This whole situation" is a recurring phrase in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, usually used as a comedic euphemism for one's mutation, and less often to refer more generally to any fantastically bizarre situation. The series has different mutant and human characters using the phrase along with accompanying hand gestures as a running gag.

History

The phrase "whole situation" is first heard in the episode "Bug Busters", but was not yet used in the memetic fashion seen later in the series.

Donnie "Baron Draxum created ooze and put it in carrier bugs that bite people and turn them into mutants, and for some reason, it's up to us to stop the whole situation."

Later in the series, the phrase "this whole situation" started being used more memetically.

Raph "[No, thanks. We can't groove, to, uh...] this whole situation, [Splinter]."

Al Be Back

Raph "[Wait a minute, you bought it at an auction house? How are we gonna pick it up with, uh...] this whole situation?"

Hot Soup: The Game

Mikey "[Maybe there's a power outage. But she didn't care about] this whole situation."

Hot Soup: The Game

Mikey "[No way, chico! We've got a big mission tonight, and we don't have time for...] this whole situation."

Bullhop

Bullhop "[I gotta learn how to deal with...] this whole situation."

Bullhop

April "[No way! You are not bugging me at my new job looking like...] this whole situation."

Shadow of Evil

Leo "[But you know we can't go into human places with, uh...] this whole situation."

Operation: Normal

April "[Why do you guys look...like] that whole situation?"

Insane in the Mama Train

Leo "[None of you guys have any faith in me. Why?]" Splinter "[Uhh... Maybe...] This whole situation?!"

Many Unhappy Returns

Leo "This whole situation [was my plan all along.]"

Many Unhappy Returns

April "Splinter're in. But...we need something to disguise...this— ...whole situation."

Always Be Brownies

April "[Okay, look, Draxy, you keep her busy, and I'll take care of...] this whole situation."

Mystery Meat

Trivia

• In the 2020 IDW continuity story "The Cure for You, part 3", there is a similar scene where Silas laments that he has become a mutant muskrat. His ex-girlfriend (now mutant turtle) Jennika uses a "this whole situation" hand gesture while trying to convince him that being a mutant does not affect what kind of person someone is.
  

  

• It was stated in April 2021 by Rise of the TMNT staff writer Ron Corcillo in a Tweet that, "['This whole situation' is] Just a phrase that [Russ Carney] used once in the writers' room - I think he was poking fun at one of the other writers', or maybe at himself - and it just became a room bit that we started putting into scripts."