Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to by his family name, Cartman, is one of the four main fictional characters in the animated series South Park, which also includes Stan, Kyle, and Kenny. He is voiced by the series co-creator Trey Parker. In the original "The Spirit of Christmas (Jesus vs. Frosty)" short, he is referred to as "Kenny."
Characterization
Cartman is portrayed as both the "fat kid"[1] and the antihero of the South Park gang.[2] His personality has noticeably changed over the course of the series. While always self-centered and bigoted,[3] he was more of a mean-spirited characterization of adolescence in the earlier seasons, with little psychological (in logic) or ethical grounding in life.citation needed As the series progressed his personality became more aggressive and cunning, evolving into conduct disorder, that would likely be categorized as antisocial personality disorder were he over the age of 18, by the fifth season; in the premiere episode, Cartman masterminds the murder of a boy's parents in order to feed them to the boy.[4][5] His bigotry visibly morphs into racial hatred and theorizing,[6] and, while it is not presented as being overtly fascist,[7] the dirty hippy and evangelical attitudes to capitalism are taken as corruptions of the racial ideal, and hence open to exploitation.citation needed His abilities to manipulate other people into doing what he wants have become keener, along with his overall intelligence. His descent into sadismvague is usually acceptedcitation needed as being brought about in the famous and very dark episode "Scott Tenorman Must Die", in which he develops a fierce obsession with - and later exacts revenge upon - a 9th grader who cheated him out of $16.12. The episode was ranked by fans as the greatest of his top twenty-five moments in a range vote on Comedy Central's website.[8]
Cartman has a rivalry with Kyle, whom he views as inferior because Kyle is Jewish. His lazy and rude, antisemitic behavior towards Kyle often provokes a large argument, to which in the earlier seasons Cartman replied "Screw you guys, I'm going home!"; later his comeback to Kyle's criticisms was "Shut up you Jew!!" or similar invective. Though fights between the two have become a centerpiece of the show, their default relationship is "friend", however uncomfortable they may be with that. Cartman is nearly always the aggressor, yet he rarely brings the matter to fisticuffs, something which Kyle is more apt to do. It is also notable that both Cartman and Kyle have saved the other's life, Kyle in the episode Trapper Keeper after Cartman's title item turns him into a monstrous blob similar to Tetsuo in Akira and in ManBearPig when he pulls Cartman (who has been incapacitated by consuming a large amount of treasure) to safety from a flooding cave. Cartman has also saved Kyle's life on two occasions: once in Smug Alert, when Kyle is incapacitated both by LSD and the titular smug and Cartman transports him and his family to safety. The other is in the Imaginationland series, when he revives Kyle after it appears Kyle has lost his heart beat. Though the reasons behind his rescues are selfish - in Smug Alert because he realizes he needs Kyle around to mock, and in Imaginationland because he desperately wishes Kyle to uphold his end of a bet - Cartman's rescues are arguably more noble. In Smug Alert, he urges Butters, the only other person to know of Cartman's heroism, to keep quiet.
He is generally abrasive to Stan and Kenny - Kenny for being poor and Stan for being a "pussy" - though the two of them are far more tolerant of the anti-social side of his personality. It has been suggested that Kenny and Cartman are best friends. This seems to be confirmed in episodes like Kenny Dies and Best Friends Forever, though in the latter Kenny says in his will that he never liked Cartman and believes he will die "alone" and friendless. Still, the two can be seen alone together without Stan and Kyle, and Kenny is often the only one to laugh at Cartman's jokes. Stan is typically tolerant of Cartman, even on occasions when he is making fun of Kyle. In an apparent show of affection, Cartman tells him that he "still hates him less than Kyle" in the episode Trapped in the Closet.
Overall Cartman only ever incurs his friend's wrath after saying something completely inappropriate or extremely cruel/outrageous, such as when he screamed at Token for being black when he formed the Christian rock band Faith+1. Other times he has always screamed "I thought you guys were my friends! I guess I thought wrong!", only to receive "Yeah dude, you were wrong." from Kyle. Nonetheless, Cartman's friendships with many of the South Park children seem to have not wavered. However, it seems at the beginning of each new episode Cartman has healed the rift from the previous episode, as his friends are seen to talk with him without Cartman having to start the conversation himself.
Hate is often used loosely to describe others' feelings towards Cartman. Kyle, along with several more minor characters typically refuse if Cartman asks them a favor, responding with the simple line, "Because I hate you," or a similar variation when Cartman asks them why, a reason that he typically accepts.
Concept and creation
According to creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, they thought it might be impossible to put a character like Archie Bunker on late-20th century television but decided that it might be allowed if he was an animated nine-year-old boy. Thus, Cartman was born.[9]
Friendship with Stan
Out of Stan, Kyle, and Kenny, Stan would be Cartman's best friend out of the lot when Kyle's not around. Stan never seems to bother Cartman that much at all, but while there's a brawl between him and Kyle, Stan takes Kyle's side. Cartman seems to tease Stan the least, but occasionally he does, when he acts like a "pussy".Cartman would much rather pefer to hang round Stan than Kyle.
Friendship with Kenny
Kenny's sense of humor is most similar to Cartman's, although Cartman is often seen teasing him about how poor his family is and never really says anything when Kenny dies. Whenever Cartman is in an argument with Kyle he'll ask Kenny if he's right or wrong. Normally he's wrong and Kyle is right. Cartman understands what Kenny is saying, even though Kenny always has his hood over his head, covering his mouth. Cartman shows a little reaction when Kenny dies, although he will normally have a worried look on his face. In the episode "Chicken Pox" when his mom tells him to go to Kenny's house again, he replies by saying Kenny is not his friend.
Friendship with Butters
Cartman and Butters relation is extremely one sided. Butters thinks that Cartman is his friend, despite the fact that Cartman routinely mocks, teases, and humiliates Butters. Here is a small sample of what Cartman has done to Butters: tried to get Butters raped by NAMBLA to save himself; imitated Butters' voice over the phone to Butters' parents to where Butters gets severely beaten for it; forces him to lock himself in a bomb shelter for over a week so Cartman could go to Casa Bonita; dresses as a robot in order to get some of Butters' secrets (although this horribly backfired, since Butters had footage of Cartman crossdressing as Britney Spears that he showed to the whole town for it); put Butters penis in his mouth to prove that he is gay, which indirectly forced Butters to go to a gay rehabilitation camp for being "bi-curious", and others. Cartman frequently goes to Butters for assistance, and since Butters considers Cartman a friend he is always up for helping Cartman out. Butters has basically become Cartman's sidekick in recent seasons since Butters is almost always included in his schemes since he is very guillible and easily manipulated.
Catchphrases
Aside from Cartman's recurring antisemetic comments, one of his favorite catch phrases is "screw you guys, I'm going home!". Upon winning or beating somebody in a challenge Cartman will give his signature laugh, "nah nah nah nah naah nah, heh heh heh heh hehh heh!" One of Cartman's most famous phrases [10], when he is attempting to exert his will upon others, is to say, "respect my authority!", pronounced "mah authoritah", in his southern accent. When called fat, he often replies by stating, "I'm not fat, I'm big boned!"[11] Additionally, whenever he asks his mom to do something for him, in many cases an outrageous request such as signing him up for the Special Olympics despite his lack of a disability, he will try to put a thin sugar-coat on the request, and after being denied, say, "But, Mooooom!". He also constantly repeats the expletive "God dammit!", a trait Jimmy parodies at one point. "Oh my Jesus Christ monkey Balls" is said in Super Phun Thyme
In popular culture
- Cartman was placed tenth on TV Guide's 2002 list of the "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters".[12] In 2003, he was chosen as one of "VH1's 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons", at number 198.[2]
- In 2005, Cartman was ranked number nineteen on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters.[13]
- In the Powerpuff Girls episode "Imaginary Fiend", when Blossom was tripped and landed in the coat rack, she ended up dressed like Cartman. She also said "Uh he tripped me, seriously".
- Cartman's head can be seen in the Head Museum in Futurama: Bender's Big Score and on a T-shirt worn by Bart Simpson in The Bart Book.
References
External links
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