| Eric Cartman | |
|---|---|
| South Park character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Jesus vs. Frosty (1992, short) |
| Created by | Trey Parker Matt Stone |
| Designed by | Trey Parker Matt Stone |
| Voiced by | Trey Parker |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Eric Theodore Cartman |
| Alias | The Coon |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation |
|
| Family |
|
| Spouse | Yentl Cartman (alternate future wife) |
| Significantother | Heidi Turner (ex-girlfriend) |
| Children |
|
| Nationality | American |
| Residence | South Park, Colorado, United States |
Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to by just his surnameCartman,[1] is a fictional character in theadultanimated sitcomSouth Park, created byTrey Parker andMatt Stone. He is voiced by Parker, and is one of the series' four main characters, alongsideStan Marsh,Kyle Broflovski, andKenny McCormick. He first appeared with the name Kenny in the short filmThe Spirit of Christmas (1992), and later appeared in the 1995 film of the same title before debuting in "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe", the first episode of the series, on August 13, 1997.
Cartman is an elementary school student who lives with his single mother,Liane, in the eponymousColorado town. Cartman is principally characterized by his obesity, his amorality, and his bigoted and especiallyantisemitic disposition, being described by Parker and Stone as "a littleArchie Bunker". In later seasons, particularly following thefifth season episode "Scott Tenorman Must Die" (in which he turns the titular Scott Tenorman's parents into chili, in order to feed it to him as revenge for bullying him), Cartman exhibits increasinglypsychopathic andmanipulative behavior. The latter is showcased through Cartman's various schemes, the majority of which fail either due to opposition from other characters or Cartman's ownhubris, frequently leaving Cartman in complete humiliation.
Cartman is widely considered to be the most popularSouth Park character, one of the most influential fictional characters of all time, and an American cultural icon.[2][3][4] Parker and Stone have stated that he is their favorite character, and the one with whom they most identify.South Park has received both praise and criticism for Cartman's transgressive behavior.
Cartman attends South Park Elementary as part ofMr. Garrison's class. During the first 58 episodes, he and his classmates were in the third grade, before transitioning to the fourth grade during the fourth season. He is theonly child ofLiane Cartman, a promiscuous single mother. In the episode "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut", Liane is said to beintersex, being both Eric's mother and father.[5] This is later revealed to be an elaborate ruse in the fourteenth-season episode "200". In the following episode, "201", it is revealed that Cartman's true biological father is Jack Tenorman, a former player for theDenver Broncos whom he arranged to have killed in "Scott Tenorman Must Die"; Scott Tenorman, Jack's son, is thus revealed to be Cartman's half-brother.[6]
Cartman is distinguished from most of the other children by a wider physical appearance,[7] and is subject to ridicule from others for his obesity.[8] He is most commonly portrayed as an antagonist, with most of his actions driving the events of many episodes.[9] Cartman is alienated by the majority of the other children for his strong amorality,[10][11][12][13][14] but they are occasionally influenced by his manipulation.[15]
Although Cartman has shared an enmity with all three of his friends, his rivalry with Stan and Kyle has progressed significantly during the show's run, with Cartman routinely exposing them to physical endangerment. Cartman, a staunchantisemite, reflects most of his hatred towards Kyle, aJewish boy, such as deliberately infecting him withHIV ("Tonsil Trouble").[7][16] Kyle occasionally exhibits similar behavior in such episodes as "Fatbeard", wherein Kyle encourages Cartman to travel toSomalia, hoping he will be killed.[17]
His rivalry with the other characters stems from opposition with their personalities. Where Kyle is restrained by firm morals, Cartman indulges in sadistic hedonism. He revealed that he hated Kenny the most in the episode "Jakovasaurs" and has, on numerous occasions, made fun of him for beingpoor.[18] In "Kenny Dies", Cartman takes advantage of his declining health to get a ban on stem cell research lifted in order to construct his ownShakey's Pizza restaurant out of fetus stem cells. However, Cartman also implies that Kenny is his best friend, making their relationship unclear.[19][20]
Kyle is sometimes an enthusiastic participant in Cartman's schemes and he is sometimes seen treating Kyle well, although this is generally to put aside their hatred momentarily for a common goal or for manipulation.[21] Parker and Stone have compared the relationship to that betweenArchie Bunker andMichael Stivic onAll in the Family. Kyle has a tendency to make what he thinks are safe bets with Cartman, often losing these bets when the improbable actions promised by Cartman are accomplished. Cartman's motivation in this regard is not only monetary gain, but an obsession with beating Kyle, a fixation that ultimately plays a major part in a subplot to the three-part "Imaginationland".[7] This obsession has been shown to overshadow other goals Cartman wishes to achieve. Cartman has a high sadistic streak towards Kyle, and has repeatedly expressed desire in seeing him suffer,[22] often to extremes.[23]In "You're Getting Old", it is suggested that Kyle and Cartman may be developing a genuine friendship, possibly due to the void left by Stan's apparent departure. This relationship ends in "Ass Burgers", however, due to Kyle finding out how Cartman was producing his hamburgers. Cartman's resentment of Stan is at times reserved for when Cartman actively proclaims his hatred for both Stan and Kyle as a duo, and his contempt for Stan as an individual is usually due to his annoyance with Stan's sensitivity, affection for animals, and relationship withWendy Testaburger.[24]
Despite being intolerant of other cultures, Cartman displays an aptitude for learning foreign languages. He knowsGerman, and once uses this knowledge to impersonateAdolf Hitler while promoting the extermination of Jews to an oblivious audience that did not speak German,[25] and in interactions with Mexican laborers, such as the episode "My Future Self n' Me", seems to speak at least conversationalSpanish.[26] This is in service of a running joke in which Cartman displays incredible aptitude at quickly learning almost any topic in service of his schemes, despite being an awful student in a school environment and displaying extreme ignorance about subjects that do not immediately interest him.
Conversely, in "Major Boobage", Cartman shelters the town's cats when they are outlawed;[27] outside of episodes that take place in alternate timelines, this is the only multi-scene plotline in which Cartman acts in a traditionally moral way without any ulterior motive being indicated on-screen.
Cartman will use an awkward pause during a conversation as an opportunity to casually remind Kenny that he hates him.[28] Cartman's mischievous treatment of Butters, and the relationship the duo shares, has received significant focus in the more recent seasons of the series.[7] This reflects Parker's interest, as the scenes between the two are the ones he most enjoys writing.[29]
Several episodes concern Cartman's greed and his get-rich-quick schemes, although his numerous attempts to attain wealth generally fail.[9] His extreme disdain forhippies serves to satirize thecounterculture of the 1960s and its influence in contemporary society,[30] reflecting Parker's real-life antipathy towards hippies.[31] Though the role is customarily taken by Stan or Kyle, Cartman will occasionally be the one to reflect on the lessons learned during the course of an episode with a speech that often begins with "You know, I've learned something today...".[32]
A precursor to Cartman first appeared in the firstThe Spirit of Christmas short, dubbedJesus vs. Frosty, created by Parker and Stone in 1992 while they were students at theUniversity of Colorado. In the short, the character resembling Cartman was named "Kenny", and a variation of the catchphrase "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" was exclaimed when this character was killed by an evil snowman. The character was composed ofconstruction paper cutouts and animated through the use ofstop motion.[33] When commissioned three years later by friend Brian Graden to create another short as avideoChristmas card that he could send to friends, Parker and Stone created another similarly-animatedThe Spirit of Christmas short, dubbedJesus vs. Santa.[34] In this short, his character first appears as he does in the series, and is given the name "Cartman", while the character of Kenny appears as the character is depicted today and given Cartman's moniker from the previous short. Cartman next appeared on August 13, 1997, whenSouth Park debuted onComedy Central with the episode "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe".
In keeping with the show'sanimation style, Cartman is composed of simple geometrical shapes andprimary colors.[33][35] He is not offered the same free range of motion associated with hand-drawn characters; his character is mostly shown from one direction, and his movements intentionally jerky.[7][33][35] Ever since the show's second episode, "Weight Gain 4000" (season one, 1997), Cartman, like all other characters on the show, has been animated with computer software, though he is portrayed to give the impression that the show still utilizes its original technique.[33]
Cartman is usually depicted wearing winter attire which consists of a red coat, brown pants, yellow gloves/mittens, and a yellow-brimmed turquoiseknit cap tapered with a yellowpom-pom. He has parted brown hair, and he is seen without his hat more often than the other characters with distinctive headwear. As he is overweight, his body is wider and his hands noticeably larger than those of the other children, and his head is more elliptical. An additional curved line on his lower face represents a double chin.
Parker adduced that he came up with the voice of Cartman while he and Stone were in film class, where they would speak in high-pitched childish voices, which was quite irksome to their film teachers. They would naturally reproduce these voices in the initial seasons ofSouth Park.[36][37] Although he had originally voiced Cartman without any computer manipulation, Parker now does so by speaking within his normal vocal range with a childlike inflection. The recorded audio is then edited withPro Tools, and the pitch is altered to make the voice sound like that of a 10-year-old.[38][39][40] Parker says to achieve the effect of Cartman's voice, he simply uses the same technique when voicing Stan while "adding a lot of fat to it".[41]
Cartman is partially named after and based on Matt Karpman, a high school classmate of Parker who remains a friend of both Parker and Stone.[42] Cartman is also inspired to some degree byAll in the Family patriarchArchie Bunker, who is himself inspired byAlf Garnett fromTill Death Us Do Part, the British sitcom upon whichAll in the Family was based. Parker and Stone are reportedly big fans ofAll in the Family. They alleged in 2008 that creating Cartman as a "little eight-year-old fat kid" made it easier for the two to portray a Bunker-like character after the introduction ofpolitical correctness to late-20th century television.[9][43] While developing the character, Parker noted that everyone either remembers "an annoying fat kid in their pasts", or "they were the annoying fat kid".[44] Stone has observed that "kids are not nice, innocent, flower-loving little rainbow children ... they don't have any kind of social tact or etiquette, they're just complete little raging bastards".[11]
In theseason five (2001) episode "Scott Tenorman Must Die", Cartman is tricked into buying thepubic hair of a local ninth-grader named Scott Tenorman for $16.12. He then successfully executes an elaborate scheme to publicly humiliate Scott in front of his favorite bandRadiohead, by getting Scott's parents killed and then tricking Scott into eating them.[45] The show's writers debated during production of the episode whether the incident would be "a step too far, even for Cartman".[9] Parker felt that the act could sufficiently be the culmination of Cartman'ssociopathic behavior, and would "[set] a new bar" by portraying Cartman as being capable of performing anything short of murder.[9][46][47][48] Fans reacted by ranking it as Cartman's "greatest moment" in a 2005 poll onComedy Central's website.[49] It is later revealed in theseason fourteen episode "201" that Jack Tenorman, Scott's father, was afootball player for theDenver Broncos who impregnated Cartman's mom, therefore making him Cartman's father too.[50]
Parker and Stone, despite being the basis for Stan and Kyle, insist that Cartman is their favorite character, and the one with whom they identify the most.[9][51]
There's a big part of me that's Eric Cartman. He's both of our dark sides, the things we'd never say.
Cartman uses profanity (as do his friends) to provide a means for Parker and Stone to portray how they believe young boys really talk when they are alone.[35][53] According to Parker, Cartman does not possess the "underlying sweetness" of the show's other child characters. Cartman is shown at times to be completely amoral and remorseless. Cartman, as withStan Marsh andKyle Broflovski, is amused by bodily functions andtoilet humor,[54] and his favorite television personalities areTerrance and Phillip, a Canadian duo whose comedy routines on their show-within-the-show revolve substantially around fart jokes.
Cartman is sensitive and in denial about hisobesity. He often reasserts Liane's notion by exclaiming "I'm not fat, I'm big-boned!" and will just as often either threaten to bring harm to anyone who mocks his weight or curse them out in aggravation.[9] He has also had people killed due to his insecurity; for example, after his psychiatrist mocked his weight, Cartman framed the man as apedophile to his wife, causing her to commitsuicide.[55] He views himself as more mature than his fellow friends and classmates, and often grows impatient with their company; despite claiming to be more mature, he will often break down crying childishly and pathetically whenever he feels defeated. This often leads to loud arguments, which in earlier seasons typically end with Cartman peevishly saying "Screw you guys ... I'm going home!" and then leaving.[9] In an actionKing's Collegephilosophy professorDavid Kyle Johnson describes as "directed either toward accomplishing his own happiness or the unhappiness of others", Cartman often feigns actual friendship with his classmates when needing a favor.[15] The lack of a true father figure in his life, and Liane's promiscuity and drug use have caused repressedpsychological hardship in Cartman's life. As a parent, Liane often spoils Cartman,[56][57] and is largely ineffectual as a disciplinarian.[58] Cartman sometimes commands his mom to do tasks for him, but more often resorts to pleading with her in an ingratiating tone. When neither method works, he resorts to excessive and indecipherable whining, to which Liane usually succumbs.[59] Parker has noted that this is the primary cause for Cartman's behavior, stating that Cartman is "just a product of his environment".[9]
We always had this thing where Cartman's mother was so sweet—she was always so sweet to him and giving him whatever he wanted. And I don't know if it's worse in L.A. than most places in the country—I hope so—but [we've met] so many parents who were just so desperately trying to be friends to their kids. And it was the thing we really picked up on. And it was just like, 'These [people] are making these really evil kids'.
– Trey Parker, discussing Liane's role in shaping Cartman's personality in an interview withNPR[9]
Cartman thrives on achieving ascendancy over others,[60] and exerts his will bydemagoguery and by demanding that others "Respect my authoritah!"[9] Cartman has several times declared that his dream is getting "Ten million dollars", and that if he got it he would be "so happy". He has shown initiative in taking a businesslike approach to earning money, starting his own "hippie control" and "parental revenge" operations, as well as aChristian Rock and aboy band, a basketball team ofcrack babies (parody of theNCAA) and his own church.[61]
Cartman's anti-Semitism, while mostly limited to mocking Kyle, culminates in theseason eight episode "The Passion of the Jew". In the episode, Cartman, after watchingThe Passion of the Christ numerous times,deifies the film's director,Mel Gibson, and starts an official Gibson fan club, praising Gibson for "trying to express—through cinema—the horror and filthiness of the common Jew".[62] Cartman's interpretation of the film influences him to dress up asAdolf Hitler and lead other fan club members (who are oblivious of Cartman's actual intentions) in a failed effort to engage in a systematicgenocide of the Jews similar to that of theFinal Solution.[62] In theseason 10 episode "Smug Alert!", Cartman anonymously saves Kyle's life in an effort to get him and his family to return to South Park fromSan Francisco, revealing that he craves the animosity shared between the two.[63] Cartman later directs the "evil god"Cthulhu to destroy "most of the synagogues" during theseason 14 episode "Coon vs. Coon and Friends".[64]
Upon hearing his classmates tell him that they hold him in the lowest regard possible and that they could not possibly think any worse of him, a stubborn Cartman misinterprets this act as their attempt to make him feel better, and convinces himself that everyone thinks he is the "coolest kid in school". In theseason 13 (2009) episode "Fishsticks", Cartman subconsciously believes that he helped in creating a joke that quickly becomes a nationwide sensation, despite the fact that the characterJimmy Valmer writes the joke without any assistance. Carlos Delgado ofIf Magazine noted this as "Cartman being so egotistical that he manipulates the past to serve his own purposes".[65]
Though he is commonly portrayed as having a chauvinist disrespect for foreign cultures, Cartman is shown at least twice ("My Future Self n' Me" and "Pandemic") to be able to speak fluent Spanish (and German).[66] Cartman attemptssuicide in the episode "Sermon on the 'Mount".[67]
Cartman is aSouth Park fan favorite,[8] and is often described as the most famous character from the series as well as having a significant influence on comedy and culture.[9][68][69] With a headline to their online written version of a radio report,NPR declared Cartman as "America's Favorite Little $@#&*%".[9] "Respect my authoritah!" and "Screw you guys ... I'm going home!" became catchphrases and, during the show's earlier seasons, were highly popular in the lexicon of viewers.[70][71] His eccentric enunciation of "Hey!" was included in the 2002 edition ofThe Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases.[72] Stone has said that when fans recognize him or Parker, the fans will usually do their imitation of Cartman, or, in Parker's case, request that he do Cartman's voice.[73]
In 2005,Comedy Central ran a three-night marathon of episodes showcasing what voters had deemed to be his "25 greatest moments".[49] A two-disc DVD collection entitled "The Cult of Cartman", which Comedy Central described as "12 classic episodes with Cartman at his very worst!", was released in 2008.[74]
In a 1999 poll conducted byNatWest Bank, eight and nine-year-old children in the United Kingdom voted Cartman as their favorite personality. This drew the concern of several parent councils who were expecting a character from a television show aimed at children to top the list, to which Stone responded by claiming the results of the poll were "upsetting to people who have an idyllic vision of what kids are like".[75]
While some in theJewish community have praised the show's depiction of Cartman holding an anti-Semitic attitude towards Kyle as a means of accurately portraying what it is like for a young Jew to have to endure prejudice,[76] other Jews have blamedSouth Park and Cartman for having found themselves surrounded by "acceptable racism".[77] On November 20, 2008, aFacebook group titled "National Kick a Ginger Day, are you going to do it?" surfaced, suggesting abuse towardsredheads. Thousands of internet users signed up as a member of the group, and reports of a feared increase of bullying ofred-headed students across Canada soon followed. The group's administrator, a 14-year-old fromVancouver Island, said the group was only intended as a joke, and apologized for the offense it caused. The group was inspired by theseason nine (2005) episode "Ginger Kids", in which Cartman incites prejudice towards those with red hair, pale skin, and freckles, a group he calls "Gingers" and claims are inherently evil and without souls.[78]
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Other characters commonly express lessons learned from the antagonistic actions Cartman commonly provokes; this has resulted in these characters giving their opinions on issues such ashate crime legislation,[79]civil liberties,[30] excessive religious devotion,[80] thestem cell controversy,[12]anabolic steroid use,[81] the "right to die" debate,[82] andprejudice.[8] In theseason 10 (2006) episode "Cartoon Wars Part II", Cartman, planning to exploit the public's fear ofterrorism, seeks to get theFox television seriesFamily Guy, a program he despises, permanently removed from the airwaves when Fox plans to air an episode despite its inclusion of a cartoon likeness ofMuhammad. This leads Kyle to give a short speech about the ethics ofcensorship,[83] which reiterates Parker and Stone's sentiments of "Either it's all okay, or none of it is" in regards to whether any subject should remain off-limits to satire.[84] Both Cartman's commentary and the commentary resulting in response to his actions have been interpreted as statements Parker and Stone are attempting to make to the viewing public, and these opinions have been subject to much critical analysis in the media and literary world.[85]
The bookSouth Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today includes an essay in which Johnson uses Cartman's actions and behavior as examples when discussing thelogical problem of moral evil,[86] and another essay byCollege of Staten Island professor Mark D. White cited theseason two (1998) episode "Chickenlover", in which Cartman is temporarily granted law enforcement powers, in its discussion regarding thecommand theory of law and what obligates a citizen to obey the law.[86] Essays in the booksSouth Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating,Blame Canada! South Park and Contemporary Culture, andTaking South Park Seriously have also analyzed Cartman's perspectives within the framework of popular philosophical, theological, political, and social concepts.[85][87][88] Parker and Stone downplay the show's alignment with any particular political affiliation, and deny having a political agenda when creating an episode.[45][89][90] In response to the focus on elements of satire inSouth Park, Parker has said that the main goal of the show is to portray Cartman and his friends as "kids just being kids" as a means of accurately showcasing "what it's like to be in [elementary school] in America".[91][92]
TV Guide ranked Cartman at number 10 on their 2002 list of the "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters",[93] 24th onTV Guide's "25 Greatest TV Villains", 198th onVH1's "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons",[94] and 19th onBravo's "100 Greatest TV Characters" television special in 2004.[95] When declaring him the second-scariest character on television (behind onlyMr. Burns ofThe Simpsons) in 2005,MSNBC's Brian Bellmont described Cartman as a "bundle of pure, unadulterated evil all wrapped up in a fat—er, big-boned—cartoony package" who "takes a feral delight in his evildoing".[96] In 2014,IGN ranked Cartman first place on their list of "The Top 25 South Park Characters", commenting that he was "the obvious choice" of number one and that "sometimes the obvious choice is also the right one". The website stated that despite Cartman being "one of the worst human beings in the history of fiction ... he's the most loathsome character we've ever loved."IGN concluded by calling him "the biggest contribution to the world of animated characters that South Park has made – and that's saying something."[4] In 2020,Paste ranked Cartman as #17 of their "The 50 Best Cartoon Characters of All Time".[97]
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