5 times we felt sorry for Cartman (5 times we hated him) (2023)

Let's take a look at 5 instances in South Park where viewers can truly sympathize with Cartman, and his 5 most irritating behaviors.

Speaking of the colorful cast of the animated comedySouth ParkFew people are more evil and villainous than Cartman. Usually the show is avant-garde andcontroversialMany times Cartman is the bully and nuisance of the team. It's hard to imagine an episode where Cartman didn't misbehave or behave horribly - let alone show empathy. However, there is something endearing about this spoiled, often obnoxious kid. His goofy, over-the-top ways, dirty mouth, and blunt humor have made fans love to hate him. Indeed, it is these characteristics that often anchor the program itself and serve to bring it down,Ironicallynuclear.

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With that said, let's look at 5 examples where viewers can really sympathize with this cheesy Poof lover. We will also highlight the 5 most famous cases where - among many others - it is easy to hate him.

Sympathy for him: waiting endlessly to find out who his father is

While Cartman is indeed spoiled, he never seems to have had the opportunity to grow up with his father - or any other type of father. This concludes at the end of the show's first season, which came with Cartman and the South Park audience. At this point, both parties are desperate to find out who Eric Cartman's father really is.

However, it will take a series of shenanigans - and an April Fool's Day episode focusing on Terrence and Phillip instead of the supposed reveal - to finally find out. This discovery was, well, not what most people expected, to put it mildly...

I hate him: I lied to get into the Special Olympics

Feel sorry for him: Rejected by Wendy

In the season 4 episode "The Chef Changes the Cooking", the unthinkable seems to be happening. inside,StanTo her dismay, Wendy's girlfriend falls in love with Cartman. After a city debate to change a racist flag, Wendy changes it by partnering with her to host a debate page that Cartman - believe it or not - supports. It is revealed that Cartman just wanted to be her sidekick to piss her off, but as the episode progresses, he comes to like her.

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After giving him a quick kiss to "clean it out of her system", Cartman looks genuinely upset that she doesn't have those feelings and walks away happily.

Hate it: Using Tourette syndrome by pretending you have it

There doesn't seem to be any disability or condition that Cartman hasn't exploited and/or made fun of for his own benefit. In one episode, he actually pretends to have Tourette Syndrome to avoid screaming (often obscene orattack) statement comes to mind.

Once again, he manages to undermine the problem - and those whom it actually concerns. He similarly threatened to deliver a hate speech about Kyle's Jewish heritage and openly discredited his parents. He ended up being punished in a way - as his lack of a filter started to make him break out uncontrollably. Still, it's a small price to pay considering its brazenness.

Feels sorry for him: Ignored by his friends and thinking he's a ghost

While Butters is usually the deciding punching bag - in The Death of Eric Cartman, it's Cartman who rallies and plots against. Of course, given his behavior in countless other episodes, it's safe to say he's basically delivered.

Still, it's hard for him not to feel at least a little bit here, as all his friends conspire to ignore him and make him honestly believe he's dead. This motivates him to do various good deeds in order to duly "move on".Butterit wasn't there, so Eric used it as a means to get his message across.

Hate him: Hide Butters so he can go to Casa Bonita

Speaking of Butters, it really worked in the episode "Casa Bonita."

Much to Cartman's dismay, Kyle refuses to invite him to one of his favorite restaurants and plans to replace Butters as a fourth friend. He achieves this through clever scheming and lies that only someone as twisted as Cartman could come up with. After tricking Butters into thinking an Earth-destroying meteor is about to hit, he scares Butters into hiding in an underground bunker for a few days. Even when he was about to be caught by the police, he made one last disgusting move. He frantically made his way through parks and restaurants, making quick runs everywhere.

Feel sorry for him: being bullied and beaten by Scott Tenorman

This is one of the rare episodes where most viewers actually root for Cartman - at least until the end, when he takes revenge on his bully in a rather terrifying way.

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Still, it's impossible not to sympathize with Cartman, at least up to this shocking moment, as he is constantly beaten up and made fun of by the obnoxious Scott Tenorman. Even Cartman's friends object to him siding with the villainous bully, mocking him and helping him publicly humiliate him.

I Hate Him: His horrific abuse of Kyle in 'Ginger Cow'

This is one of South Park's weirder and more disturbing episodes, which certainly says a lot. In short, Cartman dresses a cow in red hair, which turns out to be an amazing prediction of peace in the Middle East. Kyle longs for this to continue, but that peace is soon threatened when Cartman threatens to declare that the cow's unique appearance is not real.

A series of horrific pranks and exploitation ensues as Kyle pleads with Cartman to keep the cow's origin a secret. Some of these brutal and grotesque stunts are really hard to watch, especially for Kyle fans. These include repeatedly farting Kyle in the face and making him say derogatory things about his mother.

Sympathy for him: crying in an orphanage

There seem to be a lot of reasons why Cartman should go to prison - but Token who beat up his friend probably isn't too high on the list. Regardless, Eric was sent to juvenile detention as the act was quickly labeled a hate crime. After being forced to carry cigarettes through his anus to the toilet, he learned that the children he was helping would not help him escape.

Although he eventually escaped, his violent crying upon discovering this was actually a bitsad.

I hate him: his Nazi pranks

It would be difficult to find an act more reprehensible than sincerely imitating Hitler and trying to imitate his deeds. However - and Cartman is Cartman - he manages to succumb to this last new low. Not only does he dress up and play the character, but he seems determined to actually implement his new "Final Solution", even at the expense of his Jewish friend Kyle.

The fact that this transformation was inspired by the way you watch movies tells you everything you need to knowCartman.

Next:South Park: Cartman's 10 Funniest Quotes