The character has gone through an evolution from a greedy little boy to slightly less greedy, but a more conniving little boy, and a tech savvy one at that. Through the lens of technology, Cartman has never wanted to concede the perception of himself as a master of any domain he desires. Whether it’s a game system or popularity contest on Twitter, he needs to feel like he’s in control. The reality is, especially on social media, you’re dependent on variables much like you are in real life. Last week in my review I called him a fat boy, which is mean and isn’t very kewl of me. Maybe he read it and the comment hurt his feelings. But still, even when Cartman is down on himself, he knows how to game the system. Last season he used a safe space to his advantage. So far this season, he’s allowed people to perceive him as SkankHunt42, knowing full well that someone else is doing his bidding. In a way, it’s a Trump-esque move: Be upfront about how you hate someone or suspect something on them for years; blab on about it until only the lowest form of fear-mongering scum run with it; then when it’s convenient, act like you never started the problem in the first place and pretend like you came up with the solution. That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it. If I’m proved wrong and Cartman is truly a changed boy, then he’ll still be guilty by association for two decades of sin. In an episode that was light on laughs and spot on with its social commentary, Butters nails it: “That’s how the world works now. You get blamed for the group you’re apart of even if you didn’t do nothing.”
Super School News
I want to put this in writing: The username SkankHunt42 will have something to do with the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton.
