Do we like them?

Do we like Eric Cartman?

A character from South Park (1997–present)

Our score: 2 out of 10. Selfish, manipulative and bigoted. He's hilarious to watch, but no sane person would follow him anywhere. He's a great villain and a terrible friend.

Cartman is one of the four central kids in South Park, alongside Stan, Kyle and Kenny. He lives with his doting mother in a small Colorado mountain town, and the show follows the boys through absurd, satirical misadventures. He is loud, greedy and entitled, and he is rarely the voice of reason.

He's the group's chief troublemaker. Most of his plans are get-rich-quick schemes, petty revenge plots or attempts to get his way. He has a long-running feud with Kyle, and he is bigoted, manipulative and happy to use friends as pawns. His mother's constant indulgence is a big part of why he turned out this way, and the show plays that for dark comedy.

We score him low because the harm he does is deliberate, constant and often cruel. Occasionally his selfishness lines up with the greater good, and he is fiercely loyal to his own interests. He's also funny and iconic, so we love watching him, but we would never actually back him.