Does Cartman Believe Anything?
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
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What can Cartman teach us about… philosophy?!
He’s greedy, he’s bigoted, and he kills Kenny. So why is there so much to unpack about the philosophies that drive Cartman, the worst kid in cartoons? Let’s find out in this Wisecrack Edition: Does Cartman Believe Anything?
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00:00 - Intro
02:06 - Is Cartman a Nihilist?
14:53 - Cartman as the Randian Hero
21:26 - Outro
Written by Tom Whyman
Hosted by Greg Edwards
Directed by Michael Luxemburg
Edited by Kim Su Labby
Video Title Card by Amanda Murphy
Produced by Olivia Redden
Additional Production Assistance by Evan Yee and Matias Rubio
Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
#SouthPark #Cartman #wisecrack
© 2021 Wisecrack / Omnia Media, Inc. / Enthusiast Gaming
Cartman is mostly a Randian "hero", but there's a significant difference: If he was truly committed, there are many instances when he should have felt inadequate, like when he's made to believe he's a Ginger kid. Instead, he just redefines his supremacist beliefs with no repercussions to his morals.
I believe Cartman is a post-ideology supremacist. It's not that he believes in the current hierarchical order, it's just that he's comfortably in a place above many "others". His status as an only child of a subservient single mother is so very convenient for him because his domestic dictatorship can never be challenged. I'm pretty sure he'd rather stay where he is instead of, say, being the second son of the richest man in the world because that would mean he'd have to share the attention, resources and status with another being.
Yea Cartman lacks discipline and focus to be anyones hero lol. He doesnt have the wits and charisma (not speaking about the audiences perspective but the from other characters). He is based on a child at the end of the day , and Ayn Rand talks about Men.
Nice, nice-- what about an anarcho-fascist? He seems to promote total freedom for everyone who is himself.
Either way, he's an excellent foil for Trey and Matt's libertarian heroes.
"There's a lot of hate out there, hate for awesome people like us, and the only way to fight hate...is with more hate!" Ginger Kids is such a great episode, i love when they go around marching yelling "Red power!".
@@jlupus8804 "He seems to promote total freedom for everyone who is himself."
Perfectly put, no better observation is possible.
No way he'd throw his mother to the wolves if it benefited him but she usually gives him whatever he wants so he's happy. Plus if he had the option to be rich he'd probably just get rid of any other siblings.
Fun fact: In South Park, Kenny has met his demise a whopping 126 times in total. This includes 97 times in the actual television series, 12 in the random assortment of South Park shorts, and 14 in the video games
That's... honestly way lower than I would have expected.
Math doesn’t add up that’s only 123
What about the movie
Sometimes I’d let him die just to see the boobie cutscene
In that regard, Kenny is like a character in a video game.
I could see Cartman as a kind of solipsist as well. Also, Thug Notes was the shit. To this day, it still provides some of the best and most concise summaries of materials that might be otherwise dense or impenetrable for the layperson.
You ah correct! Believing in nothing but oneself is the DEFINITION of solipsism!
Cartman couldn't be further away from solipsism
Why would he care for stuff wasvhe a solipsist?
He ho Believe for himself to be the centre of everything, but he also believes that a phone does physically exists, unlike solipsist
Solipsism is not an actual thing people believe man.
Thug notes promote racist stereotypes
Cartmen isn't a nihilist he's just a narcissist
Bingo. Cartman doesn't believe in anything but himself and the mistaken belief that the universe resolves around him. Kyle pretty much came to this conclusion after realizing that Cartman can't help but perform mental gymnastics to justify his sociopathic thought processes and actions.
@@arcturionblade1077 he's not wrong the universe revolves around the observer after all
Being a narcissist isn’t a philosophical position( which this video is about.)
Seriouse question is being a narcissist any different then fallowing Rand's philosophy?
@@jonathanwilkinson4299 technically yes but the end result is the same
He believes in ruining Kyle's life at every turn
Only because Kyle is and has everything that Cartman does not.
And butters
@@jamesbaxterfromax 😂🤣😹😂🤣😹
@@hermaeusmora2945 ur a cornball dude
@@conxoraddonahue9956 Why? It's simple psychological projection. Cartman is poor, stupid, fat, lonely, is from a single parent home, his mother doesn't have a healthy functioning relationship with him-we've seen in past episodes that she either gifts Cartman things for affection or as a payoff for good behavior.
Contrast that with Kyle. He is smart, not-fat, comes from a wealthy/upper middle class, two-parent household, with loving parents, that have a healthy relationship with their son. Kyle has also been shown to go to the Synagogue, so he has an identity and people to interact with outside of school. Without Kyle to shit on or others from school...Cartman has nothing.
He hates Kyle out of jealousy.
in south park the sheriff literally says he will never read anything again after reading atlas shrugged
Trey and Matt don't like Ayn Rand either.
@@lainiwakura1776 Many libertarians dislike her.
@@laurocoman most people with a functioning brain*
@@CaptainApathetic Rand does make a solid point about the ridiculousness of supporting those who do not contribute. See any given school group project. There is almost always at least one person who gets the same grade as the overworked/overstressed/overachiever but made zero contribution to the end product. And that is wrong and evil.
There is no rational reason to support those who only take from society, whether you define that as the aristocracy in Napoleonic times or welfare queens today.
At some point, it is perfectly rational for high producers who have the product of their hard work taken by force and given to those who do dot deserve it, to reject the society that has abused them as such and refuse to provide any more until the whole system collapses under the weight that they once held up.
After all, just because we share the same species, does not necessarily mean that there is any rational force to compel me to sacrifice for you if neither you nor the in group of society at large will repay that debt in return. Even worse if the high producer is actively persecuted and derided because of their high productivity.
@@ColinTherac117 Those who take without giving back are land owners, business owners, the burgeoisie, as defined as those who do not need to work for incomes.
If I wrote this essay: “Is Cartman a nihilist? Cartman is a narcissist. The end.”
And given how Catman is like the id of the South Park creators, it really says alot about them
Why idolize someone else when there are mirrors...
@@CountDVB actually they relate more to Randy and Kyle these days. Said so themselves in a recent interview. Also said they don't find their old stuff funny anymore like they outgrew it. Explains why the show is so different these days
@@CountDVB Entertainment is all about presenting ideas in an exaggerated way. Trying to form an opinion of the creators through their animated sitcom is pretty silly.
That would completely miss the point of the question. The question is a philosophical inquiry, that narcissistic answer is not philosophical.
I don't think of Cartman as having a philosophy in as much as being one of Pavlov's dogs. He has learned that being an asshole pays off for him with his mother and has taken that behavior to all aspects of his life.
Pavlov as in Ivon Pavlov that came up with classical conditioning?
Yes.
I seem to remember him being shut down quite consistently, though. He always has some hair-brained idea or plan, but how often do they pay off in the long run?
It's funny you bring up being one of Palov's dogs when they had Cesar Milan the Dog Whisperer come on and literally *treat him like a dog* to sort his behavior out
@@i-never-look-at-replies-lol And with success to stress that. But his mother ruined it, once he realized, that Caesar didn't want to be friends with her, she was only a client to him.
And for some not precisely known reason she seems to have problems making adult friends, so she treats her son instead as a friend, not as a son and spoils him.
That is more confusing to me, because in the first and 2nd season, when Cartman tries to discover, who his father was, Mr. Garrison states, that everyone in South Park, including Jesus and the Catholic Priest, has slept with her. And besides sexual encounters, she seems to find common ground with e.g. Randy, when she buys Weed from him and has a deep talk with him.
Probably it is another twisted version of Eric's craving for being liked, he does it the shitty, authoritarian way, she aims for it for being super nice to the point of spoiling her son.
One of my favorite Cartman moments is in Season 20, when he's seemingly championing feminism the whole season, so focused on ensuring they're getting their dues that he will berate people for falling short of praising women any time women are discussed, "you forgot to say how smart and funny she is". But then when Butters and others start actually doing so, start respectfully acknowledging women at any opportunity, Cartman _isn't_ happy. Cartman didn't give two shits about feminism, he only cared about having an excuse to berate people, but now that everyone is adhering to the behavior he was berating them for lacking, he has nothing to berate them for, thus he's not happy. And apparently there are actually people like that, so defined by being persecuted and fighting back against that persecution that once they achieve acceptance, it's like "does not compute", they like have an existential crisis or something since their social programming is so geared towards a specific target that no longer exists. This is how you get mocked-up/fabricated charges and istophobia.
As for what I'd say about Cartman's "beliefs", he probably _thinks_ he's a Randian, but Randians think they're really talented hard-working people who deserve to be proportionately rewarded for their efforts without any leeches unjustly reaping the reward they didn't earn. Cartman thinks that too, but he doesn't actually do anything of any value, he's the leech who thinks himself a provider (which is frankly equally true of many Randians, so I guess it fits).
Greg is back, and that's good news for the world at large.
The hero we needed
Thanks, appreciate you noticed
I missed Thug notes
I believe meanwhile... in making the world better by RANDOMLY recommending RANDOM
Science-Channel and Education-Channel... Randomly!
May I?
@@superspiderdum I am so glad he's back in some form. I like to think he just appears when the topic interests him.
The more I hear about Ayn Rand, the worse she sounds.
Yeah the child murder thing was a new one
These days, she'd be a stripper, dating bikers that sell drugs.
I'm not a fan of her ideology, but they took what she said way out of context. Hickman is a good example. From what it sounds like (everything about him was from a personal journal, not a published work so it's a little muddy), she was toying with an idea of a story with a divergent character. Basically, this character would be presented with a number of choices throughout his life, and those choices could lead them to becoming a "superman". These choices would be inspired by the way society treated them. She was apparently reading all kinds of stuff about him as a child, and that gave her the idea.
Wisecrack hosts have very clear political leanings, every video of theirs there are points they don't understand and misrepresent or intentionally misrepresent.
@@dantedeluca978 That might be true, but Ayn Rand was still a morally reprehensible hag of a woman. I'd say she was even more vile than Hillary. 😂
The main difference between Cartman and the Randian heroes would probably be he's a low-functioning sociopath while they are high-functioning sociopaths.
Jake Paul is right out of a Rand book
i dont know how low functioning he is he can do high level scams sure he fails plenty of em but he has a brilliant work ethic. just no long term thinking skills or consequential conscience. something like bioshocks somewhat characture Andrew ryan. they can set plans and see them through but it falls apart because maintaining is more difficult and not their strong suit.
@@36inc Yeah, he and ehm Butters can be ridiculously enterprising (their being children not withstanding). It waxes and wanes as the show requires but on average, Cartman is a skilled and fairly clever tvtropes/ManipulativeBast*rd.
For a child he is pretty high-functioning.
In real life cartman would be elected president
BRO!! ITS THUG NOTES!!! You was my hero growing up.
"ohh wow poor people being arrested, what a rare occurrence"
hahahaahahaha i cant, i love cartmen
This my first time seeing this guy without the thug persona made reading so much better thank you Greg
It is in spite of the persona of Cartman, hopefully intentionally.
He's good without that fake persona. Better than Jared wanna be even.
You got a lot of watching to do
he turned a new leaf and got his life together
Yo I knew I knew him
Seems right on - the only critique I would offer is that around minute 15 there seems to be an implication that Matt & Trey, being libertarians, are trying to portray Cartman as "good". I think they use him to portray everything they think is evil, and I think they themselves are altruistic libertarians that believe in communities over governments and statist powers.
I think cartman represents what is basically the straw-man extremist view of what people would consider the worst parts of randianism turned up to 11. He's a characiture of what a truly, truly selfish person might look like. I think Cartman is the "don't be this guy." View Matt and Trey have of the weirdo bunker living libertarians.
right on libertairians liked a few objectivist princibles and discard alot of the unworkable elements.
libertairians would say "dont hurt no one, dont take their stuff" and apply that to the state as well as every individual. we dont believe in authority we believe in pure principle. almost like a golden rule philosophy that criticizes authority over all things. because the way we see it you do not create morality by way of authority. true ethics cannot be forced. and evil has infact never ceased just cause law and order. if anything it is simply attempting to monopolize violence and selfishness for a select few.
@@neomanrex What I find troubling is that we're starting to see 'Cartmans' in the real world on the right. The 90's sunglasses, the smirk, the pickup truck ... you know the type. The ones who take pleasure in the suffering of others, rolling coal to choke cyclists. They have no empathy and no humanity.
Then they would be the hippy libertarians, since Rand thought greed was good and altruism was immoral.
@@recompile What is this we? I don't see what you do. You seem to be creating a strawman based on personal bias and stereotypes. You seem to have a myopic view of the world.
I doubt even Cartman knows that he is. That Cesar Millan episode implied that Cartman isn't even human at his core, rather he has this...dark goop like substance that even Satan(The South Park version) wouldn't mess with. In the episode about the fish-dicks joke, we saw that not even Cartman can control how his mind words as it twists and changes whatever the hell he's seen or remembers to glorify himself, even if those new memories make no sense. Most likely, Cartman is just a collection of some of humanity's worse flaws given a selfish, short-sighted, desire driven, angry, hate-filled fat, little human form to f*ck with the world.
I'll buy merch when there's a "philosophy of" shirt
Yes!! That’s money. Good call.
If the town of South Park is a satire of society, then Cartman is Matt and Trey's satire of humanity. Cartman is a personified catch-all of something that the creators believe exists in all of us to some extent. I think they believe in that, philosophically, but it's mostly just good for storytelling. Having a pure narcissist exist in a society that is attempting to better itself (clumsily) is an endless fountain of story tensions.
I see you Wisecrack, dropping this on Stirner's date of birth no less
Well done as always Wisecrack team!
My boy beat the joker in a nihilist character score ayeeeeeeee
The alien from alien is number 7 😂😂😂😂😂😂
'Aye' is pronounced the same as 'eye', and means you understand, or yes.
Mom from Futurama beat em both 🤷🏾♂️
@@vonnieworld_HAF she cool tho at the end
Greg! I feel like I miss "Thug Notes" more now.
Same man. That's actually how I found this channel * Smiles in nostalgia*
Greg always throws fast and true. I need to watch this a few times, heavy and expansive words...
Jreg
The Philosophy is we are all Cartmen. Trey Parker and Matt stone said it themselves.
One of the things to bear in mind is that Cartman is a child, which means some inherent lack of empathy and prevailing selfishness. That's going to skew any of these results, as you are comparing him to adults.
he's a placeholder for adult beliefs and philosophies that the writers want to communicate, so the comparison is fair.
Sorta reminds me of that episode when Cartman's future self comes to Cartman to tell him that this is the day he turns it around. Cartman stops eating junk food, starts to study hard, stays away from drugs and alcohol, and then grows up to become the CEO of his own time travel company. Cartman then spites his future self by choosing to continue eating junk food when he wants and doing drugs when he wants because "that's right, I do what I want!" before Cartman's future self morphs into a fat loser. Totally something a John Galt or a Howard Roark would do czcams.com/video/-7EVT6IyFxk/video.html
Yeah! I'm a Kirkamaniac! Cool to see you here on this misrepresentation of Objectivism.
I really love that they create these beautiful videos when we all know most of these characters are just "wouldn't it be funny it A and B" "haha yeah let's do that"
Q: Does Cartman believe anything?
A: Yes...on himself.
And Hitler.
@@lainiwakura1776 and Mel Gibson
If a tree falls in the woods with no one to hear it does it make a sound.
Yes, because sound is just vibrations through a medium.
Wait. Is light a sound?
Incorrect... A sound is a secondary characteristic, which isn't objectively real. Thus, it does not
Cartman struck me as a sophist or perhaps a very dark absurdist.
So it was in a banned episode so this isn't well known but the worst part about him killing Scot Tennermens parents was that Scott's dad was his real dad. And when he found out, his only reaction was that he was mad that his dad is ginger.
Cartman's biggest problem is his inability to think about something other than himself. It causes much of his problems. For example, once he has an amusement park, he's unwilling to share it with anyone, because it's his park. Also, he tried to get Butters from going to Casa Bonita, because he couldn't stand that it wasn't him who got invited to Kyle's party, despite the fact that Kyle is 100% justified in not doing so, since Cartman treats him like crap on the regular.
The whole "I set my cause on nothing" ideology does resonate with me in a way, but at the same time, if all humans shared this 'egoist nihilism' mindset, society would fall to shambles...which to me implies either Sterner is very wrong, and very selfish for thinking that way, or he is very right, and the fact that society exists at all is a crime against nature and humans need to return to monke
Stirner was well aware that his philosophy would make society fall to shambles. And he was alright with it.
Isn't it in your own self interest that society not fall apart at least as long as you are alive?
@@tbk2010 the best example of that is Los Angeles
I think reading Stirner while informed by David Graeber's work is crucial now. For the majority of human history, societies were somewhat regularly formed, dissolved, remade, within a generation. People were in control, and we have a hard time understanding that today because of how stuck we've become in our (very large, heavily industrialized) societies.
Society is overated... let it burn to the ground...
Pretty accurate.
Gerg made me start reading classic literature
I was a nihilist when I was nine. I hated just about everything. i only believed in hatred
I've got to say, while Carmen's non-alignment with Sterner's version of Nihilism certainly doesn't exclude him from some form of Nihilism, watching him through a Randian lens is incredibly illuminating. I think the argument that "Cartman is Randian, thus not a nihilist" is a much stronger argument against his nihilism, than "If he isn't a nihilist in the Sterner tradition then he isn't a nihilist"
Fantastic video, this has really changed my view of Cartman!
I believe meanwhile... in making the world better by RANDOMLY recommending RANDOM
Science-Channel and Education-Channel... Randomly!
May I?
Seems to me he’s a Crowliest Hedonist.
I believe meanwhile... in making the world better by RANDOMLY recommending RANDOM
Science-Channel and Education-Channel... Randomly!
May I?
Cartman and you and this video as it is are all legendary. Thank you for the laughs
I believe meanwhile... in making the world better by RANDOMLY recommending RANDOM
Science-Channel and Education-Channel... Randomly! May I?
I super need this guy to be the voice of my e-book that I did not write yet.
Its the guy that broke down good books. I heard ur voice and im glad your well.. Keep kicking ass
Great video! Thanks. Cartman is closer to Randian than a nihilist. Mainly because Cartman clearly believes in deities and he thinks that they are concerned with his well-being. So in some sense Cartman believes the entire universe thinks he matters.
Just throwing this out there, your intro is utterly fantastic.. whoever did it and if it's you etc well done :-)
That transition question to the Merch was smooth af. genuinly impressed.
Cartman is extremely for himself and no one else. More than any other character I've ever known of.
Cartman seems like a Thelemic practitioner. "Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."
But he even fails at that. Crowley in particular did mention that it isn't just your own will but your best will. If anything, Cartman is just short-sighted.
This is such a brilliant intellectual breakdown of Cartman as a character. Thank you for producing content like this.
How can cartman be a nihilist? He's living his best life
He believes in himself
Also i really miss thug notes! You should be the new face of wisecrack! Do every video and do thugnotes again!
I love how you say “Kyle” just like Cartman does.
I love the Xenomorph is above Cartman as a nihilist. It's a stupid bioweapon lol.
Happy to argue but I disagree with that assessment of Ayn Rand. Her philosophy would not jive with cartman in the slightest. Full disclosure her philosophy is childish but childish in the same way anarcho-socialism is. “I want everyone to be this way so society should assume they are” type nonsense. That being said fundamentally it is a lie to say her philosophy does condones interactions without consent. Her capitalist thoughts make sense if you understand she is vehemently against the use of unauthorized force and religion, meaning the only framework left for society is what she sees as consensual interaction ie capitalism. Her hero’s are not psychopaths they are dedicated to their craft and refuse to compromise with undue authority, regulations designed to privilege one business over another for instance. Because consent is important to her there is no noble business that lies to make money you have to tell the truth and do the job to deserve the pay. Her ideal person is not merely a billionaire tycoon, as an example she takes time in her book atlas shrugged to praise the common working man who learns their craft and works to be the best version of themselves by the definition that the person holds for themselves. Dagney Tagerts brother, it’s been a minute since I’ve read it, marries a girl that is like a young Dagney full of potential but is later poisoned by the ideology of her brother who uses force to get his wealth. Her philosophy is about figuring out what you want and who you want to be then doing it with the consent of the people around you not running around like a sociopath feeding people’s parents to each other. And as a final not that but about linking a philosophical point to a child murder is guilt by association smear. Sterner said race was basically a social construction not to be focused on so did Mussolini that isn’t an argument that’s an association trying to get people to dismiss ideas. I don’t know why Ayn Rand is a trendy punching bag right now but that isn’t an excuse to straw man what she believed. If you think I’m wrong I’m happy to hear why you think so.
Thank you. I also don't value most of Rand's philosophy, but quite everything about her in the video was just wrong.
Embarrassingly wrong.
@@neomanrex you’re right I’m blushing, nothing makes me more embarrassed that a cartoon profile giving me a two word response telling me I’m wrong. I can’t believe I was so wrong, but you spelled it out so well that I just look stupid in hindsight. Thank god we have big brains like you on the internet correcting the dummies of the world. You sir are a hero. Go give yourself a pat on the back you little genius you.
@William Kline you know what’s interesting ? Replying to CZcams comments on my cell phone. It really is an experience.
And while I really do not want to take away from your response to me at all as I can see you put a lot of effort into it and had I been calling you embarrassingly wrong. Hen absolutely warranted.
However. I was replying to Ricardo z. Right above my comment and basically saying “not just wrong but embarrassingly wrong”.
So what we have learned is that. In essence. I agreed with everything you had said about rand and was simply chiming in to agree with Ricardo.
CZcams happened to just kind of order it oddly.
@@neomanrex that makes sense I’ve had issues with the order before. I try to tag whenever I respond to something somebody specifically says. I made the sardonic comment because your comment just looked like some shitty meme comment putting down an argument for no reason so i looked for a way to end the comment there. My bad for not seeing what you were trying to say. I appreciate you clearing that up.
Cartman strikes me as an objectivist.
Ayn Rand's cult 'philosophy' basically boils down to "do whatever benefits you."
Cartman is one of the most selfish characters ever fathomed, and objectivism is basically extreme selfishness.
Not really - you are supposed to do whatever benefits you as long as it doesn't hurt someone else.
@@davidle4546 and then they define "hurting someone else" to include trespassing but not killing indigenous people.
@@only20frickinletters then it's not really objectivism anymore.
@@davidle4546 Well, it's what objectivists argue.
@@only20frickinletters elaborate on that.
Hhahahaha it took me a minute to realize it’s the guy who used to do “thug notes.” Been a long time since I saw those. Love this!
Anyone else notice that Cartman was ranked just below the Alien from Alien on the most Nihilistic characters of all time table?!!!
"does Cartman make a bad nihilist, a better Randian, or both, or is he just a completely amoral fuck-up"
Lot of tautology going on here....
Well not really tautology, just questioning a guys behavior.
hahaha perhaps yes.
Neither, he pretty much worships Hitler.
I'd say that Cartman represents exactly the Objectivist doctrine.
He represents narcissistic sociopathy. He's just some personality disorders.
@@lainiwakura1776 narcisistic sociopathy is just a different way of saying that he believes in randian objectivism
@@MysteriXGamerMysteriXGamer The sub to contrapoints checks out.
Good to see you again, Greg!!
My my favorite wisecrack video in a while
I remember an interview with Matt and Trey where they said that originally Kyle and Stan were meant to be representative of them. Then they admitted that they're basically both Cartman now. So yeah, that tracks.
Yeah that makes sense, Matt's parents are named Gerald and Sheila and Trey's parents are named Randy and Sharon. But I would have guessed that they identify most with Randy in later seasons, or maybe Kyle. They portray Cartman in a really pathetic light in recent seasons, especially 20-21, whereas in the past his snivelling, self-victimizing nature used to be more balanced with moments of glorious scheming and domination. So what are they trying to say? They are self-victimizing crybabies? Or do they mean they are like the old Cartman from before season 19?
Mr. Sparky sweets at it again. Big up!
I immediately recognized your voice as the "Romeo and Juliet Thug Notes" guy, they showed your video from 2014 in my English class last year
This is the best episode of Wisecrack I've ever seen.
Imagine not knowing anything about Ayn Rand’s philosophy
He's the personification of his country.
Nope. Last I checked, we fought the Nazis, not worshipped them.
@@lainiwakura1776 You also nuked Japan, yet here you are with your weeb pfp and username.
Thank you Greg! Welcome back! You are awesome
I love your narration ... since Jared isn't that active with these I suggest wisecrack uses you to narrate these now
The far more important question though is obviously: "Is Cartman based?"
He is Crazed or Binge
Is he based on what?
No. His only positive quality is his hatred of hippies. He is a narcissistic sociopath and that automatically disqualifies him as anything cool.
@@lainiwakura1776 Sounds based to me.
I like Sterner's idea of nihilism, was definitely nice to learn about and gives yet another lens to the topic to ponder over.
The highest tribute to Ayn Rand, is that her critics must distort everything that she stood for in order to attack her. She advocated reason, not force; the individual’s rights to freedom of action, speech, and association; self-responsibility not self-indulgence, and a live-and-let-live society in which each individual is treated as an END, not the MEANS of others’ ends. How many critics would dare to honestly state these ideas, & say ’..and that’s what I reject?‘
The idea of thom yorke calling a teenager a crybaby is very ironic yet also fitting
Always great to see Greg on
Oh man, I missed this guy! Please bring back Thug Notes.
Abelism is not as 'far distant' as many think,
if you know what i mean.
You'd be surprised how close that fear is for people with Autism.
3:03 love how gillfoyle is at the #1 spot
I've heard Cartman is what Trey Parker and Matt Stone thought the character Archie Bunker would have been like as a child.
Yup
Thanks, Greg. I miss thug notes 🤧
Dude I see Cartman as no different than Donald Trump, he has no philosophy or ideology, he's only interested in two things: himself and his own self interest.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Donald Trump is basically grown up Eric Cartman.
@@aaronclift That's why I think Cartman should have been the Trump stand in, not Garrison.
Watch the pandemic special, even Cartman is nicer than Trump.
I am so glad to see my guy doing this vid!!!
I think the interesting thing about Rand is she isn't necessarily making an argument for ethics, but about rights and logic. If one actually thinks through the general idea of her proposed method of behavior, the interesting thing is Cartman provides the perfect example of why it would be itself enforcing for moral behavior. A disingenuous unproductive grifter who completely lacks empathy or the ability to show kindness would frequently find themselves on the end of having things blow up in their face and having nobody to turn to. In essence do what you want so long as it's not impinging on the freedoms or property of others, means that if you conduct yourself as you want to conduct yourself, your character is on display for everybody to see so the uncharitable unempathetic accrual man will have nobody to turn to in his time of need whereas the kind helpers will find help in abundance because others want to help them. Of course I'm not saying this is exactly how it would play out, but it is a fairly logical potentiality of that school of thought, and again it isn't completely devoid of its charm, that you should not be forced into doing things that you actively do not want to do because a collective is dictating that you must, this is the kind of argument that really applies nicely to taxes, people say that you don't want to support schools or roads or that you have no empathy for those in need, but you're assuming that's what your taxes go to, one could equally say that you don't support a bloated military budget that constantly involves itself in the affairs of other countries to justify itself and further generate profit at the expense of the taxpayer. This would create a situation where the only viable solution would be to selectively pay taxes that you agree with which is an impossibility for the government to agree to and keep functioning, or limit government spending to only activities that are universally agreed upon, which flies so contrary to deeply rooted special interests that it also will never happen. In essence the Randian philosophy is an interesting one that is largely impractical getting the realities of our world, and wouldn't necessarily result in a better system, but perhaps a more direct and open one where people's true feelings are more readily seen. If you actually read that small book, my kudos to you, please forgive any spelling and grammatical errors, I am using voice to text due to a unfortunate incident involving a pot of boiling water and my hands, and the program doesn't particularly care for my accent.
I've always seen Cartman as a highly vindictive and petty character with just a touch of arrogance which makes him too funny!!😂 I also always thought that all the above was just a cover up what he is lacking and that is he feel like he's inadequate compared to the rest of the group
It is. He was scared to get into a fight with Wendy after making fun of breast cancer because he was scared the other boys wouldn't think he was cool anymore if she kicked his ass. They never thought he was cool but he has himself to built up in his own mind, that he thought they thought the same about him.
Yes he does! He believes in Abraham and his followers
Your take on Cartman needing others to "be a real boy" reminds me of the story of Pinocchio.
Would you do a video on Pinocchio and what the story truly means?
So happy to see the other hosts popping in now and again!!
Speaking as a red-haired guy, I hate the word "Ginger." Just sayin'.
There's also daywalker, which Kyle is.
I'm sorry, I have no idea what that means.
I'm sorry but how is Bojack Horseman not on the "most nihilistic characters" list?
that is a good question
@@jiffylou98 Because he is a Positivism Nihilist. Believing despite it is a random "goddess" universe that if one makes up their own goals it will bring them happiness.
His goal was to be a better person who is also less lonely. And gave up on past goals like money, fame, and drugs. Despite failing at that goal over and over again in his life because of his self destructive and selfish choices.
@@covenawhite4855 It's optimistic nihilist.
@@mannyoftheeast3318 Thank you for the definition
Yo! I subbed to this channel YEARS ago back when thugnotes was just starting and always missed this guy and how accessible he made high school required reading 🥺
Please bring back Thug notes, but this time on modern classic novels. I've been waiting on this for so long.
Wow, this is one of the best explanations of the problems with Ayn Rand's ideas... and it's through the lens of South Park. I really love the insight, and especially the contrast with Sterner's philosophy. I'm not sure Cartman matches up perfectly with Randian ideals, though, as his morals seem to be very fluid through time, as some other commenters have pointed out.
9:19 *Something interesting I’ve observed is religious nihilism.* When someone decides that their world-view is the *only* valid world-view, and that you’re brainwashed or “buying into the system” if you don’t believe exactly how they do
I somewhat see things this way, but its not so much "your brainwashed if you dont see things the way i do". Its that i believe that doubt is a rational mans best tool, and that if one doesnt doubt even their own beliefs that they are essentially kidding themselves. I also pride myself on being able to suspend my disbelief to understand others. I guess i see myself as more buddhist than nihilist (in principle more than practice) because mitigation of suffering (for myself and loved ones) and enjoying myself is my top priority.
@@markop.1994 Why is enjoying yourself and limiting suffering a priority of yours? And why not more of (or only) one but not the other?
@@tann_man - Humans are instinctively social creatures, just most other simian races, thus the vast majority feel empathy for their fellow humans. That results in a desire to mitigate suffering.
@@tann_man well i have had a pretty good life so far and i feel like ive got a good head on my shoulders, but most of the people im close with either suffer from trauma, abuse, and/or drug addiction some recovered some still using. I used to use heroin and i quit cold turkey after a year of every day use, and i guess that shaped an idea of what real suffering is in my head. Like heartache and being sick, losing a loved one, feeling hopeless and lonely; these things suck. Even if im good and was a totally selfish person how could i see myself in the light i want to be seen if the people im close with, and enjoy being around, aren't also sincerely enjoying themselves too. I like games and making music because they are both communal activities but also are vehicles to present creative ideas and challenge them. I guess if i were to sum it up i believe in challenging ideas (different than believeing in nothing) and mastering skills simply to enjoy yourself and get the most out of the things you do.
Edit: just to clarify i would put this alongside religious nihilism because just as i promote challenging ideas so to will life (and the afterlife) most likely challenge our own. Thats my belief anyway
@@markop.1994 Congrats on quitting that's mad impressive. Maybe it went over my head so let me ask another question. Why should you act in the interests of others as opposed to your own?
Haven't had this channel on my suggesting awhile but I definitely miss this guy
Halfway through this video I realized you were the thug notes guy 😂 thanks for more help in school then half my teachers were willing to give me
The more I learn about Ayn Rand, the more I dislike her.
I just think rand is a hypocrite.
@@ADerpyReality She is. HUGE hypocrite who wanted everyone else to play by her rules...except her.
That thing about his ideology being don't tell me what to do explains why tray would make that awful smoking is not bad episode.
GREG! you inspired so much of my reading
Even when I clicked on this, I thought, “The only philosopher I can think of that Cartman would agree with is Ayn Rand.” And nihilism? Sure, I guess. But egotistical sociopath is closer. Cartman believes in the pursuit of his own pleasures way too much to be a nihilist.
Cartman being a Randian thinker is the most obvious conclusions i have never reached. Stellar video!
Ever since the Watchmen movie came out, I've seen and read up on plenty of critques of Ayn Rand. Enough to be almost swayed into thinking she was a blight to philosophy. But I've learned over the years that to truly determine if something isn't good or at least has short-falls, you have to take the time to read/view/discuss/etc. the work/person in question. Thus, this past year I embarked on reading her works of Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged. Turns out, they are all phenomenal books in prose, themes, characterizations, and plot. I tried even reading some of her actual non-fiction books on Objectivism (her philosophy which I feel like this video conflated with libertariansim which share a decent amount of aspects but are definitely not the same), but that was harder to swallow. My consensus is that people conflate her view of looking out for yourself foremost and taking personal responsibility with pride in your own work with that of selfishness (i.e. I will do everything I can for my own immediate benefit even to the dentriment of others). It isn't the same. The fiction books she wrote were more of a battle between individualism versus collectivism. But don't just take my word for it, go read them for yourself (especially anthem, you can knock that out over a cup of coffee) and make your own consensus!
they said in the video she was not a libertarian and called them hippies, her main claim in my opinion was hers was only truly rational philosophy
Cartman will do what ever benefits him the most, he even becomes Jewish when he realizes it’s “correct” they drop it right after but still, he will team up with anyone as long as his interests are met
Cartman subscribes to the philosophy of Cartman. End of story. Lol