Let's see: Stan is emotionally complex, Kyle is morally complex, Cartman is mentally complex and Kenny has a complex type of maturity... (Butters is a weird mix of the first three, mostly mentally and emotionally)
stan is emotionally complex in the sense that he’s just…extremely sensitive and empathetic. stan fits the ‘empath’ type pretty well; he’s not much of a fighter (unless it’s in regards to something he really values), he’s deeply empathetic towards animals, etc. but what’s kind of…unsettling, not about stan himself, but in regards to others, is that I see people often calling stan “weak” or a “pussy”, etc. because of how hard he takes break-ups, easily gets his feelings hurt, etc. both in the show, and fanon.
see, for the longest time, I too tended to view stan as the “sensitive” one of the group, but honestly, if you think about it, stan’s emotions aren’t even…that…over-reactive. they’re actually pretty normal and healthy (up until season 15, when he literally falls into a depression).
the unsettling thing about this, is actually the way kyle handles stan’s emotional highs and lows, because earlier on into the show, and even later on (“you’re getting old”/“assburgers”), kyle’s cold disregard for his hurt feelings and depressive mood swings, are actually eerily…detached and cruel. stan’s feelings are not invalid. I actually find his reactions to be the healthiest, of the group, even if he’s mentally plagued.
now, kyle…okay, so, here’s why I love kyle so much as a character: he’s self-righteous and holier-than-thou, with a superiority complex, as he leads himself on into the belief that he is morally sound member of the group…and yet, he’s one of the most insensitive and occasionally sociopathic characters on the entire show.
this is actually one of the reasons I take issue with the stan/kyle pairing — though kyle consistently tries to prove himself to be a sincere and generous character, he shows blatant disregard towards stan’s feelings. stan can’t handle visiting kenny in the hospital, as he’s terrified to watch someone he cares about on their death bed. he’s eight-years-old, at this point. there is nothing selfish about that. and yet, kyle calls him “selfish”, for it (“kenny dies” s5). stan is broken-up about being dumped by wendy. kyle calls him a “pussy”, and spends time with the other kids, instead (“raisins” s8). stan is depressed, his entire world perception is off, and his parents are getting divorced. kyle ditches him, and when wendy asks for help with stan, he literally tells her “his negativity is poison to him” (YGO/AB s15).
this is why I dislike a lot of the fan-content regarding kyle — people tend to erase these scenarios, as frequently as they’ve occured, and play kyle up as some…morally sound, genius boy…and a victim, when in reality, kyle often lacks the very most basics, of not just empathy, but sympathy.
kyle most often does good things, but not because he wants to do good things, he wants the recognition. in “toilet paper” (s7), kyle acts all high and mighty, and toilet-papering their art teacher’s house plagues his mind…but the moment he hears he can receive a “better offer”, he doesn’t give a shit. kyle doesn’t care about stan’s anti-bullying video, or butters’ “kissing” business, until stan starts getting positive attention and butters starts pulling in real money. then, suddenly, he thinks he has the moral high-ground.
“ginger cow” (s17) is such a good episode for this…it’s the perfect example of the classic kyle and cartman dynamic; the thing is, they’re both bad, in different ways: cartman is wrong in the sense, that he’s just looking for another new way to get under kyle’s skin. kyle is wrong, because his obsession with image and status (“I’m like gandhi!”), overrides his sincerity. I mean, even stan calls kyle out for his holier-than-thou uppity bullshit, in this episode. it’s ridiculous. kyle’s ego, will always outweigh his actual sympathy and moral values — this is the same reason why cartman can so easily manipulate him, into doing things kyle would otherwise consider morally corrupt. “crack baby athletic association” (s15), is such a good episode for this. kyle is furious upon discovering their organization, until cartman strokes his ego, and mentions money, too. then, “moral compass, kyle broflovski”, is suddenly all ears. kyle can be such a fucking egomaniac, and I feel like so often, people throw that part of him aside.
one thing, I would like to add: the highest form of irony, on behalf of kyle’s character, is the fact that while he lacks sympathy for stan, he can go all out for cartman, in that same regard. it’s actually…kinda hilarious, how the ONE person, that this conceited, fake-woke douchebag can show any real form of sincere empathetic feelings towards, is his “arch-nemesis”, eric fucking cartman.
cartman’s mental complexity, stems from…so many different places, I mean, I’m really not even sure where to start on this one. I could do any entire college thesis on cartman, and it would probably still be missing a whole lot of content. I’ll just try to remain as simplified as I possibly can:
what makes cartman such a highly ironic character, is that he’s the teetering on downright dangerous combination of being both overly-exposed and incredibly naïve. the perfect example of this, being his attitude in regards to love and sex.
cartman has an incredibly warped view on both. canonically, it’s been proven that he views it as an act of violence, rather than something loving, though he knows it’s often paralleled to a romantic setting. some select examples of this:
finding a kissing couple in the park, and accusing the man of “raping” her (ofc, this could just be cartman purposely looking for drama, too, but it’s a good point) (“The Coon”…s13, I believe)
his instant reaction to seeing tweek and craig preparing for a fight (s19), is to excitedly shout “they’re about to have sex!”
kyle having to explain to cartman, that your dad “fucking” your mother, is not a tragic backstory…parents have sex lovingly, to have children, etc. (TFBW)
upon finding out that sheila “cheated” on gerald with a UPS man, cartman insists that liane purchase a better security system, because he’s afraid she’ll be “raped” (“insecurity” s16)
I think cartman struggles with the concept of romantic sex, likely because he was exposed at such a young age. this aspect of his personality comes up in other context too; his racism typically presents itself in the form of sincerely blissful ignorance (i.e. “passion of the jew”, where both he AND kyle are manipulated by a misleading film, to the extent where cartman’s casual antisemitism manifests into true disillusioned hatred). another good example (and a good example of actual character development on cartman’s part, as twisted as it is) is cartman’s fixation on token and nichole, and wanting to set them up because they’re both black. he’s racist and ignorant, but he’s simultaneously incredibly naïve.
I’ve mentioned something like this before in another post, but cartman and butters are probably the two most repressed characters of the main five, which likely accounts for a lot of toxic masculinity. the difference being ofc, that butters is repressed by his environment, and cartman is typically more repressed by himself.
TXC is such a great example, of what is most likely, his repressed homosexual side, revealing itself. cartman is so, deeply in denial of so many aspects of his life. it’s actually really sad. there are many parts of him, that actually suggest sincere vulnerability. cartman is actually incredibly sensitive — he’s just, predominantly only sensitive to himself. but he does appear to possess a great deal of shame, in any buried “gay” parts within himself, as well as the side of him that loves stuffed animals, and tea parties, maybe even journalling and other typically “girly” or childish activities and interests. he’s self-hatred and self-sabotage, personified.
it’s also notable, that one of cartman’s biggest fears, is revealing self-sincerity. in “le petit tourette”, when he starts accidentally spilling secrets, he’s instantly thrown into a state of vulnerability and as a result, desperation and panic. this is likely due to:
liane’s lack of sincere affection and support towards him, when he’s upset (typically presented in earlier seasons)
embarrassment stemming from being used to getting rejected (in all aspects of life)
the only person who has actually given cartman a sincere amount of conscious affection, and a shoulder to cry on, is kyle, which indefinitely plays into their dynamic. just a note, I wanted to finish on, not planning on elaborating. this is intended to be singular character analysis.
now, kenny: kenny is, in a way…both a parallel of, and simultaneously the opposite of cartman. kenny’s overexposure comes in a different form, but while cartman’s has translated into trauma and a desperate need to grip onto parts of early childhood, in perhaps, a pathetic attempt to maintain more naïvety, kenny’s trauma, has translated into maturity.
people who have suffered traumatic events such as death, abusive, assault, etc. (kenny’s being domestic violence between his parents and literal death), typically tend to either have a warped world view (cartman), or an adapted perspective (kenny). what I mean by this, is that kenny has seen the very worst, the world has to offer, and from that it translated into compassion and a protective side of himself.
this is most likely why kenny has such high empathy. he doesn’t trivialize other people’s issues like kyle does. he doesn’t project and repress like cartman does. his traumatic experiences have translated into positive traits (not that it would ever justify any of his suffering). best examples of kenny’s compassionate attitude; the way he treats butters in “going native” (s16), and ofc, the way he looks out for karen and puts her happiness and safety before his own needs and wants (several episodes, see The Coon episodes, “the poor kid” (s15 finale), and s19).
ofc, this is all pretty funny, in comparison to the other side of kenny’s “maturity” in earlier seasons, which like cartman, reveals itself in sexual over-exposure (although it’s hinted that this is because of his fathers’ porno-mags, rather than cartman who has actual firsthand experience). two sides of a coin, I guess.
I wish I could say more about kenny, I really, really do, but unfortunately I’m scrapping the bottom of the barrel for content with him.
I don’t even put this much effort into homework, unfortunately, but if you made it to the end of this essay, congrats, and as usual: there are just my own, personal thoughts and interpretations.