# Who's more screwed up, Milhouse or Butters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035 "2005-03-11T15:44:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/21 "2005-03-11T20:45:07Z")
I’m not sure it would be fair to pit Ralph against Butters. I mean, there’s clearly something wrong with Ralph. Some people have suggested that he’s got some kind of developmental disease. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/22 "2005-03-11T20:54:01Z")
It’s all relative. In the South Park universe, nearly EVERYBODY has killed people, so Butters doing it isn’t all that strange. Compared to all the people that are around him, Butters is probably the mentally healthiest person around. Conversely, on The Simpsons, Milhouse is definitely poised to become a crazy murderer that tries to create the perfect zombie gay lover and keeps vulvas in a bucket. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/23 "2005-03-11T20:54:20Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I’m not sure it would be fair to pit Ralph against Butters. I mean, there’s clearly something wrong with Ralph. Some people have suggested that he’s got some kind of developmental disease. Ralph will grow up to be another Homer. Means well, but crammed too many crayons up his nose. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/24 "2005-03-11T21:03:32Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > Conversely, on The Simpsons, Milhouse is definitely poised to become a crazy murderer that tries to create the perfect zombie gay lover and keeps vulvas in a bucket. Just the image I needed while finishing up my late lunch. Bucket of Vulvas… 😉😉 ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/25 "2005-03-11T21:04:26Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > It’s all relative. In the South Park universe, nearly EVERYBODY has killed people, so Butters doing it isn’t all that strange. Compared to all the people that are around him, Butters is probably the mentally healthiest person around. > > Conversely, on The Simpsons, Milhouse is definitely poised to become a crazy murderer that tries to create the perfect zombie gay lover and keeps vulvas in a bucket. Certainly a valid appraisal, thought I see it differently. Milhouse will be a hapless loser, desperate to please anyone who will give him attention. Butters is the one I see more likely to turn sociopathic and begin keeping people as pets. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/26 "2005-03-11T21:10:11Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > Butters is probably the mentally healthiest person around. Does he still have his own show? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/27 "2005-03-12T00:21:19Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Does he still have his own show? Everyone knows it’s BUTTERS! Let’s not forget that butters is yelled at by his parents for the way his face looks, and he apparently wakes up and goes to sleep by the sounds of his own screams. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/28 "2005-03-12T00:25:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Milhouse will be a hapless loser, desperate to please anyone who will give him attention. Butters is the one I see more likely to turn sociopathic and begin keeping people as pets. Come on, Butters lives in a town where fat kids kill young teens’ parents just to get even, men get freakish plastic surgery to be turned into a dolphin, local Jewish mothers start wars with Canada, and kids chat with a sentient log of poop. He’s DEFINITELY one of the less freakish ones. I guess that’s the beauty of South Park… everybody, everything is fucked up beyond belief. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/29 "2005-03-12T03:05:28Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > I guess that’s the beauty of South Park… everybody, everything is fucked up beyond belief. Well, it _is_ Colorado… ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/30 "2005-03-12T05:22:20Z")
I’d still take Milhouse over Ralph. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/31 "2005-03-12T05:48:06Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > Ralph will grow up to be another Homer. Means well, but crammed too many crayons up his nose. I think you forget about the Leprechaun who tells Ralph to burn things. Ralph is one messed up little dude. It is beyond being mentally challenged there are some serious issued with that rolly polly kid. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/32 "2005-03-12T09:02:13Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > No. He got 7 or 8 the first time … Depends on how you count: one of the women was pregnant, and two family members commited suicide after the tap tragedy. :eek: (That’s one of my favorite episodes…) ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/33 "2005-03-12T09:20:53Z")
Plus Milhouse eventually becomes Presidential chief of staff or press secretary or something(I’m not sure they ever explained his role for Lisa). Butters doesn’t have that. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/34 "2005-03-12T09:21:30Z")
I’d agree that, even with all he’s gone through so far, Butters seems fairly well adjusted. And Milhouse, despite NOT going through the over-the-top horrors Butters has, actually seems a bit more “off” than Butters does. (At least, that’s how he was the last time I checked the Simpsons. Which was awhile, admittedly.) I rather think that says something about the strength of their respective psyches. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/35 "2005-03-12T14:14:47Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > I think you forget about the Leprechaun who tells Ralph to burn things. Maybe, but remember “I am evil Homer, I am evil Homer”? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035/36 "2005-03-12T14:45:21Z")
This probably ranks low on his tally of traumas, but Butters also has to cope with his birthday being September 11. Still, Butters seems to me like the type who will be successful in what he does, whether it’s living happily or slaughtering the entire state of Colorado. Milhouse is just a miserable loser. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-more-screwed-up-milhouse-or-butters/294035.md?page=1)