Mitchell "Mitch" Conner, also referred to as Jennifer Lopez (pronounced Hennifer Lopez), is Eric Cartman's left hand; given a personality, backstory, and a painted-on face. He appears in "Fat Butt and Pancake Head", "200", and "201". He is mentioned in "T.M.I.".
Background
When Cartman is required to give a report on the effect of Latino culture on the arts in America, he says that he has a special guest: Jennifer Lopez. However, the real Jennifer Lopez does not show up; Cartman merely does a ventriloquist act with his hand acting as the head of "Ms. Lopez". The racism of Cartman's report is quite obvious and upfront. His "Ms. Lopez" hand puppet has a heavily caricatured Mexican accent and constantly talks about eating tacos and burritos, which are Mexican dishes, despite the fact that Jennifer Lopez is Puerto Rican. "Ms. Lopez" is also completely incapable of pronouncing the "J" in her name (which Cartman tries to correct unsuccessfully). Despite this, the board of Hispanics give him first place for having the best report, and he wins a $20 gift certificate at the mall.
While at the mall, Cartman's hand demands to make a music video at a music store, which gets the attention of Hollywood Record executives. They proceed to hire "Hennifer" because she's supposedly younger and more attractive then the real Jennifer Lopez, who is furious at being replaced. When the Hand-Lopez then steals her then-boyfriend Ben Affleck, the real Lopez goes insane and attempts to murder both the hand and Cartman.
Mitch Conner as Hennifer Lopez.
Caught between the psychotic Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, the record executives and the police, "Hennifer" reveals herself to be a male con-artist named Mitch Conner. Mitch confesses to playing everyone for chumps, before "killing himself" by taking a cyanide pill. (In truth, Cartman just opened his hand). Cartman explains that the whole thing with his hand taking on a personality was real, stating "Look, I don't care what you guys believe. But with all the crazy stuff that goes on in this town, isn't it possible, just possible, that something I don't understand happened here?" When the others concede that maybe there that it could be believable, Cartman reveals it all to be an elaborate prank he did to screw with Kyle, Stan, and Kenny.
However, "Mitch/Hennifer Lopez" returns in "200". When the celebrities that South Park has wronged over the years plan to take revenge against South Park by filing a class-action lawsuit, Cartman appears amongst them with his hand again dressed up like Jennifer Lopez. Despite having Cartman with "her" the other celebrities immediately welcome her into the group and reveal their plans.
Apparently their plan was to join in on the lawsuit to get money, but Cartman's hand instead wants to help the celebrities steal Muhammad's power of not being ridiculed and sell on the black market. When Cartman refuses to go along with it, Mitch tempts him with the truth of who Cartman's REAL father is. Cartman initially doesn't believe Mitch, stating that his mother Liane Cartman is his father. Mitch explains that the story fed to him was a lie, and that the tests were faked. They then go to Mr. Garrison so as to meet with Mr. Hat, Garrison's old puppet teaching assistant who was disregarded shortly after Mr. Garrison came out as gay. Claiming to be old war buddies, Mitch and Cartman force Garrison and Mr. Hat to admit that the tests were tampered with, and prepare to reveal the truth.
At the end of "201", Cartman's father is revealed to also be the father of Cartman's arch-foe Scott Tenorman, and a member of the Denver Broncos, Jack Tenorman. As everyone is recovering from the events of the two-parter, Mitch says goodbye to Cartman, explaining that there is a bounty on him and that he can't stay in one place for long. Before leaving however, he consoles Cartman who is horrified, not by the fact that he caused the death of his own father during the events of "Scott Tenorman Must Die", but instead by the fact that his own father is a ginger. Mitch however reminds Cartman that although he might be part ginger, he was also part Bronco, which cheers up Cartman considerably. Cartman opens his hand once again and Mitch disappears.
Appearance
Mitch is Cartman's left hand with eyes drawn on it. As Hennifer Lopez, Mitch wore a brown wig and pink lipstick.
Personality
While Mitch seems to act mostly in self-interest, he does seem to be empathetic, comforting Cartman at the end of "201". Whether Mitch is himself or Jennifer Lopez, he is a real chatterbox.
Sentience
During "Fat Butt and Pancake Head", Cartman initially seems intent on just doing a comedic and insulting bit by doing a ventriloquist bit with his hand. However as the episode progress, Cartman begins to behave as if his hand is really a living being, arguing with it, and even doing things that he would normally never do, such as jerking off Ben Affleck on multiple occasions or allowing himself to be physically assaulted by Jennifer Lopez; at one point during the episode, the doctor examining Cartman's broken hand tells Liane that his injury is the least of his problems and that he "appears to be completely insane." This appears to be a psychotic break on Cartman's part, though he deems it as being something more than that when confronted by his friends. At the end of the episode, he states it to be somewhat of a prank, saying "I got you kinda, I got you kinda." Implying either he made up Mitch Conner and then Mitch developed a conscience, or Mitch Conner came to him and told Cartman who he was and dressed as Jennifer Lopez to win the $20 dollars for Cartman, and secretly screw with Ben Affleck and the real Jennifer Lopez. Cartman saying he kinda got Kyle, Stan, and Kenny means that Mitch might have told Cartman what he was doing but did not tell Cartman who he really was or what he was secretly up to, when Kyle had asked Cartman "Who is Mitch Conner."
However in "200", Cartman begins doing the Mitch Conner/Hennifer Lopez bit again. However unlike last time, he seems more driven by money, and his friends have absolutely nothing to do with his plan or even interact with him and Mitch. Cartman again proceeds to have arguments with the hand (even alone in a room where nobody could hear them), and it seems that the hand has knowledge of things that Cartman does not, such as the truth about his father. The fact that Cartman's hand is acting more independently and has knowledge Cartman lacks, suggests that either Cartman has gone completely insane, or like Mr. Hat, Mitch Conner may in fact be somewhat sentient.
Quotes
- Mitch: "I h'am H'ennifer Lopez. And I like Tacos and Burritos!" (from "Fat Butt and Pancake Head")
- Mitch: "When you eat, food comes out your backside too Chullo!" (from "Fat Butt and Pancake Head")
- Mitch: "I wonder... Will I dream?" (upon supposed death) (from "Fat Butt and Pancake Head")
Trivia
- Most of the times Mitch Conner talks, Cartman opens his mouth just a little. However in episode "200", while Cartman is walking down the sidewalk, Mitch asks him, "What the hell do you think you're going, kid?" with Cartman's mouth completely shut. The same thing happened again in "201", shortly before Cartman shoves a flashlight up Mitch's "mouth".
- In "201", after Kyle said to Cartman, "Stop talking with your stupid hand," Mitch Conner replied, "Who are you calling stupid, Jew?" Cartman was seen talking with his mouth moving while making Mitch respond to Kyle, which hints at sentience.
- In 200, Mitch Connor seems to know more about Cartman's father, than Cartman himself. When Connor states to Cartman about never knowing who his father was, Cartman is surprised. However, Mitch Connor 'knew' that they had to turn to Mr. Garrison.
- Whenever Mitch leaves, Cartman simply opens his hand and flutters his fingers slightly.
- In "T.M.I.", Cartman uses Mitch Conner as an alias when informing the psychologist's wife of a fictitious webchat with a fourteen-year-old girl that causes her suicide. This may confirm him as only an identity and not a separate being, but it seems to go against "200" and "201", which could mean he is merely "honoring" Mitch Conner by using that name.
- Mitch Conner said he was in the Vietnam War; Cartman said in "Volcano" that he was having a flashback from when he was in 'Nam. It is unknown whether or not these are connected.
- Mitch Conner and Hennifer Lopez are parodies of ventriloquist Señor Wences and his hand puppet Johnny.
- In "200", when Cartman and Mitch Conner are talking in Tom Cruise's closet, Mitch's "eyes" can be seen blinking.