South Park's Midlife Crisis 

Never change Johnny, Or do i guess

I remember Randy’s delivery of the line “because I’m unhappy okay?!” breaking me. I was so used to South Park being so comical and not serious and then suddenly it was all just so deep, depressing and honestly relatable. I find “You’re Getting Old” incredibly sad because it’s very much how I feel as a teenager transitioning into adulthood.

Wish they’d bring Stan’s depression back. Especially now that the bro ship has once again split up

I'm still surprised that they didn't call Randy's farm "Marsh Mellow Farms"

As any South Park fan with depression will tell you, these episodes are wonderful and honestly make two of the best episodes to come out. It's nuts to have South Park out of anything speak to you on a level more personal than any other media but that's the truth of it. South Park is an honest and real show and I'm grateful for it

I want Stan’s depression to make a come-back in the newer seasons after his friend group broke up.

These two episodes are what solidified Stan as my favorite character honestly. I always loved him, but he was so relatable here and I felt for him so much. He’s one of the more subdued personalities but to me he’s one of the most compelling of the bunch.

this episode has always struck a chord with me. as someone who is autistic, has depression, and whose parents are separated.

It'll be interesting to see where they take the four boys. Maybe they could do something similar to the "Meteor Shower Trilogy" where each boy get's their own episode where they try their own thing. I'd imagine that Cartman would try and set up his own group but everyone hates him (except Butters) so he ends up with Butters but he's both annoyed yet glad he has a puppet. And with Kenny, he would be the straight man of his family trying to make things better. I'm not sure what they could do with Stan and Kyle though.

“How do you go on when nothing makes you happy?” 🥺

I was exactly Stan when this aired. Parents divorced, i moved, everything seemed shitty, and my drinking problem got worse. These episodes hit me deep

Semi-serialized story telling is what people crave now, south park changed the game when they tried and imo did make it work in more recent seasons. Rick and Morty is now suffering from that, the creators don't want to make it serialized yet make decisions that show they still want a show that progresses the characters in some way. Maybe making a show run in circles is just a thing of the past, maybe we need TV that tries to say something in this landscape of 20+ seasons run of multiple series. No need for them to preach, but they can still say something worth their airtime. Who knows, maybe cartoon sitcoms are changing for good.

Stan's depression was had me crying so hard, everything he said about not being happy felt so real to me. When south park get really serious it's done so well and I wonder who felt this way when the script was written. It may sound corny but I hope that Trey and Matt know that these moments of south park are greatly appreciated.

Since Randy openly admitted that he's an unhappy person back in You're Getting Old, it makes sense why he's on the path he's on now. He doesn't care if the family hates living at Tegrity Farms, all that matters is that HE'S happy and that HE'S "successful." To make things even bleaker, Sharon can just leave Randy like she did in You're Getting Old because she knows that she'll just be brought back to his doorstep sooner or later

DUDE YES I absolutely love Stan’s arc and everything they did with him here. I wish so hard that they’d touch on this again but being South Park, it’s very unlikely.

You're Getting Old is THE episode I point to when the topic is mentioned of TV shows addressing depression. It hit the nail on the head better than anything I've seen

Just finished college and I feel exactly like Stan. I’m moving away from my hometown too and starting all over again. I am uncertain and somewhat depressed but also a little hopeful about my future

I honestly love the direction South Park went in. The sitcom style was definitely getting old and its interesting to see actual storylines

As a middling liberal I'd always had a longstanding love-hate relationship with South Park, but I'd watch it because it was an alternate perspective through an accessible medium true to the feelings of the guys writing it. "You're Getting Old" was the last episode I saw because it totally did feel like an appropriate end to the show even if it was bitter as far as series finales go. Stan just accepting that life is shitty but putting on a brave face and just going with it seemed like very on-key messaging for Parker and Stone. I was surprised sometime later to find out the series hadn't ended because that ep just had such a sense of finality to it.

With the exception of Season 20, when South Park does serialized stories they do it pretty well and with the Vaccination special, I think they might’ve found their balance between sticking to real life and doing what they want to do

I remember watching this when it aired and being genuinely concerned the show would be ending. Definitely left an impact on me.

I grew up with South Park. I was the same age as the kids when it first aired and man, that episode shook me. It's still one of my favorites.

Didn't expect to be this deep in the feels over South Park of all things today, but the just absolutely defeated way Stan delivers the line "I've been unhappy for a long time", that shit destroyed me.

I'm could get used to these regular uploads, Johnny. You turn out consistently good content, and that's what I appreciates about ya.

You know, I honestly am happy they are continuing, but at the same time. I wouldn't be mad at all at this point if South Park had a conclusion where the boys grew up and went their own separate lives, and we never saw them again aside from maybe a reunion years down the road. Its one thing that makes something like Bojack Horseman feel like a timeless classic, it had the conclusion it deserved. If I had a chat with Matt and Trey, I would let them know if they wanted to retire the show, its okay with me. Matt and Trey deserve their own retirements as well.

I love South Park and when I first saw this, I thought the series was gonna end, and I was okay with that; the episodes were THAT well-done.

Man, I really needed this video. I grew up watching southpark with my father and the show has always meant so much to me. I hear a lot of negativity about the shows new direction as of late and it bothered me. I enjoy the direction it's going and as I get older and understand the actual underlying messages of each episode I enjoy it much more. So glad others feel the same.

The mid season finale had me in actual tears even on the re-watch! Like I knew it wasn't over. But I was still bawling

This is the second Episode that changed the course of South Park forever in my Opinion. The first was "Kenny dies" in Season 5. The Episode marked the end of the "Kenny dies every Episode" Joke and it marked the start of side Characters stepping into the Focus of Episodes. Most notably Butters who became a reglar focus for Episodes. On another note.. i think Serialization of the seasons was one of South Parks best moves ever. Season 18 and onwards feel so damn good. Its fun to see Characters evolve, the City changing and i think it gives Matt and Trey so much breathing room. I cant wait to see what crazy antics they have in store for us in the future.

This episode killed me when I first saw it, and I can't hear Landslide now without feeling down. I never thought about it from Matt and Trey's perspective then; that only came after reading episode reviews. It just hit me at the right time in life to hit me hard. And now that I've hit middle-age, thinking about this episode hits me even harder. I actually started tearing up during that clip of Randy's dialog near the end.

I wonder how much present day Sharon regrets getting back with Randy

Im a simple man I see south Park I click immediately!

Johnny Thank you for everything man, keep the videos going, they are always great

You're Getting Old will always mean so much to me and make my heart hurt. Stan is my very favorite character and what he was going through when that episode first aired, I was going through too. My parents split and I had to move into a new apartment with my dad. I still think the show would have been great with these changes for Stan. There's so much potential for stories with Sharon and Randy divorced. Stan living with his mom. Going between both parents. Visitations with his dad. I would have much more enjoyed that than what the show is now. I think the whole Tegridy Farms thing is almost as bad as the political mess that was season 19/20. It's made Randy into an uncaring selfish ass. He used to be funny. Now I groan whenever he's on screen. And the boys 'breaking up' made me very sad. I like the potential of stories that could come from it but at the same time, Stan and Kyle were best friends. Those two are the glue to the broship. Changes are fine as long as it works. Then again a lot of fans like the simple humor of Randy running a pot farm. So who knows...

The 'You're Getting Old' episode is a metaphor. It's done through the eyes of a child but it's really about that age where you realise your own mortality, that of your loved ones/friends and start to ask yourself if this is all there is and if so, what's the point in it all? It's the moment you truly become an adult and once you've gone though this stage, you can never go back. Most people cope by looking back to the past and how things used to be but it's a double edged sword as it only reminds you of how much everything has changed and how you can never go back (ergo the Stevie Nicks song in the episode). The age in which you go though this ranges but it's typically your late 20's with 30 being that phycological barrier rapidly approaching. It's a temporary state of clinical depression that with most people, fades as they progress through their 30's and start to accept life for what it is. This is why this episode is by far the saddest episode and leaves you thinking long after it has finished.

It's funny that you discuss this episode. It's been on my mind a lot the last few weeks.

You are so passionate about this shows. It is great to see your content. Happy weekend Johnny 🥳

great video as always dude, always hyped to see you talk about south park :)

Back in 2019 I made it my mission to watch all of South Park, as I had never seen it much as a kid. It took me like the whole year to get through all 20ish seasons at the time. It was a wild ride. Then I went through Bojack, and currently season 3 of the Simpsons. Having amazing commentary like this to reflect on the shows really helps. I've really enjoyed these videos, especially the Bojack ones. Keep up the good work!

I never noticed this growth! Thanks so much!

Your South park and king of the hill videos are the best love them keep the up💯

That episode really ripped my heart out. Makes me realize South Park just can’t ever go away, because they’re a huge part of my sanity

Awesome video!!

Always love your shared observations and commentary. ❤

Congrats on (pretty much) 150k

Wish your videos on South Park got more views, they’re fantastic.

Awesome video man!

Trey and Matt are amazing, this show is incredible, damn!

Just got into the podcast, awesome stuff guys, keep it up!

This is hands down my favorite episode of South Park. The first time I saw it it was the first time seeing South Park where I went "YES, YOU GET IT, I UNDERSTAND THIS COMPLETELY". While many see the episode as being commentary from Matt and Trey about how they don't feel happy pumping out content for the show, I saw it as a cautionary tale about how if you let the hands of time turn everything you loved into meaningless trash due to mid-life cynicism it WILL destroy you and will drive you to some really dark places and isolate yourself from people. It's a very real thing that happens when people suffer from depression and when I first saw this episode I was unemployed, depressed and stuck in a rut so I got this message loud and clear. Yeah, I know the episode also has a president duck that shoots crap out of his mouth but the big takeaway for me was that there are things that the passage of time will inevitably change, but how we view life is something we control ourselves, and this episode proved that when Matt and Trey are not trying to put on a biased take on anything they can deliver on an emotional level.

I can't decide what the best part of this episode was to me in a more meta sense. I love the idea of taking the phrase "x Looks/sounds like shit" and made it a tangible thing in the episode. The way it's portrayed I feel is a statement in & of itself, that the fact that everything seems to be the worst is not a good mindset for anyone's wellbeing. I found it to be a relatively subtle reminder to appreciate things, or at least to try enjoying things. The unappealing nature of things (literally) turning to shit is also a really good interpretation of how being depressed is like, and for me I was desperate to see Stan get out of it the same way I do with my friends. It's not the fact there is literal faecal matter surrounding Stan, but what it represents, that emptiness that a lot of people in that situation would probably feel too. I also really like how the mid-season break was used to trick the audience into thinking the show was over. I'm personally not sure if it was meant to be that way but it worked extremely well. The concept of an episode in a show so meta could have so much value from the feelings of the creators' new lack of enjoyment was truly nice, like I understood the message without it feeling out of place or undeserved. I love the way these episodes are written in a way that is very much on the brand of South Park while also adding very insightful ways to see how the writing team is feeling. This show is so amazing & I absolutely love the way it can be so silly and yet so deep!

One of my big takeaways from this episode is that if Asperger's properly existed in the South Park universe, then Stan would probably have it. And considering he was already the character I related to the most, that added a lot to everything else that was in this episode. I kinda wish they didn't spend so much time making fun of the name though, because it was too easy a joke to make, and it made me very glad that growing up people didn't know I had Asperger's.

Your videos are so incredibly insightful

I saw that you’re getting old episode my last year of high school and it hit purdy hard

made my life just that little bit better watching your take on the episode.

South Park is absolutely hilarious, but what really hooked me on the series was how episodes like these manage to be so honest and unfiltered. It’s incredibly rare to find shows that are still so heartfelt and different after twenty four seasons. This show is so special💛

Excellent work

I would pay about tree fiddy for more South Park videos, my man. Keep up all the great work!

Last year i almost cried when watching this. I was depressed, I lost a lot of friends and my parents were going through a messy divorce which involved abuse and restraining orders that was ongoing for three years. And I was also drinking a lot to cope with all of of it. This episode really hits me in the feels and always will. Also stan has an alcohol issue, and even at the end when everything resets we see stan take a shot before hanging with the boys, which ties in to the dystopian future where stan is an alcoholic which is great writing!

i loved these two episodes so much, and made me love stan even more. as someone who heavily shows signs of depression but my parents don’t believe in that and my parents are split up this hit home😟😟🤞

Oh cool another South Park video. I always like these

great video thank you

I never really kept up with south park so I hadn't heard of this episode before. Wow, it hits deep, especially after the past year where everything really does just feel like shit. Wish there was a follow-up episode on how Stan stopped feeling that way. I'm struggling with it myself. Great video.

Two videos in one week? This is amazing!

I was binge watching south park these past 6 weeks but after season 15 i actually had to take a break for two days because episode 7 and 8 were such huge downers and nearly made me cry while watching them. i thought it`d be fine after the second half of season 15 but no. i was still sad. got back on track after those two days though and the next two and a half weeks went without any greater interruptions. i finished the show a few days ago

I've said it before, but "You're Getting Older" made me cry. Every time someone asks me if I've ever cried at a show/movie, I have to tell them that the only time it's ever happened was because of South Park.

I related so much to this episode I don’t enjoy things anymore and it destroys me inside I want to love things but I’m changing I can’t stop it

So this is legitimately one of my favorite episodes (both of them) as I really related to Stan: I actually do have Aspergers, I'm very afraid of change, and I became much more cynical & depressed in my early-mid 20s. This episode legitimately helped me realize things about myself and actually helped me push back against the cynicism and cut out a lot of the negativity in my life (it didn't help the depression but that's a whole other thing). Also this episode made me love the song Landslide. Back in the early 2000s my family loved and repeatedly played the Dixie Chick's cover, which plays the song much more upbeat and positive. Well around that same time us and a bunch of other family members moved, we lost a few other family members, and there was just a lot of unwanted changes going on in my life so a song that felt like it was painting change in a positive light just made me hate it more (I was in a very "Anti-Country music" phase already). This episodes themes along with hearing the much more melancholy & bittersweet tones of Stevie Nicks made me reevaluate and fall in love with the song (still hate the Dixie Chicks version).

They kinda didn’t like having to just reset after the thing they set up at the end of the episode, so they made the idea that it was a big bummer that stan’s parents just inexplicably almost immediately got back together. It reflected the bummed out feeling that they had to do that on the very next episode after setting up an emotional and dramatic ending in the previous episode.

When this episode first aired, I was really bummed out afterward. I used to hate this episode. South Park is (tied with Seinfeld for) my favorite show, and I hated the idea of it ending, especially on such a sad note. I could tell even back then at age 16 that this was likely an allegory for how Matt and Trey felt about working on South Park at this point in their career, and as much as I understood where they were coming from, it didn't make me feel any less sad and worried. Could also be the Fleetwood Mac song which has always been a tearjerker for me. And what made me feel even worse was the cliffhanger we were being left on. Not since Hey Arnold was there anything like that that made this emotional. This could have been me being a naive kid, but I remember being worried there wouldn't be any new episodes after and that this was it. I was glad that Ass Burgers tied up all the loose ends, but in the back of my mind, I had a feeling things wouldn't be the same. Not until recently was I able to change my mind. For the better part of 3-4 years, I felt like Stan when he asks Mr. Mackey "How do you go on when nothing makes you happy?" Well, after the loss of a couple friendships last year, coupled with an incoming move, I finally had the epiphany Stan did where you sometimes need to take a left turn in life, and I feel happier because of that. And this got me to appreciate these two episodes more. Only difference being there wasn't a reset like Randy showing up in a moving truck saying that he and Sharon worked everything out. It would have been nice to have something like that, but you don't need it. A big part of 2020 was me coming to terms with that fact, and that's why I don't hate this episode anymore.

7:46 I don't even watch South Park, but my God was that powerful. I don't even need to see the whole episode to feel the impact of that

I like the newer seasons, too. Great video.

Stan became my favorite character after these episodes.

Love that randy is wearing carhart

you're getting old is my dog's favourite episode of south park

When I think about this episode I see myself in stans position in fact I cry at the landslide montage I just turned 21 and recently moved out of my family's house and I think it was on my birthday when I realized I was on my own there was no one to wake me up no siblings to give me drawings of me they made no one making breakfast I was alone and I still see them regularly but I feel like this still like I'm not happy anymore and I don't know what to do this episode helps show me that alot of people feel like this and that's ok

the ending was just, amazing.

Trey and Matt are so punk rock they rebelled against their own show. Best episode ever.

I think it might actually represent something even deeper. It might represent Trey's feelings that maybe the show would be better without Matt. Maybe he feels like Matt is dead weight that he's carrying and he's unhappy about being the driving creative force, yet having to share the credit with Matt. When asked about what Matt does, he admits that Matt doesn't do much, and when asked why he doesn't get rid of Matt he says that Matt's main contribution is just being his friend and contributing an idea here and there. He also says that he's afraid that without Matt, the show would just start being shit, like when Van Halen got rid of David Lee Roth. But, the only song that sounds good in the episode was made by Fleetwood Mac after the founding member left and new musicians joined them, pushing them to greater success. Perhaps, the episode was actually about Trey considering abandoning his longtime friend and partner, but by the next episode they got back together and pretended that those doubts and feelings never existed to maintain the status quo.

What is your end card song 🤣 whatever it is makes all of the videos worth it

You’re Getting Old is one of the only South Park episodes that made me cry

Lowkey, I haven't re-watched "Your getting Old" since it first aired. That episode was so saddening to me, shit made me dead ass cry when I first saw it, and never wanted to see it again. I legit skip over it every time I rewatch season 15. Maybe it was the Song, paired with the end montage. But man, that episode bummed me out hard. Great storytelling though. But yeah, that one hit hard for me.

As someone with depression I can both relate to stan and randy, its very strange

Been scared of ageing lately this video help

The recent 'specials' have been a good creative and structural break for the shows production. It feels like the whatever they do with the christmas special will logically consolidate the depression, election, and covid. I feel like the time could be right to go oldschool with the *"I learned something today"* stan that used to care about shit.

I love your commentary and really appreciate ur optimistic tone. So much toxic fandom out there ✌🏼

I would love to see a speical set in the future with the boys meeting up at a school reunion

Still one of my favorites to this day because of that ending alone.

I really wish they’d bring out the next episode of season 24 because I’m dying to see what happens with this strange mix of “returning the status quo” with Mr Hat and the boys splitting of friendship groups (especially since they’re trying to keep Kenny oblivious to it and he seems to want them all to be friends)

I like this break down really nice

"You're Getting Old" does represent Matt Stone and Trey Parker's burned out attitude. The ending of "Ass Burgers" proves it by showing Stan "overcoming" his depression through alcoholism. It means that South Park will continue but Matt and Trey won't have the same enthusiasm as they once had for the show. Since that 2 part episode, we've seen a slow and steady decline in quality of the show which hit the ground in the season 22 episode "Nobody Got Cereal?". Here, Matt and Trey do a complete flip on the episode "ManBearPig" implying that they no longer view global warming as false. Since they don't care about contradicting themselves, we see the show hit rock bottom and we understand that ever since "You're Getting Old", Matt and Trey have been going through the motions in making the show and don't care about relating to their audience anymore. The #cancelsouthpark at the end of some season 22 episodes is more fitting than you think.

South Park is amazing. It touches every subject.

The first time I watched your getting old I cried it was a very emotional episode and is my favourite all time south park episode

this is awesome bc i started south park around a month ago

i personally see this episode as the end of the golden years, the new eps are good and some are great but ive gotten older and the new eps dont relate to me as much

Stable video 👍

I love your analysis. South Park is just about the purest form of television art for art's sake, as opposed to "art by committee." Sure, they have to dial things back to meet network requirements, but no other show is as much of the creator's minds just being spilled out onto the screen.

Another Johnny classic

I'm 30. My mom has let me watch south park since I was 8. My dad wasn't a big fan, but would watch it with me. Maybe it's why I swear a lot, but also maybe that's why I love most people around me. Maybe it's why the people I don't like know it and know I don't give a single fuck if they don't like me. Either way, South Park definitely had a big influence on me whether I know it or not, and still love the show to this day.

I actually just watched this episode this morning :o