10 Best Heartwarming Lessons South Park Ever Taught Us
2. We Grow Up And Drift Apart
The long-running gag for many cartoons, is the reality that no one ages, and that most cartoon characters have experienced Christmas more times than they've been alive.
South Park took a strange route in its fifteenth season episodes "You're Getting Old" and "Ass Burgers" when Stan began to go through an existential crisis and his taste in music, TV and films just appeared to be "s***ty" and we got a glimpse into what developmental angst looked like for a child.
The episode could be interpreted as a raising awareness for mental health and depression in children, as nothing seemed to interest or excite Stan as much as it used to. And as his friendship with Kyle deteriorates, we wonder if this is the end of their everlasting friendship.
Playing over a sequence of events is "Landslide by Fleetwood Mac", a depressing note to hear as Stan's parents separate and Cartman and Kyle begin to bond on a much friendlier level. But herein lies the message for young audiences which is we do ultimately separate from some of our childhood friends, and as sad as it may be, we also mature faster than others.