"There's nothing but shit on TV, video games are all shit, and the world's a big turd! The only thing that doesn't seem like total shit to me are my friends, and they're all sick!"
— Stan
Original air date: 6/8/2011
It's Stan's tenth birthday, and his view of the world has literally turned to shit (as in, "everything he sees is feces"). Things get worse when his friendship with Kyle crumbles and his parents divorce again (see "Clubhouses" for the first time they divorced).
"You're Getting Old" contains examples of:
- Bait-and-Switch: At first, it looks like the episode will revolve around Randy picking up a new foolish obsession and annoy the people around him. While that plot is still explored, the actual focus of the episode is Stan succumbing to his cynicism and letting it rule his life.
- Cerebus Retcon: Sharon demands an explanation for Randy's increasingly childish antics. Randy then snaps and admits that he's been unhappy this whole time.
- Deconstruction: This episode deals with the consequences of having Randy being both an Insufferable Imbecile and Manchild combined with the Reset Button nature of the series. The result is Stan's parents divorcing and Randy moving away from South Park. On a deeper level, Stan starts deconstructing everything around him, finding that everything is ultimately meaningless, or "just crap" as the episode portrays it.
- Rather notably, the episode also deconstructs deconstructions themselves by pointing out how a person being unable to keep their opinions to themself would be widely viewed as an obnoxious, cynical, and opinionated Jerkass who judges everyone for liking things they don't and spends all their time complaining about pointless stuff. Indeed, nearly all of Stan's problems stem from refusing to consider that other people might actually like the stuff he constantly bitches about.
- Downer Ending: Stan's parents' divorce, his friendship with Kyle disintegrates, and his cynicism shows no signs of improving.
- Funny Background Event: While Randy and Sharon are having an emotional talk, the two old men come in and steal Randy's pants.
- Greek Chorus: The story repeatedly cuts to two old men commenting on the plot.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Sharon laments that "the same shit keeps happening every week." To drive the point home, a gag used twice in the episode has two old men discussing "Steamy" versions of musicians in a childishly amusing accent, with a punchline of "No, that's Steeeevie [X]. Steamy [X] just shits his/her britches," and later breaking into homes to rescue the britches.
- Nostalgia Filter: Mocked in regard to music. The parents think that the Tween Wave sounds like crap and the kids respond that they just don't get it.
- Poster-Gallery Bedroom: Randy has posters all over the walls of his room, including one for Bruno Saturn.
- Real Trailer, Fake Movie: After distorted (courtesy of Stan's new worldview) trailers for Jack and Jill and Mr. Popper's Penguins, a third trailer is shown depicting a duck as the US President and America going to the dogs. "Coming June something."
- Request for Privacy: While the kids are waiting for the school bus, Stan asks Kyle if he can talk to him in private. They then walk off to the side where Stan confesses to Kyle that he lied about liking the Gersploosh album.
- Sad-Times Montage: The episode ends with a montage of Stan's loneliness, the aftermath of Randy and Sharon's divorce, and the lives of Stan's friends after they cut their connections with him, set to Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide".
- Series Fauxnale: A lot of viewers misinterpreted the episode as Trey Parker and Matt Stone trying to end the series with no chance of revival.
- Story Arc: This episode began a two-episode story arc involving Stan living through his cynicism, but it took four months until the next episode aired.
- They Wasted a Perfectly Good Sandwich: When Stan's friends leave the movie theater being fed up with his cynicism, they abandon their snacks, but Cartman still carries his popcorn, but still leaves his drink behind.
- Toilet Humour: This episode is full of it, from Stan's view of the world to Randy creating songs that involve him shitting his pants.
- Trauma Swing: During the Sad-Times Montage, Stan is seen despondently sitting on the swing set in his backyard, all alone.
- Wham Episode: It's a lot more serious than the usual South Park episode that isn't Kenny Dies. Stan's cynicism alienates him from his friends, Sharon and Randy divorce (again), and Stan and his family move away, with seemingly no sign of improvement in their lives.
