While The Simpsons are at the forefront of long-running animated shows, South Park is not too far behind, having been on the air for over 23 years. And like the Simpsons, the citizens of South Park live through and provide commentary on major news events from the 1990s to the 2020s, but rarely get older -- and if they do, it's not by much. Throughout the series, the characters of South Park have only aged two years, despite living through multiple Presidential administrations and a lot more than two Christmases.
Though much of this lack of aging can be explained away as the result of producing a cartoon over such a long period, it could go far beyond that. According to a 2013 fan theory on Reddit, there may be a legitimate reason why South Park's characters have stayed so youthful. It all starts with the perpetually downtrodden Kenny McCormick.
Kenny Personifies How Characters in South Park Don’t Age - With Lore to Back It Up
One of the best examples of a South Park character with seemingly eternal youth is Kenny. The orange-hooded and nearly wordless member of the show's main group, Kenny was constantly killed for a recurring gag. He would always return to the series after being killed, as if it never happened. It wasn't until Season 14, Episode 12, "Mysterion Rises" that Kenny donned the superhero outfit and explained to his friends -- and the audience -- that his superpower was immortality, constantly coming back to life.
In that same episode, Mysterion and friends discovered that Kenny's parents were part of the Cult of Cthulhu, meaning that it was possible they were responsible for his curse. Mysterion received another clue when attending a cult meeting and hearing the famous Lovecraft line, "That is not dead can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even Death may die." He was alarmed when hearing this because it might tie into his immortality curse -- which is where the rest of the town comes in.
Kenny’s Endless Death Cycle Has Destroyed South Park’s Timeline
When a person dies and comes back as if nothing happened, the way time works in said world may be warped. The Reddit theory is that Kenny's repeated deaths and resurrections have messed up the show's timeline, explaining why even though more than two decades have passed, it only feels like two years have gone by for the characters. Under this time warp, the events South Park provides commentary on occurred years ago instead of in the modern day.
The time flux also seems to have a side effect on South Park citizens' memories -- including that of Kenny himself. No one within the town remembers or acknowledges that Kenny has died multiple times until Kenny reveals it to his friends under his Mysterion persona. Even at the end of "Mysterion Rises," Kenny wakes up after being killed... and his friends forget what he told them.
There are some signs that suggest this fan theory may be true. In the beginning of South Park, the kids acted just like eight-year-old boys. In later seasons all of them except Cartman act mature for their age at times, with Kyle, Stan and Butters often being the voice of reason in plenty of episodes that confront adult issues. While the simplest explanation for why the South Park characters have barely aged is out of convenience for the writers and creators, the show's unpredictable world means the theory could very well be true.
South Park airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central.