Sometimes it's hard to believe that this show has been around since 1997 and is still going strong. Even though every episode can be so topical, South Park is timeless. It is one of the few constants in the 21st century.
As a kid, I was a huge South Park fan. I started watching it in the fall and winter of 2011, when I got my own laptop. My family and I were big Broadway fans, so when I learned that the creators of 2011's Best Musical also created a TV show that had been airing for 15 seasons, I had to check it out. I was lucky that every episode of South Park was available for free on their website, so I could watch the show in full without ever having to do any actual piracy! I did have to watch about 7 Jack in the Box commercials per episode, but it was well worth it.
I used South Park to learn about the world. That might sound kind of bad, but I was grateful for how much it taught me about the 12 years of my life when I was too busy being a kid to pay any attention to current events. I also liked the feeling of watching something that was kind of rebellious. I was very intentional about hiding my South Park viewing from my mom because I knew she wouldn't want me watching it, and I was terrified she'd take my laptop away before I could finish all 15 seasons.
Even though I don't watch the show as it airs anymore, I still return to it every once in a while, whether by listening to Trey and Matt's "commentary minis" or watching clips online. I was so surprised that South Park was still relevant enough to attract new viewers (like my mom) as recently as last year! The reason the show still feels like itself, while other programs like The Simpsons feel like shells of their former selves, is that the same two guys have made South Park for its entire existence. We get to see how they felt about the world and childhood at 28, and how they think about the same things now that they're in their mid-50s. Nothing like it is on television, and I don't know if any other show will ever last as long as it has. I wouldn't be surprised if South Park outlasts The Simpsons, Days of Our Lives, and all of us.