The world’s most famous sponge celebrates a milestone this week- on July 17, 1999, the world was first introduced to a happy-go-lucky sea sponge who works as a fry cook and lives in a pineapple under the sea. Since then, SpongeBob SquarePants has become an American- and arguably a world- icon, the subject of controversy and commentary, and garnering fans both young and old, including President Barack Obama. Named one of the top 100 television shows of all time by TIME magazine, the yellow guy still has an ocean of fans.
My favorite memory regarding SpongeBob is when we went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ and were on line to see the SpongeBob 4-D show originally from Paramount Parks. Watching my own mother with a childish smile on her face as she watched the various highlights of classic SpongeBob antics while waiting in line really showed me that SpongeBob’s childish personality seems to make everyone feel like a child.
Not surprisingly, SpongeBob’s anniversary will be celebrated this week, starting with a documentary on VH1 Tuesday, July 14 (which is SpongeBob’s birthday, according to his boating license), followed by a 90-hour marathon on Nickelodeon starting this Friday. Later this year, there will be a 10th-anniversary special featuring celebrity guests and reminices from SpongeBob and pals as they end up locking themselves in the freezer of the Krusty Krab on their anniversary.
My memory comes from the movie. I love comedies, and my favorite ones are ones that are well written, this means no prat falls, no sick humor…I love writing. The Spongebob movie has (arguably) my favorite line ever.
Spongebob and Patrick are in their hamburger car and they encounter some hicks who instantly make fun of them for everything that they are. This conversation ensues…
Patrick: Are they laughing at us Spongebob?
Spongebob: Noooo Patrick…they’re laughing next to us.
I laughed so hard at this in the theater and NO ONE ELSE DID. I was dumbfounded. They made an english grammar joke…they made fun of prepositions!! Genius!!!
My memory is the shock of my first exposure to the edgy style of Spongebob humor. I am a behavior therapist and I was substituting for a sick therapist. The client was a four-year-old boy whose reward for good behavior was watching Spongebob on his breaks. It was the episode where Spongebob tries to make friends with Plankton. He sings the “F.U.N. Song” which goes:
“F is for friends that do stuff together,
U is for you and me.
N is for anywhere and anytime at all
Down here in the deep blue sea.”
Then, the maniacal Plankton sings his version:
“F is for fire that burns down the whole town
U is for uranium bombs
N is for NO SURVIVORS!-”
I sat there with my jaw hanging open. I could not believe such a thing was on a children’s show. But then, I decided, Spongebob was awesome! The world does not need another cutesy wootsy fuzzy animal show. The world needs Spongebob!
Spongebob has a lot of subversive humor, and for that I salute this show! I cannot believe this bit got past the censors:
(For the record, the context of the quote is that Squidward wants to become a great artist as part of his quest to seem more cultured. Spongebob enters the art class Squidward teaches and proceeds to create amazing works of art without realizing it; he is continuously trying to impress Squidward who jealously rejects everything he does, pretending not to be impressed.)
I learned that Spongebob shouldn’t always be watched. Like when you’re weightlifting. I was bench pressing in the basement while SBSP was playing across from me. Spongebob and Crabs were in a graveyard hiding a supposedly deceased food inspector (always a hit plot with the kids) when Spongebob looks over and sees Squidward placing flowers at a tombstone (the back is visible).
Spongebob says “I wonder what Squidward is doing here?”
The camera changes to show Squidward’s point of view and the tombstone says:
All my Hopes and Dreams
I bout injured myself trying to get the weight off my chest while laughing hysterically.
My fiancee LOVES Spongebob! He wanted to register for the Spongebob Movie. Instead, I let him buy it because I don’t want my family seeing that on the registry.
Anyway, he tends to go overboard singing the Campfire song whenever we put a fire in our fire pit.
I love Twinkle Twinkle Patrick Star. We sing that to each other all the time. We love that episode. But I’m a bit peckish right now so “I made myself a sandwich. My mommy named it Fred. It’s made of beans and bacon and tastes like it’s been dead!”
I bought my husband Spongebob sheets for Christmas. He has indoctrinated my daughter.
I babysit a 96 year old woman who watches The Young And The Restless and whatever show that stars Carol O’conner as a cop or something. She always says “Is that Archie?” I had my daughter (3) with me the other day, the old lady turned the channel to Spongebob and was enjoying it mightily.
I wonder if someone will ever do a study that corrolates pot smoking with viewership of sponge bob squarepants. It might be the most reliable way we have to figure out how many people smoke pot in America. I for one cannot imagine why anyone over the age of 5 would watch the show unless they are incredibly stoned, and in that case they only watch it because they are too baked to reach the remote. :p:D
So you’ve never actually watched it, have you? Sure, it’s a kid’s show. It’s also witty as hell for a kid’s show. It’s not something I seek out and watch regularly, but I totally understand adults who like it and the Fairly Oddparents.
I started watching this as a freshman in college – every time I went to a friend’s place, we would end up watching this. One of my favorites is the Krusty Krab employee orientation video.
My mother is a big Plankton fan…I’ve never asked her why, though.
My fave - the episode where Spongebob and Patrick learn a naughty word and keep using it over and over. But the bad words are all sound effects. At one point Mr. Krab (I think explains how there are seven bad words you should never say (eleven if you’re a sailor!). That line still cracks me up.
A cool reference to George Carlin that only adults will get along with a reference to “cussing like a sailor” raises this well above kid’s fare. In the end it even has a good lesson about using bad language. What’s not to love?
Been a fan since my kids discovered it years ago. Favorite episode was the one where Spongebob makes the foul sunday causing him to have horrible breath. Great site gags ( Fish smelling the breath get xs on their eyes and float to the surface) Funny lines: “Patrick we’re not ugly we just have rancid breath”
and the one most quoted line in our houshold, always used when questioning what to have or what did you have for dinner… “Some roast beef, some chicken, some Pizza…”
People over the age of six like The Fairly Oddparents? My brother went through a phase where he would watch Nickolodian (or however you spell it) every day, in earshot of my computer, and when The Fairly Oddparents came on I would feel like throwing a brick through the TV set.
