On one episode of Rocko’s Modern Life, The Bigheads Son is revealed to be a TV producer. He produces a show called “Wacky Deli”. [It would be most like Wonder Showzen / Robot Chicken.] Later on in the episode, the plot works around, that Rocko and Heifer have to take over making new episodes.
During this time, The Bighead’s Son makes a comment about an episode of Wacky Deli, that was nothing but a close-up shot on a Jar of Mayonnaise for 15 minutes.
Fast forward with me now Nickelodeon fans. All the Way to Bikini Bottom.
Fast forward to Steve Hillenberg, the Spongebob Squarepants creator Steve Hillenberg.
He reveals, in a bonus feature, on SBSP Season 1 that he used to work on Rocko. He worked on backgrounds. They even interview the Creator of Rocko, and Play the opoening credits scene to Rocko, complete with theme song.
Now to make my point: (Or, as Spongebob would say, “Bring it around town”) ::
There is an episode of Spongebob, where Sponge turns Patrick (IIRC) into a Jar of Mayonnaise. It was the LAST action done in the episode, and they hold the shot on the Mayonnaise jar a few seceonds longer than an average fade out shot. – It becomes obvious that we, the home viewer are watching a jar of Mayo.
In another episode of Spongebob, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are in the old folks home, watching the communal TV. The action goes on around them, but they remain watching TV.
The TV is showing a Jar of Mayonaise.
Do you think, at the very least, that this idea crossed over from one show to the next?
Do you think, at the very most, that Hillenberg himself, came up with the entire Mayonnaise Jar concept?