Spongebob Squarepants

Premise

A living sea sponge lives in a pineapple under the sea with his BFF, Patrick, a starfish. Hijinks ensue whether you like it or not. But many people do!

A Bit About the Show

Spongebob has 12 seasons and, according to IMDB, there are currently 280 episodes. Each episode runs 24 minutes long. You can find Spongebob on Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV, and Paramount Plus.

Spongebob is one of the longest-running and profitable shows in TV history! Laura and Kara discuss its reach in American culture. Did you know that it has it’s own float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

This show has star power, from the regular cast to guests. If you listen long enough, you’re bound to recognize a voice or two.

Is it fluffy or educational?

Fluffier than a sea sponge, my friends.

Who is the audience?

This show would be most appealing to primary school-aged children. Kara makes a good point that, if you were a fan of Spongebob as a child, then revisiting this show with your own child would be not only a great bonding experience for your family, but also a nice dose of nostalgia for you.

What will kids like about it?

It is frenetic and wild and goofy. The gross jokes and visual will get a kid giggling just as much as it might make an adult cringe.

Will parents enjoy watching it?

Maybe. If you watch it as a kid, obviously this show will be appealing to you. The voices are an acquired taste. Some people can tolerate the voices and for some, it could be a deal breaker.

The good

The friendship between Patrick and Spongebob is a loyal one and something we can usually get behind and cheer on. We especially enjoyed the first three seasons and discuss in the show why these three were the most popular across the internet as well. The original creator had his hand in the show during the first three seasons, but then took a step back, as he felt the show shouldn’t continue. But it did continue, and without his input.

Through example, the characters deliver message of never giving up, staying positive, how to be a good friend, and advocating for your needs. They’re in there through all the craziness. You just gotta be alert enough when it happens to point it out.

The problematic

The show is very annoying for some and that’s just a matter of personal taste, but it should be noted.

Laura went to Google during this episode and found a study that was done in 2011 in Pediatrics. The study found that four-year-olds who watched nine minutes of SpongeBob performed worse on executive function tests than peers who watched nine minutes of Caillou, which is a slower paced, more realistic PBS cartoon about a preschool-aged boy. The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on Young Children's Executive Function | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)

Laura also mentions an article charmingly titled 8 reasons why SpongeBob SquarePants is an absolute arsehole (goodto.com), which points out that Spongebob glorifies lack of hygiene, he treats his pet badly, he goes crazy and destroys things, he emotionally tortures his neighbor, he throws tantrums, they use nudity as humor.

Final Verdict

Kara and Laura both agree that this is a show that you can skip with your children, however, Kara brings up an interesting point. Because this show has been around for so long, some parents who were fans as children might find this to be a fun bonding opportunity. Parents can watch a show that they loved so much with their own children. Just keep some of the problematic stuff in mind as you watch!

Other topics discussed

Kara’s son, Michael has gotten really into propagation, and so Kara has had to do a lot of Googling this week! For those who don’t know what it is (Laura raises her hand), propagation just a fancy word for planting things. But Michael became specifically interested in breeding a plant from the parent stock. Kara uses an example of cutting a celery stock at the base and putting the celery into water so that it can regrow. How is this possible? Thank you, nature!

This leads the ladies into a conversation about getting information (and misinformation) online and how it has impacted the way we learn about ourselves and the world.

Michael also shared an idea about how to get rid of Covid, which involves putting the virus in a pool so the chlorine can kill it. The mind of a child is so amazing sometimes.