Editorial: So the Sponge is Good

This editorial was originally written on July 16th, 2009. "SpongeBob SquarePants" is the property of Nickelodeon Studios.

I'll be honest... I didn't know "SpongeBob SquarePants" was celebrating its tenth anniversary this year until Nickelodeon announced it in a press release a few months ago. But can you blame me? I had completely given up watching Nickelodeon once "Legends of the Hidden Temple" and "GUTS" had finished production... almost exclusively because I felt that, at the time, I had outgrown the network and was digging more of what Cartoon Network, Kids' WB, and Fox Kids threw at me.

I practically stayed clear of Nick until 2005, when one of my all-time favorites, "Avatar: The Last Airbender," premiered. Even then, it took two years (i.e., the long, excruciating hiatus between Seasons 2 and 3) before I actually attempted to try to voluntarily watch any of the other network's offerings. One by one, I started to analyze shows in order to see if any of them were good and/or broke my stereotypical view that Nick was 'just for kids.' Granted, the sudden adoption and rise in popularity of tween-coms had already done that, but being all almost exclusively girl-centric, I steered far away from them (though the more gender-neutral "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" was an intriguing diamond in the rough).

But I kept avoiding "SpongeBob SquarePants" because, based on what I had heard about the show's characters' juvenile antics. Forget the fact that the show was not only insanely popular with children, the target audience, but with tons and tons of adults as well. Forget that the show became newsworthy when a few religious groups lambasted it for allegedly promoting the sexual orientation of the lead character and his best friend, Patrick Star - a claim that was not only vehemently denied by show creator Stephen Hillenburg, but one I never saw any believable proof of being true. Forget that it became newsworthy again when numerous giant SpongeBob inflatable balloons were stolen from the roofs of Burger Kings across the country (the giants were promoting the series' movie in 2004) - sad, yet true, and personally, thought to be hilarious. I still refused to watch the show.

But attempt to be fed over and over again, hundreds and hundreds of times, and eventually, the temptation becomes too great to avoid.

Just like the show's famed Krabby Patty, which the titular character makes a living off of cooking for the citizens of Bikini Bottom, it takes only one good bite to get hooked.

I honestly don't remember the first "SpongeBob" episode I ever watched voluntarily from beginning to end. Examining the various episode lists online, they seem to point me towards the 'pilot episode' as getting that distinction, though not all at once. In particular, "Tea at the Treedome" sounds familiar... Sandy's first appearance; SpongeBob and Patrick's introduction to the 'deadly' concept of air. So does the actual pilot itself, "Help Wanted," where SpongeBob tries to get a job at the Krusty Krab, and his neighbor Squidward, who works there, convinces the owner/boss, Mr. Krabs, to have SpongeBob prove himself by completing a seemingly impossible task - which he not only did, but used to more than prove his worthiness by saving them from a dire situation common to the fast food industry... the arrival of a bus full of hungry customers. "Boating School," "Pizza Delivery," "Jellyfish Jam," and "MuscleBob BuffPants" were also among the first episodes I saw in full. However, none of them convinced me that the show was worth watching.

Then came "Pickles." You know, the one where SpongeBob goes crazy after getting a Krabby Patty order wrong, and suddenly, can't seem to put anything in his life in order? And there was "Squidville," which actually took me a few viewings to really appreciate... just as it took the new atmosphere there to realize he needs SpongeBob and Patrick to be insane around him so he can be sane. And let's not forget "The Camping Episode"... which needs no explanation. Other favorites followed over time. "Employee of the Month," "Suds," "Texas," "Neptune's Spatula," "Dying for Pie," "Patty Hype," "Sailor Mouth," "Just One Bite," "Selling Out," "Krusty Towers," "Krabs a la Mode"... the list, surprisingly, goes on and on. That's when I came to realize that "SpongeBob SquarePants" really is a great show worth watching! It's a show purely about having fun and eternally looking at the bright side of things and of people. And there's no one better to represent that theme than the title character himself, the guy who brings joy to fellow Bikini Bottom citizens and television viewers worldwide alike... even if a certain few would never admit it in public.

So, as the world celebrates his 10th anniversary this weekend, I, for the first time, look forward to and eagerly anticipate watching premiere episodes, as well as to seeing the movie for the first time. That's because I've got reason to celebrate. I'm probably the last person in the world to declare his love for "SpongeBob SquarePants".

And that's reason enough for everyone to celebrate the BEST WEEKEND EVER!

- Freedom Fighter


Enjoy 50 hours of "SpongeBob SquarePants" this weekend as Nickelodeon celebrates the 10th Anniversary with "The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash Weekend, starting tomorrow night at 8 pm EST on Nickelodeon with the premiere of an all-new episode. The weekend includes two Top 10 countdowns (one voted on by fans, one by celebrities) and a total of ten all-new, never-before-seen episodes!

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