'SpongeBob SquarePants' still weird - and funny - after 10 years

dallasnews ^ | July 16, 2009 | TOM MAURSTAD

[JoeProBono]

There are certain cultural icons whose presence in and influence on the world is so powerful and pervasive, it transforms them into signposts marking the march of history – the world before and after Elvis, the Beatles, JFK and now ... SpongeBob.

Nickelodeon, the birthplace of SpongeBob SquarePants, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the hit animated series with a 50-hour marathon that starts Friday and includes 11 new episodes. Amid all the celebratory hubbub, it can seem strange to remember just how strange SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom posse seemed when they first appeared way back in 1999.

[JoeProBono]

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

In before the “SPONGEBOB IS A HOMO!” bible-thumping FReepers

[Free Vulcan]

I’ve always thought that Spongebob had a Bugs Bunny quality to it, and that’s what I’ve always liked about it. Sometimes it really makes me laugh.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[snarks_when_bored]

Yeah, but it’s like they’re not even under water...

[Obadiah]

Ah, actually, to set the record straight, it was the homosexual crowd that claimed Patrick as one of their own. The creators - wisely - slapped that down over many episodes.

[TheConservativeParty]

I heart SpongeBob SquarePants, and I don’t care who knows it!!!

[humblegunner]

You quote Limbaugh.

Do you LOVE him?

You know you do.

[mrmeyer]

While I do not mind my daughter watching this show, I prefer it over some of the bilingual ones that push spanish or chinese.

[Dallas59]

SBSP? Please.............Patrick is the real star of the show...

[odin2008]

I love sponge bob, but I grew up on Ren and Stimpy

[JoeProBono]

[meanie monster]

I like the squidbillies too. :)

[cmj328]

his Bikini Bottom posse

What could any parent object to? /sarc

[martin_fierro]

Early Spongebob.

[exist]

I was babysitting the other day— forced to watch this. Actually wasn’t that bad! I’m embarrassed to say.

[goodwithagun]

My son is 9 mos old and we recently purchased Looney Tunes DVDs. There is so much acceptance/tollerance/Spanish crap out there. It is very difficult to find good old fashioned animated violence!

[OldMissileer]

I miss The Angry Beavers.

[JoeProBono]

[LongElegantLegs]

I LOVED the angry beavers!!

[OldMissileer]

I LOVED the angry beavers!!

It had quite a few hidden jokes that only adults would understand and their usage of far-north English was very funny.

After living in North Dakota for over eight years it was always great to listen to Dagg and Norb.

[Calico Cat]

I agree! I’ve got most of the old Looney Toons on DVD. I couldn’t take any more Dora—that high pitched, nasal “Hola” and the gentle, non-offensive, completely dull storylines were driving me crazy! My 5-year-old son has come to agree with me—I never TOLD him how I disliked the bilingual bore, but after exposing him to Wile E. Coyote and Daffy Duck, there was no going back.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“In before the “SPONGEBOB IS A HOMO!” bible-thumping FReepers
“

The sodomy crowd does like SpongeBob.

[reagan_fanatic]

The new Spongebob sucks.

Since his voice changed from funny to irritating and they started animating him differently, the show doesn’t have the same unique, quirky humor that it used to.

I love Spongebob Squarepants, but you can keep the newer episodes. They’re awful.

[stylin19a]

after my granddaughter leaves, every TV in the house is tuned to the channel that sponge bob is on. I hate that guy

[Julia H.]

All the politically correct “diversity” hooey notwithstanding, I think TV shows that introduce children to foreign languages are a great idea—I don’t see anything wrong with getting kids to make the most of their language-learning prime. It’s completely stupid that we hold off foreign language study until middle or high school, AFTER the window has closed.

[SunkenCiv]

Of course, this beloved cartoon character may as well be named “Contraceptive-Sponge Bob Squarepants”, ever since that episode where Spongebob and his neighbor try to adopt a foundling along with experimenting with gender roles. :’)