SpongeBob SquarePants

About

SpongeBob SquarePants is a long-running American television series created by Stephen Hillenburg, airing on Nickelodeon. Currently on its ninth season, the series revolves around its titular character, SpongeBob SquarePants, and his many misadventures in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom. With all kinds of entertaining and humorous moments and scenes, the show has produced several memes.

History

Stephen Hillenburg conceived SpongeBob SquarePants in 1984, while he was teaching and studying marine biology at what is now the Orange County Ocean Institute. He became interested in animation, writing a comic book entitled The Intertidal Zone that featured various anthropomorphic forms of sea creatures, many of which would evolve into SpongeBob SquarePants characters.

Among these characters was "Bob the Sponge", who resembled an actual sea sponge, and also went under the early working name "SpongeBoy" (see above).^[12] After studying animation further, Hillenburg eventually landed a job at Nickelodeon. He successfully pitched the show to the network's executives, who made two major changes: naming the character "SpongeBob" and having him attend a boat-driving school called Mrs. Puff's Boating School. It premiered on May 1, 1999 with the episodes "Help Wanted", "Reef Blower", and "Tea at the Treedome".^[1]

Reception

The show's first season was only a modest success, but the show eventually received worldwide popularity during its second season.^[2] The theatrical film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was released in November 2004 to positive reviews, with box office revenues totaling $140,161,792.^[3] The show has also found appeal with older audiences, even gaining airtime on MTV^[4] and Spike TV.^[5] IGN ranked SpongeBob SquarePants 15th on its list of the Top 100 Animated Series.^[6] Entertainment Weekly ranked the show 4th on their list of the 25 Greatest Animated TV Series.^[7] SpongeBob SquarePants has won several awards, including 7 Golden Reel Awards, 5 Annie Awards and an Emmy Award.^[8]

The show's ninth and most recent season premiered with the episode "Extreme Spots"/"Squirrel Record", which aired on July 21, 2012 to positive reviews from critics and drew 3.7 million American viewers.^[13][14] The same year, a follow-up theatrical sequel entitled SpongeBob SquarePants 2 was announced, which is set for a February 6, 2015 release.^[15]

Online Presence

The large popularity of SpongeBob SquarePants gave it a significant online presence, and the show has spawned several memes. Its official Facebook page has accumulated over 47 million likes as of March 2014.^[9] The official SpongeBob SquarePants's Twitter account, as of March 2014, has accumulated 999,000 followers.^[12]

Fandom

Countless YouTube Poop videos of the series have been uploaded, while image macros of screenshots from the show and its characters are also widespread. In addition, there are numerous wiki-style resource websites dedicated to show, including Encyclopedia SpongeBobia (formerly known as the SpongeBob SquarePants Wiki)^[10] and SpongePedia.^[11]

Stephen Hillenburg ALS Diagnosis

On March 14th, 2017, creator Stephen Hillenberg released a statement that he had been diagnosed with ALS, colloquially known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.^[16] Hillenburg, 55, promised that he would continue working on Spongebob. The announcement led to an outpouring of support on Twitter^[17] from fans of the series.

Stephen Hillenburg's Death

On November 26th, Hillenburg died at the age of 57 due to complications from the progressive neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The following day, the official @Nickelodeon^[18] account posted a tweet in Hillenburg's memory (shown below).

Meanwhile, Nickelodeon released a statement giving their condolences to Hillenburg's family, while praising the "unique sense of humor and innocence" he brought to Spongebob Squarepants:

"We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS. He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. Steve imbued ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination."

Also on November 27th, posts about Hillenburg's death reached the frontpage of various subreddits, including /r/television,^[19] /r/BikiniBottomTwitter^[20] and /r/spongebob.^[21] That day, Twitter user @AWDtwit^[22] published an illustration of SpongbBob staring a jellyfish in the distance, along with the message "Rest in Peace, Stephen Hillenburg" (shown below).

"Sweet Victory" Petition

On November 28th, 2018, Israel Colunga posted a petition to Change.org^[23] for "Sweet Victory" from the Spongebob episode "Band Geeks" to be played at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show. The song is originally performed by David Glen Eisley (edited Spongebob clip shown below).

Colunga posted the Change.org petition in honor of Stephen Hillenburg, writing:

Stephen Hillenburg--the creator of Spongebob Sqaurepants--has passed away recently. As a tribute to his legacy, his contributions to a generation of children, and to truly showcase the greatness of this song, we call for Sweet Victory to be performed at the Halftime Show.

The petition quickly grew very popular, gaining over 770,000 signatures in less than a week. Vice^[24] wondered if Maroon 5, the scheduled performer of the Halftime Show, would slip "Sweet Victory" into the traditional medley Super Bowl performers usually perform. The petition was also covered by Daily Dot.^[25]

Tim Conway Death

On May 14th, 2019, Tim Conway, who voiced the character Barnacle Boy, passed away at the age of 85.^[30] Conway was also well known for his roles on older television shows such as The Carol Burnett Show and McHale's Navy. On Reddit, fans celebrated Conway's career as Barnacle Boy. An /r/dankmemes post by WTSOfficial welcoming Barnacle Boy to Meme Heaven gained over 19,000 points (shown below, left). User IceyRedditer61 posted a Spongebob meme about the death, gaining over 23,000 points (shown below, right). Another tribute on /r/BikiniBottomTwitter gained over 55,000 points.^[31]

Meme Merchandise

On April 23rd, 2019 Alpha Group^[26] and Nickelodeon released six eight-inch figures commemorate the show's 20 year anniversay. The figures are inspired by memes and include SpongeGar (shown below, left), Imaaaaaaagination Spongebob (shown below, right), Surprised Patrick, sPOngeBoB and two different Handsome Squidward (shown below, center). The toys are being sold on Amazon^[27] for $21.99 each and became "temporarily out of stock" the next day.

SpongeBob Smarty Pants Game Show

On April 29th, 2019, Viacom Digital Studios announced a new game show that will stream on YouTube and Facebook “SpongeBob SquarePants” at the 9th annual NewFronts event in New York. The game show features two fans of the show competing to win “The Golden Pineapple." That same day, the Nickelodeon^[29] announced the news to Twitter by sharing The Wrap^[28] article. The tweet gained over 1,395 likes and 256 retweets in a day (shown below).

Related Memes

Chocolate!

"Chocolate!" is a quote from the episode "Chocolate with Nuts", shouted by recurring character Tom Smith. It spawned a popular YTMND fad, which has since spread to YouTube and other sites.

Handsome Squidward

Handsome Squidward / Squidward Falling is a meme based on a looped sequence from the episode "The Two Faces of Squidward". The sequence consists of the character Squidward Tentacles, who is accidentally turned handsome in the episode, falling down in slow motion. The meme is prevalent in YouTube, where users often loop the sequence and pair it with their music of choice.

I'll Have You Know / I Only Cried For 20 Minutes

I'll Have You Know / I Only Cried For 20 Minutes is an image macro series based on a scene from the episode "No Weenies Allowed" typically describing minor unfortunate scenarios using the snowclone template "I'll have you know I X / And I only cried for 20 minutes".

Inappropriate Timing SpongeBob Banner

Inappropriate Timing SpongeBob Banner is a photoshop meme based on a bumper banner featuring SpongeBob SquarePants laughing with the caption “Up Next.” The banner is typically juxtaposed with emotional scenes from various films and television shows to mock poorly timed cross-promo ads displayed in the lower thirds during broadcast.

Moar Krabs / Morbid Krabs

Moar Krabs / Morbid Krabs is a meme based on a short scene featuring an odd-looking variation of the character Eugene Krabs in the episode "Jellyfish Hunter". It is commonly used in YouTube Poop, usually paired with the song "Gentle Breeze" from the video game Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2.

Morbid Squidward

Morbid Squidward (related to "Squidward Fad") is an odd-looking image of Squidward from the episode "Just One Bite", in the same fashion as Moar Krabs. Following the popularity of Moar Krabs, Morbid Squidward also became a YouTube Poop staple. It is also often paired with "Gentle Breeze" in YouTube Poop videos.

No, This Is Patrick

No, This Is Patrick is a quote spoken by the character Patrick Star in the episode "Big Pink Loser" while answering a phone call. In forums, it is often used as a response to a poster who asks something along the lines of "Is that X?" or "Is this X?"

Not When I Shift Into Maximum Overdrive

Not When I Shift Into Maximum Overdrive is a meme based on a quote by the character Sheldon J. Plankton from the episode "Krusty Krab Training Video". It utilizes the snowclone template "Not when I shift into maximum over-X."

Patrick Hates This Channel

Patrick Hates This Channel is an exploitable scene from the episode "Squidville", featuring Patrick saying "I hate this channel" while pressing a remote. Scenes from various television shows and films are often edited into the scene, playing before Patrick changes channels.

Push It Somewhere Else, Patrick

Push It Somewhere Else Patrick is an image macro series based on a scene featuring the character Patrick Star from the episode "Sandy, SpongeBob and the Worm". In the episode, Patrick provides a possible solution for dealing with the threat of an Alaskan Bull Worm, by suggesting they relocate the entire town. The captions used in the macro series typically use the snowclone template “We should take X and put it Y” or “We should X and Y" to suggest an alternative solution to a given problem.

SpongeBob Uses Too Much Sauce

SpongeBob Uses Too Much Sauce is a video meme involving a clip from the episode "The Algae’s Always Greener", where the character Plankton scolds SpongeBob for using too much sauce in his Krabby Patties. SpongeBob's confused and emotional reaction has become a popular clip, spawning various YouTube parodies and remixes.

Surprised Patrick

Surprised Patrick is an image of Patrick from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie that is often photoshopped onto different base images of various humorous contexts. In the images, Patrick always appears to be in a state of shock or bewilderment with his mouth agape.

Time Cards

Time Cards are often used throughout the series, with the duration of time usually read out by a French narrator. These time cards are frequently used in rage comics.

Welcome to the Salty Spitoon. How Tough Are Ya?

"Welcome to the Salty Spitoon. How tough are ya?" is a meme based on a scene from the episode "No Weenies Allowed". It features a character attempting to enter a bar named the Salty Spitoon, a club renowned for its toughness, by proving his toughness with a personal anecdote. Usual variations feature the character telling the club’s bouncer, Reg, part of story proving his toughness after being asked "How tough are ya?". Following this, Reg laughs due to it alone not being considered tough. Then, an additional detail is provided that makes the story seem much more strenuous and Reg allows access.

Wumbo

Wumbo is nonsensical word coined by Patrick in the episode "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy IV". "Wumbo", along with several other words derived from it ("Wumbology", etc.), has managed to be a strongly popular fad based on its common usage in various forums and other websites.

Insane Set

Insane Set (Japanese: ハッキョーセット, Hakkyo Set) is a series of MAD remix videos based on McDonald Japan’s TV commercial for SpongeBob Squarepants-themed Happy Meal toys that aired in 2011.

X Drops by Squidward's House

X Drops by Squidward's House is a YouTube fad based on editing a scene from the episode "Have You Seen This Snail?" where Patrick Star and SpongeBob SquarePants walk in on Squidward Tentacles bathing. The exploitable scene is edited to replace SpongeBob and Patrick with other assorted characters.

You Like Krabby Patties, Don’t You Squidward?

You Like Krabby Patties, Don’t You Squidward? is a quote spoken by SpongeBob SquarePants in the episode "Just One Bite". The phrase is used to caption images in which the subject smiles knowingly, usually after a realization, as well as images of SpongeBob SquarePants with aforementioned smile.

Who Put You on the Planet?

“Who Put You on the Planet?” is an expression used in online conversations as an insult towards another poster for his/her perceived stupidity or ignorance. The quote was originally said by Christian televangelist Reverend X in an episode of his public access TV program The Spirit of Truth that aired sometime in the early 2000s, but its colloquial usage came through its inclusion in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.

SpongeGar / Primitive Sponge / Caveman SpongeBob

SpongeGar, Primitive Sponge, and Caveman SpongeBob are nicknames given to SpongeBob's prehistoric ancestors in the series. A still image of the character Primative Sponge wearing an angry expression, taken from the 1999 episode "SB-129", has been used as a reaction image on the /mu/ (music) board on 4chan and in a series of Black Twitter image macros.

Savage Patrick

Savage Patrick refers to a still image of the character Patrick Star looking as if he is in the midst of a maniacally evil chuckle. Taken from the 1999 episode "Nature Pants", the still became popular in February 2018 when paired with edgy captions on Twitter and Reddit.

Search Interest

Google Insights shows a very large spike in searches for the show between August 2004 and July 2005, reaching its peak in November 2004 following the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

External References