who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

April 7, 2002 9:48 PM

who lives in a pineapple under the sea? spongebob sqarepants! absorbent and yellow and porous is he! spongebob squarepants! if nautical nonsense be something you wish! spongebob squarepants! then drop on the deck and flop like a fish!
posted by kd (34 comments total)

I love cartoons. I really do. This Spongebob thing just isn't happening for me. Even my five year-old said, "This is too silly. Turn it off."
posted by shagoth at 9:51 PM on April 7, 2002

I didn't get it at first, and while I don't completely drink the kool-aid as much as a fellow blogger there is something to be said about yelling "Sponge-bob Square-pants" in the middle of a tough day.
posted by owillis at 10:09 PM on April 7, 2002

I only watch catdog and cowboy bebop and the powerpuff girls.

God I am such a pansy.
posted by Settle at 10:23 PM on April 7, 2002

Spongebob is hilarious -- my kids and I became addicted to it when our entire house got the flu for two weeks. Nickelodeon seems to interrupt the show every two minutes with commercials and kid game shows involving colored slop, but the cartoon itself is great.
posted by rcade at 10:36 PM on April 7, 2002

There is something to be said about late night inebriation in order for this kind of thread to exist.

That being said my 4 year old loves spongebob.
posted by rich at 10:41 PM on April 7, 2002

I'm a big fan of spongebob not only because spongebob's voice is done by one of the Bob & David gang (one of the bit players on Bob Odenkirk and David Cross' short lived HBO sketch comedy show), but because the show is goofy and aimed at kids, but there are no morals to the stories. As a kid I was used to heavy handed morality tales day in and day out (the worst offender being that david and goliath claymation show, where every episode was like acting out a section of the bible), and seeing spongebob was like a breath of fresh air. It's just plain goofy and doesn't try to teach anyone life lessons. It's just camp, and done well.
posted by mathowie at 11:42 PM on April 7, 2002

The best episodes are the one where SB and Patrick steal balloons on "free balloon day", and the one where SB tries to surprise Patrick with the huge chocolate heart on Valentine's Day. I've seen them all. Several times.
posted by iconomy at 11:50 PM on April 7, 2002

Nope, iconomy, actually the best episode (by far) is the one about swearing. Without actually swearing or using language in the show (instead using a series of sounds to bleep out the words), SB and Patrick learn how to spice up everyday language with any number of colorful words. It reminded me of myself as a kid, where my parents would completely ignore me unless I added "fuck" or "shit" to my sentences (then they were all ears).
posted by mathowie at 12:20 AM on April 8, 2002

as mathowie said, there are many great voices in spongebob. my favorite episodes are the Mermaid Man and Barnacle boy ones, with Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway, respectively, doing the voices.

it's just fun.
posted by kd at 12:23 AM on April 8, 2002

dexter's laboratory kicks spongebob's ass. dexter and animaniacs are 2 classic cartoons that hold up there w/the looney toons.
posted by suprfli at 12:26 AM on April 8, 2002

the worst offender being that david and goliath claymation show, where every episode was like acting out a section of the bible

Worse than Fat Albert?

(Note also that it was the lack of sledgehammer morality, or any morality at all, that helped make Seinfeld such a huge hit, back when things were still a little too Cosby-ish sitcomwise.)
posted by aaron at 12:31 AM on April 8, 2002

Well, that puts the screws to it, mathowie (well, you and the new Mountain Dew commercials [which I'd drink if I weren't Canadian]). It seems when I was a kid I only watched old cartoons (by old I mean made before I was born :)

I remember watching that Davey and Goliath cartoon. But when I watched it I thought it was a comedy. Then there was Popeye which well... was good for some strange reason. I always whished they'd do a Davey vs. Popeye show.

Oh no, I just searched for Commander Tom and got reminded of Bowling for Dollars (which, BTW, was on for far longer than 1980).

Care Bears, Popples, The Smurfs, TMNT, Transformers, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Bugs Bunny, Casper, Daffy Duck, He-Man, WonderWoman, Tom & Jerry, Woody the Woodpecker, ChillyWilly, Top Cat, Captain Nemo, The Little Prince (yes, it sucked), oh no, I think I'm going to tune to the Cartoon Network again. Someone STOP ME!

And people wonder why I won't pay for my TV anymore. Probably because when I liked TV it was all free anyways? :-)

Sorry for the aside, we'll now return back to your regular internet programming after I watch an old let's make a deal and the price is right re-run (someone get GSN to put on Chain Reaction, Bumper Stumpers, and that game show where the guy wandered the streets of my hometown asking random people stupid questions for $100 prizes like "What's the name for the plastic ends of shoelaces" please!). Ahhh, that's better.
posted by shepd at 12:58 AM on April 8, 2002

i love the net. i grew up in canada and i could recall these really weird informative cartoons, but that was it. lo and behold, people have sites about them

Schoolhouse Rock
posted by Frasermoo at 1:11 AM on April 8, 2002

I'm just thinking of Mon-chi-chi's. Man, the cartoons I had when I was a kid sucked. All that cheap Hanna-Barbera stuff, with the lamest plots. The Snorks and Pac-man, I can't remember more now because I'm blocking it. Praise the Lord that Bugs Bunny played if you waited long enough -- that would be the last cartoon of Saturday morning; I suppose the programmers thought the parents would be up at that point and wouldn't put up with the crap foisted upon their early-rising kiddies.

And I love Spongebob. It's so silly and there's always at least one moment in each cartoon to prove that cartoonists get the best drugs. Once I thought I found a rare "normal" episode of SB, but right then it went into a bizarre musical number. Only 30 more seconds, and it would have been there.
posted by meep at 5:26 AM on April 8, 2002

Heh. Spongebob is the best. My favorite episode is where he is making fun of Sandy the Squirrel, how she is dumb like a redneck, and then she stops showering and starts drooling and drawling to make a point not to make fun of her. And the one where him and Patrick are playing in a box and using thier "imagination" (at which point Spongebob makes a rainbow with his hands and gets a twinkle in his eye).

I just purchases the PlayStation game (little more than Super Mario Bros. 2) and a big puffy stuffed SpongeBob with a Crabby Patty in his hands. It's for my son. *Really.*
posted by adampsyche at 5:31 AM on April 8, 2002

Mon chi chi, Mon chi chi! Oh so soft and cuddly! With her thumb in her mouth it's really sweet! Fun to tickle her little feet! Mon chi chi! Mon chi chi! (sorry, any mention of monchichi & I have to sing it else it's in my head all day.) I do like SpongeBob--it's very Ren & Stimpy like! It's way better than that infernal Elmo!
posted by macadamiaranch at 5:46 AM on April 8, 2002

The best part is Spongebob's laugh.
posted by mblandi at 6:28 AM on April 8, 2002

I've never really understood the appeal of Spongebob Squarepants. Sure, it's better than that interminable Rugrats crap, but it doesn't even come close to the brilliance of Invader Zim.
posted by emptybowl at 6:41 AM on April 8, 2002

I'm just wondering why the author of this article could make the mistake of calling a character named "Squidward" an "octopus". Durh.

Spongebob rules. And so does Invader Zim. And the Fairly Oddparents. Nickelodeon rarely does me wrong, except in the case of "Butt Ugly Martians" (every parent's worst nightmare).
posted by glenwood at 7:01 AM on April 8, 2002

My sister has the game. I like it because it's two-dimensional and you only have one choice as far as where to go-- forward. (As opposed to those fancy games like Bond where you have an infinite number of paths. ) I've never seen the show though.
posted by jojo at 7:31 AM on April 8, 2002

Have some pride, people. At least pretend that you have a young'un around somewhere who gives you a reason to watch. At least if you say, "I watch Spongebob Squarepants so that I can be informed about what my cousin's hairstylist's grandnephew is watching" you have some measure of plausible deniability. I mean, really, if you can just watch whatever you want, what reason will there be for people to have children? The income tax exemption? Be serious.

It ain't right.
posted by anapestic at 8:01 AM on April 8, 2002

I don't know when the people who make/market cartoons decided that they needed to make them ever more LOUD, obnoxious, bizarre and pointless in order to be successful. There hasn't been one I could even bear to have on my screen since Pinky & the Brain.
posted by rushmc at 8:39 AM on April 8, 2002

My local watering hole has some funny graffiti in the women's bathroom. My favorite is this dialogue:

"I love Spoungbob!"

"If you really loved him, you'd know how to spell his name right!"
posted by acridrabbit at 9:54 AM on April 8, 2002

OK, there are some people in this thread that are going to hate me for this: Spongebob Tampon

Not my work...
posted by TiggleTaggleTiger at 10:13 AM on April 8, 2002

my favorite episode is "disco jellyfish" in which spongebob adopts a pet jellyfish that has his friends over for a dance party. god, that makes me laugh every time.
posted by centrs at 10:21 AM on April 8, 2002

mathowie: instead using a series of sounds to bleep out the words

I forgot about that one- you hear dolphins chattering every time somebody curses. That's my son's favorite by far - his eyes light up with a vicarious thrill every time SB gets away with it.

I don't hate you, TTT. I saw that on Something Awful (Something Awful and Fark jointly held some kind of photoshop contest) and thought it was gross but clever. I would search their forums to find a link to the contest, but since you have to pay 9.95 to join it, thereby activating the search feature, I declined.
posted by iconomy at 10:38 AM on April 8, 2002

Let's not forget about Samurai Jack nor the whole Adult Swim line-up. I think Space Ghost should run for president.
posted by Hackworth at 11:54 AM on April 8, 2002

I love Invader Zim. Nick has some great cartoons. I remember the old days of Nick with Danger Mouse and the Mysterious Cities of gold. Esteban! They have always had some good cartoons. Except for the one where that kid carried the bottomless gym bag around, I wasn't fond of that one. I think Spongebob will be a true classic one day.
posted by bunktone at 12:15 PM on April 8, 2002

My 2.5 year old niece introduced me to SpongeBob. I have her every other week but, SBSP is watched every week.

I mean, I do have to keep up with it, so we can have intelligent conversations, right?
posted by SuzySmith at 1:39 PM on April 8, 2002

Its really sad when you have to send your daughter to bed early so you, the parent, can watch SpongeBob
posted by sahrens428 at 2:22 PM on April 8, 2002

One of the downsides of Spongebob is that it comes on like 12 times a day if you have digital cable and the poor little Tivo season pass goes into overdrive.
:::view upcoming episodes::: "There are 67 upcoming episodes"
(Yes, I only set it to keep 2 episodes and I do have a 5yo to justify the pass - really, that's why I have it SP'd). Uh huh.
posted by thatothrgirl at 6:04 PM on April 8, 2002

a big puffy stuffed SpongeBob with a Crabby Patty in his hands. It's for my son. *Really.*

Heehee, I have a big stuffed SpongeBob myself. I got it the day before I started college :) Unfortunately, I don't get to see SpongeBob very much while I'm at school. My favorite episode is a tie between "Opposite Day" and when Squidward starts a marching band.
posted by somethingotherthan at 7:10 PM on April 8, 2002

Kudos for the Samurai Jack mention. Best. New. Cartoon. Ever.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:01 AM on April 10, 2002

This thread reminds me of why I'm glad that my kids don't watch television. Oy.
posted by Dreama at 8:35 AM on April 10, 2002