In 1999, a weird, colorful cartoon called “Spongebob SquarePants” began airing on Nickelodeon. It featured a quirky yellow sponge who lives under the sea and gets into all sort of adventures based on his childlike naivete. Upon first glance, no one in their right mind would think this show ever had a chance to survive. It seemed too niche, too weird and too creepy.
Ten years later, naysayers be damned. “Spongebob SquarePants” not only celebrates its 10th anniversary this year but has become a worldwide icon. And despite a legion of fans, including the President of the United States Barack Obama, and cameos from everyone from Johnny Depp to Victoria Beckham, many of us still have one question.
How the HECK is this possible? Have you SEEN that ridiculous show? (Okay, that’s two questions.)
When something becomes a hugely popular cultural phenomenon, I always try it out so I can talk about it semi-intelligently. My time with “Spongebob” was in 2004. I was working at a newspaper that asked me to see “The Spongebob SquarePants Movie” for a story. I had heard of the show, of course, and probably flipped by it on the TV while shuffling between terrible ’80s movies and a football game. But I figured, like most things, the movie was a great place to jump in. So I bought my ticket, sat down awkwardly – being the only 24 year old by themselves in a theater with full families – and watched the movie.
Five years later, I still don’t believe that the above experience happened. Seriously. It’s like the memory was erased. I have the ticket, I can go and find the story, but if a gun was put to my head I couldn’t tell you anything that happened in that movie. In fact, it took reading about the fact that the movie existed in this enlightening New York Times article, for me to remember that I had even seen it.
But I think in my twenty-something forgetfulness is the total and utter genius of “Spongebob Squarepants” and a possible reason for its longevity.
The show, which was created by Stephen Hillenburg, is almost completely innocent. It just moves along making dumb kids jokes, peppers in some more mature jokes, but is rarely about anything besides a few friends living under the sea. There’s rarely any iconic quotable dialogue or controversial, must see episodes. It’s just a show that kids love and parents tolerate because their kids can’t shut it off.
I don’t get it. But plenty of people do. And that complete and utter disjointed nature is what makes it so great.
The ten year anniversary will be celebrated with a marathon that begins on Friday and a VHI documentary that airs Tuesday.
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