Spongebob is allowed in our house, but sometimes when I hear other people say "Oh, I don't let my son/daughter watch that show" I just don't get it. How did Spongebob get such a bad rap?
I've heard people say "oh, it's sexual - Bikini Bottom? Sandy Cheeks?"
Seriously? I never even went there in my head. I just thought they were cute little names someone made up and I don't generally consider myself to be naive.
Then I heard someone say "well, they use the word stupid on there". Agreed, I don't like that word, but most of the time it's used in a mean way, so I use it as an example of how not to act towards your friends. See how I turned that around like that???
My little guy watches two episodes of Spongebob at night (each episode is 15 minutes) and I often find myself drawn into them as well. Here's what I've observed:
- Spongebob gets up every morning and goes to work. This show responsibility. He also loves going to work every day and loves what he does and is proud of it - even though he's just a fry cook.
- Spongebob wears a tie and a collared shirt every day. Seriously? How many cartoon characters do that?
- He has a good relationships with his parents and absolutely adores his grandmother.
- Spongebob is loyal to his friend Patrick (who I'll admit is a bit slow at times, but come on - he's a Sea Star) and he is always nice to Squidward, his neighbor.
- The bad guy never wins. Poor Plankton just cannot get the crabby patty recipe.
- All finally, just look at the little guy. Doesn't he make you smile? He is always positive, kind to everyone he sees and has a great laugh.
So, let me have it. What do you think about Spongebob? What am I missing?
I've heard people say "oh, it's sexual - Bikini Bottom? Sandy Cheeks?"
Seriously? I never even went there in my head. I just thought they were cute little names someone made up and I don't generally consider myself to be naive.
Then I heard someone say "well, they use the word stupid on there". Agreed, I don't like that word, but most of the time it's used in a mean way, so I use it as an example of how not to act towards your friends. See how I turned that around like that???
My little guy watches two episodes of Spongebob at night (each episode is 15 minutes) and I often find myself drawn into them as well. Here's what I've observed:
- Spongebob gets up every morning and goes to work. This show responsibility. He also loves going to work every day and loves what he does and is proud of it - even though he's just a fry cook.
- Spongebob wears a tie and a collared shirt every day. Seriously? How many cartoon characters do that?
- He has a good relationships with his parents and absolutely adores his grandmother.
- Spongebob is loyal to his friend Patrick (who I'll admit is a bit slow at times, but come on - he's a Sea Star) and he is always nice to Squidward, his neighbor.
- The bad guy never wins. Poor Plankton just cannot get the crabby patty recipe.
- All finally, just look at the little guy. Doesn't he make you smile? He is always positive, kind to everyone he sees and has a great laugh.
So, let me have it. What do you think about Spongebob? What am I missing?
I'm with you!! We watch Spongebob around here too!
ReplyDeleteOk I HATED spongebob before my son came along. I hated the show, I hated the humor, everything about it. I never put it on and said, "Here Balin, watch this," but my brother in law (he's 12) watches it and my son started watching it with him. My son has limited speech (knows how to talk, but won't) and we were amazed when left and right all we ever heard was Spongebob. It started off as "Bob" and then it was Spongebob in full. He got some Spongebob DVDs for his birthday and now he will SING the entire song, word for word, and dance to it. He mocks everything they do, some of my favorites being the dancing, Patrick's big belly laughs, and high fives. There's something about that yellow sponge that makes my boy so happy, theres no way I can hate him now.
ReplyDeleteMy 7yo has been watching SpongeBob since she was 4. She knows that calling anyone stupid just isn't nice and we don't use that word (I do, when she's not around). Her 5th birthday party was SpongeBob and some of the parents actually mumbled how they don't let their kids watch him. Whatever. My husband and I always crack up because honestly she learned some "big" words from the show way before I would have ever thought she'd even hear them. And yes, we get sucked into the show, too, and Plankton cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteThey really do learn new words from it! There's something about Spongebob that evidently MAKES them want to repeat the words he says!
ReplyDeleteRyan (15) has watched spongbob as long as I can remember...he still watches it over anything else! When I gently "nagged" last year that he was too old to watch cartoons, he simply put me in my place by asking me if I really wanted him watching all those reality TV shows..."really mom?" ..I stopped nagging...and decided Bikini Bottom was a great place to let my teenager hang out :)
ReplyDeleteOMGosh! What kind of mind in the gutter thinks SB is sexual because of Bikini Bottom and Sandy Cheeks? Of course, I have to admit I've now tried thinking of the other names on the show just to see if there are connotations with them as well.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter (15) will still sit and watch it and my son (5) adores it. Yes, he will sometimes say "you barnacle head" to someone as a joke, but if that's the worst thing he ever picks up from watching t.v. then I think we'll be okay.
I even have a favorite episode, "The Night Shift" (...and at his funeral...they fired him!). What's yours?
Great post!
I think Spongebob is just fine. My Husband started watching it with our youngest Grand-Daughter and still watches it. I've seen other cartoons on that parents let their kids watch which I think are terrible. Spongebob is such a positive little guy and I love Patrick. Our Grand-Daugher, who will be twelve in a couple weeks, still sleeps with the BIG Stuffed Patrick I bought her when she was five. Patrick is her pillow and she will probably take it off to College one day.
ReplyDeleteLet me preface with I currently share a condo here in Knoxville with my younger brother. I was awoken from a nap two weeks ago by spongebob's unmistakable laugh because my 18 year old freshman in college brother was watching it. He was also laughing at spongebob like a girl.
ReplyDeletewe've never really seen it before, but this cracked me up, so cute and funny! :)
ReplyDeleteHoly crabby patties, if I didn't have Sponge Bob to fall back on, my life would totally fall apart. Annoying voice aside, he's very welcome in our house. And, the funniest thing evah that Adam says when he's upset or disappointed: "Tarter Socks" haha.
ReplyDeleteI am totally enlightened. I had no idea Spongebob is educational, and has a job! Too funny about the collar shirt and tie. My 4yr old asked to watch Spongebob once, and I said "when you get a little bit bigger you can watch it, Spongebob is for big boys"...yet I really had no concrete idea why I was saying no...I had just always thought Spongebob was for bigger kids! Maybe because he dresses so darn proper. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWell, I never thought of him as sexual. After years of hearing my nephew watch Spongebob incessantly I am just not ready for the show at my house. I find it annoying, not sexual, that's why it's off limits here!
ReplyDelete