First of all, I love “SpongeBob SquarePants.” It’s one of the cutest and most clever shows out there for adults and kids alike; however, over the course of its 26-year run (and counting), it has lost most of its charm. It used to be an amazing program, but it should have been cancelled long ago. Interestingly enough, this is the popular opinion of SpongeBob fans. It is common knowledge that the show declined drastically in quality many years ago, but how? What makes this show unbearable? Let’s take a closer look.
The appearance
The show’s overall feel changed, due to the stark contrast in animation and background music used. For one, the animation is so grotesque it’s hard to look at. The more complex the animation gets, the worse the show quality tends to be – I’ve noticed this trend across other multiple long-running shows, most notably “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” The beautiful hand-drawn animation of the first season of “SpongeBob Squarepants” is one thing that gave the show its original charm. The next few seasons’ animation wasn’t the same, but it still had some charm. Secondly, the change in music over the course of the show also marked the diminished quality. Calmer, more Hawaiian-themed songs were used at a time when the show was slower paced; when faster, more upbeat and sillier songs came about, it marked the transition away from the calmer pacing of the show. While the music may seem like a subtle change, beneath the surface, it marked a substantial drop in quality.
The character change
Unlike my recent complaints about “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” “SpongeBob Squarepants” did a really good job retaining the same characters throughout the show (except for legends Patchy and Potty, to name a few). However, their personalities have been drastically altered. SpongeBob himself went from a sweet and fun-loving sponge to an unintelligent and ridiculous crybaby. Patrick went from dumb to even dumber and quite mean at times. Squidward went from being the grumpy cashier to a depressed squid (octopus in later seasons, they changed his species) who desperately hates his life. Mrs. Puff even goes from a panicked boating teacher to a psychopathic maniac who tries to kill SpongeBob in a later episode. And recently, Bubble Bass from the Pickles episode has returned as a regular, portraying a stereotypical loser in his 20s who lives in his mother’s basement. I didn’t think “SpongeBob Squarepants” needed someone like that, but more power to them, I guess.
The plots
Arguably, the worst aspect of modern “SpongeBob Squarepants” is the bad writing. Imagine super fast pacing where you don’t even know what’s happening, on top of a storyline so weird it’s hard to follow. “SpongeBob Squarepants” originally was intended for an adult audience, with its witty jokes and occasionally adult humor. The show was a lot more composed and collected; however, modern episodes are the exact opposite. Nowadays, it seems like it is written for kids with insanely short attention spans, rather than anyone who would appreciate the show and its characters for what they are. How anyone can even sit through a single episode and recall what they just watched is beyond me. Something else they have relied on in recent times is nostalgia, but not in a good way. For some reason, the writers of “SpongeBob Squarepants” think it’s enjoyable for the audience to rewatch the exact same plots with the exact same characters that have already been used 20 years prior, which is the laziest thing they can do, in my opinion.
Overall, “SpongeBob SquarePants” seems to be in a pickle. While it seems to be an insurmountable feat to save the show, it is still an iconic program beloved by millions across the planet. The question is now, could “SpongeBob Squarepants” enter another era where the spark of the early seasons is rekindled, or should we lay the show to rest?
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of The Torch.