S/O - Is Spongebob EVIL? Why or why not?

[Super~Single~Mama]

In another thread there are many posters who are adamantly opposed to Spongebob. I'd like to know why. I'm not interested in the thread becoming a debate, or instigating fighting, I'm just honestly curious about why people find Spongebob to be absolutely abhorrent and strictly forbid him from their home?

I personally don't find him to be terribly offensive, and really could care less about him. Why do people hate him?

[AFWife]

I find him horribly annoying. That's my big thing. It makes me want to throw heavy things at the TV

[AllyRae]

I love Spongebob. : Some of the things are probably not the most appropriate things, but in terms of cartoons, it's not too terribly bad. There are worse things on Nick that are targeted to young kids.

Now, my big bad confession...my 6 year old loves spongebob and watches it a couple times a week...and now my 21 month old walks around the house singing "spongebob bob pants sponge bob bob pants sponge bob pine apple pants" over and over again. It's *way* cute. :

[velochic]

Evil? No. I just don't like the way he acts. Not something I want my dd imitating.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

I love Spongebob. : Some of the things are probably not the most appropriate things, but in terms of cartoons, it's not too terribly bad. There are worse things on Nick that are targeted to young kids.

Now, my big bad confession...my 6 year old loves spongebob and watches it a couple times a week...and now my 21 month old walks around the house singing "spongebob bob pants sponge bob bob pants sponge bob pine apple pants" over and over again. It's *way* cute. :

OMG can you post a video??? I think that would make my day!!!!!! (I can imagine my 21mo doing the EXACT same thing LOL)

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by velochic

Evil? No. Completely inane? Yes.

That. My kids love Spongebob and while I find it stupid and annoying, I don't think he's evil in the least.

We've been watching old episodes of the Flintstones lately. Right now I'd take Spongebob over the 1960's version of Fred Flintstone.

[juliebird]

I don't think of him as evil and I'm ok with older kids watching him, but I don't let my younger one watch the show. Because I think there is a lot of snarky humor that smaller kids don't get. It doesn't have a feel good vibe but can be rather dark. Instead of modeling patience and support for others, I get more of a harsh, almost mean, teasing vibe. Again I think it's ok (not great) for older kids but not at all for younger kids.

hope this makes sense

[limabean]

I've only seen a couple of episodes when my brother had SpongeBob DVDs on for his kids, but in the little bit that I saw the characters were mean to each other and used words like "stupid."

Since we have a DVR, our favorite shows are always available to watch, so there's no reason to have some random show on. It's not like the old days where you turned on the kids channel and just watched whatever happened to be on at the time.

[AFWife]

Something else to keep in mind: Sometimes when parents talk about how inappropriate a show is they aren't thinking about the rating (I'm not saying that's the case on MDC but I know I run into it IRL) Spongebob is rated TV7 I think...so *really* it's not made for tiny kids.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by AFWife

Something else to keep in mind: Sometimes when parents talk about how inappropriate a show is they aren't thinking about the rating (I'm not saying that's the case on MDC but I know I run into it IRL) Spongebob is rated TV7 I think...so *really* it's not made for tiny kids.

I didn't know that. Can you explain what the ratings mean? (I really don't watch tv much - never have, and my ds seems equally disinterested so far, but I'm curious about the rating system) Are the ratings similar to movie ratings??

[AllyRae]

I do have to add that I think the Shrek movies are *way* worse than Spongebob. Shrek has blatent sexual innuendo and adult jokes. The Spongebob humor is a bit different than that. (And I don't find it dark at all. I mean, Spongebob gets teased a *lot* but in the end, he always wins. The mean guy ends up looking bad for what he did at the end. And Spongebob is a pretty [overly almost-drug-induced] euphoric character. : )

Everyone's got their thing. I know people who think Spongebob is pure evil but their young kids have every line of every Shrek movie memorized. I know people who think that all violence in movies is bad while my DS had watched every episode of Star Wars before he was 4 years old [I haven't even seen them...DH and DS watched them]. Some people love Disney movies, and I think they're littered with adult jokes, racism, and rewriting history. Everyone has their cup of tea. :

[ellemenope]

Oh, I admit we let DD watch spongebob on Jetblue one time when she was 23months old. It was the only kids programming on and it was keeping her attention. Then spongebob started to do som effed up things with his body. It was really trippy, and I was worried about DD having nightmares about it. So, I flipped back to music. She still talks about spongebob even today.

[amyjeans]

I personally love spongebob- my kids do as well, BUT...we don't watch it any longer because they act out some of the offensive things he and other characters do. Plus we dropped our cable and no longer get Nick. (yeehah!)
Honestly, there are WAY more offensive things on Nick than SB- like Fairly Odd parents for one.
But I grew up on Bugs Bunny, and developed a love for classical music through it. The language wasn't as harsh as SB, though.
compare "I'm goona kick your butt" to "You're dispicable" There is a hightened level of violence in today's cartoons- even for little ones, I think.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by thyra

I didn't know that. Can you explain what the ratings mean? (I really don't watch tv much - never have, and my ds seems equally disinterested so far, but I'm curious about the rating system) Are the ratings similar to movie ratings??

I found this about ratings: http://www.tvguidelines.org/ratings.htm

I also found this about Spongebob (I did a Google so I don't know anything about the source) http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-r...ob-squarepants

Originally Posted by AllyRae

I do have to add that I think the Shrek movies are *way* worse than Spongebob. Shrek has blatent sexual innuendo and adult jokes. The Spongebob humor is a bit different than that. (And I don't find it dark at all. I mean, Spongebob gets teased a *lot* but in the end, he always wins. The mean guy ends up looking bad for what he did at the end. And Spongebob is a pretty [overly almost-drug-induced] euphoric character. : )

Everyone's got their thing. I know people who think Spongebob is pure evil but their young kids have every line of every Shrek movie memorized. I know people who think that all violence in movies is bad while my DS had watched every episode of Star Wars before he was 4 years old [I haven't even seen them...DH and DS watched them]. Some people love Disney movies, and I think they're littered with adult jokes, racism, and rewriting history. Everyone has their cup of tea. :

OMG I was in high school when Shrek came out and we all walked out of the theater going "This is a KIDS MOVIE?!?"

I love your last paragraph

[sleepingbeauty]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

I do have to add that I think the Shrek movies are *way* worse than Spongebob. Shrek has blatent sexual innuendo and adult jokes. The Spongebob humor is a bit different than that. (And I don't find it dark at all. I mean, Spongebob gets teased a *lot* but in the end, he always wins. The mean guy ends up looking bad for what he did at the end. And Spongebob is a pretty [overly almost-drug-induced] euphoric character. : )

Everyone's got their thing. I know people who think Spongebob is pure evil but their young kids have every line of every Shrek movie memorized. I know people who think that all violence in movies is bad while my DS had watched every episode of Star Wars before he was 4 years old [I haven't even seen them...DH and DS watched them]. Some people love Disney movies, and I think they're littered with adult jokes, racism, and rewriting history. Everyone has their cup of tea. :

THANK YOU!! I thought I was the only one. *I* almost feel weird watching those movies (and I watch WAAAAAY worse with OH!). They just rub me the wrong way.

BIG THANKS to the OP. I was really confused on the other thread too. I'd like to see it from the other side of the argument.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by amyjeans

But I grew up on Bugs Bunny, and developed a love for classical music through it. The language wasn't as harsh as SB, though.
compare "I'm goona kick your butt" to "You're dispicable" There is a hightened level of violence in today's cartoons- even for little ones, I think.

DH and I talk about this sometimes. We listen to Classical music in the car and sometimes we'll go "Bugs Bunny!!" or something when a certain song comes on.

Yes, the Loony Toons were a bit violent...but I agree that there's more in today's shows. And today's stuff is a bit, well, dumber overall.

[amyjeans]

I agree, today's humor does seem dumber- like BB had a bit of intellectual satire - but could be stinking funny at the same time!
But on the other hand, I do love toilet humor!
Ever watch "The Tick?"

[Thalia the Muse]

I think Sponge Bob is pretty clever, actually. It's certainly no kind of a role-model, but neither are the cartoons I grew up watching -- Tom and Jerry is appalling! And the old Warner shorts (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck) were great, but do you remember Hanna-Barbera? They did a million series -- Jetsons, Flintstones, Yogi Bear -- and they were all dumber than dirt.

I do think Sponge Bob is more for eight-year-olds than two-year-olds.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by amyjeans

I agree, today's humor does seem dumber- like BB had a bit of intellectual satire - but could be stinking funny at the same time!
But on the other hand, I do love toilet humor!
Ever watch "The Tick?"

No. I've never seen it. I've heard of it, though.

I also love "dirty" humor...I'm just not crazy about it being in kids' shows. And, for the record, Loony Toons weren't for kids originally! They were shown at the start of drive -in movies! (I wanted to point that out before someone said "but wait!" )

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by AFWife

No. I've never seen it. I've heard of it, though.

I also love "dirty" humor...I'm just not crazy about it being in kids' shows. And, for the record, Loony Toons weren't for kids originally! They were shown at the start of drive -in movies! (I wanted to point that out before someone said "but wait!" )

I can understand that. I always figured it was ok though since its over their heads, and thought it was for the parents who are forced to suffer through kids television!