SpongeBob SquarePants

[Drtooth]

I think the reason why the show is even still on is because SpongeBob pretty much became the Nickelodeon poster boy. You can't go to a store without seeing some SpongeBob related merchandise. If Nickelodeon were too pull the plug on him (not like they ever will), there would be a big gaping hole in the Nick's current lineup. Nick should stop ignoring shows if they don't reach Spongebob status by the first five episodes. Remember, SpongeBob was almost on the verge of being cancelled during the first season.

It seems that Nick is insistant that you like, nay, LOVE their crappy kid coms. And they're so bad conceptually at this point, they seem like they come out of a parody. And the worst part is, one show totally was predicted by an SNL skit (granted... it was about a Disney Channel show). The one where the African American ghosts haunt the white family? And, double granted, the SNL skit was "My Mom is a Korean Water Ghost." But same diff. They're running out of ways to disguise recycled Step by Step and Saved by the Bell scripts. On the one hand, Spongebob (and FOP) has overstayed its welcome... on the other hand, it's nice that Nick even has some attention to some animated fare. They want all their toons to reach Spongebob popularity when Spongebob didn't have Spongebob popularity when it started because the tween trash is easier and cheaper to produce.

It should tell you something that they kept trying to force Fred based sitcoms down everyone's throats, even though NO ONE liked them. That thing that no one liked had more of a chance than the last crop of Nicktoons.

On a lighter note... I was trying to watch an episode of Justice League Unlimited... the one where it reveals that Cadmus was actually a ploy by Lex Luthor to make Superman look bad/make a powerful mechanical body. And just as Braniac is trying to take over his body, Lex lets out what is supposed to sound like a horrifying scream. This is supposed to be horrifying and a very dramatic point... but since it's the same voice actor (Clancy Brown), it sounds like Mr. Krabs screaming. And now, instead of being this dramatic, edge of your seat moment, it's the funniest freaking sound you ever heard in the worst place to put it.

 

[AquaGGR]

Do people in SB get arrested for littering because IRL garbage ruins the oceans and kills fish?

 

[fozzieisfunny]

I used to watch this show. But, now they crown it as one of the best shows on Nick. It's not! C'mon, it ruins your brain! They tested it on kids!! It does not deserve that crowning. I mean, really! The SpongeBob SquarePants movie ( the first one) was actually good. But, now they make 2 hour marathons that they claim as one episode. Now, it's getting unreal. Plus, they show disgusting images that'll give kids nightmares!!!

 

[Drtooth]

Even if I hated Spongebob, I'd take it over the hours of live action dreck they call sitcoms.

I've also noticed that Nick is starting to switch focus from Spongebob to TMNT, which I am not complaining in the least. There's actually starting to be less Spongebob merchandising now than before, but a sharp rise of stuff featuring the Turtles. Even more so than when 4Kids was Mirage's licensing partner (not quite as much as the 80's series, but close).

But other than Spongebob and TMNT, they really seem to hate cartoons on that channel, and purposely tank them so they don't have to produce more episodes. Pretty ticked off they didn't give T.U.F.F. Puppy much of a shot. I really liked that one, and I hoped it would have turned a corner. Didn't. Eh, at least I managed to get that one figurine set that Jazzwares produced... on deep discount clearance. Eh, but YAY TMNT!

 

[mr3urious]

It's a stretch to call it brain-damaging, too. You might as well call Ren & Stimpy or Cow & Chicken brain-damaging while you're at it.

 

[Drtooth]

Some of the terrible Games animated episodes of Ren and Stimpy were pretty brain damaging. And not even in a fun way.

I'm pretty sure I said this on this thread, but I never liked how they marketed Spongebob to pre-preschool audiences. Even when the show started out, it had some pretty disturbing stuff to be featured in a cartoon that young of an audience watches. Not to mention the fact it painted the show as a preschool only series to some. But the thing that really annoys me is when 90's nostalgic kids whine about how many times a day Spongebob was on, and how it's been on the network too many years that absolutely forgot the network forced Rugrats down everyone's throats. Not to mention how later episodes were watered down to the point of lobotomized Muppet Babies ripoff. The appeal of the show was the adults having adult conversations and the babies misunderstanding it. Too bad they tore that out as soon as possible. To say the least of the aged up spinoff.

 

[C to the J]

As someone who's watched this show in its early years, I, too, have noticed how unpleasant the show can be in terms of story and presentation. And I couldn't agree more with Blu3Danny. The citizens of Bikini Bottom do get hostile to the point where they become predictable. In fact, the hostility, which is usually left unresolved, is the reason I'm put off with the show.

And there are some things I'd like to point out regarding the "Supervising Producer: Paul Tibbitt"-era episodes:

• The round cheeks on smiling characters, especially Spongebob and Patrick, always appear and cover the ends of smiles.
• Patrick is always shown with one tooth.
• Bubbles appearing in Sandy's treedome
• Mermaid Man's belt is purple instead of yellow.
• Perch Perkins, a TV reporter, is orange (he was purple in the movie)

Also, here's what I have to say regarding Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Cartoon:

Just what does Spongebob Squarepants have that the other cartoons are missing (besides more hours of airtime?) Being on more than six times a day must be the reason the show keeps winning. Heck, it even keeps stealing every other Nicktoon's thunder. If you ask me, the vote for favorite cartoon is always one-sided. The last non-Spongebob cartoon was Avatar: the Last Airbender... in 2008. I'm just saying, why don't we give other cartoons a chance?

For the next vote for favorite cartoon, I'm hoping the nominees will be the ones that have debuted within the past 5-10 years. I mean, what part of 'enough is enough' do the folks at Nickelodeon not understand?

 

[Drtooth]

So you're saying that it's a shock that a network owned awards show is giving an award to its own show, one they focus on above all else?

And do you know the absolute worst thing about Spongebob's success? Nick was all ready to cancel it a year or two in before it became popular. Nick will only allow a cartoon series to survive if it pulls in Spongebob ratings when Spongebob wasn't able to pull in Spongebob ratings when it first came out. That's like saying that NBC won't allow anything that doesn't get Seinfeld in its prime ratings when the show was generously given a chance it's first 3 seasons, all in danger of cancellation. Success does not come instantly, and when it does, it's not a long lasting one. Meanwhile, they LOVE their crappy live action kiddy-coms that just keep getting worse in quality year after year. The Haunted Hathaways? REALLY?! Their leadership is baffling.

To say the least of the horror stories that cartoonist that work for Nick go through.

 

[C to the J]

I know what you mean. And just think, if you plan to keep the show running longer, at least make sure it's up with the times. The title sequence is in serious need of an update. Personally, I find the use of overseas animation pretty commonplace and less effective.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

Weird. Most people complain when shows update with the times