Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants has always been known for incorporating instances of adult-geared humor into the series, but there's a reason why one recently banned episode is so notably controversial. Since it first hit TV in 1999, the show has managed to craft its content and style in a way that doesn't only garner laughs and interest from children but also from adults in earshot. And, lately, two specific Spongebob episodes have made waves for being yanked from TV rotation and streaming. Nickelodeon pulled an upcoming episode, entitled "Kwarantined Krab," because it incorporated a virus-centric storyline, which, of course, hits too close to home during the lingering devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, more interestingly, another episode has also made headlines for being censored online: 2003's "Mid-Life Crustacean." It centers around Mr. Krabs' mid-life crisis and desperate pursuit to hold onto some semblance of youthful fun. And, to assist him, Spongebob and Patrick invite him along on a "panty raid" mini-adventure (which they claim to do all the time), where they break into womens' homes and steal their underwear. Though cringe-worthy by 2021 standards, the episode ends on a seemingly lighthearted note, with Mr. Krabs discovering he's broken into his own mother's house, and she sends him to his childhood room for the night.
Because of the buzz surrounding "Kwarantined Crab," a Nickelodeon representative responded to "Mid-Life Crustacean," saying the episode has been "out of rotation since 2018, following a standards review in which we determined some story elements were not kid-appropriate."And this choice seems to be the best course of action. During the continual wake of the #MeToo movement, there's been a steady wave of societal re-evaluation, revamping, and pushes for accountability. Though a show like Spongebob has never actually harmed anyone, storylines like the panty raid have served as a problematic pop culture backdrop. After all, one of the key components as to why society has functioned the way it has involves what is seen as commonplace. Even a comedic cartoon not doing any direct damage perpetuates a climate where a children's show could air an episode about men breaking into a woman's home and stealing her underwear without most of the public even raising an eyebrow.
Of course, there's always the argument that shows like Spongebob are just cartoons, and society is actually going too far with corrections such as this one. To an extent, this argument is valid. Holding certain media to too high of a standard can become tricky, especially when you consider the context of both the show and how an episode is contextually bound to the time in which it was written and originally aired. Series like South Park or Family Guy are meant to be irreverent and shocking in their comedy, and that's part of the appeal for many people. And certain storylines or jokes that may have worked before (even if they weren't exactly "right" then) wouldn't fly today.
"Mid-Life Crustacean's" panty raid was an episode component done in poor taste, but, unfortunately, at the time, it wasn't shocking. Now, of course, the right choice is to pull it, which the network says it did three years ago. After all, Spongebob Squarepants is a show on Nickelodeon, not something on a network like Comedy Central or TBS. They've been doing the right thing, and it seems that these reevaluations will only continue as society becomes continually aware of past misjudgments, which, though small in their own right, have historically added up to a larger, problematic climate.
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