For more than 20 years, people from the ’90s and early 2000s have grown up with SpongeBob SquarePants and have been one of the favorite cartoon characters even until today.
Spongebob, Patrick, Squidward, and the rest of the gang continue to capture the hearts of many regardless of their age.
While you may be a fan of the show, there’s still a lot of things don’t know about its fun-loving and bubbly yellow sponge. Get to know him and his show a little more with these fun and surprising SpongeBob SquarePants facts.
Spongebob’s name is supposed to be Spongeboy.
And the cartoon’s title was originally SpongeBoy Ahoy!
Actually, SpongeBoy, was a copyrighted name for a mop, but Hillenburg made sure to keep the “sponge” in the name as he was worried that children might mistake him for a block of cheese.
Squidward is technically not a squid.
Squidward Q. Tentacles’ character has been confusing. He can be referred to as both a squid and an octopus, but he only has six tentacles (Squids have 8). This is because giving him more than six legs would “weigh him down too much visually.”
Big celebrities have appeared on the show such as Will Farrell, Johnny Depp, Tina Fey, Robin Williams and etc.
Creator Stephen Hillenburg was actually not in favor of celebrities providing guest voices out of fear of comparison to The Simpsons.
But after Hillenburg resigned as showrunner, Bikini Bottom invited the likes of Ferrell, Fey, Williams, Amy Poehler, Johnny Depp, Victoria Beckham, LeBron James, Pink, Patton Oswalt, and other established stars to get adults to watch.
Some Christian groups labeled the show a “Homosexual propaganda
A 2005 video meant to promote tolerance and diversity was notoriously considered by Focus on the Family and other conservative groups as an instrument of gay propaganda.
That incident, and interpretations by viewers that SpongeBob is gay, has led to denials from the show’s staff that the sea creature has no sexual orientation at all.
In a Wall Street Journal interview in 2002, Hillenburg said that even though he considers all of his characters “asexual,” he believes the attitude of SpongeBob SquarePants “is about tolerance.”
A new fungi species was named after Spongebob.
In 2011, a group of biologists at the San Francisco State University baptize a new species of mushroom “Spongiforma Squarepantsii” because of its resemblance to the sea sponge.
The scientist also noted that the spore-producing area of the fungus found in the forests of Borneo resembled a seafloor “carpeted in tube sponges,” it sealed the deal. The new mushroom species has a “fruity or musty” odor.
The “My Leg” Fish has a name “Fred”
The “My Leg” guy’s name was eventually revealed in the episode “Patty Hype.” He is known in various episodes, spanning seasons and years, for crying “My leg!” while under intimidation.
Patrick was originally conceived as an angry pub owner.
Stephen Hillenburg initially created a starfish character who was a combative and angry bar owner. He later realized the actual character of starfish—very slow and dimwitted but can be extremely active and quite aggressive
Bill Fagerbakke, (Marshall’s dad on How I Met Your Mother) voices Patrick by slowing his speech and pretending that his mouth is in his chest.
The Krabby Patty is vegetarian.
The show never divulges the secret ingredient to the best-selling burger patty’s recipe. But some fans theorize that the Krabby Patty involves the use of crab meat and the fact that the Krusty Krab’s building looks like a crab trap. However, creator Stephen Hillenburg stated that the Krabby Patty is vegetarian and does not use any form of meat.
