Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants!
Created by Stephen Hillenburg, Nickelodeon first aired SpongeBob on May 1, 1999. Since then, it’s evolved into one of the most beloved and amazing kids shows ever — and maybe something more. The happy-go-lucky yellow sponge is an icon for our generation.
Everyone who grew up watching the show can agree that SpongeBob has done so much for us. SpongeBob was the one who made us laugh when we were in bed sick. He was the one our parents allowed us to watch well past our bedtime. He was the one who taught us life lessons that we didn’t even know were life lessons.
What would we be without SpongeBob? What would the world be without SpongeBob?
Every night, SpongeBob SquarePants transported us into a world of bubbles, overpriced burgers, weird houses, well-meaning friends and inexhaustible optimism — a world of fantasy and the hope of, “Hey, maybe there is really a pineapple under the sea where a kitchen sponge lives with a pet snail.”
It’s a unique show and a good one, too. How many kids shows can you say that for nowadays? The show’s talent, creativity and humor sets it apart from its contemporaries.
Perhaps the best part of SpongeBob and his gang is the nostalgia. People of all ages can watch the show, and its characters will welcome us with open arms whenever we come back to it.
Remember when SpongeBob SquarePants was on the television every day? Remember when you wanted to go jellyfish hunting? Remember when you wanted to work at the Krusty Krab? Remember when you had nightmares about DoodleBob? Remember when you were lying on the couch with a sore throat and a fever and SpongeBob and the Flying Dutchman would have one of their pointless conversations, and you instantly felt cured?
We owe half of our lives to SpongeBob and his underwater squad. We grew up watching them. They were our fuel. We cannot — should not — imagine our lives without them.
There is no life without them. The show’s legacy is huge. Memes of the various characters have circulated over the years: Caveman SpongeBob and Confused Mr. Krabs are a few favorites.
The show is also the inspiration behind various amusement rides, such as SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge at the Mall of America, and multiple video games.
Merchandise, such as shirts and figurines — and even board games such as Life — have seen the Bikini Bottom flare.
Toyota even unveiled a SpongeBob-inspired Highlander in 2013.
In 2011, a new fungus was named after the titular character: spongiforma squarepantsii. Talk about influence.
It’s original, it’s smart, it’s hilarious and it’s super weird: for us, SpongeBob is a relic of the old, simpler times. It’s a treasure chest of 19 years that has held our hands through our ups and downs and allowed us to be our most authentic and carefree young selves. Happy anniversary, SpongeBob SquarePants.
