Have you ever heard a friend say, “My parents didn’t let me watch Spongebob when I was younger?” I definitely have, and for a long time I never understood why. After seeing The Spongebob Movie: Search for SquarePants, however, I think I finally do. The movie was far less child-appropriate than I remembered the show being. SpongeBob SquarePants was always silly and absurd, relying on lighthearted humor and the occasional potty joke for laughs. Like many Nickelodeon shows, its primary goal was entertainment rather than education. This movie, however, suggests a negative shift in children’s media, where humor increasingly relies on more mature content that feels less applicable for its intended audience.
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants earned an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 68% on the Popcornmeter, receiving somewhat positive reviews, including comments such as, “As entertaining as Search for SquarePants was, as the credits rolled, it was clear something was missing.” While the movie maintained the franchise’s signature silliness and stupidity, the plot ultimately fell short, relying too heavily on “butt” jokes. For instance, Patrick Star mistakes an eyepatch for a thong and wears it for several minutes, and multiple jokes reference “shitting bricks.” This marks a departure from earlier films in the franchise, such as The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, that while equally silly, still centered on meaningful themes of friendship, responsibility, and doing the right thing.
My question is: is this the new standard for what kids are expected to see? Compared to the media I grew up with, the content felt somewhat inappropriate and lacking in purpose. Children’s media today often doesn’t share a message or an underlying theme for kids to learn, and the newest SpongeBob movie is just one example of that. Unlike earlier films in the franchise, this movie does not display much of the heart, moral guidance, or emphasis on friendship that once defined SpongeBob SquarePants. Compared to the previous movies, this film does not present much of a plot and relies on these short, eye-catching jokes to hold viewers’ attention.
My concern lies in the evolution of children’s media and the way children are encouraged to consume it: what does this mean for kids? Outside of school, there are endless opportunities to see inappropriate content, which has infiltrated shows and movies guided towards kids. Overall, I hope that children’s movies can continue to be silly and entertaining, while also offering stories that can teach kids something meaningful.
