The left and right have claimed SpongeBob et al are subversive and conservative or liberal. And, there are bits and pieces we can pull to champion the cause. The LGBT tweet (which as noted wasn’t in line with Hillenburg’s view) is countered with an episode with this line that could come from FR: “ Lest he sit around idly, mooching off the social services of Bikini Bottom, a depressed SpongeBob sets out to return to gainful employment wherever he can find it.”
Personally, I thought “Squid on Strike” was a great take on unions and management. The union element looks pretty violent and Mr Krabs comes begging for his strikers to come back. You can see what you want in that episode. Even things that aren’t there.
In the end, the SpongeBob empire understands their money comes from normal people who, in general, want entertainment and laughter. Indeed, I suspect there are tons of millennial and GenZ Deplorables who got this joke.
