BFFs: Allyson Golden (left) yesterday hugs Miriam Starobin, who performed the Heimlich on her friend when she was choking on gum.
Posted on 04/27/2010 2:23:17 PM PDT by JoeProBono
LONG BEACH, N.Y., A New York state 12-year-old saved the life of a friend using the Heimlich maneuver, which she learned from watching "SpongeBob Square Pants."
Miriam Starobin, 12, said she used the lesson she learned from the popular Nickelodeon cartoon when her friend Allyson Golden, 12, began choking on a piece of gum Tuesday during a music class at Long Beach Middle School, the New York Post reported Friday.
"It was like a flash right in my eyes. I saw in my head Squidward with his clarinet lodged in his throat and then SpongeBob does the Heimlich maneuver and the clarinet comes flying out of his mouth," she said, recounting the plot of the episode that taught her the Heimlich.
"I had no clue what I was doing until it was done," she said.
Teacher Sanford Mauskopf said his view of the incident was blocked by a music stand but he learned of the event when he saw Golden's gum fly through the air.
"Do you realize what you've just done? You've saved Allyson's life. You're a hero," Mauskopf recalled telling the seventh-grader.
BFFs: Allyson Golden (left) yesterday hugs Miriam Starobin, who performed the Heimlich on her friend when she was choking on gum.
I’ve never seen a single episode of this cartoon, but this is probably the fourth time that I’ve heard good things about it, or something good came from it.
My kids have it on once inawhile. I really like it and will sit and watch an episode. Very clever, funny, and usually has a decent message in it.
The guy that does it started off as a marine biologist!
Stephen Hillenburg, the Creator of "SpongeBob"
Hillenburg is the real-life character who came up with the unusual group of SpongeBob SquarePants and friends.
Hillenburg is one of those people who proves the adage that every interest and experience is a brick in the building one becomes. His combined interests in marine biology and animation are what eventually led him to create "SpongeBob SquarePants."
"Working as a marine science educator, I had the chance to see how enamored kids are with undersea life, especially tide pool creatures. By combining this knowledge with my love for animation, I came up with SpongeBob SquarePants," Hillenburg said in a Washington Post interview.
"At first I drew a few natural sponges -- amorphous shapes, blobs -- which was the correct thing to do biologically as a marine science teacher." Hillenburg continued. "Then I drew a square sponge and it looked so funny. I think as far as cartoon language goes he was easier to recognize. He seemed to fit the character type I was looking for. Even the villainous Plankton, he's still flawed and you still root for him in a way, and the style of humor is simple and it's about human behavior, and everybody can identify with that." .
Hell I used to watch the show every once in a while...back in my early 20’s! Its generally pretty funny for kids and also does a really good job of weaving in jokes that go over their heads for adults also, nothing bad just funny.
Ah yes, the episode where Squiddy had a clarinet stuck in his throat and SpongeBob saved him. I remember it well.
My favorite episode is where SB teaches Patrick and Squidward to properly blow bubbles.
I confess I’ve seen nearly every episode and there are no children in my house.
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