Camp cartoon star 'is not gay' - ( SpongeBob )

BBC ^ | October 9,, 2002

[UnklGene]

Wednesday, 9 October, 2002, 15:44 GMT 16:44 UK Camp cartoon star 'is not gay'

SpongeBob SquarePants: A hit with adults and children

The creator of one of the most popular new cartoon characters for years, SpongeBob SquarePants, has rejected claims that his cheerful creation is gay. SpongeBob has become an icon among homosexuals in the United States as well as a huge hit with children, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Who is SpongeBob? A yellow sea sponge whose home is a giant pineapple Lives in Bikini Bottom on the bed of the Pacific Ocean Best friend is pink starfish called Patrick Likes winding up his neighbour, Squidward Tentacles Goes to Mrs Puff's Boating School He holds hands with his pink best friend, lives in an underwater pineapple and gets boating lessons from a teacher called Mrs Puff.

SpongeBob may be "kind of special", but he was not designed to be a gay character, his creator Stephen Hillenburg has told the Wall Street Journal.

The gay community likes the show because it has a tolerant attitude, Mr Hillenburg said.

"Everybody is different, and the show embraces that. The character SpongeBob is an oddball. He's kind of weird, but he's kind of special," he said.

"I always think of them as being somewhat asexual."

The US religious right said Tinky Winky was gay

SpongeBob is the latest sensation on children's cable channel Nickelodeon, and was recently voted among the top 10 cartoon characters of all time by fans.

His sexuality has become the biggest talking point since US campaigners claimed handbag-carrying Teletubby Tinky Winky, an import from the UK, was a bad role-model.

SpongeBob's innocent optimism, "soft" personality and bright, camp world have endeared him to gay men, the Journal said.

Adult fans

Nickelodeon says the show is not aimed at a homosexual audience, but it is the channel's most popular show with adult viewers.

It may be designed for children between two and 11, but almost one in four viewers is aged between 18 and 49, the paper says.

It is screened at 2330, and at 2300 on MTV, as well as more child-friendly times.

In the UK, the channel said 40% of the show's one million viewers were over 16.

The Wall Street Journal says part of its reported $500m (£322m) merchandise sales have come from gay men snapping up branded toys, lunch boxes and even thongs.

[Constantine XIII]

Underdog was a good, old-fashioned heterosexual hero, wasn't he?

[tophat9000]

The US religious right said Tinky Winky was gay

That a myth

The gay's where claming Tinky Winky was gay and it was reported on in a Jerry Farwell newsletter the press then flip it and claimed Farwell was charging Tinky Winky was gay

Note now the gay's claiming Sponge Bob is gay, this is a pattern the gays are alway claiming this or that is gay

[reagan_fanatic]

Fairly Oddparents, Spongebob and Samuari Jack are some of the best cartoons to hit TV since Looney Tunes. I have every Spongebob Squarepants DVD that's come out (even the box set.) and I'm 42.

As for the best episode, I think that belongs to 'Texas', where Sandy Squirrel is longing to go back to Texas and Patrick and Spongebob decide to bring a little bit of Texas down to Bikini Bottom.

[Constantine XIII]

Anime is about the only place to see decent science fiction on the tube these days.

That, and ninjas.

[Billthedrill]

Oh, yeah - Rocky and Bullwinkle, definitely gay. Boris and Natasha, however...allus did think "Fearless Leader" was kinda hot...

Now, Yogi and Booboo? Jonny and Hadji? Heckle and Jeckle? Whole lot of 'em is queer as a football bat. I have my doubts about the Power Puff Girls, too...

[tophat9000]

I always think of them as being somewhat asexual." Gee, I always thought of sponges, well as sponges

Well sponges are alive, they do reproduce...asexual...sometimes

http://oceanlink.island.net/ask/porifera.html#anchor345687

-------------------------

Q: Do sponges reproduce by eggs, budding, or both?

A: Sponges reproduce both sexually (with gametes, or egg and sperm) and asexually (without gametes). Sponges are hermaphrodites which means that they are both male and female - they can produce both egg and sperm. The eggs or sperm are released at difference times to enable cross-fertilization with other sponges. After eggs are fertilized, the larva floats about before it settles to the ocean bottom where it will grow into an adult sponge. Sponges also reproduce asexually by the formation of buds or gemmules.

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I starting to see why the gay related ;>

[JenB]

Amen. Decent fantasy, either. "Cowboy Bebop"... "Vision of Escaflowne"... "Fullmetal Alchemist"... "Trigun" - and those are just from the series I have in my posession.

I'll pass on the ninjas. Haven't figured out the "Naruto" craze yet. Give me samurai any day.

[AppyPappy]

The gay's where claming Tinky Winky was gay

He carried a purse!!!!

[pnz1]

The creators of Teletubbies are also the creators of Boohbah. Boohbah's are supposed to be blobs of energy or something like that.

[ko_kyi]

Um, at least 2 of the Wiggles are married with kids. A couple of the dancer kids are offspring. Of course, if you are old enough to operate gaydar you probably are older than their target audience. Soccer moms love them too - if they were single they would leave a trail of broken hearts and kids like an NBA team.

They sure do appear light in the loafers, though.

[Safetgiver]

but almost one in four viewers is aged between 18 and 49... Phew! I thought I was weird or something. What is a spongepants square boob?

[ko_kyi]

There is a new Transformers, my kids love it!

[Siouxz]

Cartoons just seem stupid and childish to me. There comes a point when you have to stop watching Cartoon Network and start watching Fox News, if you know what I mean.

Boy, I hope I never grow up THAT much. Hubby and I will watch Sponge Bob, Fairly Oddparents (my personal favorite)quite often. We also ride roller coasters, and other "stupid, childish" things (and we're in our mid-40s).

We also watch a LOT of Fox News.

[tophat9000]

The gay's where claiming Tinky Winky was gay He carried a purse!!!!

So the gay's where right I was just correcting where the first claim "Tinky Winky is gay" came from

The press at that time did, and still does, slam Farwell and that religious right for starting "Tinky Winky is gay" but the fact is it was the gay community that started it and a Farwell newsletter reported on it

[Safetgiver]

That Daisy Duck was kind of ugly, too.

[trillabodilla]

I have to say, I watch SpongeBob with my son. I think it is really funny (in a silly way), and quite harmless. (I always check out the cartoons he watches). I'd sure rather SpongeBob than those weird Japanese type things.

[MJM59]

It is a cartoon! Move along. Nothing to see here.

[End Times Sentinel]

Needless to say, even if you don't have any kind of gay-dar, you will know that they are as queer as a three-dollar bill

 

I have a very vivid mind picture of Greg and Anthony excitedly bouncing ideas such as a song called "Fruit Salad", off eachother at some gay bar when they're over heard by the bartender (AKA Captain Feather-Sword) who says "You know, girls, there's another couple of marys with a similar idea!  Maybe I could introduce you!"

 

I read somewhere... probably it was here, that Australia is the gayest country on earth with something like 19% of 'em admitting to being homos, so it's not unlikely.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[Dianna]

Boohbah's are supposed to be blobs of energy or something like that.

Yeah, well, I think they look like circumcized penises. It's incredibly creepy.

[HenryLeeII]

Don't laugh, Anthony Wiggle is one of the wealthiest entertainers in Australia, but of course they don't have real money there so I'm not sure it counts. The female Keystone Kop is kind of hot in a Robert Palmer video sort of way.