Something About 'SpongeBob' Whispers 'Gay' to Many Men

Wall Street Journal ^ | October 8, 2002 | SALLY BEATTY

[gcruse]

He lives in a pineapple under the sea, in a town called Bikini Bottom. His best friend is an exuberant pink starfish named Patrick. His name is SpongeBob SquarePants, the absorbent yellow star of the most highly rated kids show on TV.

[headsonpikes]

"Grown persons are about to argue a thread about a cartoon character into Smokey Backroom."

I love this site. This was one of the more intelligent threads I've read in the last few weeks. ;^)

[shockjock]

That and hopefully Elizabeth Hurley to do his eyebrows -- meow!!

[gcruse]

This was one of the more intelligent threads I've read in the last few weeks. ;^)

It's been great.  I had no idea it would be a 200er when I posted the article.
Thanks, Bob!

[Willie Green]

SpongeBob, which first appeared in July 1999 and currently runs several times daily on Inc.'s Nickelodeon cable TV channel, is also the biggest childrens' phenomenon to capture the imagination of gay men since the purple Teletubby named Tinky Winky started carrying a purse.

I've seen this show listed on my cable TV schedule.
Although I wondered WTF it was, this goes a long way towards explaining why I never had the urge to actually surf to that station to find out.

Thanks for the post.
Now I'm SURE I'm not missing anything worthwhile.

[gcruse]

I gave it a try and found out there
are actually some things below my
taste. Talk about major revelation!

[ArneFufkin]

The sweetness of fussy diva Elizabeth Hurley providing intimate personal service is beyond measurement. "Bad girls clip toenails before they go clubbing."

I don't know why this comes to mind, but ... the coolest guy of all time was a guy named Shel Silverstein. He was one of the 60s hepcats who rocked steady in the Playboy community. He wrote clever children's rhymes, and some really bawdy and outrageous adult lyrics and short story marvels. He wrote "Boy named Sue" ... his tribute to the young Larry Klayman.

Nobody blew the top off Maslow's pyramid like Shel. One Christmas back in the early 70s, he was given a commissioned, one of a kind nude oil painting of the reigning playmate of the year. She sat for the painting, she paid for it, she framed it beautifully and best of all she signed the work ... "Shel made me do this for him. Marilyn."

A one of a kind portrait. Created through the investment of time, money, humor and tribute offered by the most celebrated and desired female model on earth. An actual oil rendered, singular portrait of her nude and beautiful female form. "He made me do this for him" LMAO!

That delights me on every level. That's the elegant allure a man wants to project. Shel's the Kahuna IMO.

[Bush2000]

Did you ever watch Sponge Bob or are you just believing what this article says? sponge bob is just funny, I know alot of teens like it too besides little kids and their parents.....

Yes, I've watched it. And it's one of the lamest things I've ever seen ... A lot of people watch/watched Jerry Springer, too. That doesn't mean it's good television ...

[ArneFufkin]

I'm not happy about the cross-marketing of Nickelodian and the Lifetime Health Channel ... "SpongeBob and His Liposuction Marathon", "SpongeBob strokes the Molokai lepers", "SpongeBob battles a three bachelor bathtub." It's inhuman.

[Dataman]

Plankton reminds me of any of a number of small-minded knee-jerk anti-government fist-shaking libertarians at FR. I love to laugh at Plankton's feckless imbecilities

I want my drug money and I don't care if I have to steal Krabs' secret recipe to get it!

[glory]

Good greif. These characters are sponges, crabs, squids, and starfish. Gay men are reaching here.
As for how they described the characters, well squid seems like your quintessential snob who is a complete wannabe someone. Sponge is your average nerd, but without the smarts and more optimism. Patrick is just plain stupid. I guess if gays can find somethin gthere to identify with then more power to them, but I hope they aren't dreaming up some episode that would relate to their sexually depraved world.
BTW, what's with NICK? One moment they say they aren't appealing to homosexuals and then they do that show a few months back that was unabashadly pro-homo with Rosie.

[BikerNYC]

Monsters lead such interesting lives.

[ArneFufkin]

I call the Lifetime Movie Channel the "Battered Women's Network."

[Petronski]

[G]ay men have good reason to read into mainstream cultural symbols whatever they like.

Taking something as innocent and sunny as SpongeBob and reading into it anal sex is pretty damned depraved.

[gcruse]

 
Nobody blew the top off Maslow's pyramid like Shel.

????  Maslow of the hierarchy of needs?  Self-actualization?
         Help me out here.

[nmh]

"This tells me nothing about SpongeBob, but simply that on some level "gay" men just never grew up."

You've got that RIGHT! Being a homosexual is an EMOTIONAL problem. We see it being reflected in what they find entertaining as well. Emotionally disturbed and immature people who do NOT wish to be criticized because it hurrrrtttsss their widdle feeeeliiinnnggggs.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

lol.

[gcruse]

I have a Betty Boop shower curtain,
tie, and key chain (in three separate
products, not the Swiss model). I can't
figure if I'm a poof or a dirty old man.

[ArneFufkin]

Exactly. Self actualization is nice, but Maslow never pondered Playboy Playmate of the Year related hijinks.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Dweeb? 6'0", 200 lbs., 10% body fat. I bench 250 pounds and can run three miles in 18 minutes. Whatever, fag.

If there was any doubt as to whether you were a dweeb before, there certainly isn't now. If anything, you now look like a bigger dweeb. (btw, I'm taller, heavier, stonger and faster than you)

[Consort]

..I've always wondered about "Crackle".