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.

[weikel]

Spongebob isn't gay yell leading is gay.

[Salman]

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

[goodieD]

I'd be the first person to condemn this show if I thought it smacked of gay friendliness.. but the only message I get out of this cartoon is rampant stupidity...it's not even funny.. which, coming from me is pretty bad because I find some pretty bizarre stuff funny..and this just isn't funny.. it's what's become of cartoons...and it's just sad.

[dougherty]

I do not watch cartoons, but Spongebob is the exception. I love this show, and watch it with my daugher and nephews all the time. I have never, ever wondered about the characters sexuality. Anyone that does has a screw loose somewhere.

[Dan Day]

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

Not just the gay men. I'm straight and in my 40's and I've got a drawer full of boxer shorts emblazoned with Scooby Doo, Horton (as in "...Hears a Who"), Tigger, Dilbert, etc.

And the last time I went to the grocery store, I bought the Spongebob Squarepants variety of the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese just for laughs.

[Texaggie79]

You are about to be mistaken for a gay with a "foot fetish"......

[Dan Day]

Says Mr. Hillenburg: "I always think of them as being somewhat asexual."

Well of *course* -- sponges and starfish are not sexually dimorphic.

[dougherty]

You're not alone, I once bought the Spongebob shaped Cheese Nips.

[Bush2000]

Sorry, but any adult that watches SpongeBob needs his or her head examined. It is vile.

[Cindy]

Turn the channel or turn the tv off --- Just say NO to Sponge Bob.

[Bush2000]

Mr. Fung says the penchant for reading gay themes into children's cartoons has something to do with growing up gay. "Your family wouldn't let you play with a Barbie doll, and now that you have the means, you go out and buy it for yourself," he says.

Rrrrrrrrrright, Mr Fung, whatever you say. What you're really saying is that you wish you could remake all of America's children in your own image so that you wouldn't have to search for worthless and pathetic associations ...

[Dianna]

I have never, ever wondered about the characters sexuality. Anyone that does has a screw loose somewhere.

Put me down as a "never wondered" either. I think that gay people are so desperate to fit in that they "steal" these types of things from tv to try to justify themselves. Who ever cared about Bert and Ernie? No one, until the gays started pointing to it and treated it as their own little in joke. That the characters are simply characters is irrelevant, they can pretend that Bert and Ernie are gay and somehow that makes them feel better about themselves.

[this_ol_patriot]

[Nick Danger]

[weikel]

The stuff ain't bad but I get the ultra cheap store brand.

[weikel]

???

[Kevin Curry]

It's not that bad. I'll sometimes watch it with my youngest son (age 9), especially if Plankton is featured. 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.

[capitan_refugio]

I knew Bert was evil, but I never knew he was gay too! ;^)

[gcruse]

I tried watching SpongeBob to see why it was so popular.
I can see kids liking it, but my eyes glazed over after
about two minutes and it was back to Buffy the Vampire
Slayer (not really).