SpongeBob SquarePants (character)

''This article is about the character. For the Nickelodeon show, see SpongeBob SquarePants (show)''

SpongeBob SquarePants is the main character in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, which first aired on May 1, 1999 on Nickelodeon. The character was designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, and is voiced by Tom Kenny.

SpongeBob is a sea sponge who lives in a pineapple in the Bikini Bottom, with his pet snail Gary. He works as a fry cook at the fast food restaurant, the Krusty Krab, alongside his neighbor, Squidward Tentacles. SpongeBob is best friends with Patrick Star, and enjoys bubble blowing and jellyfishing. SpongeBob is a boating school student at Mrs. Puff's Boating School.

Appearance
SpongeBob is a porous yellow sponge with large blue eyes, a mouth with prominent front teeth, dimples and freckles. He resembles a kitchen sponge more than a sea sponge, as when the show was only a rough idea, Stephen Hillenburg decided that he looked funnier as an ordinary kitchen sponge. SpongeBob can morph into other shapes at will, and can grow back pieces that fall off of him. His limbs can become variable in length and shape at will and are retractable as well as detachable. In the episode, Graveyard Shift, it is revealed that SpongeBob's limbs can seemingly regenerate instantaneously. Also, they are somewhat edible, as SpongeBob was seen munching on a barrel of them whilst listening to Squidward's tale of the Hash-Slinging Slasher.He is 22, and likes to drive Squidward crazy.

SpongeBob typically wears shiny black shoes that squeak when he walks, with an almost spheric bulge at the front (although still a part of the shoe proper, unlike the balls of clown shoes). He usually wears a pair of white underwear underneath his pants, although he has been seen wearing blue, green, and red underwear with hearts on them (all at the same time, nonetheless) and even pink to honor his best friend, Patrick. At night, he sometimes wears a green bathrobe, but mostly goes to sleep with his underwear, socks and shoes. When he goes swimming at the Goo Lagoon, he wears a pair of blue swimming trunks (although he still wears his underpants, socks and shoes). He also wears a red bow tie in exchange for his necktie on special occasions.

Although sponges are invertebrates, SpongeBob has been shown to have bones in several episodes.

General
SpongeBob is described as sweet, kind, funny, cheerful, and hard working. He has a buck-toothed grin, an expressive face and square body that compliments his pure and good nature. SpongeBob will rarely knowingly do wrong or harm to anyone except on April Fool's Day and never without remorse. However, he has been known to shout and use "bad words" such as Tartar Sauce, Fish Paste, or Barnacles) when angry or frustrated. Although he is an adult, he has a very childish nature, shown to great effect in the episode "Grandma's Kisses", at which he is at his most childish, as well as in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

. SpongeBob is very easily overexcited about almost anything, like simple daily tasks and things of which he does not know of (such as when Squidward invited him to strike at the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob celebrated for it although he did not know the meaning of the word strike). This, along with his repetitive talking and loud, annoying laughter makes him a huge annoyance to others, especially Mrs. Puff, Squidward and Plankton.

Perhaps the most long-running paradox of this character is his strength. He has been known to have enormous difficulty lifting even the lightest of objects. While he cannot lift light things like stuffed animals, he can still flip Krabby Patties and has been known to tote Patrick around (which cannot be an easy task).

There is also the matter of his limited invincibility. When viciously pummeled by a bully, SpongeBob is not hurt; rather than fighting back, he continues to go through his day normally, until the bully is too worn out to keep punching. However, in "I Had an Accident", SpongeBob broke his butt in a skiing accident.

SpongeBob loves his pet snail Gary dearly and cannot do without him, as shown in "Have You Seen This Snail?". Gary usually has solutions to help SpongeBob out of his dilemmas. Gary and SpongeBob live together in a pineapple under the sea at 124 Conch Street, Bikini Bottom (this address was seen on SpongeBob's driver's license in the episodes "Sleepy Time" and "No Free Rides").

Also in multiple episodes he seems to have a knack for singing. SpongeBob is ambidextrous; in Procrastination and I'm with Stupid, he can be seen using his left hand to write. And in I Was a Teenage Gary, he remarks that he's "lefty anyway" when he loses his right arm. In other episodes he uses his right hand as his dominant.

SpongeBob has been in jail for ninety days for littering as a result of taking Patrick Star's driving license and ripping it up after Patrick got it his license after his first try (SpongeBob has never been able to obtain a license even after multiple times) as seen in the episode "Driven to Tears"

Career
SpongeBob has a career as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab restaurant, home of the Krabby Patty. He takes his job seriously and also considers it to be his passion. His first words were "May I take your order?" He was Employee of the Month 26 consecutive times, which would mean he has worked there for at least two years and two months.

SpongeBob works alongside Squidward, much to Squidward's dismay. Squidward manages the cash register for his money-obsessed boss, Mr. Eugene H. Krabs. SpongeBob, in some episodes, seems to have attained a celebrity like status in Bikini Bottom for his "masterful" fry cooking. In the episode "Squid on Strike", he is referred to as a "legend" by a young fry cook who wants to take his job and is asked to sign the boy's spatula. In another episode, he is offered a job as King Neptune's fry cook, but turns it down because Patrick was forbidden to go with him.

SpongeBob is rarely late for his job. In "Hooky" he was two minutes late because he got caught by a fishing hook, and in "Have You Seen This Snail?" he was fifteen minutes late because he was tired after searching for Gary. SpongeBob also failed to attend on time in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, where he was several minutes late after eating ice cream all night with Patrick at Goofy Goobers, and being passed over for a promotion. However, the time at which he gets to work is inconsistent. He was once seen coming into the Krusty Krab at 3:00 a.m. and said that he always came in at that time to count the sesame seeds.He often prizes his punctuality as in "SpongeBob Meets the Strangler", where he has a party for his 100% on time percentage, and another party 20 seconds later for his birthday (although, Patrick stated that they do what the party invitations tell them to do, so it's possible they were not celebrating his birthday).

SpongeBob also served a short stint in one episode as the speedster, "The Quickster" (parody of The Flash and Quicksilver) in the International Justice League of Super Acquaintances or the IJLSA for short. Also, SpongeBob acquires an IJLSA lunchbox (As seen and stated in "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V")

SpongeBob has also been cheated and challenged into thinking he is not a great fry cook. An example of this is in the episode when Bubble Bass, comes into the Krusty Krab and asks SpongeBob for a Krabby Patty. Bubble Bass then hides the pickles under his tongue and tells SpongeBob that he forgot to put pickles in his burger. SpongeBob is so distressed to have failed a customer that he experiences a mental breakdown in which he forgets everything and loses his confidence. However, he regains his confidence and continues as a good fry-cook.

Education
Much of SpongeBob's early education is unknown; however, it was mentioned that his kindergarten teacher was Ms. Ashley Rivera. Also, he encountered a fellow Elementary classmate named Dennis in "The Sponge Who Could Fly." He also mentioned that he was voted most clumsy in High School, and was never able to get a date for his Junior Prom.

SpongeBob has yet to keep a boating license (analogous to a driver's license), because he fails every driver's test at Mrs. Puff's Boating School, mainly due to a tendency to become nervous once behind the wheel (he has been shown to know what he's doing everywhere but inside the boat). Despite this, he perpetually and continuously attends boating school in an attempt to get his license (and because he enjoys it), much to the woe and frustration of his boating instructor Mrs. Puff. At one point, Mrs. Puff becomes so frustrated she gives SpongeBob his boating license by allowing him to do "extra credit". She then takes it back realizing how much chaos he could cause with his license. When Mrs. Puff is fired in "Mrs. Puff, You're Fired", SpongeBob's new teacher actually trains him so much, that SpongeBob can drive very well–but only if he is blindfolded. SpongeBob has failed his drivers' test many times. In "Boating School," SpongeBob failed his test only 38 times. SpongeBob has failed his boating test 1,258,058 times by "Mrs. Puff, You're Fired." (Note he failed his test twice in that episode) This implies that he has taken his test more rapidly than in his first years of boating school. Mrs. Puff says that his record was destroyed in the accident in "Mrs. Puff, You're Fired." She concludes that this is as if he never failed. In "Driven to Tears," SpongeBob says he's failed the test 58 times. It can be concluded that SpongeBob failed his test a total of 1,258,116 times total, but technically on paper he has only failed 58 times. In the SpongeBob movie he drives a hamburger-like vehicle, the Patty Wagon, very well. When Patrick points out he doesn't have a license, SpongeBob replies, "You don't need a license to drive a sandwich."

While characterized as immature, SpongeBob's mathematics are brilliant. The most noticeable instance of this is in "Squid's Day Off", where he offers the change for $1.00 in all sorts of forms, including: four quarters, ten dimes, twenty nickels, one hundred pennies, and one quarter/three dimes/seven nickels/ten pennies. Also, in Pre-Hibernation Week, he is able to calculate in two seconds flat, that there are 168 hours in 7 days, just by looking at a calendar and with no math equipment.

Leisure
He frequently gets days off at the Krusty Krab, and as a result he spends his free time with his best friend Chad King, and especially enjoys practicing karate with his other friend Sandy Cheeks (a squirrel from Texas who wears a space suit to breathe underwater). He also likes catching jellyfish at Jellyfish Fields. To date, he has caught, named, and let go every jellyfish in Jellyfish Fields at least once, except the blue jellyfish, until the end of the episode "Jellyfish Hunter" (who he calls "Friend", after the jellyfish helps him discover Mr. Krabs was using jellyfish to mass-produce special Krabby Patties in terrible conditions).

In many episodes, such as "As Seen on TV", "Band Geeks", "The Camping Episode", "Ripped Pants", The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and most SpongeBob video games, it is suggested he has brilliant ukelele and singing skills. He also likes to blow bubbles, surf, sun bathe, play the ukulele, and watch his favorite TV show, The New Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. SpongeBob is such a fan of the show that, he and Patrick together brought them out of retirement. They also pretend to be Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. SpongeBob portrays Man Sponge.

Age
Creator Stephen Hillenburg has always said that he wanted SpongeBob to remain ageless, but the show has shown varying information about SpongeBob's age. In the season one episode "Sleepy Time", aired in January 2000, SpongeBob has a dream in which he receives his driver's license. This shows a birth date of July 14, 1986. Hillenburg stated later in an interview that it was only in a dream and cannot be confirmed. The same birthdate was seen in his temporary driver's license in the episode "No Free Rides". He has also taken a driving test more than one million times. SpongeBob mentioned in the episode "The Chaperone" that he could not get a date to his junior prom. In the movie, SpongeBob has 374 'Best Employee Awards' from the Krusty Krab on his wall. In the episode "Party Pooper Pants," one of SpongeBob's boating school classmates is shown to be married and owns a house; SpongeBob lives by himself. Whether SpongeBob is a kid or not was also a very important part of the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie's plot. In the film commentary on DVD, it said he's an adult that acts like a kid.

Controversy
SpongeBob SquarePants, like many other Nickelodeon shows, has had to endure controversy at one point or another. However, due to the show's almost "extreme" popularity, the controversy has been more or less larger than with other Nicktoons.

History
SpongeBob was originally going to be called SpongeBoy, but the name was already trademarked. SpongeBob was not always depicted as a kitchen sponge-type shape; in the early years of planning, he was depicted as a loofa and a sea sponge. In particular season four episodes, SpongeBob appears more green than yellow. SpongeBob also appears more square in season four than in the first three. His voice also appears lighter.

Name
The name Bob, is short for Robert, which is his possible full name, as Patrick refers to him in the episode Patrick SmartPants. However, his full name as Robert is not confirmed by Hillenburg.

SpongeBob has been called many different names, in a similar style to his own, mainly by other characters. These include: CowBob RanchPants, DadMom AngryPants, MuscleBob BuffPants, SpongeBob BacksassPants, SpongeBob FancyPants, SquareBob, SpringBoob SquirePen, RobotBob SpongechefPants, BobPants SpongeSquare, SpongeBoob, SpongeBob ScaredyPants, SpongeBob NudiePants, SpongeBob SecretStealerPants, SpongeBob SuperiorPants, SpongeBob LawyerPants, Spongebob Loserpants, SpongeBoy me Bob, SquidBob TentaclePants, Yellow boy, Bob, The Quickster, Super Sponge, Spongesnail, Spongebob JunglePants, Nature Pants, The Krusty Sponge, and Funny Pants. SpongeBob is most commonly called Sponge, Mysterious Flying Man Who Helps People.

Voice/Character
SpongeBob's voice is described as a combination of the mayor of Munchkinland from The Wizard of Oz, and Elroy Jetson from The Jetsons. His character was influenced by Jerry Lewis, Pee Wee Herman, Charlie Chaplin, and Mike C. Doyle.

To create SpongeBob's laugh, Tom Kenny jiggles his hand against his Adam's apple (his neck), making a high-pitched dolphin-like sound (somewhat sounding like "Ahh") as revealed on one SpongeBob SquarePants DVD.

During one appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on December 20, 2006, Tom Kenny described when he was auditioning for a Christmas commercial years before SpongeBob aired, he heard one of the midgets who were chosen for the roles of Santa's elves, who was, in a foul-mouth manner, cursing loudly to his friend. When Kenny heard this voice, he kept it in mind because he thought it was good. When he auditioned for the role of SpongeBob's voice, he kept this voice in mind.

SpongeBob's voice has become higher pitched in the movie and fourth season that preceded it.

Abilities
SpongeBob has many unique abilities and talents, which he demonstrates in many episodes. SpongeBob seems to have the ability to shapeshift, such as turning into a surfboard or a clarinet. Also in "Chimps Ahoy", SpongeBob blends into his surrounding. He often floats when happy, as seen in "Patty Hype", "Karate Island", "SquidBob TentaclePants" and "Wigstruck." SpongeBob is known to be an amazing bubble-blower, able to create a dancing elephant or a tugboat, and even a living being as seen in "Bubble Buddy." He has also shown, in numerous episodes, to be able to grow back lost arms should they have been pulled off or destroyed(shown in Graveyard Shift). He is an exceptional jellyfisher, in one episode having caught every jellyfish in Jellyfish Fields but in another he has caught all but one (though he releases them after catching them). In the episode "Pressure", whilst argueing over the fact that sea creatures are better than land creatures, he asks if Sandy can reproduce by budding. Then miniature Spongebobs pop out the sides of him. SpongeBob has the ability to reginirate body parts, as seen in the episode, "Graveyard Shift." Many other episodes show this off. SpongeBob also has the ability to "shove his body parts into himself." This is seen in many episodes, with many different body parts. Including: his nose, arms, and feet. He is also seemingly impervious to bodily harm, as shown in several episodes.

Trivia

 * SpongeBob could not get a date for his junior prom (as revaled in The Chaperone)
 * He is the main character to have a lot of alases in the series
 * He is the only character to have thirteen alases in the name of the episodes which are:
 * MuscleBob BuffPants
 * Nature Pants
 * Scaredy Pants
 * Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm
 * Party Pooper Pants
 * Club SpongeBob
 * SpongeGuard On Duty
 * The Sponge Who Could Fly
 * SpongeBob Meets the Strangler
 * Patrick SmartPants
 * SquidBob TentaclePants
 * Funny Pants
 * The Krusty Sponge