SpongeBob SquarePants fans crack ‘real’ meaning behind show – and it will change the way you watch it forever
SpongeBob SquarePants viewers have come up with a theory about the message the beloved cartoon is really trying to convey.
The long-running series, which debuted in 1999, follows the adventures of a gang of aquatic friends as they live in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom.
Among the colourful cast of characters, led by SpongeBob who works in fast food restaurant Krusty Krab, are starfish Patrick, squirrel Sandy Cheeks and copepod Plankton.
But fans believe that there’s more than meets the eye with the sea creatures, with the same theory cropping up on TikTok and Reddit.
As one social media account explains, many have speculated that the likes of Pearl, Squidward and Gary each represent a different mental illness.
The Reddit user goes on to say that SpongeBob has ADHD because he is ‘never seen to be still for most episodes’, while Mr Krabs has narcissistic personality disorder as he is ‘kind only when it comes to his own selfish needs.’
Meanwhile, Squidward has social anxiety disorder as he ‘hates social interaction’ and Pearl has an inferiority complex because ‘she always bullies others and craves attention,’ according to the fan.
Do you believe Patrick and his pals could be representing mental illness or do you have another theory?
We do know, however, that Spongebob Squarepants is part of the LGBTQ community, as revealed by Nickelodeon in celebration of Pride Month.
The channel tweeted out an image of Spongebob in 2020, alongside canonically queer characters Schwoz Schwartz from Henry Danger and Korra from Avatar: The Last Airbender spin-off Legends of Korra.
Posting the three images, the official Twitter account wrote: ‘Celebrating Pride with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month.’
SpongeBob SquarePants is available to stream on Paramount Plus.
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