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In this article, Fallon talks about the nature of the Bikini Bottomites.
Spongebob side characters:
Spongebob side characters:
Why are they such jerks?
Why are they such jerks?
By: Fallon Rosebraugh
By: Fallon Rosebraugh
If you are a fan of the Nickelodeon series Spongebob Squarepants– or even remotely familiar with the show– you would most likely agree that the residents of Bikini Bottom are somewhat jerks. Despite the comedic aspect they contribute to the show, they are mean for quite literally no reason. They are definitely ruthless when it comes to adding their commentary.
Now, one might mistakenly assume that background characters are the same as supporting characters– but they are not. Supporting characters have a personality and contribute to the overall plot of the story. Characters like Spongebob, Patrick, Squidward, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, and Plankton would all be classified as the show's main characters; characters like Pearl, Karen, Ms. Puff, Larry, and Gary would all be classified as supporting characters– even characters like Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, Patchy the Pirate, and Squilliam all fall into this category. According to a fan on Youtube, background characters in Spongebob Squarepants are jerks “because they're not characters, it's because they are props used to move the story along. You are not supposed to be thinking that any of these fish are actually characters.” Essentially, the writers add these characters with the intent for them to be viewed as a group– not individually. Hence, the Bikini Bottomites.
Fans of Spongebob Squarepants will most likely recognize quotes like, “MY LEG,” “CHOCOLATE,” or “BIG. MEATY. CLAWS,” which are all memorable lines from background characters. One instance where a background character is a jerk is displayed in season 2 episode 18, “Artist Unknown” when Squidward is enthusiastically gushing about his hopes and dreams for his art career– to which the background character adds, “Dude, you're teaching art at the rec center, calm down.” Another example happens when a fish randomly approaches Patrick and says, “Hey pal, you just blow in from stupid town?”– or when a fish drives by Spongebob and asks, “Hey buddy, you need a ride? I was just on my way to the big doofus convention.” While the fish's comments are a bit rude and out of pocket, most fans can appreciate the humor they provide to the episodes– which was the writers overall intent. Two more fan favorite scenes are displayed in season 1, episode 4, “Boating School” and season 2, episode 5, “Patty Hype”. In the first episode, a fish approaches Spongebob and says, “YES! Hey, I just got my license,” and Spongebob replies, “Hey, I’m getting mine next!” to which the fish states, “Hey, I doubt it!” In the second episode, a suffering fish crawls up to the currently abandoned Krusty Krab. Mr. Krabs offers the fish a Krabby Patty, and the two have an exchange, “Krabby Patty’s, huh?’ ‘Finest under the sea!’ ‘Yeah yeah sure, but where's the pazazz? Look at this place! I mean, what is the theme here? Underwater? It's boring,” the fish then proceeds to crawl away, while calling out, “Food! Water! Atmosphere!”
Most fans of Spongebob Squarepants appreciate the comments made by background characters in the show, and overall help create references that fans can bond over. If you ever hear someone say, “boo-boo keys”, “I’m dirty Dan”, “firmly grasp it”, “you're good, you're good”, “liar, liar pants for hire”, “it's not just a boulder, it's a rock”, or “goodbye everyone, I’ll remember you all in therapy”– just know, it's a Spongebob reference.
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