by Jonathan Klotz
| Published
For nearly 30 years, one cartoon has dominated popular culture in a way that few properties could hope to, and no, it's not The Simpsons. SpongeBob SquarePants It debuted in 1999, and as we approach its 30th anniversary, the optimistic sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea shows no signs of slowing down. As evidence, the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water It spent over a week in the top 10 movies on Netflix, and not only is it on the kids list either, it's up there Observers and Horizon: An American Epic In the top 10 overall.
A film that defies explanation
Continuing success for SpongeBob SquarePants This may come as a surprise, but the kids who grew up on the adventures of the Bikini Bottom crew are now old enough to have their own children, who in turn introduce them to this groundbreaking series. And yes, someone also raised it Doug, Ren and Stimpyand RugratsThat was a painful sentence to write. Even those who did not grow up with the series were exposed to it, e.g The Simpsons. It's become a staple part of modern internet culture, and it seems like there are SpongeBob memes for every occasion.
Most of the popular memes come from the early seasons of the series, while The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water It was released in 2015 and sends SpongeBob and his friends on a journey through time, space, and the strangest location of all, Dry Earth, to recover the Krabby Patty recipe and save Bikini Bottom. It's strange and exhilarating, and features a troubled performance from… Antonio Banderas Like the pirate Burger Bird, any attempt to summarize bits like “Bikini Bottom turns into Mad Max” and “Sandy tries to sacrifice SpongeBob to appease the sandwich gods” makes you sound crazy, which is why Return to Peak SpongeBob SquarePants.
Paramount's most successful franchise
Any long-running series will have its ups and downs, but it is the same Simpsons movie It helped distract fans from the lackluster seasons that surrounded him, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water I did the same thing. The difference is that SpongeBob SquarePants continued to make movies, with more coming out in the next few years, while The Simpsons Perhaps finally, thankfully, it will come to an end.
An argument can be made for that SpongeBob SquarePants It's become a children's show very much in the last decade, for example, and has lost the satirical edge it had before creator Stephen Hillenburg's unfortunate departure, but what's undeniable is that it's Paramount's most successful franchise.
Star Trek Fans know well that it's one of the greatest franchises of all time, but it's always struggled to turn a profit, so it makes sense that it would be such a merchandising machine SpongeBob SquarePants It is one of the most valuable franchises in the world. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water It grossed more than $325 million in theaters, and on a budget of just $72 million, it was more profitable than… Star Trek: Beyondwhich enhances its position as The crown The jewel of the Paramount media empire. It's easy to overlook today, but there's no denying that the bizarre cartoon that turned Plankton into a recurring villain (sort of) is one of the most popular shows in the world.
Nevertheless The Simpsons It has surpassed its longevity as the longest-running animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants It has more spin-offs, more movies, more merchandise, more theme park rides, more video games, and more memes. There are now two generations who can recognize Handsome Squidward but they may not know who Hank Scorpio is or why the “Boo-urns” song is one of the greatest lines in comic history. The golden age simpsons It can't be touched, but it's gone before SpongeBob The first episode aired.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water It's the best feature film in the show so far, even though it followed sponge on the run, In December of this year, a fourth film was produced, search for squarepants, It will be men theaters. 13 seasons SpongeBob SquarePants Available to stream on Paramount+, while The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Also on Netflix.
