He lives in a pineapple under the sea. He’s absorbent, yellow and porous. And if the statistics are right, his feature film debut today will prove to be required viewing for a many college students.
Jen Clay
Staff Writer
Sea sponge SpongeBob SquarePants, whose trials and tribulations have been chronicled in the Nickelodeon animated series of the same name, will make the leap from the small to the big screen this weekend in “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.” The feature-length cartoon includes Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin and David Hasselhoff (as himself), the PG-rated film will follow the simpleton sea sponge on a heroic journey to rescue the stolen crown of underwater ruler King Neptune.
While certain movie-goers may dismiss the film as kiddie fodder, the “Spongebob” release could see more college-age patrons than third-graders. According to Nielson ratings data from 2002, “SpongeBob SquarePants’” monthly audience of 56.1 million included 18.6 million viewers in the 18-to-49 category and 13.3 million 9- to 14-year-olds. In addition, much of the show’s $500 million in related merchandise for that year was geared toward the older demographic.
According to “SpongeBob” fans at Pepperdine, there is a variety of reasons the series has captured the college-age demographic.
Senior Mamie Young has been following the series since 2002 when a friend loaned her a “SpongeBob” DVD.
“It’s funny,” Young said. “Many of the jokes are corny but a lot of them are just unexpected.”
Young, who plans to see the film opening weekend, said she believes the series and character may attract older audiences because SpongeBob’s station in life parallels that of a college student. She said she was surprised to find that two of her college-age friends who recently moved from Guyana to the United States also watch the show.
“SpongeBob acts like a kid even though he’s like an adult,” Young said.
“I think that he’s at the stage that a lot of college students are in where he likes doing ‘kid’ activities, sees things in a very childlike, naïve way, and yet he still tries to take on adult responsibility.”
Junior Jackie Vargas said she began watching “SpongeBob” the summer before she came to Pepperdine.
“The kids I baby-sat for really enjoyed it, so they kind of got me into watching it,” Vargas said. “I never watched it before that. It’s kind of one of those shows you can watch with kids. I don’t want to say a family show particularly, but all ages can watch it and enjoy it. The age gap is probably from three, four-years-old until probably 30, even,” she said.
Vargas said the show’s wholesomeness in comparison with other animated series that are targeted toward adults, as another explanation of “SpongeBob’s” popularity.
“Southpark,’ I think, is more graphic and more kind of like risque,” Vargas said. “‘SpongeBob’ is humorous but not violent. It’s kind of friendly.”
Another “SpongeBob” fan, senior Randall Reynolds said he also appreciates the clever writing. Reynolds, who said his favorite character is SpongeBob’s pet snail, Gary, started watching the series as a junior and plans to see the film.
“It’s a cartoon I can watch and be actually entertained by,” Reynolds said. “I’m not going to go to the film dressed up as SpongeBob or anything. I’m not a fanatic, but I’ll probably see it this weekend.”
Luckily for them, older viewers may just find that “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” has, in fact, been targeted to them. Between a Facebook network devoted to the character (Pepperdine’s group boasts 70 members), film commercials airing on MTV and a cinematic appearance by Hasselhoff, “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” seems less and less likely to be the youngest generation’s “American Tail.”
Even the film’s soundtrack reeks of young-adult “cool,” featuring pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne (on the show’s theme tune), and pseudo-underground favorites the Flaming Lips, Wilco and the Shins.
Ironically then, the key to “SpongeBob SquarePant’s” appeal may just be that it’s main character is so uncool, he’s cool.
“The creators of SpongeBob intentionally made him nerdy and uncool which is why he’s shaped like a square,” Young said. “His personality, everything about him is ‘square.’ He’s supposed to be uncool in every way.”
Luckily for the four-sided sea sponge, being square has never been so hip.
“The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” opens in theaters Friday November, 19th.
11-18-2004
