Cartoons are paramount in setting the standards for what we perceive as “normal.” Spongebob Squarepants, in select moments of progressivity, karate-chop these conventions and give viewers young and old a new perspective.
1. “Am I a pretty girl?”
Spongebob showed us he was the real #1 in this episode right after Mr. Krabs tried to put a damper on Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen’s hat by telling him it “makes you look like a girl.” Our favorite sea sponge responded unphased, showing us—consciously or subconsciously—that “looking like a girl” isn’t a degrading notion.
2. Sandy Cheeks
Sandy motherf#cking Cheeks. Not only is she one of the very few female characters in Spongebob Squarepants, but she’s a womxn squirrel in STEM, and she’s kickass in Karate. Sandy’s academic without being “naggy”, rough-and-tumble, non-romance centered persona defies what we usually see in female characters, especially in children’s media.
3. Boys Who Cry
Arguably the best boy band name since That’s So Raven’s, “Boys in Motion,” Boys Who Cry remind us that crying is not a gendered action, and almost as importantly, that “it’s all about you, girl.”
4. Pearl
Pearl takes the conventions of a dainty female character and blows them out of the water (literally), and it’s totally coral.
5. Mr. Krabs
Where this one is less a defiance of gender norms and more a matter of representation—we shan’t forget that good ol’ money mongering Mr. Krabs is a single father. His role in the show is not only to be the greedy, loveable boss, but to showcase a family dynamic that is often let out of popular media.
6. Patricia Star
I think we all remember the time someone told Patrick to “get out of town,” resulting in his disguise: Patricia. Patrick “walked a mile in her shoes,” immediately being subject to the male gaze and blatant infatuation from a plethora of drooling sea creatures. Though Patrick remained clueless as to why everyone was treating him so differently, the point was definitely made.
7. Squidward
Squidward, our favorite lowly, clarinet-playing cephalopod sashays his way around gender norms with his love of dance. It’s not often we see male characters genuinely involved in ballet and interpretive dance, but while he’s not paying clarinet, Squidward is showing viewers that there’s no shame in being a dancin’ fiend, regardless of gender.
8. This moment
9. Spongebob
Spongebob is not our everyday male protagonist. Contrary to the tough, muscular male leads we usually see, Spongebob is scrawny and sensitive. In shattering that convention, he’s became one of the most beloved cartoon characters and has taught audiences of all ages about friendship, laughter, and krabby patties.