“Mine were.
“Who made a spatula out of toothpicks in Woodshop?”
“I did.”
“Oh, who‘s a big yellow cube with holes?”
“I am!”
“Who‘s ready?”
“I‘m ready!”
“Who‘s ready?”
“I‘m ready!!”
“Who‘s ready?!”
“I‘m ready!!! I‘m ready, I‘m ready, I‘m ready…”
And with those words, an American icon was born, but no one could have known it then. He was just a square, yellow sponge living at the bottom of the sea in a town called Bikini Bottom. Had anyone predicted that this little guy would become the frontrunner of television (not just cartoons, television) viewing for the next decade, they would have been laughed out of the room. Now, the cartoon is the virtual life-blood with which Nickelodeon strives to this day. But the show has not only taken Nickelodeon to new heights, it has also left a permanent impression on American culture; an impression in the shape of that goofy smile permanently affixed on SpongeBob’s face. And the show itself has had some real gems as far as episodes go. From those awkward first steps, to the classic moments we’ll remember forever, to the feature length movie that solidified SpongeBob as a worldwide phenomenon. Let’s not forget, however, the impact that this show has had on us, the viewer. From kids to adults, SpongeBob SquarePants brightens the day of anyone who watches his amusing misadventures (well, most people anyway, but that’s another story). Just to think, he’s done all of this while living in a pineapple under the sea.
SpongeBob debuted in July of 1999 and it could only be described as the laugh heard ‘round the world, only it didn’t travel that fast at first. No, first things first, that now all too familiar laugh had to survive the inevitable gauntlet of all new shows - the eager audience. I can only imagine what it must have been like for creator Stephen Hillenberg when he pitched this idea. I can just hear him, “Okay, picture it guys, a talking