The show appeals to children in the preteen years through its great use of sarcasm. There are plenty of jokes that the younger viewers will never pick up, and even more that kids at this age will not quite comprehend either. A good example of what preteens may enjoy is my favorite episode, Sailor Mouth. By this age, children are most likely to be fully aware of the large array of curse words which are forbidden to be said every day, and especially on TV. Hearing words from Spongebob and Patrick getting bleeped out would definitely make them laugh -- it certainly entertained me. They would also be able to pick up on the joke in the episode called Texas, where Sandy is homesick. There is a scene where Spongebob and Patrick are insulting Texas left and right. Kids of this age would be able to pick up on the joke in this sequence and may even take enjoyment in the fact that they are able to understand the sarcasm.
Another example of the show's use of sarcasm is in the episode Tea at the Treedome. This is the episode where Spongebob first meets Sandy and is invited to the Treedome to have tea with her. When Spongebob described Sandy's air helmet to Patrick, he replied, "Do you mean she puts on airs? That's fancy talk! If you want to be fancy, just hold your pinky up." Viewers of at least middle school age would find that joke very amusing, where kids who are a bit younger may not even realize it was a joke at all.
There are many pop culture references that may go over the heads of even the preteen audience, but that are enjoyable for the older teens and adults watching the show. In Ripped Pants, Spongebob is on the lifegaurd stand when a drowning swimmer washes up on shore. The music played in the background of this sequence while the lifegaurds try to save the fish is clearly mocking the music of the show Baywatch. In this same episode, there is a scene where a band is playing on a stage in the beach area. The band's sound and look are clear references to the Beach Boys era, even the way the crowd is acting. This reference may be too sophisticated for many of the show's viewers to understand. In the episode Just One Bite, after Squidward indulges in several hundred Krabby Patties, unable to get enough of his newest favorite food, Spongebob yells a warning at him. "Squidward, you can't eat that many Krabby Patties at once! It'll go straight to your thighs!" Sure enough, two seconds later, Squidward had definite 'thunder thighs'. Older viewers would like this play on culture's obsession with watching one's weight. A final example of pop culture references is from the episode Band Geeks. Squidward is conducting the marching band for the halftime show of a football game. When the music starts, instead of the mess of notes you heard in the rehearsal scene, the band busts into what sounds like a 1980s-style rock ballad. This scene would probably have its greatest appeal with adult viewers. The creators of the show clearly enjoyed making this episode.
Another way the show creatively appeals to a more sophisticated audience is through its use of video clips and photos thrown into the animated world. Whenever the main characters go above the water's surface, they are no longer animated. There are puppets of a yellow sponge, a pink star, a squid, and very realistic-looking squirrel accompanied by the characters same voices. It is hilarious to see clips of Sandy on land that are actual pictures of a live squirrel. One of the recurring characters which is always a photo clip is the anchor of the Bikini Bottom News. He is a picture of a real fish whose mouth flaps when it talks. He can be seen here:
One final way the show can amuse older audiences is through its use of very immature behavior in characters which could be interpreted as adults. Spongebob and Patrick both live on their own, so it can be assumed that they are not as young as they many times act. The show can use their maturity to create humor by contrasting their moments of great intelligence and sophistication with moments where their mental abilities seem at their lowest. A good example of this is in the episode Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Spongebob says to Patrick, "Old people are the greatest -- they're full of wisdom and experience," one of his more profound statements. This sentence is immediately followed by Spongebob seeing fireworks burst in the distance, which causes him to stare with a dumb grin on his face and say, "Ooooh pretty lights." Patrick is often the source of comedy through stupid comments. In Texas, after Spongebob and Patrick plan a party with everything Texan to cheer Sandy up, she says, "It's not about barbeques and pecan pie -- what matters is that you're surrounded by critters who care about you." After this moral-of-the-story moment, Patrick chimes in with, "Yeah, who needs dumb old Texas?" One final example is from Survival of the Idiots. Spongebob and Patrick are seeing snow for the first time. As Spongebob stares wide-eyed at the falling snowflakes, Patrick says, "It's a vast, swirling wonderland of sparkling white pleasure. Let it fill our senses with cascading fluffy pillows of excitement and comfort as you've never felt before." After that brings a tear to Spongebob's eye, Patrick says, "I was just reading this candy wrapper," removing any possibility that he is smart or creative enough to think up anything like that.
