DQ: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

The main topics  that run through the questions: gender, environment, capitalism.] 

(1) The opening scenes of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie initially seem a bit odd. I mean, why the ‘real-life’ pirates, merrily singing together as they go to the movie theatre to watch a children’s or family film? This narrative device, though, isn’t new. It’s a frame narrative–a form in which a story is told within a story. Similar to what Shrek tells Donkey about ogres, frame narratives structure a text to “have levels.” Another way to think of this: Inception (2010)–‘a dream within a dream.’ Frame narratives can get pretty complicated to track: for example, in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein (1818), there are, at least in one episode, four levels–a story (1) being told by the monster (2) who’s a figure in Victor Frankenstein’s story (3) that’s being retold by Robert Walton in his letters (4). So, why does SpongeBobuse a frame narrative (how does it contribute to the narrative’s themes)? Three points to consider: the pirates (lawless, live on the open/free ocean, gleeful/gruff) + “kid” stuff; real + fantasy/imaginary (animation) [NOTE: the two mediums collapse together eventually: why?]; and ideals/goals/success/adult + real/difference/failure/kid. Also, at one point, we’re within a story in a story that we learn is actually within another story. If you feel up for going into this more fleeting, but important, aspect, I’d be interested to read your ideas about how this contributes to the themes, also. 

(2) Why does SpongeBob not get the promotion? Why’s he told that he won’t succeed in getting to Shell City? And, significantly, who tells him those things? The Goofy Goober and being a Goofy Goober (“I’m a Goofy Goober, Year!”) are important for multiple reasons. What do “goofy” and “goober” mean? What’s SpongeBob’s emotional response to not getting promoted, and how does he cope (I’ll paraphrase the popular phrase that’s attributed to Freud–the ice cream sundaes aren’t just sundaes)? When SpongeBob and Patrick are at the Thug Tug and the patrons are trying to find the “bubble-blowing baby,” what does it say about ‘being a kid’ in relation to hyper-masculinity that kidishness can be found by knowing that song (think along the lines of secrecy, hiding, threatening, shame, weakness, being outed, and failure). Not getting the job; “goofy goober” define “goofy” and “goober”; “need to grow up, boy”=what does this mean? what’s being implied about behavior, temperament, and values? contrast Squidward with SpongeBob in relation to their perceived strengths for hiring; in what way is a “goofy goober” (and all that’s implied by it) deemed a failure and how (and in what direction) does that spark the plot of the movie, SpongeBob’s (+ Patrick’s)? 

(3) Why might the town be referred to as “Bikini Bottom?” What could be significant about this in relation to the narrative’s portrayal of the ‘human’ world? A few hints/starting points: Bikini Bottom’s located in the Atlantic Ocean, west of California, and is ‘On the Outskirts of Nowhere’ (another way of thinking about the city’s name’s significance is the potential connection to the common phrase of being ‘in bumf*ck nowhere’). Think about stereotypes concerning human/animal, city/small town, and civilized/’backwoods’. SpongeBob and Patrick presumably go to California (Hasselhoff recreates a scene from a show set in LA), but the setting in California (Shell City) ain’t good, to say the least. What’s the text suggesting about human perceptions of the animal world?  

(4) What role does King Neptune play in the narrative? What’s he like temperamentally (did ‘fragile’ come to mind)? What does his insecurity about his baldness say about his character in relation to gender ideals and beauty standards (connections: what exactly do SpongeBob and Patrick acquire that makes them [think that they’re] men and in the Thug Tug, don’t the twins [i.e.-connection] who shout out to the song have different types of hair that signify masculinity)? Moreover, what does he use to cover his baldness (it’s symbolic, folks)? It could be beneficial to look up briefly some information about his namesake/basis–the Roman god Neptune.  

(5) Economic production and competition predominantly structure the overarching conflict of the movie (the old Darwinistic, survival-of-the-fittest-esque adage goes “the big fish eats the little fish”) . Plankton envies Mr. Krabs’ obsessively acquired financial and social success (“Hello, I like money!”) and preys on King Neptune’s vulnerable, insecure masculinity to incite punishment that then allows for his own rise to success and (almost) all-encompassing domination. How and with what item (think: McDonald’s ‘happy meal’–why the toys?) does Plankton take over Bikini Bottom? What’s significant about the re-naming of the personal-sounding “Bikini Bottom” that Mindy tells us about? Plankton’s restaurant is called The Chum Bucket. What does “chumming” mean in relation to fishing? What’s that convey about Plankton’s business and business in general? 

(6) Is Princess Mindy the most significant character in the entire film? Why doesn’t she go on the quest herself–or rather, who and what stops her from being able to (princess=privileged/female/child)? How would you describe her character, and what do you think her overall purpose is in the narrative?    

(7) Denis is depicted in the style of the classic bad boy. If you’ve seen Grease 2, think of Michael Carrington’s transformation (both in terms of personality and fashion style). How is Denis depicted–demeanor, clothes, body type, accessories,–and does it bear some resemblance to SpongeBob’s ideal self from his dream early on? Hint: Plankton (small) hires Denis (big) to “exterminate” SpongeBob and Patrick by ‘stepping on’ them, which SpongeBob accidentally did to Plankton early on. So, is the figurative little fish eating the big fish by hiring an even bigger fish to do the eating? Plankton’s got what some might call a Napoleon complex. 

(8) A–if not the–central issue being dramatized in The SpongeBob Movie is resistance to socially prioritized modes of being and ways of living and the acceptance and recognition of difference’s values. The recurring conflict between the pejorative put-down of ‘you’re just kids’ and portrayal of different types of empowered masculinity is at work throughout the text. What’s significant about who transforms SpongeBob and Patrick into men (think in terms of gender)? What thing shows/convinces SpongeBob and Patrick that they’re men–why could it do this? What’s the association between facial hair and masculinity and belief (often seen as ‘fake’) and reality (often seen as [f]actual)? Note: SpongeBob and Patrick act differently once they’re men, and they’re treated differently (by the monsters). Also, does Wallace’s points about ‘water’ and ‘worship’ come to mind? “We worship a dancing peanut, for corn’s sake!!!” worship has some relation to belief and, as a result/therefore, actions?) Think about what Denis (toxic masculinity?) says he thought their mustaches were–when he rains on their parade almost immediately after “Now that We’re Men” (ding, ding, ding). I think “salad” could carry some gendered connotations, because as the saying goes, ‘real men eat steak.’  

(9) Shell City–hoo buddy there’s a lot going on with this. What’s significant about Shell City being in the ‘human’ world? How does the shop acquire its ‘products’ (which SpongeBob and Patrick see as ___ instead)? Thematically, Shell City functions in relation to the film’s thematic concerns about power, domination, and violence–you could consider this in relation to Plankton enslaving Bikini Bottom, turning the city into lifeless, dehumanized worker drones). The store owner (presumably that’s who it is) is referred to as “the cyclops”–in Greek mythology: giant, monstrous, one-eyed creatures. What’s the film suggesting about humanity’s relation to nature and non-human life? It’s a “gift shop” that makes “knickknacks.” Those two words from the movie are really important, especially in relation to SpongeBob’s and Patrick’s perspectives of the what’s happening in the shop: for example, “instruments of torture.” A shell typically protects some creature that can hide within it, and in relation to humans, we describe extreme emotional pain (sometimes in a dark humor kind of way)  as leaving us as “shells of our former selves”–hopefully, that helps the morbid nature of the money-making  practices stand out more.    

(10) This movie has a ton of popular one-liners from it (“My eyes!”), but perhaps the most well-remembered, absurd scene is David Hasselhoff (seen by some as the apex of masculinity), reenacting his famous Baywatch run,  to help SpongeBob and Patrick. It’s significant that he’s a lifeguard because they help people when someone’s in ___. What does Hasselhoff and our central characters’ team effort say about the potential for working across difference and, in particular, about how conventional and non-normative genders might be able to work together?  Does this relate, in some way, to SpongeBob’s epiphany amount acceptance and societal pressure to conform? How do the lyrics, sound, and visuals of “Goofy Goober Rock” illustrate SpongeBob’s realization?