SpongeBob SquarePants is, among other things, a world-famous fry cook, but fans may not recall that one of his most controversial moments came while teaming up with Burger King. The cartoon was featured in a Burger King commercial back in 2009, and it remains one of the most embattled SpongeBob bits ever produced. Here’s a breakdown of the recirculating clip.
SpongeBob SquarePants premiered in 1999 on Nickelodeon, and while it continues to air to this day, it has also accumulated a base of loyal adult followers along with its target audience of children. That may help explain the 2009 Burger King commercial that critics dubbed too overtly sexual to continue airing. It featured dancers gyrating alongside the Burger King himself to a parody of Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” The big twist was that they all had square rear ends.
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The ad was immediately condemned when it hit the airwaves, and Burger King defended it by saying that it was aimed at parents, not at children. Because SpongeBob is typically marketed to children, this raised a whole debate of its own. Meanwhile, according to a report by Screen Rant, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood called the ad sexist and inappropriately sexual.
The ad did not last long on TV, yet to the dismay of both Burger King and its critics, it has had a persistent life on social media. The ad is often reposted on video sites like YouTube, message boards and meme archives. It has not been embedded here, but it’s not hard to find with a quick search.
As most fans know, this is not the only SpongeBob controversy out there. In its two decades on the air, the show has incurred the ire of many groups, pundits and agendas — often on opposite ends of the social and political spectrum. As early as 2005, the show has been criticized for “advocating homosexuality,” though its characters generally don’t profess a sexual preference.
The show has also been dubiously accused of affecting the mental and cognitive functions of young viewers. A 2011 study conducted by the University of Virginia published a study showing these results in the journal Pediatrics, citing preschool-aged audiences specifically. According to a report by CNN at the time, Nickelodeon claimed that the show was not intended for that age group.
These days, SpongeBob is more often criticized for its perceived decline in quality over the years. Many viewers claim that the show had its heyday in its first few years on the air, though some of this can obviously be chalked up to Nostalgia. SpongeBob SquarePants continues to air on Nickelodeon, and is streaming now on Paramount+.
