The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Dublin Core
Title
Description
In order to save Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob and Patrick must go on an adventure to retrieve King Neptune's crown.
Spongebob's sexuality was first discussed by show creator Stephen Hillenburg as early as 2002. This was due to the show gaining increased viewership from a gay audience which resulted in public pressure to “out” Spongebob. In response, Hillenburg stated that Spongebob's identity (and possibly other characters in Bikini Bottom) was closest to asexual, although this may reflect how real sponges and other sea creatures reproduce asexually.
In 2005, following the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and amid growing protests from conservative Christian groups, Hillenburg reaffirmed to People that the characters were “almost asexual.”
Tom Heintjes, editor of Hogan's Alley, published “The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants” in 2012, featuring interviews with key figures from the show's production: Eric Coleman (Nickelodeon's VP of animation development, 1992-2008), Derek Drymon (creative director, 1999-2004), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob's voice actor, 1999-present), and Tom Yasumi (animation director and timer, 1999-2021). The topic of Spongebob’s sexuality is brought up. While the word asexual is not directly used- their discussion about the character fits Hillenburg’s earlier statements about the character. Lender described Spongebob as such “SpongeBob’s just a kid—sex doesn’t exist for him. It’s completely outside his understanding and doesn’t motivate him in any way.” with Drymon adding “SpongeBob isn’t gay or straight, he’s innocent. He’s just a kid.”
Source
Year: 2004
Country: United States
Gender and Sexuality: Asexual, gender creative, queer
Animation Style: Digital, live-action blending, stop motion, traditional
Genre: Adventure, comedy, fantasy
Type: Feature, implicit
Can currently be watched on iTunes or Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/mM6oBlGnK1Tt1OzTyjM8vc_0QE1vui9k/
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