I created a compelling new theory about the show

Sara SquarePants

Sara SquarePants

Lover of Spongie
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What if in reality SpongeBob SquarePants was actually about neuro-typicals vs. neuro-divergents?

The Bikini Bottomites (background fish) represent normal people while SpongeBob & his friends represent neuro-divergents

Just look at the way SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends interact with the Bikini Bottomites and how they are treated

In other words, SpongeBob is a commentary about our current American ableist society and how neuro-divergents don't conform to ableism!

This would explain why Autistic people love this show so much

And explain why SpongeBob SquarePants has his weird hobbies & obsessions

Even the hardcore fans would have no choice but to see the truth in what I am saying based on how the characters interact with each other

What do you think?
 
Sara SquarePants said:
What if in reality SpongeBob SquarePants was actually about neuro-typicals vs. neuro-divergents?

The Bikini Bottomites (background fish) represent normal people while SpongeBob & his friends represent neuro-divergents

Just look at the way SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends interact with the Bikini Bottomites and how they are treated

In other words, SpongeBob is a commentary about our current American ableist society and how neuro-divergents don't conform to ableism!

This would explain why Autistic people love this show so much

And explain why SpongeBob SquarePants has his weird hobbies & obsessions

Even the hardcore fans would have no choice but to see the truth in what I am saying based on how the characters interact with each other

What do you think?
Click to expand...
This is a really intriguing theory.
 
Hmm...I halfway agree with this theory. I don't think the show was made with the idea of representing neurodiverse people in mind, however the characters were indeed given these traits due to comedy and character creation considerations. And considering how it's a popular trope to have characters conflict with society because of their individual differences, and the fact that ableism is so ingrained into society, it's hardly surprising that the show ends up portraying this in a certain way. Honestly, the best thing about SpongeBob is that, for the most part, it doesn't portray SpongeBob's clear disability as a bad thing, but rather just another part of who he is that he deserves to be accepted for. A lot of other shows just fall into the pit of pure ableism. I think that's one of the reasons why this show is beloved by the autistic and ADHD communities.
 
While it's true that the show depicts various characters interacting in different ways, it's important to remember that the creator of the show, Stephen Hillenburg, stated that the characters were not intended to represent specific mental or neurological conditions.
 
Stephen Hillenburg made a statement regarding the characters not representing specific mental or neurological conditions in 2005. This statement was confirmed in an article published by Variety on June 20, 2005.
 
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