Cue Frenchie! Ah...SpongeBob, a beloved character since the late nineties, when Stephen Hillenburg created what would be the most unique and beloved franchise of all time, SpongeBob SquarePants. Though, as of recent, the news has covered that he's Autistic, according to Tom Kenny, his voice actor, and the news program, People News. Well, here are my thoughts on that.
First off, who is SpongeBob and where does he come from?
I am glad you asked. SpongeBob is a beloved showed created on May 1st, 1999, by a man named Stephen Hillenburg, who was first a marine biologist, then grew a love for children's entertainment. So, together he created a lovely little show called SpongeBob SquarePants, that centered around a man child sea sponge, who goes to work at the Krusty Krab and also goes to school at Mrs. Puff's boating school, where he learns to drive, but fails horribly. All while living next to his next-door neighbors, Squidward Tentacles and Patrick Star. Squidward Tentacles is a grumpy squid trying to pursue his dreams in music and the arts, but also a co-worker of SpongeBob's at the Krusty Krab, despite Squidward's love and hate relationship with the sea sponge. All while Patrick Star is SpongeBob's best friend, who is a lazy, possibly not-so-bright or not, lazy pink starfish that does nothing, but either watch TV, eat, or hang around SpongeBob when his schedule allows him to do so. Besides the other characters like, Eugene Krabs, a greedy-money-hungry red crab that owns and runs the business, The Krusty Krab, Sandy Cheeks, a science-loving squirrel from Texas, and Plankton, an envious plankton-type of species that runs and owns a not-so-successful business called the Chum Bucket, who is also Mr. Krabs' frenemy, if you will.
Do I think SpongeBob is Autistic, personally?
To be honest, I actually would love it, but I just hope they aren't saying this to get diversity points as all, you know?
What evidence is there to support this?
Well, to check this, we need to look at two things. The trusty DSM-5-TR for the criteria of autism spectrum disorder and the show itself. So, without further ado, let's look at the evidence.
Criteria A: Persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts.
Supportive Evidence: According to the DSM-5-TR, if he were Autistic, example 1 would best describe him. In example one, it states that the person has to have trouble with social-emotional behavior reciprocity, ranging from abnormal social approach, meaning social awkwardness, failure of normal back-n-forth conversation, to reduced shared interests, emotions, etc. Which, if you have noticed in the show or the movies, SpongeBob does a lot of socially awkward things. One example is in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie itself from 2004, where SpongeBob himself sneaks into Squidward's shower to say hello and starts washing his back. Weird, right? Now, we know that he means well, but this is a really social awkward approach to say hello, am I right? Another example would be in the famous striped sweater song in season 3, episode 47a, named "As Seen on TV", where he and Squidward are in a pickle with customers again and he begins to entertain them by singing a song about striped sweaters after seeing a green-colored and striped sweater on a customer near him. However, that's not the awkward part, when he starts to sing, he pulls on the customer's sweater at the top and lean up against him. That, folks, right there, is the socially awkward part, see?
Contrasting Evidence: Although, what could go against this, is maybe this is how he prepares himself to get ready or maybe he could be a well-meaning creep that needs to learn boundaries from people.
Criteria B: Restricted, repetitive behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history.
Supporting Evidence: Maybe. I mean if were to be Autistic, to describe his behavior would examples one and three, now let me explain this part. so, for example one, SpongeBob's famous line when is on a mission to go somewhere, especially when he skips or runs merrily to the Krusty Krab or to the promotion in the 2004 movie about him. His famous line of "I'm Ready", when he repeats this everywhere that he feels ready for whatever is ahead of him that day. You can especially see this in the 2004 movie when he says, "I'm ready, Promotion," showing how excited he is. And apart of example one is echolalia or repeated speech, which he definitely does, kind of in this instance. I mean he also states it even when he is sad as well.
Now, example three is hyper-focusing on reduced interests, or what we Autistics like to call, Special Interests. As an Autistic myself, I have always had two special interests, when I was a kid, it was writing, I loved to write. I would write lists upon lists as a little girl myself. I would even say that I probably had a thousand notebooks and pens just to satisfied myself. Though as I have grown older, I have also realized that I have also grown a special love for psychology as well, particularly in disorders like mine, Autism, Trauma disorders, just anything disability wise at all that I am now trying my hand into going in the Mental health industry and earn my way to be a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. This, folks, is what a special interest is to Autistics, whether they tell you or you figure it out, in case they are nonverbal. In fact, I have a friend who special interest is science in the environment, along with the stereotype, trains, etc. Now, as for SpongeBob, I see about three. Except one takes the cake, Krabby Patties and his job at the Krusty Krab. I mean think about it. For example, in one of the episodes, where he is fired and goes home sad about what happened or maybe something else, to cheer himself up, he decides to play with a toy-sized Krusty Krab play set. A play set? Now why would he have that, despite the fact that one, he doesn't have any kids and two, we have never seen on the show, that Mr. Krabs ever sold one at all. So, how would he have that unless he made one, because his special interest is the Krusty Krab itself. In fact, if I recall once, there was one scene in an episode or so, that showed SpongeBob as a baby in his mother's womb, eating a Krabby Patty after his mother did. I mean think about it, he figures out about the Krusty Krab as a kid, then loves it so much that he begins to go and work for the building, after getting hired in the pilot episode. I mean who's to say he didn't move where his pineapple is, just to have easy access to the Krusty Krab? Right?
Contrasting Evidence: The thing that could contrast against this is, knowing that the show's continuity is a mess and doesn't necessarily follow that rule at all per say, that maybe he just loves working at the Krusty Krab so much as a kid that he had wanted to work there. And everything else is just a coincidence. I mean, we also don't know that maybe off-screen that Mr. Krabs may have sold playsets of the Krusty Krab and SpongeBob took one to support his job. I mean, he almost always supports the Krusty Krab and Mr. Krabs, does he not?
Criteria C: Traits must be present during early development or masked by learning strategies.
Supporting evidence: This one is hard, considering we don't know much about SpongeBob's entire childhood. We might know some, considering the spinoff show named Camp Koral, however from what I have heard, the show doesn't seem to stick with the show already placed continuity like SpongeBob apparently made the secret formula not Eugene Krabs himself in childhood. The only thing we can go off, possibly, is the baby scene in that one episode, movie, whatever.
Contrasting Evidence: Considering that we don't know a lot about SpongeBob's childhood or his development at all, we would have to assume it or leave to our imaginations with the possible theory that maybe he had delayed development as a little sea sponge boy, you know?
Criteria D: Traits cause clinically significant impairing in social, occupational, or other important areas.
Supporting Evidence: If he is Autistic, I would say yes, because it impacts how he works, how he handles his friendships, etc. I think the best representation of this would be the relationships within the Krusty Krab with his friend and co-worker, Squidward, and his boss and sort of friend, Mr. Krabs. I would even go as far to say that his anxiety when driving also represents that he can't drive or do assignments, because of his anxiety as well. Which, to be fair, anxiety is a common disorder or feeling among Autistic people in the first place.
Contrasting evidence: If he is not Autistic, then maybe the signs that people want to look for in Autistic people are the stereotype of an Autistic person's passionate looking like someone being a creep. And maybe, if SpongeBob is not Autistic, then he is a creep that annoys everyone. I mean, we can't forget the "No SpongeBob Day", can we? As upsetting and heartbreaking it is?
Criteria E: These traits and/or symptoms are not better explained by intellectual development disorder or a comorbidity, a global development delay, etc.
Supporting Evidence: Well, I guess, the only supporting evidence is there is no other disorder in mind for SpongeBob at all.
Contrasting Evidence: This could be better explained as a passionate person with a Lust sin, considering that the show itself may have based around the seven deadly sins and SpongeBob's sin is supposed to be Lust.
Conclusion
From what data has been collected, it seems like maybe SpongeBob possibly is Autistic after all, based on a handful that we have seen. However, based on both sides of evidence, maybe, despite what the news and Tom Kenny claim of him being technically confirmed as Autistic already, sort of, he could also not be, I think maybe it will a mystery, though, I think maybe Autistic people could relate to him. However, just because you can relate to a character doesn't always mean that they are like you. You and that character could be different in ways too, you know? Honestly, I think the only person who would be able to give us that answer would be Stephen, however, due to his ALS, he is in the skies now.
Anyways, that's it, Lovelies! I hoped you enjoyed this post! If you did, follow, like, comment and share for more! See ya in the next post! Bye!
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