Things Only Adults Notice in “SpongeBob SquarePants”

“Spongebob SquarePants” is a long-lasting favorite cartoon which is beloved by children and adults alike. Of course, kids don’t necessarily pick up on all the humor, and only adults can truly appreciate some of the show’s most devilish jokes.

Fire Underwater

Kids don’t think too hard about cartoon physics. Grown-ups, though, notice when, for example, things catch fire at the bottom of the sea. In one episode, Patrick does the unthinkable, and questions why his campfire is burning underwater.

The fire immediately goes out, and adults chortle at the show poking fun at itself.

Sailor Mouth

In an episode where SpongeBob picks up some naughty language, he repeatedly swears out loud. This is covered up by the noise of dolphin speech, but while kids are none the wiser, grown-ups can take a guess at what’s being said.

Hiding Inside

In an episode where SpongeBob breaks his butt (already things are getting weird), he becomes paranoid about leaving the house. This is perhaps not a great episode for adults to watch while in lockdown, at it plays on all of our grown-up fears about the dangers of the outside world.

Don’t Drop the Soap

In one episode of the show, while playing pirates with his pet snail Gary, SpongeBob uses two bars of soap as “doubloons.” He warns Gary not to drop them, which makes sense to kids because they’re valuable.

Parents, on the other hand, spot a prison shower reference that probably doesn’t belong in a kid’s show.