"SpongeBob, You're Fired!" is a television special of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It serves as the 11th episode of the ninth season and the 189th overall episode. It was directed by Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi, and was written by Marc Ceccarelli, Luke Brookshier, and Mr. Lawrence. Ceccarelli and Brookshier also served as storyboard directors. The episode originally aired in Greece on July 3, 2013. In the United States, it aired on Nickelodeon on November 11. In this episode of the series, which follows the adventures and endeavors of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob gets fired from the Krusty Krab after Mr. Krabs discovers he can save a nickel by eliminating him. SpongeBob subsequently decides to apply at other restaurants.
"SpongeBob, You're Fired!" was first screened at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International. Prior to broadcast on television, the episode created level of controversy for its depiction of unemployment. It eventually sparked a political debate when Media Matters for America and Al Sharpton of MSNBC accused both the New York Post and Fox News of using the episode "to slam poor people who use social services." The premiere of "SpongeBob, You're Fired!" drew 5.2 million viewers, the biggest audience viewership for a SpongeBob SquarePants episode in two years.
Plot summary
SpongeBob is going about his usual day at work at the Krusty Krab. All of a sudden, his employer Mr. Krabs shows up and tells him that he is terminated from his fry cooking job. According to Mr. Krabs, he can save a nickel if he cuts SpongeBob's salary. SpongeBob is determined to work for free, but Mr. Krabs concedes such labor would be illegal, and he would lose his license. Squidward Tentacles, SpongeBob's apathetic co-worker, asks if he can be fired as well, but Mr. Krabs refuses, reminding Squidward of his seniority. SpongeBob cries in depression all the way home. Squidward, gleeful over SpongeBob's termination, begins to wonder who will run the grill. Mr. Krabs takes SpongeBob's previous position and runs the kitchen, much to Squidward's dismay.
At home, SpongeBob is still crying and tells Patrick his situation. Patrick, however, tells him that "being unemployed is the best gig he knows." and says that he will come back tomorrow to introduce him to "the unemployed lifestyle". The next morning, the two friends meet and start SpongeBob's first day of "glorious unemployment" or as Patrick likes to call it, "Fun Employment". Patrick demonstrates his activities to his best friend. At Sandy Cheeks' tree dome, where SpongeBob and Patrick go for free lunch, Sandy tells SpongeBob to put himself back together. SpongeBob has an epiphany and admits to Patrick that he really needs to get a job.
Afterwards, SpongeBob attempts to get a job at a hot dog joint, but gets fired for ruining the food by turning it to "Weenie Patties". He applies at a pizza joint, then at a burrito joint and finally at a noodles joint, but, like at the Hot Dog joint, he always gets rejected for altering the food into "Pizza Patties", "Burrito Patties" and even "Noodle Patties". SpongeBob then goes home and prepares his pet Gary a homemade pet food because they are already out. Eventually, the door rings and SpongeBob answers only to be stashed into a body bag and taken back to the hot dog restaurant, where he is forced to work, because of pure irony, as the customers now like his nostalgic creations. All the three other previous restaurants he applied at, now begin to fight over him.
Then a mysterious person in a costume shaped like a Krabby Patty saves SpongeBob and takes him to the Krusty Krab, where it is in ruins and the customers are leaving. It is revealed that the person wearing the suit is Squidward, who admits that the Krusty Krab is getting worse without SpongeBob. SpongeBob's former co-worker and employer asks him if he wants to be rehired, which SpongeBob gladly accepts. He cleans up the Krusty Krab, and puts the restaurant back on track.
Production
In an October 30, 2013 article of the New York Post, it was first reported that "Spongebob, You're Fired!" would air on Nickelodeon in the United States several weeks later, on November 11, 2013. In the article, Russell Hicks, president of content, development and production for Nickelodeon, said "Like all really great cartoons, part of SpongeBob's long-running success has been its ability to tap into the zeitgeist while still being really funny for our audience." He further stated that "As always, despite this momentary setback, SpongeBob's eternal optimism prevails, which is always a great message for everyone."
On July 21, 2013, Tom Kenny presented an event called "SpongeCon 2013: The Year of the Fan" at the San Diego Comic-Con International 2013. The event hosted the official and exclusive sneak preview of "SpongeBob, You're Fired!" and the screening of the SpongeBob SquareShorts global short film competition finalists. Prior to the official preview, a sneak peek of the episode was featured on Nick Studio 10, hosted by Noah Grossman and Gabrielle "Gabby" Senn, on June 10, 2013. A "SpongeBob expert" named Sophia said that "the unthinkable [will] happen to SpongeBob [in this episode]." She remarked that the episode is "pretty top secret."
As part of the marketing campaign for the episode, Nickelodeon debuted an online game of the same name. Beginning November 6, players could visit "nick.com/spongebob" to play the game. In the gameplay, players must accurately cook the orders of the diners while juggling each server's impatience level in order to keep them "happy as possible." Furthermore, Nickelodeon published a collection called SpongeBob SquarePants: Get To Work! on iTunes. On November 6, Nickelodeon debuted the full-length trailer of the episode to garner more exposure. Earlier that day, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively debuted the 45-second teaser. The source also released in advance an exclusive 90-second trailer of the episode, featuring SpongeBob getting the ax from Mr. Krabs, a decision he made for cost-cutting purposes, on November 4.
Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment released "SpongeBob, You're Fired!" on a DVD compilation of the same name on April 29, 2014.
Reception
Ratings
"Spongebob, You're Fired!" first aired on Nickelodeon (Greece) on July 3, 2013. In the United States, it premiered on November 11. The original U.S. airing of the episode on on Nickelodeon brought in the biggest audience viewership for a SpongeBob SquarePants episode in two years, with 5.186 million households tuning in overall. The episode tied with CBS' Hostages, the "poorest performer", from the "Big Four" of the night. However, across cable, the show outperformed The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (0.8 adults), Teen Mom (0.7 adults) and The Daily Show (0.6 adults). The broadcast was enough for a second-place finish in total viewers among all the day's cable programs to the Monday Night Football contest between the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on ESPN. "SpongeBob, You're Fired!" topped the 2â€"11, 6â€"11 and 9â€"14 in the kids demographics.
Criticism and controversy
The episode's plot development was criticized for its line that is referring to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps benefit). In a scene from the episode, Patrick Star tried to show SpongeBob "the benefits of being unemployed," at which he said in response, "Unemployment may be fun for you, but I need to get a job." The scene was meant to demonstrate the title character's "eternal optimism and willingness to get back to work," and "do it in a way that's still funny and relatable." However, it was reported that political activists claim the "notorious line" as a "slam" to the Food Stamps benefit. In a report by The Hollywood Reporter, it stated there that the episode may have a political agenda about the social safety net. It added that "It's not the first time SpongeBob has waded into social commentary, though usually when it does, it bugs the right and supports the left." The Hollywood Reported cited the previous episodes "SpongeBob's Last Stand" and "Selling Out" for where "environmentalism is glorified" and "large businesses are demonized."
According to various sources, the story line is said to be "symbolic of a harsh economic climate." The plot eventually sparked a political debate for its depiction of unemployment. Prior to the premiere, the New York Post published an article on the episode. However, the article was criticized with those who accused the author, Andrea Morabito, of attacking "poor people" who rely on government assistance, referring to individuals who rely on food stamps as "mooching off the social services" and applauding SpongeBob for instead quickly returning to "gainful employment." Fox News's Heather Nauert of Fox & Friends stated that "the harsh economic climate has hit the underwater community," but "instead of mooching off social services at Bikini Bottom, that's the town, SpongeBob sets out to return to the work force."
After the New York Post and Fox News remarked on the episode, the Media Matters for America, a politically progressive media watchdog group, responded. The group accused the media sources, both owned by News Corporation, of using the episode "to slam poor people who use social services." In response to Fox News, Media Matters immediately posted an item online titled "Right-Wing Media Use SpongeBob SquarePants' Firing To Attack Social Safety Net", arguing that the two "are using the firing of fictional cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants to attack the social safety net and those who rely on it." Media Matters was "also particularly bothered by [a] line from The Post story: "Lest he sit around idly, mooching off the social services of Bikini Bottom, a depressed SpongeBob sets out to return to gainful employment wherever he can find it," reporter Andrea Morabito wrote. "No spoilersâ€"but it's safe to say that our hero doesn't end up on food stamps, as his patty-making skills turn out to be in high demand."
Civil rights activist and talk show host Al Sharpton of MSNBC remarked in the October 31 episode of PoliticsNation that "The right-wingers found a new hero in its war against the poor [...] SpongeBob SquarePants. That's right. SpongeBob SquarePants [...] So a sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea doesn't need government help. That means no one does?" Reviewing the episode for the same-titled DVD release, SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob, You're Fired!, Paul Mavis of DVDTalk.com wrote, "the title toon...apparently caused some phony outrage and controversy from clueless liberals, media cretins, and professional shake-down artists who accused the writers of attacking people on welfare benefits. Of course the story here doesn't do that at all, but it does commit the cardinal sin in today's benefit-loving, lazy-assed America of showing a go-getter like SpongeBob horrified at the prospect of being out of work: a thought-crime in today's Orwellian nanny state...."
Nickelodeon declined to comment on the issue caused by the message of the episode. However, Russell Hicks of Nickelodeon said the show is "tapping into the news of the moment, but did not specifically address any political leanings or ideologies within the episode." In a statement, Hicks said "Like all really great cartoons, part of SpongeBob's long-running success has been its ability to tap into the zeitgeist while still being really funny for our audience. As always, despite this momentary setback, SpongeBob's eternal optimism prevails, which is always a great message for everyone."
Merchandising
Nickelodeon and Random House released a book based on the episode called You're Fired!. The book is illustrated by David Aikins and was released on January 7, 2014.
References
- General
- Grossman, Noah; Senn, Gabrielle "Gabby" (June 10, 2013). Nickelodeon Animation Tour: SpongeBob Gets Fired?! (VIDEO). Nickelodeon.Â
- Specific
External links
- "SpongeBob, You're Fired!" at the Internet Movie Database
- "SpongeBob, You're Fired!" at TV.com
