SpongeBob is one of those shows that stood the test of time.
Sure, we have a lot of other shows with colorful anthropomorphic characters.
But what really makes SpongeBob popular?
We can think of reasons like its comedic value, bizarre plots, and colorful design.
But if we ask experts, it’s way more complicated than that!
Read on to learn:
- 13 scientific reasons why SpongeBob is so popular.
- The effect of watching SpongeBob on the viewers’ behaviors.
- What dopamine is and how it relates to watching SpongeBob.
- And many more…
How popular is SpongeBob?
SpongeBob is so popular that it beats other shows on Nickelodeon. The demand for SpongeBob has reached many times over the demand for average TV shows. It’s always on the top of Nickelodeon’s “Favorite Cartoon Award” from 2003 to 2021. Except in 2008 when “Avatar: The Last Airbender” won.
13 scientific reasons why SpongeBob is so popular
#1: Relatable characters
It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid with a rich imagination.
Or an adult that has seen a lot in life.
SpongeBob holds a special place in people’s hearts because of the characters’ antics.
In fact, a psychological study said we’re capable of feeling empathy toward other people.
It’s like what happens in real life, such as with our friends and family.
For example, Squidward, a character in the show, pretty much displays what we feel about annoying people (like noisy neighbors!).
#2: Nostalgia
SpongeBob has been running for over 20 years.
So it’s no surprise that many of us who watched it as a kid are all grown-ups now.
People always look back to SpongeBob from time to time to relive the memory of being a kid.
This is a real feeling, and it’s called a sense of nostalgia.
“How does this happen?”
Well, nostalgia is when you feel something that reminds you of earlier phases of your life.
In fact, this is according to one study. There’s a reason why streaming platforms like Netflix have been re-releasing old titles.
SpongeBob is definitely something that can trigger a nostalgic feeling.
Check out: SpongeBob Episodes & Seasons [The Complete List]
#3: Internet memes
Something about SpongeBob’s popularity is thanks to it being part of jokes on the internet.
Platforms like Reddit have been at it for so long now.
One study further explained that even old media can still become relevant.
It’s because of the spread of internet memes.
They particularly examined Reddit, where people can freely share any type of media.
It shows the surge in popularity of memes.
This is especially true when there is a significant change in that period of time relating to the topic.
There’s a trend, to put it simply.
In this case, it’s SpongeBob.
One example was back in 2018 when the creator of the show died.
#4: Dopamine
TV shows are almost always about what makes us happy.
There’s an explanation as to why you experience happiness watching a TV show.
When you get to the climax of the plot and it makes you feel good, it’s because your brain is pumping out “dopamine.”
This is especially true if you’re binge-watching, as this study explains.
“Wait, what’s dopamine?”
Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter. It’s basically something that your brain creates to make you feel rewarded.
This is a similar way to how you will feel motivated when you know you have achieved something.
In this case, it will make you want to watch more of the show.
SpongeBob is all about the wacky adventures of the main character and his best friend.
#5: Marine biology
The creator of the show himself was a marine science educator.
He originally created stories like this to teach his students about life underwater.
This eventually came to fruition as he was also a talented animator.
Thus, the show definitely has an interesting link with real-life marine science.
Not everyone watches it specifically because of that.
But it’s definitely a factor.
You see, according to research, there are benefits to watching kids’ TV shows as a parent as well.
Some parents consider SpongeBob a fun but informative show.
It touches on both creativity and science.
In terms of creativity, the show uses bright colors.
This is a good contrast to most science-related shows.
There, they only care about giving boring information to the audience.
It’s also an opportunity for a parent and child to spend quality time together.
This results in the show becoming pretty popular for both parents and kids.
#6: Short episodes
Have you ever found an interesting video on YouTube and clicked on it…
Only to notice that it’s 45 minutes long?
It’s frustrating and it drains your enthusiasm. And you haven’t even started watching yet.
As this one study thoroughly explains…
The attention span of the general population was only 12 seconds on average.
This has since shrunken to mere 8.25 seconds, as mentioned by the same study.
We now basically have a shorter attention span than a goldfish!
Like many cartoons, SpongeBob has a story structure that doesn’t give the viewers a moment of silence.
Lots of things are happening almost all at once.
This results in a more condensed plot that fits everything in a short amount of time.
Since a lot of people don’t have the patience to watch long episodes, slow-burn TV shows are not everyone’s cup of tea.
#7: It’s comforting
Have you ever looked back on your life and realized how easy it was?
It’s similar to nostalgia.
Finding a comforting TV show can be considered a sign that you’re looking to blow off some steam.
In fact, there is a relevant study from researchers at the University of Virginia.
They found that teenagers still watch SpongeBob as their comfort show.
The main reason is that during teens, stress is becoming more complicated.
To cope with that, teens look back to when they were younger.
Back then, responsibilities were lighter.
And all they had to worry about was catching the next episode of SpongeBob.
This contributed greatly to the popularity of the show.
To add, the rate of stress among all age brackets is increasing in recent years.
That might result in more people choosing to watch their comfort shows.
#8: Fresh take
Creators are always finding a way to translate their vision to TV.
And contribute to the existing list of shows.
You see, comedy isn’t very forgiving.
As it should, because the ultimate goal of comedy is to make people laugh.
If a creator or comedian can’t do that…
Let’s just say the show will go straight to the drain and be forgotten.
And it doesn’t matter how new or intriguing the premise is.
SpongeBob was one of those things that sought to expand the genre and make it more interesting.
At the same time, it was grounded enough that anyone can appreciate the humor.
This one research argues that genres are an extension of cultural categories.
This means that SpongeBob didn’t become popular because it’s entirely new.
Instead, the humor of it was already there in the general culture of viewers.
What changed was that it was effectively introduced to television.
This gave people something to identify their humor with on the screen.
In a way, SpongeBob was a way for people to unwind and have lighthearted laughs.
#9: Escapism
Like many media contents, SpongeBob was a product of its time.
The late 90s was a difficult stage in recent history because there was a lot of tension in the world.
There are people who want to find a temporary escape, especially in the form of TV shows.
SpongeBob was the one thing that really stood out.
More specifically, the characters in the show had a good level of optimism.
It contrasts the grim events in the real world.
In fact, there is one study that investigated the use of media characters as escapism.
The researchers have found a way to understand why people use escapism.
One of the reasons found was that it differs by the viewers’ level of cognitive needs.
“‘Cognitive needs? What’s that?”
“Cognitive needs” is a term used in psychology.
It means that a person has an urge to obtain knowledge…
Or to take a break from it.
Think of it like this: sometimes you get sick of watching something that is deep and heavy.
Deep and heavy is something like how documentaries tend to be.
Shows like SpongeBob are a contrast to that.
It has become the easiest form of entertainment in all of the television at the time.
When you watch it, you don’t have to worry about understanding it on a deeper level.
And that remained one of the reasons why SpongeBob was so popular even in its first few years.
#10: Adaptations
Over the last few years, you’ve probably heard of old books being adapted to the big screen.
It remains the most effective tactic in marketing in the entertainment industry.
In most cases, they use it to promote the old material.
SpongeBob was no different.
At first, it really was just intended to be a TV show.
And yet, SpongeBob’s potential calls for a campaign to branch out into other forms of media.
Video games, for example.
There was a SpongeBob video game that was introduced in 2003 for Sony’s PlayStation 2.
This video game was well-received. And it was a good way for the show to introduce itself to new customers.
In this case study, the researcher examined video games.
The researcher pointed out that adaptations encourage the audience to recognize the media.
This means that it will introduce the original material to a new audience.
#11: Merchandise
This essentially works like adaptations.
But we still have to recognize that the use of merchandise can be a different strategy.
Merchandise is usually in partnership with other companies.
So the strategy can be really different.
First of all, it’s physical.
There’s nothing that kids love more than toys and backpacks with their favorite shows on them.
Take for example a case study on Love Island.
The researcher found that merchandise can greatly affect the popularity of a TV show.
In fact, it even works the other way around.
You’ve probably seen YouTubers promote products in the middle of their video.
It’s the same way. Their sponsors get value from their audience and they get to be paid.
Over the years, there are a lot of brands that partnered up with Nickelodeon to boost the popularity of the show.
#12: It’s universal
Universality is often comedy’s goal.
There are a lot of cases where cultural boundaries are a hindrance to a show’s popularity.
For example, there are jokes in American sitcoms that just won’t work in foreign countries.
It’s simply because they don’t relate to it.
But SpongeBob is a different case.
It’s not only that it’s for kids so it’s easy to understand.
It’s that the show itself builds a whole underwater universe that is not limiting. Anyone can relate to it.
In fact, this study focused on explaining how TV shows’ global audiences form.
The researchers identified factors.
One factor is that geographical distance came out as a major key player.
#13: It’s authentic
You can’t overcomplicate it.
The show’s creators certainly seemed like they knew what they were doing.
Having that confidence to do what they want enabled them to turn their passion into it.
11 minutes is more than enough for them to condense everything and have fun with the plot.
This is perceived by the audience as having a degree of authenticity to how the creator crafted the show.
TV shows often find it difficult to deliver good dialogue that sounds natural.
But a show like SpongeBob was authentic, through and through.
For one, we can observe that the creator didn’t insert scientific facts in a preachy way.
One study discovered that higher-ups in businesses must be able to deliver authenticity.
It’s to show their audience that they’re serious about their product.
So for people who just want a laugh, there’s no wonder why SpongeBob is a good starting point.
And that adds to its popularity.