One of the best TV animated shows of all time, soaking-wet hands down, has to be SpongeBob SquarePants. He’s the happy sponge living his best under-the-sea life with his BFFs and his fry-cook career at the Krusty Krab. The Nickelodeon show has been producing new episodes ever since 1999, and the animated sponge’s longtime voice actor Tom Kenny says he believes his most-beloved character is on the autism spectrum, and fans have a lot of thoughts on that.
SpongeBob SquarePants already had a profound effect on the autism community. The beloved children’s show character played a big part in the horror film Come Play, in which a non-verbal boy connects to the lovable sponge and as a way to assist with communication. As well, movie theaters held autism-friendly screenings of SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge Out Of Water back in 2015, which were reportedly very popular.
At Motor City Comic Con, Tom Kenny spoke about being asked previously by an autistic fan whether his friendly sponge character is on the spectrum. This X video below showcases his story:
tom himself said spongebob was on the spectrum at motor city comic con!! i got to see the panel and my dad got this video of it which i had to screen record cuz it was on facebook 😭tom was really nice to everyone and made sure everyone got to ask their questions!! pic.twitter.com/hpAtPKFabyJuly 22, 2024
With thunderous applause following Tom Kenny’s triumphant words, it’s amazing that he called SpongeBob’s possible autism his “superpower.” That’s how all of us should feel about any of our unique abilities. As you can imagine, fans had a lot to say on the idea of the Bikini Bottom resident being autistic, even if his use of the descriptor "superpower" didn't fit well in everyone's minds. Take this X user’s reaction to Kenny’s words:
the only time im allowing anyone to say autism is a superpower is when tom kenny is saying it about spongebob.
You could argue that SpongeBob SquarePants has shown off a lot of super traits over the years, with lots of interests like jellyfishing, showcasing the art of flipping Krabby Patties, and “Kah Rah Tay” with Sandy. Not to mention all of the ways SpongeBob can change the shape of his body in a way no one else can. But being on the spectrum is as natural as can be, and some fans don't think his neuro-divergent traits need to be overhyped to be appreciated.
The following tweet, for instance, harbors a more negative take on the voice actor’s statement:
While I love Tom Kenny and his support of SpongeBob being autistic, calling it a “superpower” ain’t it. My autism is NOT my superpower, it is a disability and it disables me every day.
Autism is a complex spectrum that affects each person differently. Those diagnosed with autism could have the power to see the world differently than others like Temple Grandin. Then, there are those who focus more on the challenges that come from autism like communication issues and sensory overload. This is all the more reason why the character SpongeBob can be a good animated toon for children and adults to look up to seeing a happy sponge living carefree.
In that sense, one fan posted their enthusiasm about feeling more heard and seen by the animated series than others in real life.
love how Tom Kenny happily sharing that SpongeBob has autism and that it’s his superpower made me feel more self assured than either one of my parents ever did.
Another social media user shared a touching analysis of SpongeBob being autistic:
God bless Tom Kenny. The fact he is so supportive of Spongebob having autism for years means so much as someone with autism and been a fan of the show since the 2000's.
With Tom Kenny voicing the beloved cartoon for over two decades, it’s an amazing discovery that this whole time he had a feeling that SpongeBob could be autistic. Given that adults already watching SpongeBob SquarePants after all of these years, this declaration can reach not just neurotypical people but those on the spectrum who can better relate to the popular sponge.
This next post speaks volumes about how much more relatable SpongeBob SquarePants will be now for those with autism:
SpongeBob being confirmed as autistic validates a huge portion of my childhood. I loved SpongeBob as an undiagnosed autistic child because I could relate to him.
How incredible is it that SpongeBob can have such a profound affect on someone's self-understand. By looking at cartoon characters like the pineapple-dwelling sponge, fans can see themselves inside of him and confirm what they probably already knew about themselves. One more X post explained an example of how SpongeBob's quirks are similiar to their own.
I always wondered why I relate to SpongeBob so much. SpongeBob is autistic. SpongeBob also is just like me and doesn’t understand certain aspects of life.
When you look back on the best SpongeBob SquarePants episodes, there are indeed a lot of life aspects SpongeBob doesn’t understand. For example, he hardly picks up on Squidward being annoyed or sarcastic with him. SpongeBob also tends to take things literally like when he and Squidward went on strike and SpongeBob tried to destroy the building after Squidward said, “dismantle the oppressive establishment.” Now, those watching can feel good knowing our favorite sponge also has moments of misunderstanding certain things.
For more fun under the sea with your favorite Bikini Bottom chums, SpongeBob SquarePants episodes, movies, and specials are available on your Paramount+ subscription. Keep your eye out for new episodes of the Nickelodeon show's Season 14 as part of your 2024 TV schedule.
