Kelly Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Likely this has been mentioned, but SpongeBob, who has been persecuted by wingnut lunatics who thought that he was gay, is really "A", according to his creator. SpongeBob is asexual, says creator SpongeBob SquarePants, the wacky cartoon character who sparked a gay alert warning by US Christian conservative groups, is neither gay nor straight. He is asexual, says his creator. At least two Christian activist groups said the innocent and hugely popular cartoon character SpongeBob and his best mate Patrick Starfish were being exploited to promote the acceptance of homosexuality. SpongeBob's creator, Stephen Hillenburg, 43, said the allegations were far-fetched and his agenda did not go beyond fun and entertainment. "It doesn't have anything to do with what we're trying to do," Hillenburg said today, two days before the Asian premiere of the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie in Singapore. "We never intended them to be gay. I consider them to be almost asexual. We're just trying to be funny and this has got nothing to do with the show." Naive SpongeBob, who lives in a pineapple under the Pacific Ocean, was "outed" by the US media in 2002 after reports that the Nickelodeon TV show and its merchandise were popular with gays. Influential US radio evangelist James Dobson, among whose top political issues are opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion rights, said last week SpongeBob had been included in a "pro-homosexual video". "Their inclusion of the reference to 'sexual identity' within their 'tolerance pledge' is not only unnecessary but it crosses a moral line," said Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family. SpongeBob is one of the stars of a music video due to be sent to 61,000 US schools in March. The makers - the nonprofit We Are Family Foundation - say the video is designed to encourage tolerance and diversity. Hillenburg, a marine-science-teacher-turned-animator who lives in Hollywood and is married with a six-year-old son, says he thinks there are "more important issues to worry about". "I really don't pay much attention to this." Such allegations were common in the history of cartoon and children's entertainment, he said. "Just think of 'Laurel and Hardy' or 'Ernie and Bert'," he said, referring to two popular American comic icons - the former from the 1930s and latter from the US television series Sesame Street. In 1999, Britain's Teletubbies were cast into sexual controversy by a US religious leader who warned parents to be alert to subtle messages from Tinky Winky, one of the four androgynous characters, singled out for his purple colour and a triangular antenna on his head, both symbols of gay pride. Nickelodeon, part of global media firm Viacom, has made 60 episodes since SpongeBob's birth in 1996 and is working on another 20. It says the series is a big hit in Indonesia and has been translated into Hindi, Korean and Japanese. Hillenburg, who produced and directed his first SpongeBob movie, has employed stars such as Alec Baldwin and Scarlett Johansson to voice some of the characters while Baywatch personality David Hasselhoff has made a non-cartoon appearance. Link to post Share on other sites
Goonie Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 huh now the question is did he mean A as in not sexually attracted or A is in they reproduce that way Link to post Share on other sites
Hallucigenia Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Of course he's not sexually attracted to things. He's a sponge! :lol: Though, upon close inspection, I did notice that the creator said "almost asexual" rather than actually asexual. :? Link to post Share on other sites
Dixie Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Though, upon close inspection, I did notice that the creator said "almost asexual" rather than actually asexual. :? I was thinking the same thing. Link to post Share on other sites
thylacine Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Why don't Fundamentalist Christians worry about something more significant than the orientation of a cartoon character? Recently some fundmentalists were campaigning to ban a children's book about male penguins taking care of a baby penguin, and made a big hoo-hah about it brainwashing kids into accepting homosexuality and blah-blah-blah... anyone who saw "March of the Penguins" knows that male penguins do raise the young... Why can't they worry more about feeding the hungry or achieving world peace? Oh well... sorry to get off the subject. Link to post Share on other sites
oneofthesun Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Why can't they worry more about feeding the hungry or achieving world peace? Because those things aren't nearly so much fun as projecting one's sexual fantasies onto a cartoon character. Link to post Share on other sites
Dargon Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 Why don't Fundamentalist Christians worry about something more significant than the orientation of a cartoon character? Recently some fundmentalists were campaigning to ban a children's book about male penguins taking care of a baby penguin, and made a big hoo-hah about it brainwashing kids into accepting homosexuality and blah-blah-blah... anyone who saw "March of the Penguins" knows that male penguins do raise the young... Why can't they worry more about feeding the hungry or achieving world peace?Oh well... sorry to get off the subject. Tango makes three? It's based on a true story. Link to post Share on other sites
thylacine Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 Yes... that's the one. Tango makes three. Link to post Share on other sites
Charlieee Posted December 24, 2006 Share Posted December 24, 2006 I saw the video that everyone got all upset about, the We Are Family Foundation one. Spongebob was in it for, like, five seconds... :lol: I saw it a while ago, but I don't remember anything that could have possibly gotten them "in trouble." I mean, they're all singing "We Are Family!" How can that be bad!! Link to post Share on other sites
Sam B.I. Posted December 25, 2006 Share Posted December 25, 2006 Isn't 'We are family' sort of a gay song? In the ilk of WMCA? That might be their problem. They are still displaying a lack of intelligence though. Link to post Share on other sites
thylacine Posted December 25, 2006 Share Posted December 25, 2006 I dunno... gotta watch out for these signing cartoon characters... they're out to destroy society. Link to post Share on other sites
Mona Koza Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Uh, anyone else think that the homophobes are really pathetic? I mean, the Focus on the Family type people...they seem pretty desperate if they're accusing a cartoon sponge and a cartoon starfish of being gay...I mean, think about it... Link to post Share on other sites
Parth Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Uh, anyone else think that the homophobes are really pathetic? That's a given I mean, the Focus on the Family type people...they seem pretty desperate if they're accusing a cartoon sponge and a cartoon starfish of being gay...I mean, think about it... :lol: Link to post Share on other sites
Coleslaw Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Look at our history, here in the states... We've always needed someone to hate. First it was Africans, then Women, now Gays? Next we're gonna hate redheads. I swear, all this hate gets more and more trivial every decade. Link to post Share on other sites
Mona Koza Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Look at our history, here in the states... We've always needed someone to hate. First it was Africans, then Women, now Gays? Next we're gonna hate redheads. I swear, all this hate gets more and more trivial every decade. Yeah, it's sad, isn't it? It's one reason I'm tempted to just pack up and move to Europe sometimes. :? I know it sounds trite, but why can't people just get along? I'm a pretty laid back, liberal, understanding and passive person. It takes a lot to get me truely mad at someone. That's why I don't understand why some people need someone to hate. It really doesn't make any sense to me. Link to post Share on other sites
Coleslaw Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Yeah, it's sad, isn't it? It's one reason I'm tempted to just pack up and move to Europe sometimes. :? I know it sounds trite, but why can't people just get along? I'm a pretty laid back, liberal, understanding and passive person. It takes a lot to get me truely mad at someone. That's why I don't understand why some people need someone to hate. It really doesn't make any sense to me. I completely agree, though I've escaped to Canada, not Europe. :D My personal philosophy is that, if they aren't hurting me, and they aren't hurting another person, why can't they do what they want and be who they are? I mean, c'mon. If we're gonna make a fuss about how "gay marriage isn't in the Constitution/Bible, so it shouldn't be allowed" then all I have to say is this: we are given the right to the pursuit of happiness in the Constitution and the Bible says love everyone. So move along? Link to post Share on other sites
Kelly Posted December 27, 2006 Author Share Posted December 27, 2006 Ack. What is the philosophy of the ruling junta, Sum, ergo odi? "Let's persecute innocent cartoon characters because they do not follow the party line." :twisted: History may remember them darkly. Link to post Share on other sites
Amcan Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I see a Spongebob in the thread. Link to post Share on other sites
Nugas Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 This is a bit off topic, but am I the only one that finds Spongebob vaguely terrifying? In a very, very creepy kind of way. I got a gift bag with Spongebob on it over Christmas and it just sits in my room, scaring the hell out of me. Link to post Share on other sites
GreenCircles Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Haha, well I have to say, I (not-so)-secretly watch Spongebob all the time. Link to post Share on other sites
jaybird721 Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 This is a bit off topic, but am I the only one that finds Spongebob vaguely terrifying? In a very, very creepy kind of way. I got a gift bag with Spongebob on it over Christmas and it just sits in my room, scaring the hell out of me. Contrasting that with your avatar makes me laugh a little, even if it does kind of make sense to me. :lol: Link to post Share on other sites
Octarine Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Look at our history, here in the states... We've always needed someone to hate. First it was Africans, then Women, now Gays? Next we're gonna hate redheads. I swear, all this hate gets more and more trivial every decade. Yeah, it's sad, isn't it? It's one reason I'm tempted to just pack up and move to Europe sometimes. :? I know it sounds trite, but why can't people just get along? I'm a pretty laid back, liberal, understanding and passive person. It takes a lot to get me truely mad at someone. That's why I don't understand why some people need someone to hate. It really doesn't make any sense to me. Total ditto. (Course I just saw Happy Feet, so I'm in that sort of mood) *tap dances* Link to post Share on other sites
thylacine Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 Look out. We might be next! Link to post Share on other sites
Nico-Nico Friendo Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Look out. We might be next! Yeah, because we are such WEeeeirdos! :P :mrgreen: :shock: lol. Link to post Share on other sites
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