#*holds this up to the antis like that SpongeBob episode where Patrick’s like ‘look at it!’*

[phddyke]

WILLOW BLUSH MOMENT WE GOT IT FOLKS!!

[konekoryuugamine]

Riffing the Reef: “Good Neighbors”

This was written with the intent to start riffing apart Spongebob episodes since going about it in a general way would lead me to rant on everything under the sun. I will select episodes that need to be riffed, immediately and definitely, and begin riffing them as needed. Also, I will not take requests unless I can have a valid reason to riff them, other than a character being out of character. With that in mind, I am only criticizing the episodes and not the show in general. The show is credited to Stephen Hillenburg. Please enjoy.   

We can't go on and deny it. Spongebob Squarepants used to be one of the greatest and funniest cartoons on Nickelodeon, nay on the air. It took inspiration from 'Ren and Stimpy', another classic Nick cartoon, and the evidence remains to this day. It had pizzazz, humor, and a sort of distinct charm with Spongebob being a likable protagonist while still having moments of advanced stupidity. Sometimes he was in the right, other times he was in the wrong.    He always learned his lessons and kept being the same happy-go-lucky sponge we watched on Friday Night Nicktoons.    Sure, he had some downer moments, but he was always perked and peaked, and soon became a cultural icon.    But then . . . it all turned sour. How you may ask?    Let me answer that question with this small tangent.     The Spongebob Squarepants Movie was planned to be the final Spongebob Squarepants animation, with the creator himself having gone off to start a career in marine biology. Smart move. The film was made out to be Spongebob's biggest adventure, and it was: King Neptune, an adorkable princess, Mr. Krabs getting frozen, Squidward showing brains, Plankton actually winning for once, Dennis, David Hasselhoff successfully being shoehorned in, an epic quest, and a Twisted Sister parody song with awesome guitar riffs.

   The movie. Was awesome.    More importantly, it demonstrated how Spongebob had come of age in his own time and how he was ready to move on. He was even shown in the epilogue images doing the things he always does, but now with the respect and responsibility of being the manager of the Krusty Krab 2.    Given this information, continuing the series after the movie would have killed the movie. The lessons and experiences Spongebob had learned from the movie would not be remembered, the Krusty Krab 2 would be gone and everything would remain unchanged. That being said, since the movie was considered by many to be the true ending for Spongebob and friends, the fourth season was a large slap in the face.    To Nickelodeon, it was a business decision. The movie brought in a record amount of viewers and cash, and was generally well-recieved, aside from some negative criticism about the amount of singing and unnecessary filler in some parts, but that's beside the point. Hillenburg decided to move on from Spongebob and do what he wanted, but Nickelodeon decided to cash in on the movie's popularity, and created new seasons with new writers and artists for Spongebob Squarepants.    And since everyone watched the new episodes with the added expectation of it being like the movie, even the specials of Spongebob from season 4 onward, Nick gained the ratings and money needed to continue producing more seasons. Now the show is going on season nine, and the show has become what most would consider 'adult swim' channel entertainment.    Thus, the series became what is called in the trope community a 'franchise zombie'. This means the show is continuing down the same path as before, the Status Quo is God, and it is constantly brought back from old drenches.    I could go on about how Nick jumped the shark, how their newer writers were also old writers from previous seasons, and how most of the season four to five episodes were shorts cut up into 5-7 minutes each, but that would take all day and I want to tackle things like this one at a time. Not all at once.    Way too much vernacular for my fingers to type out.        Thus, I feel it necessary to state that many, if not all, of the post-movie Spongebob Squarepants episodes are crap.    Many names come to mind in how bad they are: "The Splinter". "Pet Sitter Pat". "Smooth Jazz at Bikini Bottom". "A Pal for Gary". "One Coarse Meal". "Squid Baby". "The Thing". "Driven to Tears". "Rule of Dumb". The list goes on from there.    These episodes and more are given the harshest of critiques for children's programming, and are often scrutinized by longtime fans of the series, if any still exist. The main reasons for these episodes' condemnation?    Their quality and quantity.    These episodes feature characters who are placed into horrible situations for no reason than to either be tortured, placed there just for the sake of plot convenience, or placed with a deus-ex-machina that makes everything completely unnecessary. Sometimes these characters are flanderized beyond belief, others are defined as jerks throughout, and in the case of Mr. Krabs, Spongebob and Patrick most of the time, are made completely unlikable.    These episodes also feature some, if not all, of the following: mean-spirited humor, anti-humor, disgusting shots, clunky dialogue, out of character moments, torture, gross out humor, gore, adult jokes that go over children's heads, severe sterotyping, insulting humor, false outcomes, cliche plot devices, and just plain bad writing in general.    Making episodes and cartoons like this in general is a bad idea. Kids watch this show not only because it's their demographic but because they like watching cartoons about funny things. Constantly writing and creating episodes where a character gets a toenail ripped off, or abuses a pet snail for no reason other than plot, immediately send the wrong messages to kids. They'll either be grossed out or be forbidden from watching a violent show by their own parents.    The creator himself even stated the show has become something that should be aired on 'adult swim'.    I can believe it. I also know my mom has banned my sisters from watching the show.    After re-watching a few episodes, I can see why.    If we take all of the previous statements made before and try to form a given conclusion, we always come to this: Spongebob Squarepants has become one of the worst cartoons in history. It has come to deserve this title wholeheartedly. And considering it has to compete with Family Guy, I'm not surprised at all.    Spongebob episode quality had a drop in many seasons, with seasons 6 and 7 being the most devious with the most infamous episodes. Season 4 had a few hits and misses, while season 5 had less hits and more tries. The once splendid animation to me has now become creepy and despondent, like it was purposely making me want to turn off . . . my . . .TV . . .    That may be their true intent, but I need my TV for anime.        Sorry, writers. No dice.    As to why I'm just now bringing up the episodes when earlier I was praising it is because a good show can have bad episodes. Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends had 'Everyone Knows It's Bendy', and Powerpuff Girls had 'Town and Out' and maybe 'PeePee Gees'. Spongebob Squarepants has had a good run, but the episodes have shrunken in quality and merit, and it reflects that through the writing and characters.    And, considering how everyone keeps talking about the show while I have had almost NO say in the matters, I feel it necessary to take a stance on some of the episodes that either tugged at my heartstrings or yanked out my heart and stomped on it. These episodes have to be taken apart, lest the writers of now never learn what the show did wrong.    That way, these mistakes can never be made again.    Hopefully.    One such episode that left me scratching my head was "Good Neighbors" from season 4.    I consider this to be the first truly 'bad' episode of Spongebob. Not only are some of the animations and screenshots disturbing, but Spongebob and Patrick become incredibly stupid for the sake of the plot while Squidward is placed as the butt of their torture and jokes. Another name for this from other critics is a 'Squidward torture porn'.    Now, before I go on, I have to admit: I hate Squidward. He's an egotistical, spineless and spiteful squid who often reviles at his own employment, longs for the fancy life and enjoys only his pursuits of arts. His artwork is terrible because he sees himself as perfection and sophistication, thus uses himself as a muse. This in turn makes his artworks hard to look at, and like what happened with 'Bold and Brash', get thrown away. He is shown as selfish, self-centered and a stickler in many an episode, and often reviles in Spongebob's happiness and positivity.    Now you see why I hate the guy.    Of course, he gained his moments of sympathy, such as when he is confronted with his high school rival Squilliam Fancyson, who seems to be his antithesis. Squilliam can even be stated as what Squidward wants to be: perfection, a god and even a fancy gentleman. However, something will always hold Squidward back, either by plot device, plot or some sort of personality trait. He does have moments where he impresses Squilliam, such as hosting the Krusty Krab as his own restaurant with Spongebob's help, or rocking out at the Bubble Bowl, also with Spongebob's help.    That being said, it is also wise to note that I feel Squidward placed too much hate onto Spongebob most of the time. The yellow cube was often doing his best to help the cephalopod, and often times his own quirks made the good deeds backfire. Episodes like "Are You Happy Now?" and "Tiki Dream" are two that come to mind with this.    I'd say a word about PATRICK, but THAT is for another time.    So, I've stated Squidward is a prick, can be a major jerk, and Spongebob often helps him see the light. It just takes a while for Squidward to see it. Hmm . . . Spongebob and Squidward are opposites in this case, but not with just being happy and sad. The two are two sides of the same coin; Squidward is mopey and pathetic, fed up with fulfilling his dreams while Spongebob tries his best to become a fulfilled character with goals and dreams.    Aside from that depth, and given that I've gone on this tangent with a purpose in mind, consider this: Squidward has often liked Spongebob, and admits it in certain episodes like "SB-129".    In "Good Neighbors", however, Spongebob is showing his usual brand of stupidity and naivety, while bothering Squidward, who later yells loudly at Patrick and Spongebob for being horrible neighbors. Something once touched on in "Naughty Nautical Neighbors" and "Opposite Day".    Why did that work there and be funny while here it was a bad idea?    A few reasons, actually.    "Good Neighbors" revolves around Squidward wanting to just enjoy a nice, quiet day, like a previous episode of Spongebob called "Squid's Day Off".    The first problem is this episode is borrowing and/or stealing a direct plot line or idea from a previous episode. This is considered rehashing, and this is a major author no-no. You never rehash an old storyline or plotline unless you can expand on it, make it better and more detailed, or solve the problems that were with it before.    Rewriting it into a newer season with a different style and name is still rehashing, and looks like copy-pasting on paper. In other words, THIS IS CHEATING.    Furthermore, "Squid's Day Off" did this well to begin with, because Squidward's conscience kept playing with him. It was actually funny to see him worry his head off about things Spongebob would never do, such as destroy the Krusty Krab. He even admitted he wanted his job back at the end of the episode because he was worried.    Showing morality with the character is the best way to connect with the audience. Much better than some cheap laugh.    But no; Squidward ends up planning out the perfect Sunday, and Spongebob and Patrick come out of nowhere to ruin it.    The second problem with this episode is Spongebob and Patrick in general. They are flanderized to be stupid and naive as possible, when in previous episodes, Spongebob was accepting of limits and wants for others of the sea. He saw his own faults when he shrunk everyone in Bikini Bottom, and stopped himself from doing dangerous things with Patrick in "Life in a Day". He knows limits and accepts them.    In this episode, however, Spongebob is completely ignorant of Squidward's frustration and anger, nor does he seem to be aware of his own morality index. What he was doing is wrong, he should have known it was wrong, but he did it anyway.    Patrick being there is more of a double-marker of him being stupid for stupid's sake. That's another nitpicky rant for another time, but for now, having there just furthers the stupidity.    The two constantly barge in on Squidward as he tries to relax on his only day off, (in a comfy and casual way no less, which actually looks peaceful), and cause trouble for him. The two end up being told to paint polka dots on trees and accidentally paint Squidward to where his eyes are hurt and he looks ill.    They steal his fancy pedicure and Sunday time relaxing, ruin his Sunday paper, and drive him mad, and for what, you may ask?    To let Squidward become the leader of their Secret Royal Order of the Good Neighbor Lodge.    Again, this was touched on before, and done better, in other previous episodes of Spongebob. This episode is a continuity rehashing of over ten separate episodes of the previous seasons, with less humor and more anger filled dialogue. Squidward ended up deserving the hurt he needed in those other episodes as well because he acted like a jerk in "Club Spongebob", "Naughty Nautical Neighbors" and "Squid's Day Off".    Moreso, Spongebob, and Patrick just randomly break into Squidward's house, wearing fezes, and just decide to annoy him right when he wants to relax. This is a case of plot convenience gone wrong and a Squidward Torture Porn in the making.    Furthermore, Squidward only wanted to relax, something we all can relate to. He was only trying to be himself and enjoy a day off from his terrible job with a terrible boss. Mr. Krabs, I'm looking at you! He had no reason to be tormented or tortured by the two of them. This came out of nowhere for him.    You could say it was because he tossed Spongebob out of his window by saying it was Sunday and he didn't have to go to work, but again, it makes Squidward look like he's in the wrong because Spongebob is portrayed as being in the right.    Thus, the third problem here is who the real protagonist and antagonist of this episode really is.    Squidward, Spongebob and Patrick: who is the real jerk?    I say it varies in interpretations, given Squidward is still his pre-movie self, and Spongebob and Patrick are dumber than hell, but either way, it falls the outcome of the episode is still the same.    The only saving grace of the episode is that Squidward manages to pierce their veils of idiocy by yelling at the two of them at the top of his lungs. He lets ALL his anger and frustration out. That is the only time within these newer seasons that ANYONE has managed to break through their idiocy.    Savor the moment, people. SAVOR IT.    The final part of the episode, or what I consider the undoing of the episode, is pretty much the reason I thought it was entertaining as a kid. Now, I find it cruel and unusual. Squidward finds an ad for an advanced security system and purchases it with the intention of keeping the two knuckleheads out of his house for good.    After installation, the two materialize into his house with an apology cake that says "Sorry for Bugging You So Much".    This is another making or breaking of the episode, surprisingly. They realize what they did was wrong, and they accepted it as such. However, Squidward is still reasonably upset by the fact the security system did not get rid of them. They even bring in a cake, but the fact is the end up barging in, but still pose no real threats. Had this been handled well, Squidward would have ACCEPTED their apology and admitted he was in the wrong as well for being so overly upset.    However, Status Quo is God dictates he must get punished and get severely angry at them for coming in, and at the security system for not responding to their annoyance. It goes haywire and the system hurts Squidward in the process.    AND then the cake flies on the machine, it goes haywire and . . . makes Squidward's house come to life and destroy Bikini Bottom . . .    This is COMPLETELY unnecessary, and completely over the top. There are so many questions for this and a lot of writing plot holes here. If the security system was on the inside of his house, how did the house grow arms and legs? Why would the system go haywire when cake hits it when drinks and beverages would do far more significant damage than smear the screen with frosting? Why does Squidward seem in the wrong here? And . . . if Mr. Krabs is so cheap, how the hell did Squidward afford that much of a security system?    The point remains; this is completely unnecessary. It only serves to cause more trouble for Squidward, get him kicked out of his own house, have it destroy Bikini Bottom with Patrick and Spongebob inside, and cause the terrible conclusion of this episode. I'm not going to go over how contrived this is or how forced this is, mostly because I think I've already covered it before.    An angry mob - why is it always an angry mob? - forms outside of his house and is placed at fault for causing the damage. Then he gets a court summons to clean up the town every Sunday for the rest of his life. Spongebob and Patrick get it as well, and they take it as naively as possible. 

   I think Squidward’s look in the final scene summed everything up nicely. He was stuck in purgatory he could never relieve himself from.     Overall, this episode is the basic example of a Squidward Torture Porn, and of modern Spongebob episodes to boot. The lack of consistent writing is jarring, their behavior is off-putting and the whole episode is mean-spirited to Squidward, even if all he wanted to do was relax. There are a few moments that can make or break the episode, but given the overall quality of the episode, it's more weighed down with them than weighed up.

   It’s an indicator of things to come in the world of Spongebob and should have set off alarm bells for us.     Good Neighbors is often called one of the worst episodes of Spongebob now, and I can firmly see why.

   Although, I can see much worse episodes on the horizon from later seasons that could possibly contend with it.