SpongeBob SquarePants is autistic, his voice actor claims
The inner life of SpongeBob SquarePants
The man who may know the cartoon character better than anyone — his voice actor Tom Kenny — has revealed an intriguing insight about the famous sponge.
He’s on the autism spectrum
Speaking at the 2024 Motor City Comic Con, Kenny said that the character who made him famous is most likely on the autism spectrum.
Image: SpongeBob SquarePants Official / YouTube
"That’s his superpower"
Talking to an audience, he said he was asked by an autistic fan whether SpongeBob is on the spectrum. He recalled answering, "Of course!" Then, he continued, "I said, 'You know what? That's his superpower, the same way that’s your superpower.'"
Not the first time Kenny made the suggestion
Back in 2012, Kenny had also shared a bit about the famous sponge’s neurodivergence. At the time, he told Marc Maron on his podcast that the show really appealed to kids on the autism spectrum, more than others.
Image: SpongeBob SquarePants Official / YouTube
Obsessed with his job
"SpongeBob as a character is a little autistic. Obsessed with his job, very hardworking, gets really deep into something," Kenny told Maron. In the show, SpongeBob works at a fast-food restaurant called the Krusty Krab.
Image: Nicktoons / YouTube
The show’s creator never confirmed
While that is the opinion of the voice actor, the show's creator, Steve Hillenburg, never confirmed whether Spongebob is autistic. Sadly, he died of ALS at age 57 in November 2018.
Not the only children’s character on the spectrum
If SpongeBob is indeed on the spectrum, he’s not alone in the world of children's characters. 'Sesame Street' added a Muppet named Julia in 2015, who explicitly has autism.
What is the autism spectrum?
The autism spectrum encompasses a range of neurodevelopmental conditions marked by social challenges and repetitive behaviors. This spectrum includes various divergences that manifest differently in each person, from exceptional abilities in specific areas to significant daily challenges. The autism rights movement see autistic people as part of humanity's natural neurodiversity.
SpongeBob has been airing since 1999
Since the turn of the millennium, 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' about the sea sponge living in a submerged pineapple, has been one of the most popular children’s shows. Still running today, it had generated over $13 billion in revenue by 2019 and became the highest-rated Nickelodeon series.
Naive and unironic
The show has notably stood out from the rest, for what communications professor Robert Thompson called its commitment to not being ironic in an age of irony. "I think what's subversive about it is it's so incredibly naive—deliberately. Because there's nothing in it that's trying to be hip or cool or anything else," he told the New York Times.
Good, clean fun
While the show has slipped in cultural influence in recent years, at its height, it was one of the few children’s shows to offer good, clean fun for viewers, which makes sense because he is a sponge. “Devoid of the double entendres rife in today's animated TV shows, this is purely kid's stuff,” wrote Laura Fries of Variety. “However, that's not to say that SpongeBob is simplistic or even juvenile."
Image: SpongeBob SquarePants Official / YouTube
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