I don’t follow SpongeBob as much as I did years ago, but it seems every time I go back
to the old episodes I have a “how did I not notice that before?”
moment.
It’s a show that never stops giving.
There is an interesting theory on the internet that suggests every main character in the
show is inspired by one of 7 deadly sins.
(Specifically: pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, or sloth) If this theory is
true, which there is enough evidence supporting that it is, this would mean every character
could use a reality check.
I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to analyze every main character in
the show, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
Also fair warning, the deadly sin SpongeBob has been assigned might ruin your childhood.
I’ll get to him near the end of the video.
So, let's start with Patrick. The most fitting label
for him would be “sloth.”
Sloth is defined as a lack of desire to do anything productive.
This means intentionally avoiding responsibilities, putting no effort into anything, and refusing
to take action.
In one episode, he literally wins an award for doing absolutely nothing longer than anyone else.
He doesn’t put much effort into his appearance, or his house.
When he’s in his home we usually see him either sitting on his ass watching TV, or
sleeping.
Though, to his credit, he’s mastered the art of minimalism.
From his perspective this “sloth-like” behavior isn’t really a problem.
However, he frequently irritates those around him, and his lack of awareness makes him oblivious
to the conflicts he creates.
Mr. Krabs, and Squidward have no patience for his stupidity.
The next character that deserves a roast is Squidward.
The most fitting deadly sin for him would be “wrath.”
Wrath is defined as uncontrollable feelings of anger, rage, and even hatred.
Wrath also reveals itself in the desire for revenge.
It can manifest in multiple ways, including impatience, cynicism, and self-destructive
behavior.
Squidward is usually grumpy and bitter about someone or something.
He lives in a constant state of self-pity, and misery, and is unhappy with his life.
He dreams for a future with fame, prosperity, and status.
He’s been working his entire life to get to that point, but sadly, all of
his efforts end in disappointment.
As a result, he lacks optimism, and confidence that his life can change for the better.
It especially doesn’t help when his neighbor, SpongeBob, effortlessly succeeds in areas
that he knows he should excel in.
There really is no bright side to this one.
There’s a quote in Batman Begins that goes, “Your anger gives you great power.
But if you let it, it will destroy you.”
Squidward doesn’t know how to control his anger, so it does absolutely nothing for him,
and oftentimes makes his life worse than it already is.
Simply put, nobody wants to be a Squidward.
Sandy is assigned the deadly sin “pride.”
Now generally, there’s nothing wrong with being proud of oneself about something, in
fact, I encourage it.
However, pride, at its most shallow levels, is believing that one is better, superior,
or more important than others.
For the most part, I respect Sandy’s confidence in herself.
She is the opposite of Squidward in that she never doubts her abilities to succeed and
handle challenges.
Normally, her self-pride doesn’t get to her head, but there are moments in the show
where she comes very close to death simply by trying to prove a point.
To put it simply, her pride is what’s generated her so much success in her life, but I’m
willing to bet money it’s going to be the cause of her death.
Obviously, Mr. Krabs is “greed.”
Greed is defined as an unhealthy desire, and pursuit of material possessions.
As shown in the show, Krabs values money more than anything else in the world.
He treats others poorly purely for the sake of maintaining, and upgrading his finances.
In one episode he literally sells SpongeBob’s soul for 62 cents.
Which is probably his lowest moment, and truly emphasizes how serious of an addiction this is.
In fact, there’s a whole article dedicated to how his greed has hurt others throughout
the show.
Some examples include charging his employees for simply existing, that experiment when
he kept his restaurant open 24/7, and that time when he held jellyfish captive, but who
am I to judge him?
He’s a millionaire.
Plankton is the deadly sin of “envy.”
Envy is described as a sad, or resentful desire for the characteristics, or possessions of
someone else.
It’s similar to jealousy, and if held on to for too long, can lead to serious cases
of misery.
Plankton is clearly jealous of how much success Mr. Krabs has manifested over the years.
Part of the reason for this hatred is due to the fact that he used to be best friends
with him.
He does everything in his power to ruin Krabs’ life.
My guess is that, deep down, he believes Krabs ruined his life.
He is often looked down upon for his selfish desire to steal.
With him being so small, and getting stepped on throughout his childhood, and throughout
his life, it only makes sense that it would give him a sick sense of satisfaction when
he feels big and powerful, and sees others suffer.
However, his reputation is ruined, and he’s too stuck in the past to move on with his life
Gary is “Gluttony.”
Gluttony is defined as an over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth
items.
Those who have paid attention to this show would know Gary has an eating problem.
In one episode his eating habits are taken advantage of, and he almost dies because of
it, and in another episode he eats a year's supply of snail food and this happens… yeah,
not the smartest idea.
We all love food, food is great, but please, for your health, don’t eat like Gary.
Finally, let's talk about everyone’s favorite yellow cheese, SpongeBob.
He’s inspired by the deadly sin “lust” believe it or not.
You might be saying, “but Made2Express, isn’t lust when you stare at someone for
too long in an inappropriate way?”
While yes, that is how lust is often thought of in our society, and he’s had those moments too...
Aristotle defines lust as any kind of excessive love for others.
SpongeBob loves people.
He loves the world.
He's so blinded by his love in fact that he is oblivious to Squidward’s nasty opinions
about him.
How does this aspect of his character backfire?
Well, because of his obsessive attachment to people, and his blind trust that they will
be nice to him, he’s often very hurt when they don’t reciprocate the same affection.
He annoys some characters because he assumes everyone likes him.
But respectfully, his love for the world around him is too big to lose hope.
In the wise words of Martin Luthur King Jr.
- “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
In conclusion, all of these characters have quote-unquote “flaws” that, at times,
hinders their ability to live a good life.
They are often rejected by society because of these qualities.
However, these qualities are what makes these characters who they are.
This is the reason why they feel so unique to one another.
This is the reason why we remember these characters.
This is the reason why we love the show so much.
Because we can relate to at least one character’s tendency.
To put it simply, what may seem like a weakness can also be a strength.
So embrace who you are and all your imperfections, and who knows maybe you’ll find someone,
or multiple people who will accept you for who you are as well.
Thanks for watching.