In Defense of Spongebob

My workplace has an electronic bulletin board of sorts where the employees can discuss various topics. Recently, someone posted anonymously in the "Parenting" area about Spongebob. She said, in part:

Neither my husband nor I are fans of Spongebob. We have watched a very few Spongebob shows and don't see any value that it would provide our 4-year-old. We also just limit the amount of TV for our children as well - usually no more than 1/2 hour per day. We tend to watch shows such as Backyardigans, Mickey Mouse Club House, Little Bear, Franklin, and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. They also watch John & Kate Plus 8, Animal Planet channel, etc. We find that the shows I've mentioned here each teach some good lessons and our children just flat out like the shows.

Are there others in agreement here? If so, why? If not, can you speak to what values you feel Spongebob does provide?

I'm a big Spongebob fan, and my kid's love it. There was something about this post...I think it was the "...don't see any value that it would provide our 4-year-old" line, that reminded me of the scene in Uncle Buck where the principal of Buck's niece's elementary school accuses his niece of being a "silly heart".

I submitted the following defense:

Spongebob may be a little old for a 4 year old, but I will vehemently defend Spongebob as a great and fun show.

My two kids have, at one time or another, watched most of the shows that were listed below (Backyardigans, Franklin, etc…) and they are all good shows. However, children’s programming today is so saturated with “lessons” and educational aspects that most of the plain old fun has been squeezed out. When I was a kid, there was a more obvious split: Sesame Street was educational, Bugs Bunny was goofy.

There’s not a single children’s show that I’ve seen in the last 8 years that is as silly and funny as Spongebob. And while I think that “playing nicely together” and “respecting your elders” are valuable lessons to learn, I also think that humor is a priceless gift.

Spongebob as a character is also a great role model in his own ridiculous way. He is an eternal optimist and believes that every day has the chance to be “the best day ever!”. He is undyingly loyal to his friends, and is extremely conscientious about all things in his life, especially his job. The show glorifies friendship and lampoons greed. It’s a sweet and good natured show that is legitimately funny.

Long live Spongebob and in the words of Uncle Buck, "I don't think I want to know a six-year-old who isn't a dreamer, or a silly heart."