I'm A Goofy Goober : The Timeless Message Of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (Bonus Post)

 Today is march 14, which is Pi day, a day to celebrate math and treats shaped like a circle, but to many, myself included is also the day Krabs fries. This week is the timeframe of the first cinematic outing of a beloved cartoon character, as he and his best friend try to get the crown, save the town, and said Krabs. SpongeBob SquarePants the movie, a great film I saw in theaters, have on DVD, and even owned the soundtrack to. A movie that created memes, while still being beloved by many as one of the best movies based on a TV show. I would have to agree with the sentiment, the animation still looks good, the comedy is spot on, and it translates from the small screen to the large perfectly. At the heart of it, is a message about being young at heart, being underestimated, and staying true to yourself. Meaning you can be a Goofy Goober and still save the day, a message resounding the origins of the channel this show shattered numbers, ratings, and became a household name from. 

As the movie begins SpongeBob is told he is a kid, and how he can't be a manager, not even just ridiculed by the crowds around him, and characters left and right, but even people he trusts, like his boss.  As the plot to save the city begins, He and Patrick are still mocked by onlookers and adversaries, and yet they keep on going. There are times where they doubt themselves, and yes even need fake moustaches to believe they are men, but they still get to Shell City and even survive its trials. They get the crown and head back home, realizing that they had it in them all along, and the expectations to act like adults around them, didn't hold much weight. Others harsh words meant to drag them down, and keep them weighed under a spot where they are told they deserve to be. 

But unlike those who judged him, our square yellow hero, saves the day, not by changing, but by accepting who he is. Knowing he is a goofball and so much more, but at the end of the day, he is what he needs to be. Becoming a rock and roll wizard and saving the day through silliness, and a song that has not left my head since I first heard it, suddenly he's the hero of the story. SpongeBob thus driving home the message of the movie, being a kid at heart does not equal being immature. The moment resonating with viewers of all ages, giving the area of relatability to one factor, which is being underestimated. 

Nickelodeon itself was founded on the idea of being for kids, with cartoons, and live action media to match that. Showing that kids could have a station made for them, and in many ways starring them. This movie embodying exactly what the channel itself was founded on, and thus taking that ideology and giving it a big budget, epic adventure. Someone trying to take over the entire world in which the show itself took place, most characters falling under the mind control that Plankton enacts, leaving just two best friends to save the day. 

The theme of being underestimated naturally shines in the movie, from gas station attendants to a bounty hunter sent by Plankton, you can count on one hand the amount of characters who believe in SpongeBob and Patrick. And yet they keep their heads up, keep positive, and keep going, even when they doubt themselves, they get the help they need and press on. The moment they are in Shell City and all hope seems lost, they still smile because they did what no one said they could do, a tear of a joy and accomplishment, the tear of the Goofy Goober saving the day.

The finale driving this home, and carrying the theme as SpongeBob rocks on. A message I resonate with. Having being told I am too old for things, or too immature, or looked down on for wanting to be goofy and have fun. SpongeBob echoes in the heart of the climax that others words are just words, and even then, dreamers can accomplish more then their environment dictates they can. They can go places that seem impossible, they can get things no one think they can, and achieve things that in stories they have been scoffed and written out of. Sometimes being young at heart is what we need to get through things, and in the face of a bleak time, positivity and hope can help us get through long journeys. The two face obstacle after obstacle, but through victories big and small, prove they are so much more then anyone, even themselves ever thought they could be.

Being a Goofy Goober, is sometimes exactly what we need, embracing our inner child, and never letting go of that joy and hope, even in the face of impossible odds. Being a Goofy Goober does not mean being immature or incompetent.