SpongeBob SquarePants Fired, Sparks Political Debate [Video]

SpongeBob SquarePants gets fired in a special episode later this year, and the ramifications of the act are already inspiring political debate. Some skeptics claim a notorious line used in the episode was a slam on the Food Stamps benefit, and the rest is history.

As you may know, SpongeBob SquarePants is a regular employee at the Krusty Krab, and the job means a lot more to the guy than you might believe. The episode is considered top secret at Nickelodeon, but in the video above, an employee behind the scenes shows a clip from an episode that has political rivals at each other’s throats.

In the usually hilarious clip from the upcoming show, SpongeBob SquarePants’ boss is seen literally giving him a can, a pink slip, and an ax. Then after all of that, he tells the iconic sponge he’s fired. This results in the ax falling and chopping SpongeBob in half, right before he snaps right back together and cries. For SpongeBob SquarePants, getting fired is a devastating blow. This all happens because his boss figures out he can save a nickel just letting him go.

As the show progresses, SpongeBob’s best friend Patrick tries to show him the benefits of being unemployed, at which the title character retorts, “Unemployment may be fun for you, but I need to get a job.”

The scene is actually meant to show the title character’s eternal optimism and willingness to get back to work, and do it in a way that’s still funny and relatable. However, political activists have used the line to slam the Food Stamps benefit system.

For many people in the US, unemployment isn’t a choice they willingly made. They are trying to find a way to make money and make it on their own, but if nobody’s hiring, there is nothing they can do about it. Food Stamps might be something they actually need to get by, but some political activists aren’t seeing it that way. SpongeBob SquarePants getting fired simply opened the floodgates.

Those on the right wing are claiming the SpongeBob SquarePants episode is pointing out that people on Food Stamps, like Patrick, are lazy and happy with the idea of living for free. They believe that SpongeBob’s refusal to accept the lifestyle is a way of championing their cause. It’s ideal, but it isn’t always that simple.

While there are some who don’t mind taking advantage the system for an easy ride, others are really trying to get back to work and just aren’t finding the jobs to help them do so. While Nickelodeon may not have intended the episode with SpongeBob SquarePants getting fired to spark such a fierce political debate, it seems to have happened anyway.

What do you think about the political ramifications of the upcoming special episode?