Characterizing The Spongebob Squarepants Show: Patrick Star & Gary

Aired on May 1st, 1999, Spongebob Squarepants became a facet of culture still producing new episodes even today.  While Americans have debated the messages of the yellow sponge for over a decade, he has come to hold a special place in the development of youth between the late 1990’s and present day America. Many people, however, do not know that the show’s creator based the seven main characters on the seven deadly sins of the Bible. A brief comparison between the show’s characters and the sins of Sloth, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Pride, and Lust show that Stephen Hillenburg, marine biologist turned animator, intended his show to reflect these deadly vices. More specifically, Patrick Star and Gary the Snail represent two sins often mistaken for the same vice.

Sloth can be defined as the sin of inaction or laziness. Patrick Star, perhaps the most recognizable starfish on the planet, personifies laziness so much as to earn an award for his laziness as seen in the episode, “Big Pink Loser”. He can be best described as a helpful playmate for Spongebob who never really achieves anything without his friends compulsion. Patrick Star provides comic relief, arguably the most humorous character, but at a terrible cost. His inactivity leads to dis-involvement  from education to purpose of life. Even though his character is humorous, the show displays that without drive or action, ones life can reach a dreary stalemate. Thus, Hillenburg challenges his audience to reflect back on themselves, and re-access their own life desires and what one must do to achieve their goals.

The easiest way to personify the overindulgence involved with the sin of Gluttony is in regard to food. Gary, Spongebob’s pet snail, is a simple, yet effective projection of the evil involved with overindulgence. In the episode “Have You Seen This Snail?”, Gary runs away from Spongebob because he forgets to feed him. On his own, Gary finds a new owner he thinks will provide the best home he has ever had. In reality, she is feeding Gary so much food causing him to overlook the signs that she eats snails. He eventually escapes and finds his way back to Spongebob. Gary shows the audience that tunnel vision, whether one is focusing on food or other aspects of life, can cause oneself to overlook important details.

Both Patrick Star and Gary are powerful symbols that remind the cartoon’s audience, whether a child or a parent, to remain vigilant. It reminds them to neither become heavily involved in something to the point where that prevents good judgment, nor to become so detached as to lose a purpose in the world.

Kantianism , Utilitarianism, and Patriotism

While the Patriots may have won the forty-ninth Super Bowl, a question about their integrity still remains.  If the NFL investigation comes back conclusive that the Patriots willfully attempted to deflate the balls in the AFC Conference Championship game against the Colts, ethics offers America two ways to view the crisis. In Kantian ethics, the Patriots are guilty even if they won by thirty-eight points; however, a different result occurs if they are to be judged with Utilitarianism.

The fundamental rules of Kantian ethics are based in the conscious choice before the action, no matter what the outcome of a person’s choices yield. Even if a man loses his leg from frost bite because he jumped in a freezing lake to save a drowning child, and that child dies, the man is still considered heroic. If these ethics are applied to a guilty Patriot franchise, then they should be viewed as cheaters because they desired to cheat. Kantian ethics describes the desire/purpose behind an action as the ethical weight of the action. All that means is even though the Patriots blew out the Colts, they still cheated. In addition to their guilt, they should be punished by the NFL. Following Kantian thought, the Patriots are morally wrong (because cheating is morally wrong). They should be disqualified for cheating if they willfully deflated the footballs.

A different school of thought, Utilitarianism, offers a different view of moral justice. Utilitarianism is best described as the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people. So in this case, morality is determined by how the action affects the happiness of the world. So if deflating the footballs and winning the game brings about more happiness than not, then deflating the footballs was the right choice by the Patriots. Unfortunately, the number of Patriot fans does not equal the number of Colt fans and other fans that take offense to their alleged actions. So, the actions of the Patriots, if they are found guilty, are morally wrong in this scenario as well.

Ambiguity prevents this debate from being solved. Until the NFL returns with their verdict, a cloud of doubt and ethical ignorance surrounds the American cultural event known as Super Bowl XLIX.

The Super Bowl: America in an Afternoon

While not many aspects of the spectacle known as the Super Bowl can be looked at through objective eyes, one aspect of the event can be. The Super Bowl is one American event that can allow anyone ignorant of American culture to learn everything they need to know about the USA in a few short hours. From the half-time show, to the commercial breaks, and even to the game itself, the Super Bowl captures America in a way little else can.

First, the half-time show showcases the average musical taste of the country, which is fast-paced, mass-produced pop. While these songs are artwork in their own aspect, they are a far cry from the music humanity has listened to over the past centuries. The pop-flashiness of the half-time show and even the songs themselves demonstrate that most Americans lack an appreciation for classical music and a patience to listen to longer songs. The modern teen and even the modern adult does not have the patience to listen to classical music that takes over five minutes to build chords and interest. Even though this is just an aspect of preference, it is important to protect classic works as America evolves and explores new forms of audible art.

In addition to the musical showcase during the half-time show, many Americans claim to love the commercial breaks the best. These commercials showcase the comedic and sometimes empathetic side of culture. The use of both comedy and empathy establishes the modern Super Bowl commercial as a snapshot of varying aspects of American culture; furthermore, they can showcase anything from a parent-child relationship to a celebrity showing themselves in a new light.

The final aspect of the Super Bowl is the game itself. Arguably, the second most celebrated American holiday (Christmas being the first), the Super Bowl has evolved from merely a football championship to a battle of metropolitan cultures; a battle of athletic talent; a battle of melodic, comedic, and empathetic relevance. The game itself adds only to the legacy of the franchises and to the NFL brand. The team that wins showcases their journey to the top and what they have to do to survive sixteen games and a post season.

The Cost of Cooking

With the increasing appearance of fast food over the last century, America has gained a stigma of an obese nation.  According to the CDC, obesity rates of both adults and children doubled between 1980 and 2000; furthermore, the obesity rate in adolescence has tripled. With all of this in mind, is the food America currently enjoys worth it?

Food can be healthy when one has the time to prepare it. Documentaries, including those similar to Food Inc. and Super-Size Me, have attempted to expose some of the health concerns currently abiding on American plates. These and similar documentaries call out large fast-food chains for abandoning health for profit. Such revelations have caused many questions to arise, like should companies allow toys to be sold to in such unhealthy meals.  These revelations have caused some global brands to change how they operate in the United States, like the recent inclusion of apples in a McDonalds Happy Meal. These corporations and even some consumers claim that parents know exactly what their children are eating because the nutrition facts are available online. Furthermore, they claim that the parents have a choice not to eat at certain restaurants; while in fact, circumstances often prevent parents from being able to control every aspect of their children’s diet.

If one is in a rush or traveling, the easiest choice available to eat is fast food. This is where American culture has evolved; the rush of the American daily life does not allow for every meal to be home cooked. This evolution of culture has allowed food to become diverse, as stated in the article, “The Art of Cooking”; but for every quality meal made, there are dozens of others with poor nutrition and hygiene. The average American cannot afford to go to expensive restaurants for every meal, and they are too busy to always cook for themselves. The current solution in America is not the best. Obesity rates in children and adults keep increasing, so obviously something must be done.

At the end of the day, American culture must reflect on itself and ask if fast food is good, not if it is normal. Just because the unhealthy, accessible meals are normal, does not mean they are good for children, good for adults, or good for America.

The Raven

While many shutter at the recent activities of certain NFL players and how they behave themselves in elevators with their spouses, danger and even horror is not unknown to the city of Baltimore. In fact, the very team that Ray Rice belongs to attained its name from a poem by an icon of American literature. The Raven, a poem by the famous Edgar Allan Poe, was the inspiration for the NFL franchise located on the Chesapeake.

Poe’s life was marked by tragedy. Many of the women in Poe’s life died in the same way of tuberculosis. First his mother, then his foster mother, and even his wife contracted this terrible disease. Poe’s relationship between the women he loved and more specifically his wife can be seen in his poem Annabel Lee. During Poe’s last poem, he explains in painful detail the amount of sorrow he will feel after his wife passes (Annabel Lee was written after his wife had contracted tuberculosis but before she had died). While many see only morbid prose and poetry at their first glance of Poe, a second look can often reveal a deeper meaning to his stories. For example, in Annabel Lee, Poe reveals a character that cares so deeply for his beloved one he cannot bare to part with her. His love was so deep that he would weep daily at her tomb. This love is a reason Poe should be viewed as more than just the founder of the modern horror and detective genres: he is an icon.  He personifies the American life in a realistic way that many authors before him would rather ignore by revert to an unrealistic happy ending. Even though his work is revered now, Poe struggled throughout his life as a writer financially and eventually died in Baltimore.

His death was shrouded in mystery; furthermore, some historians believe his death to be a homicide. Perhaps a correlation can be draw between the negative media attention Ray Rice brought to the Baltimore Ravens and the sad life of the author of the team’s namesake. Perhaps Poe’s sad life was never meant to be magnified by his modern success as an author. Perhaps any association with Poe will bring about the misfortune that plagued the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Fortunately, the Baltimore Raven’s Super Bowl championships in 2000 and 2012 disprove any curse-like association to the team. Fortunately, Edgar Allan Poe’s status as an icon of American prose and poetry almost atones for the misfortunes he endured during his own life.

The Art of Cooking

Although their origin is by no means American, the culinary arts have found their place in the United States. The depth and sophistication of a culture can be studied centuries later through paintings, writings, and other fossilized facts; however, cuisine is something near impossible to replicate from a non-existent culture. Modern Culinary America is a sweet treat that only its contemporaries may enjoy.

Sophistication and even focusing on art is difficult to achieve in times of civil unrest. This is why many of the great artistic symphonies, paintings, and sculptures are produced during times of peace. Romans entered an era know in Latin as “Pax Romana” or “time of Roman peace”. During this era, citizens could travel the immense empire of the romans with protection and explore new cultures and ideas. This mixture of ideas and peace led to the beloved art of the Roman period. Flashing forward to modern day America, it is now in a period known as “Pax Americana” or “time of American peace”. America’s identity as a global force for their perceived ideas of truth, justice, and moral good has allowed its homeland to flourish with art forms old and new; the art of cooking has found a prominent place among the American people. This is evidenced by the countless cooking shows, fine dining restaurants, and even an entire network devoted to a love of cooking. Further evidence of the artistic value of cuisine is found in the fact that some restaurants stay in business selling extremely expensive meals. If all food was the same, thus not an art form, Americans would be unwilling to pay exorbitant prices for their meals.

Ironically, the food of America is not very American at all. Much like the term “great America melting pot”, American cuisine is made up of the best dishes from around the globe. Even the food many people attribute as regionally American cuisine is in fact from another country or region. Hamburgers for instance are from Germany; Pizza originated in Italy; Even hot dogs got their start somewhere else (as sausages in Germany). While no food is distinctly American, it is this fact that makes everything Americans eat American food. Since America is a society of Immigrants from all sorts of cultures and backgrounds, it only makes since that its food comes from different countries around the globe.

Teenage Dream

America is a land of stereotypes. One group in particular is the subject of much discrimination against them, teenagers. While teenagers are all different, the basis of what all teenagers seek in their lives is popularity, success, and love.

Popularity is a key aspect to high school life. In almost every television show, movie, or book, teenage characters seek to gain popularity. Teenagers think that having a successful high school career is becoming popular; their view of popularity revolves around the aspects of love and success.

Love comes in two forms in high school; one is the love of friendship. Many teenagers seek to have as many friends as possible; they think that the more people that like them, the more loved they will be. The other type of love is the romantic type. Since high school can be witness to a teenagers first experiences in romantic love, it can become overwhelming and take over their entire lives. While these forms of affection can be beneficial, they can often be taken to far and to the extreme. Young people can destroy any real forms of love; they often abandon true friends for more friends and a real relationship for a more involved one. The dream teenagers have for themselves is to have the most friends or to find their “true love”, emulating a Disney movie.

Success in school can also drive teenagers to extreme emotions and actions. Whether through academics, fine arts, or athletics, teenagers can become to involved in their work. The desire to be the best in any aspect of ones life is a common American trait; it is also one of the driving factors of American industry and economy. This trait, for better or worse, is fostered first in the education system of America.

Understanding the teenage mind allows one to better interact with them; furthermore, the teenage experience in America is something shared by all citizens and a unifying factor. All Americans are required to attend at least some high school, thus high school becomes a common thread that unites the people of the United States.

Iron Man & the Neo-American Dream

Superheroes represent the ideal life of an American. In a since, superheroes have become the new standard for how Americans view their lives. Comic books, superheroes, and their movies are the new “American Dream”. One of the most popular comic book superheroes is Iron Man, who represents the epitome of this new American dream with his wealth, intellect, and morals. His popularity comes from his embodiment of the neo-American dream.

Perhaps the most sought after goal of Americans is wealth; Iron Man represents this idea of wealth very well. He is an eccentric multi-billionaire weapons manufacture. Many people are infatuated by his status of wealth and place the Iron Man image on their lunchboxes, t-shirts, and other merchandise. The second factor to his popularity comes from his intelligence. Children and teenagers, a major superhero market segment, have spent their entire lives in pursuit of academic excellence so it only makes since they would feel drawn to someone they wish to imitate. His intelligence is also shown in his humor and wit. His last attribute, his morals, is the defining factor of not only his popularity but also his relatability. He is a man who wants to do the right thing but has sometimes struggled.  After all, his company profited off of war and once sold weapons to a terrorist group. However, it cannot be denied that he is dedicated to justice. He risks his life every day in defense of people who cannot defend themselves.

Through his influence, Marvel has used this widely popular superhero to instill morals to a new generation of fans. Iron Man represents the dream that parents have for their children and a dream that children hope to achieve. Everyone wants to be financially successful with an intelligence that includes a decent sense of humor and to be ethical. The neo-American dream is pioneered by superheroes and other decent role models in America.

Victory and Rivalries

Sports play a pivotal role in the culture of America. As with any sport, the main goal for a team or individual is victory; this desire to win fosters an incredibly competitive spirit of rivalry within American society. These rivalries are born out of the desire to win and become the best. Rivalries and the road to victory, otherwise known as the playoffs, influence culture both negatively and positively.

Many problems arise with the intense rivalries in America. Among these are divisions among the populace that cause social strife, ranging from teenage rivalries to regional hatreds. Unfortunately even young children are exposed to this conflict. This practice is further heightened in high school athletics. Necessity for victory and intense rivalry is found in almost every high school sport, from cross country to volleyball. But the sport most guilty of increasing the emotions of players and fans to an uncontrollable level is football. With this passion, fans are prompted to riots, fighting, and sometimes murder. These intense feelings begin as early as children’s Pop Warner leagues and continue to the NFL level.

While these rivalries may be taken too far, they can have another effect besides segregation. While one team’s winning will not unify the nation, these intense feelings associated with victory can unify a small microcosm of those related to the team. A high school playoff game can unite an otherwise apathetic school body. Many activities vie for the attention of the school; from band to cheerleading to other interests, a school can become divided very quickly. However, the school is still unified by one identity and one name. School pride can spread across a campus like wildfire and unify a divided campus.

The positive and negative effects of pride, rivalries, and a drive to win are woven deeply into American society. American culture puts a great emphasis on victory above all else. If one is able to understand this part of the American psyche, they will better interact with the community they live in.

iGeneration: Part 1 of 2

Technology is constantly changing. With every major change, a new era of civilization is ushered into the world. The cotton gin allowed America to mass produce textiles; the light bulb illuminated houses at night; and computers now bring a vast array of information to almost anywhere in the world. The latest stage of human technological development centers around two major points. The first major point is the rise of smart devices, popularized by the technology company, Apple.

The term iGeneration, or iGen for short, most literally refers to the generation of children growing up with Apple products but can also refer to anyone living in this era of readily accessible information. The iPhone was not the first smartphone, but it changed the way the world viewed them. Ever since the first iPhones were released, the smartphone has only been gaining popularity. Devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iTouch have brought the world into a new phase of learning. The internet is now accessible anywhere one can get a phone signal. Even though the internet contains falsities, it also contains an infinite amount of true information. This rise of accessibility of information correlates with other political and social movements (i.e. Edward Snowden and his NSA leak, or documentaries showing how McDonald’s makes their chicken nuggets) that suggest a common theme within the new millennium, freedom of information. Whether the information is government spying practices, or how to tie a tie, this new generation believes that information should not only be declassified but also easily accessible.

This accessibility craze was ignited by Apple and its products. Both adults and children who wish to, can now access the internet from some device. Apple’s influence in this new wave of thinking cannot be denied, given their stock-market success and the fact that they keep releasing new versions of their product.

iGen is the current phase of American culture; and by understanding Apple’s influence in this new generation, people can relate to those involved with the new phase of cultural development. Freedom of information and ease of accessibility is key to the future success in America.