The Audio Design and Atmosphere of Spongebob (Seasons 1 & 9)

Spongebob Squarepants is a popular cartoon that has been running since 1999. It follows the adventures of Spongebob, a fry cook living in Bikini Bottom. The show has undergone changes over the years, including its sound design. Season 1 used stock music, while Season 9 introduced more original music. The differences in sound design can be seen when comparing episodes from these seasons. The first episode, "Culture Shock," has a moody rock and roll soundtrack, while the second episode, "Sharks vs. Paws," features traditional rock and roll music. The sound environments create different atmospheres and contribute to the storytelling. You already know what Spongebob is. This tight-knit cartoon aired its pilot in 1997, officially started running in 1999, and stopped running in... never. It's still going to this day on its 14th season, with four movies and two spin-offs. For any Western kid alive, Spongebob is probably a familiar face. If you take a step backward, and really think about it, it's actually very weird that it's this famous. A marine biologist creates a cartoon with a cast of invertebrates at the bottom of the ocean. That's weird, but the New York Times put it best back in 2001. Spongebob joyfully dances on the fine line between childhood and adulthood, stylishness and camp, the warped and the sweet. There's a reason to its long life. And across its 27-year run, the show has changed quite a bit. Now, it hasn't changed in terms of storytelling, really. It's still a comedic, episodic show clocking in at 11 minutes per episode, with occasional shorts and specials. Created by the late and great Steven Hendenburg, it follows, and will always follow, Spongebob Squarepants, an honest, optimistic, and childlike fry cook living in the town of Bikini Bottom. His best friend is a lazy sea star named Patrick, and he works at the Krusty Krab alongside his perpetually apathetic neighbor Squidward, and his boss, the penny-pinching clobber figure Mr. Krabs. To date, the show retains all of its original voice actors, locations, and even some stock spots. In some ways, it is truly the same as it was in 1997. But in others, it's almost unrecognizable. And tonight, it's all about the changes to its sound. Personally, my favorite seasons of the show are season one and season nine, despite the fact that they look very different and they even feel very different. I would posit that their respective crop of episodes and production style have the strongest atmosphere of the entire show, just in very different ways. Now, Spongebob, as a show taking place in the ocean, already has a unique soundscape. I'd argue that every season has its own feel. Comparing the mean-spirited tone of seasons six and seven to the current season 14 with its exaggerated, stretchy, and more cartoony identity, we get some pretty unique vibes, and a lot of that comes down to the different approaches in its sound design. But because season one and season nine specifically have a quality of atmosphere that is not really matched by any of the other seasons, we can do something really fun, which is compare them. In general, season nine is extremely polished. It lacks the rough edge season one has. Season one would sometimes have voice actors peaking the mic, for example, and its unique vibes were cultivated by its music, which was dominated by stock tracks. Specifically, the show used Hawaiian music with a lot of ukulele, and a lot of surf rock by the band The Surf Dusters. Nick Carr, the music editor for the show, said regarding the music, The first season's music came primarily from the Associated Production Music Library since they had a huge, diverse selection of music, and started digging into their archives for offbeat, quirky music that would properly paint the musical background that the show was going for. In contrast, by season nine, the show was using a lot of original music. The show has had some original music since its conception, but now it rarely fully relies on the stock music of its prime. This is a bit of a loss for that early atmosphere that made the show unique and gave it that truly SpongeBob touch. However, I would argue that the show has a lot of original music, and the show has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music that has a lot of original music Huh, where do critters get to? Non-diegetic sound effects used for things like reaction shots are recordings of Hillenburg fiddling with his ukulele in his office. Spongebob running into a gruff drill sergeant is the sound of boxing gloves hitting the ground. A bigger budget and better technology will explain any differences in the sound effect quality. So, now that we have all that foundation, let's reveal what episodes we're actually going to be comparing. Season 9's Sharks vs. Paws, a 50s greaser parody episode, and Season 1's Culture Shock, which is about a talent show. We'll run these and dissect them scene by scene. These should be pretty apt comparisons. They have a similar structure, largely take place at night, feature, spoilers, a dance performance with Squidward, and they go for a more unique tone than your typical Spongebob hijinks. What we're going to want to focus on is in terms of creating an atmosphere and telling a story, what do these respective sound environments do? How are these seasons' approaches different, if at all? Scene 1 of Culture Shock is already an impressive start. The music for this scene is K55 by the Woodies, a rock and roll band. It's got this mellow, moody tone. Its melody is carried by a steel guitar and beat with a bass and bongos. This all keeps the beachy feel that works with Spongebob so well. For the opening sequence, we have some light foley work as Squidward flips through his magazine. Spongebob obsessively cleans the table. And Mr. Krabs tries to act casual leaning against his new, free salad bar. I just don't get it. If a free salad bar doesn't bring in customers, what will? The scene plays out pretty normally once a customer shows up, with the moody Woodies replaced with a brief stint of the track Oyster Girls, which is a traditional English dancing song, before segwaying right into the tip-top polka by the Kelmsfork Folk Band, something of a theme for the Krusty Krab. One thing I do wish they had done for this is Muffle Spongebob's voice during the end of this line. You just say the word and I will throw myself in the Frig! Because he throws himself onto the table face-down. It probably would just be a bit more immersive. After the customer tips Spongebob one cent, which Mr. Krabs swiftly takes, one thing I like is that the song doesn't play its ending note right there. It holds it for a couple of seconds until the beginning of the next scene where we see Mr. Krabs putting the penny in the safe. Sharks vs. Paws starts with Spongebob all alone at work, mopping. To make the process a little less boring for himself, he plays a very traditional rock and roll song on the jukebox, which the Krusty Krab has in this episode for some reason. The song is Kung Fu Rock, written by Shelly O'Brien and Eden Schlutter, written for the show. Since it was written for the show, it's timed in such a way that once the titular sharks show up, along with the music itself dipping in volume just a little bit, it has a long instrumental break so the vocals of the song and the voice acting don't clash. Because this episode is a big homage to Happy Days, the show, the episode brought on Henry Winkler, Michael McKeon, and David Lander as guest stars, all of whom are actors from that original show, which really adds to what the spoof is going for. Next, there's a nice mix of diegetic and non-diegetic sound effects as Spongebob completes his cleaning routine and ends the introductory scene. And of course, the music stops right as the sequence does. Back to Season 1, Mr. Krabs calls Squidward and Spongebob into his office to discuss the business's waning funds. What is interesting about this scene is it's devoid of music, at least for the first part, so we can really hear all the little sound effects. I know, I know, I know! How about Mouthful of Clams Day? Everyone who shows up with a mouthful of clams gets their three inch wings! Huh? Huh? Each of Spongebob's ideas is accompanied by a stinger of some kind. When Krabs mentions live entertainment, we hear a Hillenburg ukulele pluck as Squidward perks up, and then the music kicks in. Because it only starts at this moment, it makes us feel as jazzed about the idea as Squidward is. The music is flushed with horns and saxophone, completed with a walking bass, fully selling us on the showbiz idea. This track is Tonight's Prizes by six-season Walter, by the way. That cheering is a really nice touch. With your host, me! Oh, this is a moment I... I mean... With the music playing in addition to the wealth of folly work and sound effects, the scene feels full and fast-paced. I mean, hopping clams! Hopping clams! A talent show! Now we're excited, too. As the Krusty Krab gets ready for the big show, there's some construction sound filling the air... or water. SpongeBob asks Squidward when he goes on, his words interspersed with squeaky toy noises, which is cute. The show! What am I doing on this show? I have a great act! When SpongeBob pulls out a hat and cane and starts his bubble dance routine, there's the sound of blowing bubbles and ukulele embellishments. And all of these sounds play alongside the percussive intro of Pass the Cane by Ronnie Hooper. When SpongeBob changes his tune, we hear seaweed by Steve Belfer composed for the show, commonly heard in early SpongeBob. They only call me that guy because I'm in tennis shoes. Ha! Ha! Tennis shoes! Ha! Ha! I crack myself up! Now let's make one more pit stop back to Season 9. Over in Sharks vs. Pods, the music for this scene, Pompadour Hop, starts in time with Sharkface's entrance. It even has horns and a walking bass just like that Culture Shock scene. With the big shark bite sound effect as well as that heavy whoosh when Sharkface jumps into frame, he comes off as plenty intimidating. Hey there, killer! My name is Sharkface! Don't let the teeth intimidate you! Though SpongeBob is unfazed. While I do like this scene where they introduce all the other sharks and I love the voice acting, I think they hold on each shark just a bit too long. Well, let me introduce you to my fellas here. Here's my main man, Ronnie! Hey, yo! Keeping it cooler than a sea cucumber is Ronnie! Ay, ay, yo! And that decked out righteous brother is the one, the only, Donnie! Ay, ay, ay, yo! There's just no reason for that long pause. It hurts the pacing in an otherwise fun scene and killed the gag of them all picking out what looked like switchblades but turned out to just be combs. Donnie's introduction is the only one without that beat and it works way better for it. After, we've got more nicely timed music and musical cues. Once the music cuts, it's just nighttime ambience, which is punctuated with cricket sounds. Of course, there are crickets in the ocean. Now we have my second favorite joke in the episode. We could use a fella like you in our crew. Ever since we lost Johnny... Donnie, no! Donnie, no! Donnie, no! Donnie, no! Donnie... I love the spontaneous music, the overdramatic voice acting, the way it immediately cuts as soon as Sharkface snaps his fins. That song is Forever and a Day, a piece of production music. Then we swing into Hang Loose, which makes this a triple whammy of music from the APM library. And remember, the APM library is usually an early Spongebob trademark. My guess is they were saving the original track for the climax, which we'll hear in a bit. Do I get a jacket? Of course! These sounds are nice and satisfying, the way Sharkface just slaps the jacket on to Spongebob. And with that, they're driving off into the next scene with the music staying with them. Okay, now that we understand how typical Spongebob scenes function sound-wise, let's fast-forward to the climaxes of the episode when things get a lot more unique. In Culture Shock, the performers at the talent show each perform a set, like Plankton's magic show and Gary's beat poetry. At the end of the show, Squidward, who has saved the best for last, goes onstage and performs an interpretive dance number. Squidward begins dancing to pleasant flute music before the music suddenly changes into a trance-like techno beat and his dancing shifts into a bizarre, avant-garde mess of wriggling tentacles. He stops when the audience begins booing and swarms up, being thoroughly humbled and absolutely furious. When Spongebob steps into the spotlight, mop in hand to clean up all the tomatoes the audience has been throwing, they actually love watching him wash up. The audience's enthusiastic call-out slowly evolves into a mass of unintelligible tears as they fall in love with Spongebob's cleaning routine. Squidward runs back onstage, thinking the audience wants an encore before his hopes are dashed when they realize they still hate him. He starts doing comparisons, shoving Spongebob onstage and then peeking out from the curtains right after just to see what the reaction is. And when he comes onstage, the cheering doesn't die down, it completely dies, going from rapturous applause to dead silence. The juxtaposition between the roar of applause for Spongebob to the total lack of a reaction for Squidward is really funny, and the simplicity of it means that the audience can't help but laugh The reaction for Squidward is really funny, and the simplicity of it makes the joke. It doesn't go from cheers to boos, and it doesn't have a more realistic, gradual drop-off. It just stops. Seeing Theaterland swells and takes us through the ending, with the Krusty Krab talent show met with great reviews and pride from Mr. Krabs and Spongebob's parents, the contrast with the full atmosphere and the dead look on Squidward's face is a last gag to the audience before the episode draws its curtain. No! The climax of Sharks vs. Pods is a dance competition straight out of West Side Story. The sharks snap to the beat and do a modest performance, even successively snapping their jaws to intimidate the pods. The pods respond with psychedelic, experimental choreography to music on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Every performance during this sequence has its own original music track by Eben Schleder. Eventually, cops show up to the scene. Instead of arresting the gangs, though, they challenge them with their own hula routine. Finally, they're challenged in turn by the Internal Affairs Department... Oh, no! It's Internal Affairs! ...who break dance to a very 90s hip-hop beat, even outfitted with giant cloth necklaces, a la Public Enemy. Fearing they've lost Spongebob with the sharks, Patrick freezes Kung Fu Rock in a final push to win the competition, and it works! Mr. Krabs shows up for some reason to award the sharks a trophy. Patrick also shows up right after, delivering my actual favorite joke of the episode. Who saved the Rex Turner? What Rex Turner? And it ends in a classic jumping freeze frame as they all celebrate winning. Yay! I didn't win anything! Now that we've gone through both performance sequences, let's see what gives them such a different feel. They do a lot of things similarly, after all, considering they each give every performance their own track and result in a win for Spongebob. The easiest thing to compare is Squidward's performances. They're both interpretive dances, but his dance in Culture Shock is slate for last. You know, Squidward has been a total jerk this entire episode, so his karma is humiliating himself with this awful dance. Because it's a comedic moment, it sounds weird and campy, and Squidward's gurgling sounds emphasize just how ridiculous it is. On the other hand, the P.O.D.S. dance is entertaining and cool. Still silly, but not ridiculous like Culture Shock, especially when you consider that that sequence was animated by guest animator Dave Gemmell. It's devoid of sound effects, instantly making it stand out from the other dances and forcing the audience to focus on the animation itself. The biggest difference in the sound design approaches of Season 1 and 9 is their willingness to utilize silence. Every second of Sharks vs. P.O.D.S., and other Season 9 episodes for that matter, is full of different musical tracks and sound effects, particularly non-diegetic little stingers for actions that don't require a sound effect. They have this in Season 1, of course, we've heard it a couple times, but there really is an abundance in Season 9. When Sharkface explains to Spongebob that they're not a violent gang, but a dancing troupe, every example Spongebob gives has a sound effect to go with its respective debunking. When you compare how this scene handles those effects to its equivalent scene in Culture Shock, the scene where Spongebob lists his ideas to bring more customers to the Krusty Krab, the differences are pretty obvious. While the Culture Shock scene had no background music to keep the attention on Spongebob's lines and every sound effect that went along with them, Sharks vs. Pods has music playing and stingers. Every moment is sound, sound, sound. It's like it's a little afraid of losing your attention. And that's by design. Though no comments have been made on it, the show seems to be aiming for a younger audience than it used to. While an episode parodying Grease and Happy Days is a concept more suited for an adult, the execution skews towards an audience that's more excitable, maybe less down-to-earth, and notably with a shorter attention span. That's not a bad thing, but it is different, and there's an unspoken maturity to the early seasons of Spongebob that's a bit lacking today. Even in its zaniest premises, there's a sense that in those episodes from the 90s and early 2000s, the characters and world and environments are somehow still grounded in reality. Current Spongebob always seems a little nervous that they're about to lose you. Again, I like Season 9, a lot. That nervousness, that feeling that they're a little worried leads them to do crazy things, episodes with weird ideas and odd concepts. Early Spongebob thrives on simplicity, with episodes based entirely on one concept taken to its extreme. Spongebob and Squidward deliver a pizza, Spongebob gets a cold, Spongebob and Patrick take the wrong bus. They're not complicated because they don't have to be. But Season 9? Madmen parody, go! Metacommentary on the internet, go! Top Gun-themed episode about a milkshake boot camp, go! It leaves them to have high-ticket guest stars make up new characters, go big. And that's fine. Season 9 is the first season to be script-driven rather than storyboard-driven, which I do think feeds into the more complex off-the-wall plots. But I also think there's a charm to Season 1 that can't be captured by anything else. There's a charm to the low-quality microphones, there's a charm to the stock music and constant bubble swishing sound, and certainly a charm to those simple concepts that were, before anything, created by artists with visuals in mind. Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9 Season 9