History HarsherInHindsight / SpongeBobSquarePants

* "The Smoking Peanut" stars a giant oyster named Clamu who is kept in captivity and trained to do tricks, like Shamu and the orcas at Ride/SeaWorld. The plot in which Clamu goes on an angry rampage attacking others isn't really funny after that incident in which a [=SeaWorld=] orca killed its trainer and the controversy that prompted afterwards about the ethics of orcas in captivity.

* In "The Goofy Newbie", Patrick is quite rude to Squidina, holding up the line while sampling ice cream. Squidina responds by calling him a "mooch" and getting security to kick him out. In the prequel series ''WesternAnimation/ThePatrickStarShow'', we see that Squidina is actually Patrick's sister, and they get along well; this could hint that they had a falling-out sometime after ''The Patrick Star Show''.

* Plankton's use of Plan Z in ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' to successfully enslave all of Bikini Bottom and attempt to TakeOverTheWorld becomes all the more disturbing after UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}'s invasion of UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}} and the usage of the letter Z (despite it not being a Cyrillic letter) as a pro-war symbol and an icon for tanks involved with Russia's cause. One Russian comment on [[https://youtu.be/c9xklFUyzAY this video]] describes it as having, "Too many parallels." (Original: Слишком много параллелей)

* Plankton's use of Plan Z in ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' to successfully enslave all of Bikini Bottom and attempt to TakeOverTheWorld becomes all the more disturbing after UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}'s invasion of UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}} and the usage of the letter Z as a pro-war symbol. One Russian comment on [[https://youtu.be/c9xklFUyzAY this video]] describes it as having, "Too many parallels."

* Plankton's use of Plan Z to successfully enslave all of Bikini Bottom and attempt to TakeOverTheWorld becomes all the more disturbing after UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}'s invasion of UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}} and the usage of the letter Z as a pro-war symbol. One Russian comment on [[https://youtu.be/c9xklFUyzAY this video]] describes it as having, "Too many parallels."

* In "The Goofy Newbie", Patrick is quite rude to Squidina, holding up the line while sampling ice cream. Squidina responds by calling him a "mooch" and getting security to kick him out. In the prequel series ''WesternAnimation/ThePatrickStarShow'', we see that Squidina is actually Patrick's sister, and they get along well; this could hint that they had a falling-out sometime after ''The Patrick Star Show''.

* Many of Mr. Krabs' money-loving moments, especially in "Krusty Krab Training Video" where a young Krabs uses a CoinOnAStringTrick on a vending machine or "Mr Pretty Seahorse" where he laments spending a beloved dollar on a soda when he was five, become more understandable with episodes like "Friend or Foe" establishing he grew up dirt poor and barely even knew what money ''was'' as a child.

* "The Smoking Peanut" stars a giant oyster named Clamu who is kept in captivity and trained to do tricks, like Shamu and the orcas at Ride/SeaWorld. The plot in which Clamu goes on an angry rampage attacking others isn't really funny after that incident in which a [=SeaWorld=] orca killed its trainer and the controversy that prompted afterwards about the ethics of orcas in captivity.

* [=SpongeBob=] buries a beach goer, Scooter, and then asks Bubble Buddy, his [[CompanionCube inanimate friend]], to unbury him before the tide raises. We later see him as an angel. When it's revealed Bubble Buddy was alive (not inanimate) the whole time, you realize he just let Scooter die.

* The occasional references to GlobalWarming earlier in the series (most infamously through the educational short "The Endless Summer", but also via hints in normal episodes such as the caretaker in "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" reading a newspaper with a reference to "Global Ocean Warming") very much become this in the following decades as climate change continues to impact the oceans in increasingly dire ways.

* Remember Squidward's stint as Captain Magma, screaming his catchphrase, 'KRAKATOA!'?. Well, as of April 11th, 2020, it erupted ''again''.

* Given how extreme bullying has become in the 2010s, "The Bully" can be more unsettling than funny. The scenes where Mrs. Puff believes Flats' lies and [=SpongeBob=] recoils in terror are especially cringeworthy.

* The occasional references to ClimateChange earlier in the series (most infamously through the educational short "The Endless Summer", but also via hints in normal episodes such as the caretaker in "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" reading a newspaper with a reference to "Global Ocean Warming") very much become this in the following decades as climate change continues to impact the oceans in increasingly dire ways.

* Some of the most reviled episodes of the show even make it hard to watch previous episodes. Try watching "Friend or Foe" (which is about how Mr. Krabs and Plankton used to be friends before Krabs' success with the krabby patty tore them apart) and "Best Frenemies" (where Krabs and Plankton form an EnemyMine to investigate the success of the new Kelp Shakes) after "One Coarse Meal" (which had Mr. Krabs remorselessly use Plankton's fear of whales to drive him into suicide), or try watching "Have You Seen This Snail?" (where [=SpongeBob=] spends a good deal of the episode missing his pet snail Gary and desperately trying to find him) and "A Pal for Gary" (where [=SpongeBob=] is completely oblivious of his new pet Puffy Fluffy's violent nature and is an UngratefulBastard when Gary saves his life from the creature) in succession.

* During his ImagineSpot in "[=MuscleBob=] [=BuffPants=]", [=SpongeBob=] pictured himself doing his usual activities, including frycooking, after he becomes stronger and jacked. "Larry's Gym" would go on to show [[BlessedWithSuck how impractical this actually is]].

** Many of Mr. Krabs' money-loving moments, especially in "Krusty Krab Training Video" where a young Krabs uses a CoinOnAStringTrick on a vending machine or "Mr Pretty Seahorse" where he laments spending a beloved dollar on a soda when he was five, become more understandable with episodes like "Friend or Foe" establishing he grew up dirt poor and barely even knew what money ''was'' as a child.