History Headscratchers / SpongebobSquarePants

* In "Fools in April", what exactly ''is'' that fake tongue that comes out of [=SpongeBob=]'s mouth? [=SpongeBob=] seems to be just functionally fine with that creature detached, implying it's not his actual tongue, but the living "tongue" is never explained or mentioned again. It's been bugging me ever since I saw the episode over a decade ago. While I do realize the series is full of [[WidgetSeries weird]], [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment out-of-nowhere]] moments, this one [[{{Pun}} sticks out]] to me more than most other odd moments.

*** And no one like’s there secrets exposed. But you really can’t hide for long.

** They're delusional

** Maybe it's a hidden example of BreakingTheFourthWall;they heard it censored, so they knew they were the other 12.

* In "Fools in April", what exactly ''is'' that fake tongue that comes out of [=SpongeBob=]'s mouth? [=SpongeBob=] seems to be just functionally fine with that creature detached, implying it's not his actual tongue, but the living "tongue" is never explained or mentioned again. It's been bugging me ever since I saw the episode over a decade ago. While I do realize the series is full of [[WidgetSeries weird]], [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment out-of-nowhere]] moments, this one [[IncrediblyLamePun sticks out]] to me more than most other odd moments.

* Why id the dolphin chirp used when Mr. Krabs said “With a side of…”?

** I think after getting different answers from Evelyn and Larry, [=Spongebob=] decided to change his approach by having everyone ''pretend'' that Squidward was the fireman/guy in the ambulance/someone of importance in their lives so they can find the motivation to help him.

*** The latter sounds right, but we have no hint that he imagined it. Or was he [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs on drugs]]?

In the episode Boating School Patrick showed that he not only could drive but was able to instruct Spongebob in his own driving well enough that Spongebob almost passed until he realized it was cheating and had a freak-out. Even as a little kid I wondered why Spongebob and Patrick never followed up on that with some sort of tutoring or something. Patrick obviously has a liscense [[DependingOnTheWriter for that episode]] and was willing to help Spongebob out however he could. I could almost write it off as them being [[FailedASpotCheck too dumb to realize that was an option]] but this was back when Patrick was [[GeniusDitz actually quite clever and rational when he knew what he was talking about]].

[[folder:Anger over what YOU said, Squidward?]]
* In "Opposite Day", why does Squidward get all surprised and angry at [=SpongeBob=] for acting, well, opposite when it was HIM who told [=SpongeBob=] it was Opposite Day in the first place?
** He thought [=SpongeBob=] would reverse his annoying behavior, but didn't think through what ''other'' behaviors he'd also reverse.
[[/folder]]

*** So what if [=SpongeBob=] HAD understood what striking meant? Would he STILL have gone along with it?

[[folder:Swearing]]
* Why is swearing taken so seriously here? I mean, nobody makes TOO big of a deal about it in real life, so why is it suddenly treated like some kind of criminal misdemeanor here?
** The REAL question is, why does Mr. Krabs forbid Spongebob and Patrick from saying those words AT ALL?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The time machine]]
* In "SB-129", why is the time machine built into the wall? Wouldn't that be counter-intuitive? Also, how would it be able to just rip from the wall like that?

[[folder: Does it REALLY matter how Patrick is saved?]]
* In "SpongeGuard On Duty", everybody expects Spongebob to get in the water to save Patrick. Why does it matter? I mean, he did manage to get a boat into the water and, had Patrick not ripped it apart, he probably could've gotten him safely into it.
[[/folder]]

*** A zebra IS a horse....

[[folder: A security system that turns your house into a giant rampaging robot? Really?]]
* Ok, what idiot thought it was a good idea to make a security system that gives your house robot limbs? And on that note, if it was designed that way intentionally, why isn't it being used by the military instead of as a home security system?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Wild animals in the Bikini Bottom suburbs?]]
* So in "The Camping Episode", what were a sea bear and sea rhinoceros even doing in Spongebob, Squidward, and Patrick's neighborhood?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: A dining sock?]]
* Why does the Flying Dutchman need a sock to eat?
** Maybe he has some emotional issues regarding this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: A perfume department on a pirate ship? Really?]]
* Why would a pirate ship, let alone a GHOST pirate ship, even ''have'' a perfume department?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Krusty Krab Commercial]]
* How did Mr. Krabs' version of the Krusty Krab commercial not throw away any money? There had to have been some expenses with the smoke effect, the scene-shifting, and the words appearing over the Krusty Krab.
** One thing that's a given with Mr. Krabs is that while he's cheap and greedy to the absolute extreme, as a businessman, he's shown that he's willing to spend at least ''some'' money if it gets him closer to making much more money (which is why he got angry at Squidward and the production crew he hired during the filming of the original commercial - because he felt like it was an absolute waste of money compared to what they wound up making). You can see what I'm talking about in episodes like "Skill Crane", where he spends money on the titular skill crane because he knew that it would eventually pay for itself and make him a profit (which it did, courtesy of Squidward). That said, bar the smoke effect, virtually everything you listed is the sort of shit that one could easily do in something like Movie Maker at next to no cost, so that's likely the route Mr. Krabs took when making the shoestring budget commercial that we saw.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: With great power comes great idiocy]]
* Why does Squidward not use his power as "President of the Good Neighbor Lodge" to his advantage in "Good Neighbors"?
[[/folder]]

* Why is swearing taken so seriously here? I mean, nobody makes TOO big of a deal about it in real life, so why is it suddenly treated like some kind of criminal misdemeanor here?
** The REAL question is, why does Mr. Krabs forbid Spongebob and Patrick from saying those words AT ALL?

[[folder: Uncle Sherm]]
* Is Uncle Sherm an example of {{Tuckerization}}? He's obviously named after Sherm Cohen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Is Sweet Victory a Real Song?]]
* This is more of a question than a headscratcher, but I just wanted to know: is [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic 'Sweet Victory']] a real song, or was it made up for [=SpongeBob=]? 'Coz that would be crazy if it was, [[CrazyIsCool in an awesome sort of way.]]
** Real Music/{{Metallica}} song, OrSoIHeard.
** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y5oGuo6y7E
** Unrelated, but I thought headscratchers ''were'' questions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Krusty Krab Commercial]]
* How did Mr. Krabs' version of the Krusty Krab commercial not throw away any money? There had to have been some expenses with the smoke effect, the scene-shifting, and the words appearing over the Krusty Krab.
** One thing that's a given with Mr. Krabs is that while he's cheap and greedy to the absolute extreme, as a businessman, he's shown that he's willing to spend at least ''some'' money if it gets him closer to making much more money (which is why he got angry at Squidward and the production crew he hired during the filming of the original commercial - because he felt like it was an absolute waste of money compared to what they wound up making). You can see what I'm talking about in episodes like "Skill Crane", where he spends money on the titular skill crane because he knew that it would eventually pay for itself and make him a profit (which it did, courtesy of Squidward). That said, bar the smoke effect, virtually everything you listed is the sort of shit that one could easily do in something like Movie Maker at next to no cost, so that's likely the route Mr. Krabs took when making the shoestring budget commercial that we saw.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: A dining sock?]]
* Why does the Flying Dutchman need a sock to eat?
** Maybe he has some emotional issues regarding this.
[[/folder]]

*** So what if [=SpongeBob=] HAD understood what striking meant? Would he STILL have gone along with it?

*** A zebra IS a horse....

[[folder: Wild animals in the Bikini Bottom suburbs?]]
* So in "The Camping Episode", what were a sea bear and sea rhinoceros even doing in Spongebob, Squidward, and Patrick's neighborhood?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The time machine]]
* In "SB-129", why is the time machine built into the wall? Wouldn't that be counter-intuitive? Also, how would it be able to just rip from the wall like that?

[[folder: Does it REALLY matter how Patrick is saved?]]
* In "SpongeGuard On Duty", everybody expects Spongebob to get in the water to save Patrick. Why does it matter? I mean, he did manage to get a boat into the water and, had Patrick not ripped it apart, he probably could've gotten him safely into it.

[[folder: Why Was the Phone Line Cut?]]
* At the beginning of the episode where [=SpongeBob=] breaks Gary's shell, [=SpongeBob=] wakes up in the middle of the night after hearing a noise. [=SpongeBob=]'s phone line has been cut. No explanation is given for this. It's not necessary for the scene, and it isn't presented as a joke. Why was the line cut?
** Some kind of cordless phone?

[[folder: Believing the Fake News]]
* In the episode "The Krabby Kronicle", is it me, or did everybody who read the Krusty Krab's newspaper believe every single word? And for that matter, why would scientists try to confiscate Sandy's science awards if she won them all fairly?
** I'm pretty sure the citizens of Bikini Bottom are supposed to be complete morons. As for the second question, again, they're morons. Plus the article may have said something about her faking being smart or cheating when she won the awards. And it doesn't have much to do with your question, but I think if she had karate chopped the two "scientists" it would have been a crowning moment of awesome.

[[folder: Why Did Sandy Jump to Conclusions?]]
* Same episode as above: Why did Sandy immediately assume that it was [=SpongeBob=] who wrote that stuff about her? I mean, she and [=SpongeBob=] were friends ever since the first season! She should trust him while knowing he'd never say such things against her!
** She may still be annoyed over [=SpongeBob=]'s stinging "squirrel jokes".
** The article actually ''said'' it was written by [=SpongeBob=]. Now, why Sandy was the only one who noticed it raises a question in itself...
*** Sandy's a scientist, she notices things.
*** Because she, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs are pretty much the only people in Bikini Bottom who have half a brain?

[[folder: Strange Animation Choice]]
* At the beginning of the episode "20,000 Patties Under the Sea", why did they use old footage of jellyfish flying from season 1 and then immediately return to the modern animation?
** Well, I'm guessing 1) They were too lazy to make new footage of jellyfish flying, 2) Season one used hand-painted cels, whereas afterward, they use the more modern digital ink process.

[[folder: Is Sweet Victory a Real Song?]]
* This is more of a question than a headscratcher, but I just wanted to know: is [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic 'Sweet Victory']] a real song, or was it made up for [=SpongeBob=]? 'Coz that would be crazy if it was, [[CrazyIsCool in an awesome sort of way.]]
** Real Music/{{Metallica}} song, OrSoIHeard.
** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y5oGuo6y7E
** Unrelated, but I thought headscratchers ''were'' questions.

[[folder: Same-Sized [=SpongeBob=] Statues]]
* In the episode where the jellyfish are attracted to [=SpongeBob=]'s holes when the wind goes through them and makes music he hides in a cave and decides to make a stone [=SpongeBob=] to talk to. After he realizes that the jellyfish are attracted to the stone [=SpongeBob=], he tries to leave it there so the jellyfish swarm around it and he can leave. But the stone [=SpongeBob=] sounds awful. He decides to make another in a different size, but he's not sure what size would work so he decides he has to make a bunch of them. There's my problem. He makes a bunch of them, but they're all the same size which defeats the purpose of making a bunch.
** He needed to figure out how to carve the rocks so they would produce the same noise he makes. Thus, he makes a bunch of them.
** I know but he says he needs to make a bunch of them with ''different sizes''. But they're all the same size when he makes them.
*** It's more the size of the holes that makes the difference; the wind's pitch changes with the holes' size.

[[folder: How Popular is the Krusty Krab?]]
* What is the Krusty Krab considered? At times it's a popular and respected local place or a restaurant well-known throughout the sea... But at other times it's a poorly received place.
** It really depends on the episode. There were episodes when Squidward was forced to take over for [=SpongeBob=]'s position and we all know Squidward can't cook Krabby Patties. There are also times when [=SpongeBob=] really messes up and then everyone leaves. Or basically, it's a RuleOfFunny. And let's not forget how the restaurant can be dirty at times.
** The show never seems to make up its mind over whether the Krusty Krab has sit-down service or not. Some episodes have [=SpongeBob=] delivering food to the customers, while others have the customers getting their orders from the counter. And on "Squilliam Returns", [=SpongeBob=] somehow can't wrap his head around the idea of a ''waiter serving the customers'', asking if other restaurants do that.
** Whether they hand-deliver it or not could be an issue of how busy the restaurant is, with [=SpongeBob=] giving people their patties if he can spare the time away from the stove. This is consistent: in "Squilliam Returns", he couldn't understand a waiter ''taking people's orders'' (everyone in the Krusty Krab orders at the counter,) it wasn't about delivering the food. The way I see it the Krusty Krab has never been viewed as a "respectable" restaurant--it's a fast-food joint. However, [=SpongeBob=] is such a good cook that Krabby Patties are universally viewed as amazing to everyone but Squidward. This isn't counting how apparently it ''was'' viewed as a classy restaurant when Jim was working there.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Mysterious Black Jack]]
* I don't understand a lot about the Black Jack episode. For those who don't know, the big TwistEnding at the end of the episode is that [=SpongeBob=]'s violent cousin Black Jack is really about as tall as Plankton. Yet while [=SpongeBob=] was tiny (older episodes showed this), he got bigger, while Black Jack must have stayed the same... the EXACT same, personality, dress, voice, etc. And why is it none of [=SpongeBob=]'s relatives tell him how small Black Jack is? Are they really THAT afraid of a guy who [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking littered]] to not see him for as long as [=SpongeBob=] had?
** I think they assumed he knew he was that small. Plus none of them had seen him (his grandma gets a call, and his uncle just calls him a dangerous criminal, the grandma doesn't sound afraid of him though) in a long time because he was in jail. I don't think Black Jack being small made much sense overall, though.
** He probably got smaller during the time he spent in prison. It might not make much sense for him to shrink THAT much, but remember that [=SpongeBob=] was just a kid when he had the flashback about him, and he's over twenty, twenty-three IIRC, so Black Jack probably spent more than 15 years in prison, 19 at most.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: With great power comes great idiocy]]
* Why does Squidward not use his power as "President of the Good Neighbor Lodge" to his advantage in "Good Neighbors"?
[[/folder]]

*** Either that or the past, or possibly the white void.

[[folder:Anger over what YOU said, Squidward?]]
* In "Opposite Day", why does Squidward get all surprised and angry at [=SpongeBob=] for acting, well, opposite when it was HIM who told [=SpongeBob=] it was Opposite Day in the first place?
** He thought [=SpongeBob=] would reverse his annoying behavior, but didn't think through what ''other'' behaviors he'd also reverse.
[[/folder]]

** Maybe all those episodes take place after "Mermaidman And Barnacle Boy IV"
*** But the Chimps and Kenny aren't from the sea, they were just visiting. How and when did they get shrunk?

[[folder: A perfume department on a pirate ship? Really?]]
* Why would a pirate ship, let alone a GHOST pirate ship, even ''have'' a perfume department?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: A security system that turns your house into a giant rampaging robot? Really?]]
* Ok, what idiot thought it was a good idea to make a security system that gives your house robot limbs? And on that note, if it was designed that way intentionally, why isn't it being used by the military instead of as a home security system?
[[/folder]]