History Recap / SpongebobSquarepantsS1E18TexasWalkingSmall

* AnAesop:
** It's okay to miss home, but everything will be okay [[TrueCompanions as long as you have friends that are there for you]].
** Don't make fun of other people's heritages and backgrounds. If you do, don't be shocked if they violently attack you.

* AnAesop:
** It's good to be assertive to get what you want, but don't become an aggressor in the process.
** If someone is begging you to follow their orders, think twice before doing it. It might lead you into a trap.

* ShooOutTheClowns: Slightly downplayed during Sandy's sad song. There’s a small instance of levity, where Patrick is briefly attacked by the musical notes, but he, along with everyone else, begins to cry. Immediately after the song ends, Patrick asks [=SpongeBob=] if Sandy knows the "Muffin Man" song.

* ShooOutTheClowns: Slightly downplayed during Sandy's sad song. There’s a small instance of levity, where Patrick is briefly attacked by the musical notes, but he, along with everyone else begins to cry. Immediately after the song ends, Patrick asks [=SpongeBob=] if Sandy knows the muffin man song.

* DisproportionateRetribution: You insulted Texas? ''Prepare to be hog-tied and blown up!!'' It should be noted that Spongebob and Patrick have been insulting Texas deliberately to Sandy's face and really went at it when they noticed it made her mad.

* ShoutOut: Plankton's "Butterfly kisses!" line is a reference to the Bob Carlisle song of the same name.

* CryLaughing: Sandy does this when she sees the surprise [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick made for her.

* SandInMyEyes: [=SpongeBob=] asks Sandy what is she crying about, and she bluntly claims she sprung a leak, but [=SpongeBob=] knew she wasn't.

* WithAFootOnTheBus: Sandy quite literally has one foot on the bus just as [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick catch up to her and try to get her to stay, but to no avail. Of course, as soon as Patrick mentions "dumb ol' Texas," the bus ''reverses'' immediately and Sandy angrily steps off to tell him not to ''dare'' take the name of Texas in vain! [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick decide to egg her on in order to lure her down to the Krusty Krab for her surprise party, where she realizes that Bikini Bottom was her home and decides to stay.

* ShoutOut:
** Plankton's "Butterfly kisses!" line appears to be a reference to the Bob Carlisle song of the same name.

** [=SpongeBob=]'s joke about airline food ending with, "what is up with that stuff?", is reminiscent of a Creator/JerrySeinfeld routine.

* AndThatsTerrible: "You used me... for '''land development!''' ''That wasn't nice!''"

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Plankton berates [=SpongeBob=] for not being enough of a stand-up guy. [=SpongeBob=] [[LiteralMinded responds by telling a terrible joke about airline food.]]

** And ironically enough [=SpongeBob=] ''is'' pretty much "stepped over" in the ending: one fish uses him as a surfboard, and then pretty much the entire beach turns him into a volleyball. Granted, [=SpongeBob=] is just making up for the damage he caused, but it still confirms that Plankton ''had'' a point.

* LoopholeAbuse: Plankton tells [=SpongeBob=] NiceGuysFinishLast and only aggressive people come out on top; then [=SpongeBob=] has an ephinany and suggests, "What about aggressively ''nice'' people?" and proceeds to undo all the damage he caused.

-->'''Plankton:''' Haven’t you figured it out, [=SpongeBob=]? Nice guys finish last. Only aggressive people conquer the world! ''(laughs evilly)''
-->'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' [[PlayingWithATrope Well, what about]] [[TakeAThirdOption aggressively nice people?]]

-->'''Plankton:''' You've got to be aggressive to get the things you want. You're too soft.\\
'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' But I'm a spon...\\

* ShoutOut: Plankton's "Butterfly kisses!" line appears to be a reference to the Bob Carlisle song of the same name.

'''Original air date''': 3/22/2000 ''(produced in 1999)''

!!Texas shows examples of:

* SongParody: [=SpongeBob=] does a... less-than-AffectionateParody of "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" when egging Sandy on.
-->''"The stars at night are dull and dim / Whenever they have to be over dumb ol' stupid Texas!"''

* TranquilFury: Sandy responds to Patrick insulting Texas with a calm, menacing "What did you say?".

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/walking_small_004.jpg]]

'''Original air date''': 3/22/2000 ''(produced in 1999)''

The episode starts with Plankton arriving at Goo Lagoon in his bulldozer to tell everyone to leave as he plans to make it the future site of the "Chum Bucket Mega Bucket”. Seeing how he’s so small, his efforts are in waste and he needs someone a lot bigger to scare everyone away. Fortunately [=SpongeBob=] nearly steps on him and Plankton hatches his plan. He’ll make [=SpongeBob=] more “assertive” and force everyone to leave. When [=SpongeBob=] loses his chance to get ice cream, he finds Plankton weeping loudly on a bench. Plankton can’t eat two ice creams and [=SpongeBob=] offers to eat the spare. When [=SpongeBob=] is done enjoying his dessert Plankton tells him he can get anything if he’s more “assertive”. His first example is on the guy who stole his ice cream, but [=SpongeBob=] is too nice to get it back. Plankton, in [=SpongeBob=]’s mouth, threatens the eel who runs off crying. [=SpongeBob=]’s next example is Scooter, but [=SpongeBob=]'s attempts only make things better for him. Plankton gives up before [=SpongeBob=] shows he can be assertive. [=SpongeBob=] proceeds to show how assertive he is by acting like a huge jerk, all according to Plankton’s plan. When [=SpongeBob=] scares everyone off Plankton shows his true colors, much to [=SpongeBob=]’s dismay, and tells him “nice guys finish last” and “only aggressive people conquer the world!” But not aggressively nice people, as [=SpongeBob=]‘s generosity brings everyone back. The episode ends with [=SpongeBob=] playing volleyball with the other beachgoers... except he gets to be the volleyball.

!!Walking Small shows examples of:

** You should be assertive without acting like a jerk to others.

* LiteralMinden: How the Bikini Bottomites interpret various Texas customs like square dancing (dancing with a square), barbeque (a Q-shaped thorn branch), and ten-gallon hats (wearing ten-gallon bottles as hats).

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* AnAesop: You should be assertive without acting like a jerk to others.

* BerserkButton: "Don't you ''dare'' take the name of Texas in vain!"

* BullyingADragon: [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick do so to Sandy to get her to come to the Krusty Krab.

-->'''Plankton:''' Tell him off, [=SpongeBob=]! Be assertive!\\
'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Hey, that's my ice cream!\\

The episode starts with Plankton arriving at Goo Lagoon in his bulldozer to tell everyone to leave as he plans to make it the future site of the "Chum Bucket Mega Bucket”. Seeing how he’s so small, his efforts are in waste and he needs someone a lot bigger to scare everyone away. Fortunately [=SpongeBob=] nearly steps on him and Plankton hatches his plan. He’ll make [=SpongeBob=] more “assertive” and force everyone to leave. When [=SpongeBob=] loses his chance to get ice cream, he finds Plankton weeping loudly on a bench. Plankton can’t eat two ice creams and [=SpongeBob=] offers to eat the spare. When [=SpongeBob=] is done enjoying his dessert Plankton tells him he can get anything if he’s more “assertive”. His first example is on the guy who stole his ice cream, but [=SpongeBob=] is too nice to get it back. Plankton, in [=SpongeBob=]’s mouth, threatens the eel who runs off crying. [=SpongeBob=]’s next example is Scooter, but [=SpongeBob=]'s attempts only make things better for him. Plankton gives up before [=SpongeBob=] shows he can be assertive. [=SpongeBob=] proceeds to show how assertive he is by acting like a huge jerk, all according to Plankton’s plan. When [=SpongeBob=] scares everyone off Plankton shows his true colors, much to [=SpongeBob=]’s dismay, and tells him “nice guys finish last” and “only aggressive people conquer the world!” But not aggressively nice people, as [=SpongeBob=]‘s generosity brings everyone back. The episode ends with [=SpongeBob=] playing volleyball with the other beachgoers, as the ball.

* BeTheBall: [=SpongeBob=] makes himself, or is possibly molded into, a volleyball to replace the one he destroyed during his rampage.

** And ironically enough [=SpongeBob=] ''is'' pretty much "stepped over" in the ending: one fish uses him as a surfboard, and then pretty much the entire beach turns him into a volleyball. Granted, the fact this is [=SpongeBob=] just making up for the damage he caused slightly alleviates the overall softness, but it still confirms that Plankton ''had'' a point.

The one with dumb ol' Texas.

The one where [=SpongeBob's=] aggressively nice.

* UnstoppableRage: [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick's insults toward Texas piss Sandy off so much that she chases them across Bikini Bottom with intent to kill.

* LoopholeAbuse: Plankton tells [=SpongeBob=] NiceGuysFinishPeople and only aggressive people come out on top; then [=SpongeBob=] has an ephinany and suggests, "What about aggressively ''nice'' people?" and proceeds to undo all the damage he caused.

** Don't make fun of other people's heritages and backgrounds.