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Culture Shock
Original air date: 9/18/1999
Business is slow at the Krusty Krab, so Squidward talks Mr. Krabs into letting him hold a talent show to bring in customers.
"Culture Shock" contains examples of:
- Actually Pretty Funny: When Squidward cracks a joke on stage, it puts Patrick into hysterics.
- Bottle Episode: The whole episode is set at the Krusty Krab.
- Break the Haughty: After spending the whole episode rudely ignoring SpongeBob, belittling the other contestants, and pumping up his act, Squidward is booed off the stage with a hail of vegetables and told by all of Bikini Bottom that he has no talent. And SpongeBob wins over the crowd and brings the house down despite Squidward telling him the whole time he had no talent.
- Brick Joke: The first scene in the episode involves Mr. Krabs setting up a free salad bar in the Krusty Krab to bring in customers. Later in the episode, customers run to the same salad bar to get tomatoes to throw at the dancing Squidward. Mr. Krabs takes notice of this and puts a small label reading "$1.00" on the salad bar. The audience doesn't care, with one member stating "It's worth every penny".
- Characterization Marches On: Krabs actually offers free salad out of desperation to get customers. Once people start using it to pelt Squidward, naturally he starts charging for it.
- Continuity Nod: When Plankton's Smoke Out fails, he says, "Well, this stinks." He says the same thing in his debut episode, after he's trapped in Karen's analyzer.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: In later seasons, Mr. Krabs would never be desperate enough to try a "free" anything in his business.
- Exact Words: Squidward promises to save the best act for last and he did. Unfortunately, it is not Squidward's dancing that is the best act. It was SpongeBob cleaning the stage.
- A Good, Old-Fashioned Paint Watching: A variant. All of the other acts are dead on arrival, but SpongeBob just mopping the stage brings the house down!
- Here We Go Again!: The talent show is a massive success, and Mr. Krabs has plans to hold another one next week.
- Huggy, Huggy Hippos: SpongeBob’s first idea for an act is to blow a bubble hippo with a hat and cane, who then tap dances alongside him.
- Insult Backfire: When an angry Squidward fires back at his booing audience, they prove good at wordplay.Squidward: You bottom feeders! You don't even know talent!
Audience: NO TALENT! NO TALENT! NO TALENT! - It's All About Me: Squidward makes almost no effort to hide that the talent show is more for his own gain than for the Krusty Krab. When it's time for his act, he presents it with a ton of fanfare. Within seconds, he's booed at and pelted with fruits and vegetables. Even after this, when he hears the crowd cheering for SpongeBob, he somehow believes they're cheering for him.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Squidward gets booed and forced off the stage by the audience while they embrace SpongeBob as perfect karma for the abrasive way Squidward treated the latter, shooting down his (admittedly impressive) act ideas.
- Long Song, Short Scene: Squidward's interpretive dance is scored by "In House Jazz"
by Laszlo Bencker. The song's full length is 3:32, yet in the episode, it only plays for roughly 30 seconds. - Mathematician's Answer: Squidward's response to SpongeBob's question on disinfectants.SpongeBob: Squidward. Should I use... Mr. Cleanser, or, Dr. Clean?
Squidward: (walks away) Yes. - Mood Whiplash: Squidward's dance routine instantly changes mood on a dime from graceful to heavy rave.
- Narcissist: Squidward couldn't care less about the other acts, but he presents his own act with such enthusiasm.
- Nepotism: Pearl only got to be in the talent show because she's Mr. Krabs' daughter. On the other hand, Krabs only agreed to host the talent show in the first place because Squidward offered Pearl her own act.Squidward: Our next act is living proof that nepotism is alive and well.
- Only One Finds It Fun: At the start of the show, when Squidward makes a couple of snarky comments, Patrick is the only one who laughs. He then continues to laugh at everything Squidward says until he leaves the stage for Pearl.
- Ow, My Body Part!: After Pearl performs her cheerleading routine, which results in the customers being thrown about, Fred shouts "My leg!"
- Produce Pelting: The audience hits Squidward with produce from the free salad bar, prompting Mr. Krabs to start charging.Customer: It's worth every penny!
- Shout-Out: Squidward calling Gary "Ginsberg" is an allusion to the beat poet Allen Ginsberg.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Squidward sets up a talent show largely for his own gain, presents his own act with a ton of fanfare, and declares it to be the best... but within minutes, the audience is pelting him with tomatoes and booing him off the stage.
- Smoke Out: Plankton attempts it, but fails.Plankton: Well, this stinks. (pathetically leaves the Krusty Krab while being booed at)
- So Proud of You: SpongeBob's parents express how happy they are that their son got a standing ovation.
- Stylistic Suck: Squidward’s show is cheesy, but ultimately hilarious.
- Take Our Word for It: Gary's beat poetry, which somehow brings Sandy to tears despite it being just meowing.
- Tremor Trampoline: When Pearl does her cheerleading routine.
- Water Is Air: SpongeBob's act as "The Amazing Mister Absorbency" has him absorb water... while he is underwater.
- Whole-Plot Reference: To the classic Looney Tunes short Show Biz Bugs, down to the floor-sweeping scenes.
- Wingding Eyes:
- Mr. Krabs has dollar signs in his eyes when a customer leaves a penny on the table.
- Squidward has stars in his eyes when he tells Mr. Krabs about his plans for the talent show.
"I'll bet if he had just one friend, he wouldn't be such a meanie..."
F.U.N.
Original air date: 9/18/1999
SpongeBob believes Plankton to be Not Evil, Just Misunderstood, and teaches him how to have fun. Unfortunately, Plankton really is evil and is trying to con SpongeBob into giving him the Krabby Patty formula.
"F.U.N." contains examples of:
- All of the Other Reindeer: Absolutely everyone hates Plankton in Bikini Bottom, as suggested when they all call him a loser while SpongeBob was trying to console him.Squidward: How does it feel to be the most hated thing in Bikini Bottom, Plankton?! It hurts, does it?! I know!
- Anthropomorphic Typography: Downplayed. During the F.U.N. Song, SpongeBob forms himself into an "N".
- Artistic License: In real life, Plankton's escape attempt in the movie theater would've been successful, as there isn't a wall of solid concrete behind movie screens. Rather, there's a large, open space where the speakers are placed.
- The Bad Guy Wins: SpongeBob believes this to be the case after Plankton flees through a movie theater screen with a Krabby Patty in tow, only for Mr. Krabs to pull back the screen and reveal a wall of concrete that blocked Plankton's escape.
- Battle Strip: Parodied. SpongeBob rips off a layer of himself to reveal the same appearance before he chases Plankton.
- Becoming the Mask: Though he does eventually snap out of it, it becomes apparent to Karen that Plankton is taking too much sincere enjoyment out of his time with Spongebob.
- Befriending the Enemy: "I bet if Plankton had just one friend, he wouldn't be such a meanie."
- Blatant Lies: After SpongeBob pulls out the Krabby Patty Plankton hid in his pockets, Plankton tries to deny what it is, until SpongeBob makes him crack.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Plankton could have won if he just ran straight to the Chum Bucket instead of running around the city to lose SpongeBob. It is across the street from the Krusty Krab after all!
- Celebratory Body Tossing: After foiling Plankton, SpongeBob is made Honorary Town Rookie of the Day and is tossed in the air while wearing a giant donut, as the citizens sing, "For he's a jolly good rookie!" SpongeBob, however, is not in a celebratory mood, as he's feeling sorry for Plankton.
- Characterisation Click Moment: This is the first episode to show a more pitiful side of Plankton rather than just the Smug Snake he was previously. Several key factors of his personality are established here, the Chum Bucket having zero customers, his Friendly Enemy dynamic with Spongebob, and his computer being a sentient nagging housewife. He even seemed willing to give up villainy until Karen talked him back into it.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: SpongeBob inadvertently does this to Plankton when he puts on a disguise from a magic shop, SpongeBob tells him how he once saw a magician who said, "If you believe in yourself, and with a tiny pinch of magic, all your dreams will come true." The sentimentality irritates Plankton so much, he drops his disguise.Plankton: And after all these years, I thought I was the master of torture. But, that?! That just wasn't fair!
- Dark Reprise: Plankton's version of the Fun Song.Plankton: F is for fire that burns down the whole town!
U is for uranium... bombs!
N is for no survivors, WHEN YOU-
SpongeBob: Plankton! Those things aren't what fun is all about! - Disrupting the Theater: When SpongeBob and Plankton are at the movies, Mr. Krabs interrupts the movie to warn SpongeBob that Plankton is only pretending to be his friend in order to obtain the Krabby Patty formula.
- Donut Mess with a Cop: When a police officer names SpongeBob Honorary Town Rookie of the Day, he places him into an inner tube designed like a donut.
- Early Instalment Weirdness: At the start of the episode, SpongeBob is briefly seen cooking on the Krusty Krab's stove while wearing a hairnet. SpongeBob is never seen doing either of those things again, to the point that Season 4's "Wigstruck" makes it a plot point that he has to start wearing a hairnet over the titular wig.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Plankton doesn't even understand what fun is.
- Evil Feels Good: Plankton's quote about stealing the Krabby Patty contributes this trope:Plankton: Being evil is just too much fun!
- Forbidden Friendship: It's very clear that Mr. Krabs does NOT want SpongeBob and Plankton to become friends. Justified as Plankton ultimately uses SpongeBob to get close to the Krabby Patty formula as Mr. Krabs has feared. In one scene it's downplayed as Mr. Krabs genuinely contemplates the idea that Plankton pulled a Heel–Face Turn thanks to SpongeBob.
- Same goes for Karen, who condescends Plankton he must not befriend SpongeBob and only use him to get the Krabby Patty.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: When the Krusty Krab goes into lockdown during Plankton's infiltration, the pot that SpongeBob is cooking with has a little metal door close over it.
- Going Native: Karen accuses Plankton of this after catching him wearing square pants.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Karen. She's the one who egged on Plankton to take advantage of SpongeBob in order to get the Krabby Patty, even though Plankton was sincerely enjoying a day of fun with his new spongy friend.
- Hammerspace: Plankton hides a Krabby Patty ten times his size in his pocket.
- Hard Truth Aesop: A sobering reminder that even if you get on someone's good side, you can't change who they are for better or worse. Only they can.
- Ignored Epiphany: Plankton, for once realized what it meant to be friends with someone and to care, but he couldn’t retain the lesson and carried on with stealing the Krabby Patty instead.
- Impossible Theft: Plankton manages to steal a Krabby Patty and replace it with a cardboard standee without even touching it, and with the camera on it the whole time.
- Indulgent Fantasy Segue: Plankton has one of him using a jellyfish to become the new dictator of Bikini Bottom as he triumphantly declares he's won.
- Instant Flight: Just Add Spinning!: SpongeBob is able to fly by twirling a cop's baton as a rotor.
- Kneel Before Zod: During Plankton's Imagine Spot of using a giant jellyfish to conquer Bikini Bottom.Plankton: All knees will bow to Plankton! Hail Plankton! I win! I win!...
- Mood Whiplash: SpongeBob's song, compared to Plankton's song.
- Morality Pet: SpongeBob tries and fails to become one for Plankton.
- Movie-Theater Episode: This episode's climax has SpongeBob and Plankton go to the movie theater after having spent a friendly day out together the previous day. While in the theater, Mr. Krabs interrupts the movie to tell SpongeBob that Plankton is only pretending to be his friend to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula. When SpongeBob discovers that Mr. Krabs is right, Plankton attempts to escape with a stolen Krabby Patty through the movie projection screen, but his plan is foiled by the solid concrete behind it.
- Not So Great Escape: Plankton attempts to escape by tearing through a movie screen, but doesn't count on the concrete wall behind it.
- Papa Wolf: Mr. Krabs shows shades of this when it comes to his (rightful) suspicions of Plankton.
- Properly Paranoid: Mr. Krabs isn't happy when he sees SpongeBob and Plankton bonding, since he thinks Plankton is only doing it to take advantage of SpongeBob to steal a Krabby Patty. Turns out that is exactly what happened.
- Put on a Bus: This would be the last appearance of Bubble Bass for several seasons.
- A Round of Drinks for the House: After foiling Plankton, Mr. Krabs offers to give SpongeBob a Krabby Patty "on me", but then reconsiders and adds "Well, maybe at a discount."
- Shout-Out: Mr. Krabs' line "And maybe scallops'll fly out of my pants!" is a G-rated version of a similar line from Wayne's World. ("Yeah, right! And maybe monkeys'll fly outta my butt!")
- Sickeningly Sweet: SpongeBob's story about the magician who told him to believe in himself was so sickeningly sweet, it forced Plankton to turn himself in.
- Spelling Song: "The Fun Song". Doubles as a Friendship Song.F is for friends who do stuff together
U is for you and me.
N is for anywhere and anytime at all
Down here in the deep blue sea! - Sympathy for the Devil: What kicks off the story. SpongeBob feels so bad for Plankton that he figures that being friends with him might turn him into a nicer person.
- Talking the Monster to Death: Plankton disguises himself and stands in front of a magic shop when SpongeBob arrives. He doesn't recognize Plankton, but when he sees the magic shop he starts gushing about a magician he saw once, until Plankton has enough and gives up.Plankton: And after all these years, I thought I was the master of torture. But, that?! That just wasn't fair!
- Tearing Through the Movie Screen: Inverted. Plankton runs into the movie screen to escape, tearing the screen apart and stopping the movie right after the female lead tells her lover that nothing could ever tear them apart.
- Un-Paused: Plankton closes the door on SpongeBob in the middle of saying "I'd like to go jelly..." When he returns sometime later, SpongeBob finishes where he left off: "...fishing with my friends at Jellyfish Fields."
- Villainous Glutton: Bubble Bass only abandons his seat (even after being told he’s sitting on someone) when Spongebob throws a few pieces of popcorn away to distract him.
- Visual Pun: In the last verse of "The F.U.N. Song", SpongeBob and Plankton state that "'N' is for nose-picking, sharing gum and sand-licking," with the first of these phrases being accompanied by the duo shopping for prosthetic noses.
- Wham Shot: At first, it appears that Mr. Krabs' suspicions about Plankton going straight were unfounded... until a cardboard cutout of the Krabby Patty he was trying to trap Plankton with falls over.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Fun"?: Plankton starts scheming to use the jellyfish's stingers to wreak havoc on Bikini Bottom and become their new dictator so that he can finally win. SpongeBob then says jellyfishing isn't about winning, it's about having fun. Plankton asks what "fun" means. Cue the F.U.N. song.
