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Encyclopedia SpongeBobia

"Scaredy Pants" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 1. In this episode, SpongeBob becomes a ghost for Halloween.

Characters[]

Synopsis[]

Scaredy Pants 117

The Krusty Krab Halloween party.

On the evening of Halloween in Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob is cleaning the dishes at the Krusty Krab at the end of the workday. He becomes frightened by the door suddenly closing and a message reading "BOO" written on order slips.

After he finishes, he begins to run away, but Mr. Krabs stops him and asks him if he wants to hear his "annual scary story," and he then does. Mr. Krabs sets up a campfire and he tells the story of "The Flying Dutchman," a ghost who steals souls on Halloween. Squidward, dressed up like the Flying Dutchman, appears behind SpongeBob, saying that he will steal his soul, terrifying him. SpongeBob, who has a reputation for being easily scared, is then nicknamed "SpongeBob ScaredyPants," rushes home, and is scared by everything he sees on the way.

After being accidentally scared by Patrick wearing Groucho Marx glasses, he asks him for help. They make a "Flying Dutchman" costume, but it fails to scare anyone. SpongeBob realizes that a "real" ghost has a round head and that he has a square one. Patrick shaves SpongeBob's head, making it round. Believing themselves to be scary, SpongeBob and Patrick go around town attempting to scare people, and believe themselves to be successful in doing so, although their "victims" are simply confused by their antics.

They then go to the roof of the Krusty Krab, where a Halloween party is taking place. They turn off all the lights in the building and Patrick lowers SpongeBob in with a rope while providing the voice of the "Dutchman," which initially terrifies everyone. However, when a jellyfish stings Patrick, whom the rope is tied to, he starts running around in pain, causing SpongeBob to fly around uncontrollably, exposing his true identity.

Everybody starts laughing at SpongeBob, but suddenly, the real Flying Dutchman appears. He explains to them how offended he is by people dressing up as him for Halloween, and that SpongeBob's costume is the worst of all and the final straw. Before he is about to steal the souls of everyone present, the Flying Dutchman first takes off SpongeBob's costume, but is horrified by his appearance underneath it and flees in terror.

Scaredy Pants 176

SpongeBob's brain.

It turns out that SpongeBob’s brain is completely exposed as a result of Patrick's shaving. Subsequently, everyone runs away from the Krusty Krab screaming, leaving SpongeBob satisfied to finally have succeeded in scaring people. Patrick comments on SpongeBob's "pink hat," and SpongeBob explains that it is not a hat, but rather his brain, causing Patrick to also scream and run away. Before the episode ends, SpongeBob reassures Patrick that his skin will grow back.

Production[]

Cels[]

Sketches[]

Paintings[]

Character design[]

Storyboards[]

Drawn by Mark O'Hare

Music[]

 ) Production music
 ) Original music
 ) SpongeBob music

  S.Pants m.theme - Norman Cabrera, Kevin Hair, Garrett Immel [Title card]
  (slow intro) - Norman Cabrera, Kevin Hair, Garrett Immel [Opening]
  Ghost Child (a) - Dave Hewson [SpongeBob nervously doing dishes]
  Dramatic Impact (6) - Ivor Slaney ["BOO" written on order slips]
  The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band [SpongeBob is about to leave]
  Tales From The Swamp (A) - Ron Goodwin [Krabs starts telling the scary story/Krabs continues telling the scary story]
  Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox [SpongeBob screams]
  The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band ["Nothing like a good ghost story, eh, me boy?"]
  Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox [SpongeBob screams again]
  (slow intro) - Norman Cabrera, Kevin Hair, Garrett Immel [Little kid scares SpongeBob]
  The Nightmare Begins (A) - John Devereaux [Mrs. Puff scares SpongeBob]
  Gator - Steve Belfer [SpongeBob at home]
  Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox [SpongeBob screams again/"Hi, SpongeBob."]
  Nostalgic Hawaii - George de Fretes, Jan Rap [SpongeBob dressed as a ghost]
  Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox ["Rar! Rar!"]
  Hawaiian Link (B) - Richard Myhill ["I don't get it, Patrick."]
  Moloka'i Nui A - Kapono Beamer [SpongeBob realizes he needs a round head]
  The Twin Sisters - Chelmsford Folk Band [Patrick shaving SpongeBob's head]
  Bach's Toccata - Johann Sebastian Bach, Peter Lea-Cox ["Let's go scare somebody."]
  Hilo March - The Hawaiian Serenaders ["Ooh... I'm the Flying Dutchman!"]
  Doctor Phibes - Roger Wootton ["The Flying Dutchman is gonna show up uninvited."]
  Hilo March - The Hawaiian Serenaders [kids walk by]
  Spooky surf party - Norman Cabrera, Kevin Hair, Garrett Immel [The party]
  Horror Link (a) - Len Rawle [SpongeBob lowered from ceiling]
  12th St Rag - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick runs around screaming]
  Malleus Mallificarum (A) - Dave Hewson [Flying Dutchman appears]
  In the Crypt - Dave Hewson ["I'm going to steal your soul."]
  Timpani Roll [#48.2] - Sammy Burdson [Dutchman cuts SpongeBob down]
  Pepito from Tampico A - Ronald Sekura, Otto Sieben [Dutchman tells SpongeBob he is not scary]
  Dangerous B - Mladen Franko [Dutchman is about to steal everyone's souls]
  Seaweed 3 - Steve Belfer [ending]
  SpongeBob ScaredyPants - Norman Cabrera, Kevin Hair, Garrett Immel [closing credits]

Release[]

Reception[]

  • "Scaredy Pants" was ranked #19 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.

Trivia[]

General[]

Scaredy Pants 172

SpongeBob's brain shadow, looking identical to Squidward's face.

  • SpongeBob's brain reveal casts a shadow that looks nearly identical to Squidward's face shape.
  • Patrick's scream when he realizes that SpongeBob's pink hat is actually his brain is later reused in "Survival of the Idiots," "I Had an Accident," and "To Save a Squirrel."
  • The main characters' Halloween costumes:
    • Sandy is a pet goldfish in a bowl.
    • Squidward is the Flying Dutchman.
    • Pearl is the Bride of Frankenstein.
    • Patrick is Groucho Marx.
    • Mrs. Puff is a witch.
    • SpongeBob is the Ghost of the Flying Dutchman.
  • Brian Doyle-Murray plays the Flying Dutchman in this episode, and all subsequent episodes featuring the character. Coincidentally, he was also born on Halloween (October 31).
  • Plankton and Karen Plankton are the only main characters who do not to appear in this episode.
  • The episode "The Camping Episode" has similarities to this; the episode taking place at night, and the main antagonist of the episode appears near the end/in the final minutes of it.
    • The Flying Dutchman's introduction in the series in this episode also acts similar to the sea bear's from that episode.
  • This episode marks the first for several things:
    • The first physical appearance of the Flying Dutchman. He previously appeared in a magazine in "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost."
    • The first Halloween special of the series, and the first holiday-themed episode of any kind in the series.
    • The first episode to take place entirely at night.
    • The first time Mrs. Puff appears without her boating school.
    • The first time Patrick shaves SpongeBob. The second time he does so is in "The Good Krabby Name."
      • This is also the only time SpongeBob is completely shaved, exposing the brain.
    • The first time a Halloween version of the theme song is used.
    • The first episode to have an alternate closing credits music instead of the usual "Closing Theme."
  • This is the third episode in which Pearl cries. The first was "Squeaky Boots" and the second was "The Chaperone."
    • This is also the last season 1 episode where she cries.
  • This is the only episode in which the Flying Dutchman's pigtails are not straight.
  • This was Peter Burns' last episode as a writer and story editor. His spot was taken by Merriwether Williams.[4]
  • This episode was paired up with different episodes in different marathons:
Nickelodeon-_“Scardy_Pants”_Ending_Error_(10_19_20)

Nickelodeon- “Scardy Pants” Ending Error (10 19 20)

The October 19, 2020 airing on Nickelodeon USA where the line is missing.

  • As of October 2020 onward, SpongeBob's line "Don't worry, it grows back!" at the end of this episode, was cut in Nickelodeon USA TV airings due to the line being said at an inappropriate timing (causing the screen to go black when the line is said). However, the line is left intact on all digital and streaming releases on Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and iTunes, all international non-US airings, the Halloween VHS tape release, DVD releases, and Nicktoons USA airings.
  • The costumes the characters wear in this episode reappear in Nickverse.
    • Sandy's goldfish costume and SpongeBob's ghost costume also appear, as the ghost costume was used for the game icon for Halloween.


Cultural references[]

  • This episode's title is a wordplay on the phrase "scaredy cat."
  • Patrick wears a set of Groucho Marx glasses for much of the episode.
  • The Flying Dutchman is named after the legendary ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman, and seems to resemble the famous pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach) or the mythological character Davey Jones. However, according to the legend of the Flying Dutchman, the ship's captain was a man by the name of Willem van Der Decken.
    • Seemingly in order to suit the part of the "Dutchman," Patrick chops down a Christmas tree in order to form a pair of sabots, a traditional Dutch style of clogs.
  • The thunder sound used when the Flying Dutchman appears at the Krusty Krab is the classic castle thunder that was first used in the 1931 film Frankenstein. Ever since then, the sound effect was used in various media from the 1930s to the 1980s. By the time this episode was produced and premiered, however, it was already falling into disuse due to the stark contrast of the sound effect alongside audio recorded using superior equipment.[citation needed] It is also well-known for being sped up to create The Powerpuff Girls (original 1998 TV series) flying sound.

Errors[]

Scaredy Pants 031

Squidward back into his normal clothes.

  • Squidward is wearing his costume when he first appears in this episode, but three shots later, he is in his more usual clothes.
  • SpongeBob tell Gary how easily frightened he is every Halloween while caving a second eye hole in his giant jack-o-lantern. The second eye hole disappears when SpongeBob tells Gary, "Well, I'm sick of it."
SP eyelids

Patrick with pink eyelids instead of purple.

  • When Patrick is trying to figure out the difference between SpongeBob's ghost costume and his own ghost cut-out, Patrick's eyelids are briefly colored pink instead of purple.
  • Before Patrick starts shaving SpongeBob's head, the latter's chin is black instead of red.
  • In the scene at the Krusty Krab, when the camera points to Mr. Krabs bobbing for apples, the water in the tub briefly flashes.
    • Also, in the next scene where Mr. Krabs is choking, the tub is colored differently and empty.
  • The shark with a pumpkin mask and green costume has a blue dorsal fin, but when SpongeBob comes through the hatch on the roof of the Krusty Krab and he runs away, his fin is green. In all subsequent shots of him, his fin is blue.
  • In the close-up of SpongeBob after he is lowered from the ceiling, the rope suspending him above the floor is not visible behind him.
Patrick Before Having Felt The Sting

No rope.

  • After Patrick gets stung by the jellyfish, he doesn’t have the rope attached to his waist, but when he gets up, the rope is still attached.
  • When SpongeBob is hanging from the ceiling, he is wearing the sabots that Patrick has made for him, but when he walks out of the Krusty Krab, he is wearing his normal shoes.
Masked Pumpkin Mouth Error in Scaredy Pants

The pumpkin masked fish's missing mouth.

  • Right before the Flying Dutchman says, "Quiet!" and breathes fire, the pumpkin masked fish's mouth is oddly missing.
  • Patrick never shaved off SpongeBob's nose, but it is not shown making an extrusion in the sheet.
  • After the Flying Dutchman removes SpongeBob's costumes, SpongeBob goes back to having his normal shoes instead of the ones Patrick gave him.
  • When everyone runs out of the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs cannot be seen.


Videos[]

Names in other languages[]

Language Name Meaning
Russian Трусливые штаны
Truslivyye shtany
Cowardly Pants
Spanish (American) Noche de brujas Halloween
Spanish (European) Esponja miedica Fearful Sponge

References[]

Wikipedia logo This page uses content from Wikipedia (originalauthors). Both Encyclopedia SpongeBobia and Wikipedia are licensed under the CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported license.


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