"To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 6. In this episode, after his pants get shrunk in the dryer, SpongeBob buys a new pair of pants that make him unrecognizable.
Characters[]
- French Narrator
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- SpongeBob RoundPants (debut)
- Man on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
- People in the rain
- Pig
- Screaming woman
- Gary the Snail
- Patrick Star
- Margaret SquarePants (mentioned)
- Sandy Cheeks
- King Neptune (mentioned)
- Squidward Tentacles
- Eugene H. Krabs
- Incidentals
Synopsis[]
The episode starts with the narrator talking about a horrible tragedy, while showing an over-water hurricane, followed by footage of the 1940 collapse of Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Galloping Gertie), with a man running from the bridge before its collapse, and a woman screaming in terror. After that, the scene cuts to a rainy day at SpongeBob's pineapple, where inside, SpongeBob is looking at the calendar. The narrator says that the tragedy happened three days before, as the calendar flips back to January 7.
It was laundry day, and SpongeBob is seen doing chores, including laundry, with his pants and Gary's shell. Patrick then calls SpongeBob to show that he can make funny sounds with his tongue for a very long time; SpongeBob asks Patrick if it can wait, but Patrick refuses, so he continues on, making SpongeBob bored by sitting on the chair for so long.
Meanwhile, Gary gets his shell out of the laundry. By the time SpongeBob gets to the laundry machine, his pants had shrunk. He goes to the store to buy new ones, but Patty Rechid declares that there will not be any square pants for months. He then looks through the pants and tries many pairs, but is not interested. He then finds a pair of round pants with the same design as his normal pants.
While walking with his round pants, SpongeBob bumps into Patrick, but Patrick does not recognize him because he was wearing round pants and the real SpongeBob wears square ones. He bumps into Sandy, who pretends that she does not know SpongeBob, saying that they must call him SpongeBob FancyPants. Then, SpongeBob passes Squidward's house, and Squidward pretends not to recognize SpongeBob in order to get him to leave him alone. SpongeBob then heads home, but Patrick forbids him from entering because the house belongs to SpongeBob SquarePants before he "left". Being gullible, SpongeBob really thinks that Patrick, Sandy, and Squidward do not know him, so he starts making himself over, naming himself, SpongeBob RoundPants.
SpongeBob gets a job at the Krusty Krab with his new look and looks to Squidward for pointers. Squidward teaches SpongeBob about his bad routine as a Krusty Krab employee, including not throwing the trash in the dumpster, being rude to the customers, nasally laughing like Squidward, burning Krabby Patties, taking too long in the bathroom, and even sleeping on the job. Mr. Krabs realizes what is going on, and he does not joke around when he sees SpongeBob, immediately recognizing him despite his round pants. SpongeBob then tells Mr. Krabs that he cannot be SpongeBob SquarePants again, as he has round pants. Mr. Krabs asks him who told him this and SpongeBob states it was Patrick, who stops eating a Krabby Patty when he realizes his error of not recognizing SpongeBob in the first place. Mr. Krabs then suggests that he just remove them if that is the case. Then, SpongeBob takes off the round pants leaving his underwear, while Sandy calls him "SpongeBob UnderPants," and the episode ends with the former looking at his underwear and screaming with embarrassment.
Production[]
This episode was added to the US Copyright Office, along with its sister, "Dear Vikings," "Ditchin'"[2] "Grandpappy the Pirate," and "Cephalopod Lodge"[3] on November 13, 2008.[4]
Art[]
Model sheets[]
Music[]
( ‣ ) Production music |
( • ) Original music |
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
‣ Hawaiian Train - Victor Cavini [title card]
‣ Hawaiian Flower - Jon Jelmer [opening]
‣ Twilight Zone - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [stock footage of storm]
‣ Marching to Honolulu - Kapono Beamer [Calendar goes back three days/laundry day]
• Goofy Conversation Continued Thin Mix - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Phone call from Patrick/Much much later...]
• Steel Licks 47 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Yeah, Patrick."]
‣ Dramatic Impact (3) - Ivor Slaney [all of SpongeBob's pants shrunk]
• Steel Licks 41 - Jeremy Wakefield ["I'm gonna need to get new pants."]
‣ Ballet Shoes [#60.03] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [mall exterior]
• Steel Licks 18 - Jeremy Wakefield [they're out of square pants]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob puts on long pants]
• Hunting Pants 2 - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob puts on another pair of pants]
• Sitar Gliss w/ Wind Chime - Nicolas Carr [Hippy pants]
• Wig Struck - Nicolas Carr [rock guitar sting]
• Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob notices round pants]
• Parting of the Clouds Sting - Nicolas Carr [round pants]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob tries them on]
• Skipping to School - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick does not recognize SpongeBob]
• Hello Blues - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Patrick's so full of tartar sauce."]
• Hillbilly Banjo - Nicolas Carr [banjo music]
• Hello Blues - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["But I know my best buddy Squidward will recognize me."]
• Comedic Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Steve Marston [Squidward ignoring SpongeBob]
• Thats It ! - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob gets an idea]
• Comedic Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Steve Marston [SpongeBob shows pictures to Squidward]
• Steel Licks 78 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob walks away]
• Gator - Steve Belfer ["Hello, can I help you?"]
‣ Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill ["I guess I'm not SpongeBob SquarePants anymore."]
‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band ["Hello, sir, I'd like an application please."]
‣ Captain Lenoe's - The Folk Players [Squidward punches himself]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Here are the applications."]
• Happy Sack Shanty - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob filling out the application]
• Krusty Krab Jig - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Squidward showing SpongeBob the ropes]
• Slide Whistle Stooges 2 No Whistle - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob copying everything Squidward does]
• Drunken Sailor Solo Concertina - Nicolas Carr ["What are you two doing?"]
• Goofy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["I mean, do these pants look square to you?"]
• Steel Licks 22 - Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick sitting at a table]
• Hawaiian Misadventures B - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [ending]
Release[]
- This episode is available on the SpongeBob's To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants, Season 6 Volume 1, Kids Double Pack: Volume 4, Kids Double Pack: Volume 7, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 10, Complete Sixth Season, Spužva Bob Skockani DVD 1, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, 3 DVD Value Pack, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, The Best 300 Episodes Ever, Next 100 Episodes, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, and The Fifth & Sixth Seasons DVDs.
Reception[]
- "To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants" was ranked #54 during the SpongeBob's Top 100 event in the UK and Ireland from June 4-8, 2012.
Trivia[]
General[]
- This episode was the first to premiere in The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash.
- This episode's airdate of July 17 was chosen due to it coinciding with tenth anniversary of the series. Although the series technically premiered on May 1, 1999 with the first episodes ("Help Wanted," "Reef Blower," and Tea at the Treedome"), July 17, 1999 is considered as the official premiere, with "Bubblestand" and "Ripped Pants," the second episodes of the series.
- During the original American airing, it was paired with a rerun of "Help Wanted," but since it has been re-airing with "Squid's Visit."[5]
- This episode's title is sometimes shortened by a word:
- On the SpongeBob's To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants DVD-credits, this episode is listed as "To SquarePants or Not to."
- In Southeast Asia (including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao), Turkey, Poland, and all of Central and Eastern Europe, the title card only reads "To SquarePants or Not to" because the original title is considered too long. This also happens on the Netflix version and on older Amazon Prime Video prints before being changed back to the original title card.
- On Netflix, this episode is listed as "To Squarepants or Not to Square Pants" due to a naming error.
- During the live-action intro in this episode, footage of the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse is used.
- This footage is royalty-free and owned by Petrified Films. It can be found on Getty Images.[6]
- This footage was also used in "Two Thumbs Down" as part of the segment when SpongeBob breaks his thumbs.
- Gary has buttocks under his shell in this episode and in "Welcome to the Bikini Bottom Triangle," but in "Shell Shocked," he only has organs and a slug body.
- The round pants SpongeBob wears in this episode are quite similar in appearance to his pants in "The Sponge Who Could Fly" after being inflated, though they are much smaller and not inflated.
- SpongeBob saying what goes on a squirrel's head is similar to "Squirrel Jokes."
- The picture shown by SpongeBob when he forgets where the last picture took place actually took place in "Choir Boys" when Squidward is singing in the shower at the very beginning of the episode. However, SpongeBob is not seen in front of the shower in "Choir Boys."
- When SpongeBob takes out the first pair of pants when he is in the store, and when Mr. Krabs walks out of his office, the man in the front of the order line has the same pants as the first pair SpongeBob took out in the store.
- This is the first episode in which Squidward is seen reading the House Fancy magazine.
- Sandy calls SpongeBob "SpongeBob FancyPants" just like Patrick in "Tea at the Treedome."
- This is the second appearance of SpongeBob's laundry room. The first is in "Dumped." Although, it looks different in this episode.
- There are two books based on this episode, titled SpongeBob RoundPants and Mr. FancyPants!, respectively.
- There is also an online game based on this episode called RoundPants Runaround.
- The time card "Much, Much Later" is similar to the title card of "The Algae's Always Greener."
Cultural references[]
- The title is a play on the quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet "To Be or Not to Be?"
- The SpongeBob that is drew on Patrick's hand resembles DoodleBob from "Frankendoodle".
Errors[]
- When SpongeBob walks away from the dryer, his eyes are yellow for a frame.
- When SpongeBob says, "I am so excited," the black ring part of his Krusty Krab employee hat turns blue.
- When Mr. Krabs says, "I'm used to Squidward sleeping on the job, but I expect more from you, Mr. SquarePants," there is a white spacing between his eyes for a frame.
- When SpongeBob is talking to Mr. Krabs and says, "They're round," his eyes turn green for a split-second.
SpongeBob wears his pants on January 10, but the employee at the mall told him that he can't get new ones for months. |
- On January 7 (the day the episode takes place), SpongeBob shrinks his pants, and at the mall, the employee tells him that he cannot get new ones for months, but at the beginning of the episode, on January 10 (three days after at the time of the narration), SpongeBob can be seen wearing his normal pants again.
Video[]
Names in other languages[]
Language | Name | Meaning |
---|---|---|
Spanish (American) | Nuevos pantalones | New Pants |
Spanish (European) | Ser o no ser Pantalones Cuadrados | To Be or Not SquarePants |
References[]
- ^ https://www.female.com.au/the-ultimate-spongebob-spongebash-.htm
- ^ https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=17&ti=1,17&SEQ=20240117091727&SL=B&DATE=&DTBL=E&DATE2=&TYPE=gm%7C10&PID=BI5LYAJyR9xlXvC5X2JdesXdn_2u&SID=2
- ^ https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=18&ti=1,18&SEQ=20240117091728&SL=B&DATE=&DTBL=E&DATE2=&TYPE=gm%7C10&PID=CwJ2JwgI61cNMjQtMHsedJMezWHp&SID=2
- ^ https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=19&ti=1,19&SEQ=20240117090939&SL=B&DATE=&DTBL=E&DATE2=&TYPE=gm%7C10&PID=Rq4N3R9iOQBRg2sllu07o-FO6hvj&SID=2
- ^ Nickstory Archives July 17, 2009>
- ^ GettyImages - Petrified Films