The bizarre world of SpongeBob SquarePants

Here's how an 8-year-old describes his favorite cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants.

"There's this guy, SpongeBob. He's a sponge. He lives in a pineapple. There's this other guy Patrick. He's a star fish. He's pink, and he's SpongeBob's best friend. SpongeBob works at the Krusty Krab. He's a fry cook and his boss is Mr. Krab. He's a crab . . . It's a really cool show."

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Here's how Dave Boede, who was introduced to SpongeBob by his 10-year-old daughter, describes the top-rated kids program on television: "The best part is that we both find humor in it. They are very light-hearted, funny situations, and I don't have to worry about hitting the mute button."

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Here's how the show's creator, Stephen Hillenburg, describes the oddness that accompanies the SpongeBob phenomenon:

"When you set out to do a show about a sponge, you can't anticipate this kind of craze. We just try to make ourselves laugh, then ask ourselves if it's appropriate for children."

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Here's how Tawny Wray, a 20-year-old Weber State University student describes the Nickelodeon show: "I don't have kids, I don't want them and I never watch cartoons. But I love SpongeBob and so do my friends."

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Here's how Nickelodeon cable television boss Herb Scannell talks about the main character: "It could be a kinder, gentler world if SpongeBob became a global icon."

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And here's how a Wall Street Journal reporter describes the show in an October front-page article:

"SpongeBob," writes Sally Beatty, "is also the biggest children's phenomenon to capture the imagination of gay men since the purple Teletubby named Tinky Winky started carrying a purse."

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Welcome to the bizarre and beautiful world of SpongeBob SquarePants — a crossover hit that belies all expectations about children's television programming.

Throughout Utah and the rest of the country, kids, college students and corporate executives all tune into watch the SpongeBob opening chant, "Absorbent and yellow and porous is he!"

"How can you ever know how successful something is going to be?" asks Nicole Mazer, director of animation publicity for Nickelodeon in an interview with the Deseret News this week.

The program gives new meaning to the phrase "cross-over hit."