SpongeBob SquarePants is surrounded by all types of theories, and one of the biggest ones has now been confirmed, but with an added twist that makes it a lot more sinister.
Nickelodeon is home to many beloved and successful animated series, and by far, its biggest one is SpongeBob SquarePants. Created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants premiered in 1999 and has been unstoppable ever since, spawning a franchise covering spinoff shows, movies, books, and more. In addition to that, SpongeBob and his closest friends have now become a major part of pop culture.
Of course, being a cartoon aimed at children, there’s no logic in SpongeBob SquarePants nor proper continuity, but that hasn’t stopped viewers from coming up with all types of theories about it. SpongeBob SquarePants is set in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, where the title character lives and works, alongside his best friends Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks, his neighbor Squidward, his boss Mr. Krabs, and his beloved pet, Gary the Snail. Bikini Bottom is like any typical city but underwater, but it now has a confirmed origin thanks to one of the show’s most popular theories but with an extra sinister twist: it turns out that SpongeBob and his the rest of Bikini Bottom do live in a nuclear test site.
Bikini Bottom is as inconsistent as the show itself and that’s ok – after all, continuity has never been a priority for the team behind SpongeBob SquarePants. Still, this and more hasn’t been an impediment for viewers to come up with all types of theories about this one-of-a-kind city. The most popular theory about not only Bikini Bottom but the show in general is one that says Bikini Bottom was a nuclear test site. The theory comes from Reddit, and the author got inspiration from real-life history.
"Bikini Atoll was used for nuclear testing from 1946 to 1958, so according to the theory, this is why Bikini Bottom is now home to sea creatures who talk."
The author explains that Bikini Bottom is named like that because it’s located under Bikini Atoll, a coral reef in the Marshall Islands consisting of 23 islands. Bikini Atoll was used for nuclear testing from 1946 to 1958, so according to the theory, this is why Bikini Bottom is now home to sea creatures who talk, go to work, drive, play instruments, and do pretty much everything humans do, with some added cartoonish extras. Another Redditor adds that chipmunks were among the animals on board Navy vessels during the nuclear tests, which explains Sandy’s character.
The theory has some truth as Bikini Bottom was confirmed to be located beneath Bikini Atoll and one of the bombs was detonated underwater. The explosion was photographed, and every time there’s a big explosion on the show, the shape of the explosion is replicated. The theory has now been confirmed by cast member and writer Mr. Lawrence in an interview with Esquire, who said that was part of the fun of the show and how far they were taking the concept of Bikini Bottom being a nuclear test site – but this came with a twist that clashes with the rest of the franchise.
Mr. Lawrence not only confirmed that Bikini Bottom was a nuclear test site and that’s why SpongeBob and every other sea creature can talk and be pretty much humans underwater, but he also mentioned what happened to the human world. Mr. Lawrence said that the whole world is dead except for Bikini Bottom, reiterating that “the world upstairs is gone” and all that’s left is Bikini Bottom. While this gives a very sinister twist to the now-confirmed Bikini Bottom/nuclear test site theory, it doesn’t make much sense.
Surely, most of SpongeBob SquarePants takes place underwater, in Bikini Bottom and nearby places, but early on in the series there were brief appearances of humans “upstairs”. An example is the episode “Frankendoodle”, from season 2, in which an artist in a rowboat is making a sketch when his pencil slips and falls into the sea, landing between SpongeBob and Patrick. David Hasselhoff also made a cameo as himself in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
Of course, there’s also Patchy the Pirate (played by SpongeBob’s voice actor, Tom Kenny), who also made his first appearance in season 2 and went on to appear many more times throughout the show, so it isn’t entirely true that the world “upstairs” is gone and all that’s left is Bikini Bottom and its inhabitants.
Bikini Bottom being a nuclear test site is definitely dark, but it’s also greatly beneficial to SpongeBob SquarePants. As mentioned above, SpongeBob SquarePants isn’t a show that should be taken seriously and in which continuity is important, but it’s also inevitable for the audience to question many things about it. The nuclear test site theory being confirmed should bring some relief to those wondering why sea creatures can talk and do everything humans do, and it should also put an end to the old question of why fire can exist underwater – just blame it on the nuclear tests.
The theory also explains why humans aren’t so surprised to see a talking sea sponge (this is mostly seen in the movies), as they know the effects that the nuclear tests had in that area (and probably many others). Mr. Lawrence’s addition of the human world being gone and Bikini Bottom being all that’s left wouldn't make sense this far into the franchise as it clashes with both the shows and the movies, but the rest of the theory explains the biggest mysteries of SpongeBob SquarePants.
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CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!
