Spongebob SquarePants

SpongeBob SquarePants is, in a word, ubiquitous. His extreme popularity has transformed him from a high-strung sponge to a multi-million dollar industry; Spongebob merchandising currently includes DVDs, an adult clothing line, video games, plush dolls, custom watches, a karaoke machine, car seats, and Spongebob TV sets (Hernandez 1). His boxer shorts are the number one selling line of underwear for Target (Hernandez 1).

He monopolizes quite a bit of screentime, as well. Nickelodeon runs episodes of Spongebob three times a day and is currently producing a feature-length Spongebob movie.

So of course we hope a cartoon as pervasive as SpongeBob is communicating positive messages to our children. SpongeBob is certainly not violent, is only mildly vulgar, and generally has an appropriately sugary message to teach its audience.

But we're not really concerned with any of that, are we?

SpongeBob Squarepants, in spite of all its fun and sweetness, does in fact validate The Smurfette Principle. The cast of characters:

SpongeBob Squarepants

 Most definitely male and indisputably the leader of the pack. They didn't name any shows after Minnie Mouse, after all (excepting "Totally Minnie", which I might venture to label as not entirely positive for young children of the 80s such as myself).
Patrick Starfish

 SpongeBob's best friend and constant companion. Involved in all of SpongeBob's adventures in some capacity. Male.
Mr. Krabs

 SpongeBob's boss. He has been featured in every episode I've seen; there are even a few Mr. Krab-centered episodes. Male.
Squidward

 Resident grouch and foil for SpongeBob. Male.
Gary

 SpongeBob's pet snail, who, if I may editorialize for a moment, cracks me up. He meows. Heh. But more importantly, he is male, which seems to be a gratuitous use of the Smurfette Principle. Why not at least make SpongeBob's snail/cat a girl? I suppose that could dredge up issues of ownership and possession over females, but at least it would combat our society's tendency to assign male sex to all animals.
Sandy Cheeks

 Finally, the only female in the group, Sandy Cheeks. Sandy, a squirrel, is also the only land-dwelling character on the show. She lives underwater, with Spongebob and Co., but her house is a giant bubble filled with oxygen. When she leaves the house, she has to wear the oxygen-filled space helmet you see at left. Funny, yes, but her position as the only female and as the only mammal unmistakably alienates her from the rest of the group. Sandy is not in most episodes, instead spending most of her time inside her sphere (...of domesticity?).

 

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