Delighting kids no end

Think happy and yellow because 2009 is the year of the Sponge. And I am sure you all know who is the most famous sponge of all in this universe. No, not the one you used to wipe the kitchen sink with this morning, but the goofy, naive, good-hearted and eternally optimistic SpongeBob SquarePants of television. The little guy is turning 10 this year and that means he has been delighting kids of all ages for a long decade.

The animated series is the most widely distributed property of the MTV Network. It is now a pop-culture phenomenon seen by 70 million viewers monthly, rated as the No. 1 animation program for kids aged two to 11 for seven consecutive years and is aired in 121 markets in 25 languages. And that is just for the series.

There are also all those CDs, with music that keep kid happy for hours, plus games, toys, clothing and all the present-day accouterments of media success bringing in money because people think SpongeBob SquarePants is cute. Truth to tell I will not be surprised if we will find the next generation studying the SpongeBob mythology as a subject in schools.

SpongeBob SquarePants was born on May 1, 1999. He was the creation of Stephen Hillenburg, an honest to goodness marine biologist. He probably thought of making SpongeBob out of a real aquatic sponge but thought a square, yellow one with holes from the kitchen would do better. He gave the sponge large blue eyes and buck front teeth. Then he dressed up the figure in a white shirt with a tie and square khaki pants. The latter was also how SpongeBob got his family name.

SpongeBob lives under the sea in a place called Bikini Bottom. His house is a pineapple. His pet is a snail named Gary who talks like a cat. He meows. His best friend is Patrick Star, who is a pink starfish who lives under a rock. SpongeBob goes to Boating School and works at the Krusty Krab where they serve the very popular Krabby Patty burgers.

So it will be an all-year bash for the much-loved sponge at Nickelodeon TV. The worldwide celebration begins with the Spongebob and the Big Wave Party at the Bonifacio Global City Open Field in Taguig City on April 25 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event is open to all Nicksters in the Philippines and Spongebob and Patrick will be there to lead the fun. Log on to www.nicksplat.com to find out how you can join the party.

It will be a thrilling afternoon of fun and games with loads of prizes and other surprises. It will also mark the premiere showing of Spongebob and the Big Wave, a super-special episode of the series starring the fearless Johnny Depp. You all know who Depp is. He is that wickedly endearing Jack in Pirates of the Caribbean. He is also Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory. He was in Sleepy Hallow and Sweeney Todd and lots of other great films. So having him in Spongebob is really a big deal and huge fun.

The story goes like this. Spongebob, Patrick and Squidward are stranded on an island with no means to go back home. Then along comes Jack Kahuna Laguna, a strange surf guru played by Depp. I can’t wait to see how he looks like. He teaches them how to surf the Big One so they can all go back to Bikini Bottom. The Big One is a legendary wave that serious surfers search for like some kind of Nirvana. This is definitely one of those times when I wish we would be looking at a feature length Spongebob movie. You know that quirky things happen when Depp is on board. Hopefully something like that might come later. For now though let us all enjoy this episode.

And be ready to sing: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants/ Absorbent and yellow and porous is he/ SpongeBob SquarePants/ If nautical nonsense be something you wish/ SpongeBob SquarePants/ Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish/ Ready?

SpongeBob Squarepants/ SpongeBob SquarePants/ SpongeBob SquarePants...