Ripped Pants Reflections
I recently started watching SpongeBob Squarepants again, thanks to The First 100 Episodes DVD set on Amazon.
Spongebob being one of my favorite shows as a kid and middle-schooler, I was super excited to dive into the nostalgia, cleverness, and silliness of this masterpiece from the beginning. One of my long-time favorite episodes comes very early in the series: “Ripped Pants.” I starting thinking about it, reflecting about it—musing about it, and I thought for my 2019 Musings Monday debut, it was worth sharing with you as well.
First, let’s talk about what happens in the episode. To the uninformed, don’t live under a rock like Patrick. Give this show a serious chance (Just make sure it’s an early episode. I stopped watching as quality declined, so I can’t vouch for any episodes beyond the fifth season). In the series, our titular character is a silly, naive, intellectually-challenged fry cook who loves to jellyfish and spend time with his friends. He lives in a pineapple, has a pet snail, and can’t seem to pass his boating exam to get his driver’s license.
In “Ripped Pants,” SpongeBob goes to the beach with one of his best friends Sandy the Squirrel. I realize even that sentence doesn’t make sense if you haven’t seen it, but bear with me. The beach is called Goo Lagoon, and the undersea animals use it to swim, surf, and relax on hot days.
SpongeBob and Sandy are at the beach, playing around and having fun, when Larry approaches. Larry the Lobster, with large muscles and rock-hard abs.
“You guys wanna go lift some weights?”
As Larry and Sandy one-up each other in lifting, SpongeBob is determined to not be left out. He lifts a stick, and even adds marshmallows. Then, as he struggles to complete the lift, it happens:
Rip!
His pants are torn, and everyone laughs. Including Sandy.
Something clicks for SpongeBob. SpongeBob knows he can’t compete with Larry’s muscles, and knows he shouldn’t try. But he saw how he made everyone laugh, and knew in that moment, he had everyone’s attention and comedic approval. Including Larry. And especially Sandy.
So, throughout their other fun beach activities, SpongeBob recreates that fateful accident. Playing volleyball? Rip! Getting ice-cream? Tear! Soon, SpongeBob is ripping his pants all over the place, and he doesn’t see the enthusiasm of the crowd starting to wane. The fish around him become increasingly annoyed, but SpongeBob is oblivious.
Then, while ripping his pants during a surfing contest, SpongeBob wipes out. When he washes up on the beach, he doesn’t appear to be breathing. The lifeguard, Sandy, Larry, and all the other fish gather around him as the lifeguard tries to revive him. Finally, barely able to speak, SpongeBob whispers these words:
“I…need…a tailor…because I ripped my pants!”
Obviously taking the joke too far, SpongeBob is rejected by the fish—even the ecstatic surfer fish, who had been one of SpongeBob’s first encouragers. Sandy chastises him. “That’s not funny, SpongeBob! Y’all had me worried sick!”
SpongeBob, abandoned and alone, finds himself in one of the lowest points of his life, and yells, “Am I the biggest loser on the beach?”
At this point, SpongeBob confides in three other “losers”: a lady who forgot her sunscreen and now glows red, a guy who got sand in his buns (hamburger buns, to clarify), and a whale whose friends buried him in the sand and forgot about him. Together, they spontaneously form a band and sing a song, and SpongeBob proves to Sandy that he learned his lesson.
Now, depending on your nostalgic attachment to these characters as well as your sense of humor, you may be either giggling, the song swimming through your brain, or rolling your eyes, thinking, “That’s not funny, why would anyone ever watch that show?” But even though it is a kids’ show, and I’m not technically still in the target audience, this episode of SpongeBob contains some simple truths even the grumpiest of Squidwards can learn from.
One: True Friends Like You for Who You Are
When SpongeBob saw Larry, he felt insecure. I’m sure many of us have been in similar situations. There’s always going to be people stronger than us and better than us at something. Nobody is the best at everything. There will always be some better than you, smarter than you, more athletic than you, etc.
Don’t compare yourself to those people. Just because they’re better than you at one thing doesn’t mean you’re not better than them at another. Indeed, at the end of the episode Larry is a fan of SpongeBob. “SpongeBob, that was so righteous. Will you…sign my pants?!?” This is the same Larry who intimidated SpongeBob earlier in the episode.
But here’s the key: Sandy didn’t actually care about SpongeBob’s strength. SpongeBob got jealous because Sandy was paying more attention to Larry, but she never once expected SpongeBob to out-lift Larry. SpongeBob participated, and Sandy watched him lift the marshmallow stick, and she never once discouraged him. Sandy likes SpongeBob for who he is, not for what he can do.
Two: Be Spontaneous. And When Necessary, Laugh
The first pants-ripping incident was a spontaneous moment. SpongeBob didn’t plan it. Part of SpongeBob’s character is his ability to laugh at himself in those silly moments. His problem isn’t in with his pants. His real problem is in his continuous efforts to recreate the moment. By definition, you can’t plan spontaneous moments. He saw the joke as an opportunity, but he took it too far.
Three: Don’t Let Your Need For Attention Change Your Character
SpongeBob, blinded by jealousy, trapped himself in a moment—a moment where he was the center of attention, he was the comedian, he was the reason for Sandy’s laughter. By staying in that moment, and seeking that same attention when it initially came naturally, he changed who he was.
SpongeBob would never intentionally scare his friends. He cares for Sandy, and Patrick, and Gary, and Squidward, and Mr. Krabs. Even though he annoys many of them on innumerable occasions, he is a loyal friend and only wants their wellbeing, often times to a fault. He let his desire for attention change him. Which leads us to…
Four: You Don’t Need to Be the Center of Attention
Don’t let your selfishness sabotage your friendship. This is something anyone can relate to, because we all struggle with selfishness to a certain degree. Everyone deals with fears and insecurities. Most people struggle with some form of jealousy or envy. But if your problems affect your friends, you need to address them. Practically speaking, that means two things.
First, don’t limit your friends or friendships. Sandy can make sand castles and joke around and practice Karate with SpongeBob. She can also lift weights and play volleyball and surf with Larry. She likes them in different ways, and gains different things from those friendships, and she doesn’t need to choose. Just because SpongeBob isn’t physically strong doesn’t mean Sandy can’t be. Have multiple friends, value them, and let them have other friends. Be a loyal friend, and don’t be manipulative, possessive, or insecure.
Second, be a good friend. Be loyal and trustworthy. Support your friends as they support you. We all need friends we can trust. Notice how Sandy was patient with SpongeBob. She did get upset with him, but she allowed him to apologize and their friendship was back to normal within a day. No, not back to normal—it was even stronger than before. Through the trial of the ripped pants, their friendship cultivated even deeper trust.
If your friend is having a ripped-pants moment, don’t make it about you, but help them see their error and encourage them to be better.
These lessons from “Ripped Pants” bring to mind another episode with another song, so I’ll leave you with this parting thought:
F is for ‘friends who do stuff together’
U is for ‘you and me’
N is for ‘anywhere, anytime at all, down here in the deep blue sea.’
[If you want to check it out The First 100 Episodes on Amazon, click here. Full disclosure: This is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
