Reconfronting the Psychic Wall of Energy: A Comparison of the Sound of SpongeBob

I'm different. Crazy even. But even if you're the slightest bit like me, you automatically know one of the best cartoons ever made, without a doubt, is SpongeBob SquarePants. It's a cartoon that takes everything that makes both animation and comedy amazing, mixed with original concepts and characters, to make something undeniably unique.

Despite a gradual decline in quality over the years, nearly fifteen years SpongeBob has been entertaining television audiences worldwide. However, its best work can be summarized in 87 minutes with a little film called The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.


Now, don't think The SpongeBob Movie is just any other cash-grab TV-based film. No, this film is everything SpongeBob represents in one amazing film. Though, such representatives of SpongeBob are not only its fantastic comedy and beautiful animation, but the style in which they present it. In that sense, the core principle that makes The SpongeBob Movie work is its soundtrack.

The soundtrack truly makes the movie what it is, due to its unwavering originality. The album does feature classic SpongeBob originals (tracks like "Now That We're Men" sung by the actual characters), but, otherwise, it takes the giant risk for a kids movie: to feature indie artists on the soundtrack.

While they're not Justin Timberlake, they capture the essence of the film in a way I've seldom seen done for a soundtrack. It's intended single track "SpongeBob and Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy" even weaves the entire story of the movie in a way that fluidly fits into the nautical tone of the movie.

Having said all this, my fear expands tenfold upon the news of Pharrell, the noted composer of Despicable Me 2's "Happy" (also known as that song from 2013 we still can't get out of our heads), will be writing and performing, with his newly-reunited band N.E.R.D., the song for the new SpongeBob movie, Sponge Out of Water. "Happy" was great and all. It's a perfect anthem for something like the Despicable Me franchise. But for SpongeBob?

The song he penned for the new movie is called "Squeeze Me". Prior to its release, the band had described the song as psychedelic, other-worldly and paralleled to "what the Beatles did with 'Yellow Submarine,'" or so said N.E.R.D. band member Hugo to Variety. The track itself however was officially released January 5th to mixed reviews. I was mixed.


(source: Rolling Stone)

I'll be frank, it is a good song. It's got funky beat (nowhere near "Uptown Funk," though) and has a generally fun feel. While that sounds good and all, it still is not necessarily meant for SpongeBob.

The original soundtrack worked because of what it was -- original. While it really can't be matched, the Sponge Out of Water should be a companion album to its predecessor and, from what we've heard, the successor sounds atypical of every other kid's movie soundtrack.

At it's core, "Squeeze Me" is a carbon-copy pop song with a SpongeBob theme. Nothing more, nothing less. But, SpongeBob deserves better than just standards.

With the original soundtrack, songs like “SpongeBob and Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy” and “Just a Kid” had depth and spoke to the message, rather than the bright colors. Not just as something to play during TV spots.

I understand things have changed since 2004, but, on the whole, soundtracks have become a more important, crucial part of the film. Films like Guardians of the Galaxy have turned even compilation albums into an art form unto its own. Thus, I don’t see why the successor to such an amazing soundtrack has to digress to Smurf-level territory.

Still, can anyone really match “Ocean Man?”

Ween’s “Ocean Man” was the track that made the album feel like an organic juxtaposition to the kid’s comedy that filled the brunt of the movie. It perfectly counteracted the funny with serious in a film titled SpongeBob SquarePants, for crying out loud. And the track itself was not even created for the film like the others; instead, it was taken from the Ween album The Mollusk. Regardless, the song fit and provided the solemnity to bring a zany, all-over-the-place film back to earth.

I can’t say I hate this new song, nor do I think I will rule out the entire soundtrack when I end up purchasing it, but I feel like they can certainly do better. And likely they could do so by looking to “Ocean Man” for musical inspiration.

For the time being, I will withhold more judgment upon Pharrell’s curating until I hear his two other songs, “Patrick Star” and “Sandy Squirrel,” and whatever music materializes from the film as it reaches theaters this February. 

Can’t guarantee I’ll post further thoughts on the soundtrack or the movie itself, but I hope to continue posting here in the future.

Blue's Clues Christmas Episodes Review, Part 1

Man, I haven't been on this blog in a long time. But I feel it's only fitting to give you guys the Christmas gift of a surprise return.

Today, for some really really odd reason, I'm going to do a two-part review of the Christmas episodes of Blue's Clues. Y'know, the hit Nick Jr. show that set the bar for interactive preschool television shows today. The one with the unnatural blue-furred puppy and her youthful owner and host Steve. It was a part of my childhood and perhaps your's too! I love this show even today and the Christmas episodes are some of the show's best works, so let's "Blue Skidoo" into our review.

Season 3, Episode 10 - Blue's Big Holiday

Even with its formulaic nature, Blue's Clues is a show that can stay consistently solid. A fun thing about the show is that it can really go anywhere. Through skidooing, their odd technique of transporting (using green screen effects), they've gone in submarines, on chalkboards, and in the most remote of places. This portion here is what the show feeds on: variety. That said, skidooing can go to far off lands and, at the same time, nowhere at all. Much of it ends up feeling too disingenuous. I won't say skidooing isn't a good idea and it's not worth having on the show, but, while the show's solidity is intact, it reinforces how fast the show can get stale.

This plus it's never-changing main locale of Steve's home is the main cause of its recurring tedious episodes. Blue's Clues is a show that grows tiresome with time. Thus, episodes like "Blue's Big Holiday" are saving grace and feeds the show what it so craves: variety.

This holiday episode takes us into Blue's home during the cold holiday season, complete with wintery opening sequence. Steve, like always, beckons us in to take part on their holiday tradition, which is to expand their holiday quilt. Filled with patches marking their favorite memories, the holiday quilt is what they do to celebrate during the cherished time of the year. (Side note: I should mention here, I think this is what they do instead of Christmas/Hanukkah/etc. It's weird considering they don't commonly know any of the holidays they learn about later in the episode.)

Anyhow, the episode, of course, features a game of Blue's Clues. This time, Steve uses the game to find out what Blue wants to do for her patch on the quilt, blazing the trail for the different-than-usual episode's escapades.

The first clue ironically places Blue's blue paw print on a holiday card with four tiny paw prints. Likewise, the first detour takes Steve and Blue skidooing into their snow globe depicting the world of Toyland, a magical land that bums you out a little more than you'd think. The irony here is due to three sad toys lamenting their differences to the toys next to them; namely, a doll with an orange dress, blocks that keep falling down, and a pocket. Luckily, their sadness inspires Steve to uplift them, in addition to grant their wish to be presents.

After skidooing back out, Steve and Blue take these now-happy gifts and give them to their fitting owners Green Puppy, Orange Kitten, and Purple Kangaroo. This is where the magic happens. Steve finally takes steps outside the house and into the neighborhood. The cardboard cut-out town he travels is still similar to Steve's home, but somehow just works. It grounds the show finally in some weird kind-of reality. We see the different pets' owners, and they're live action! They're talking interacting and even sharing about the holidays their celebrating to a curious Steve.

It's also really nice for them to mention the variety of holidays too. While they keep it a lot more general than even Elmo's World, it's nice to see them mentioning the "special birth" and the "miracle of light". It's great to see that on the show.

While their here they give them their gifts, but the owners kindly give Steve a patch for the quilt representing their holiday. It's real genuine moments like these that truly make the show. Of course, its all abruptly interrupted by Mail Time.

All this variety even transitions back home where they are literally missing Mail Time. Steve and Blue are literally running to the house, singing the song from the window, and running around, only to get inside by the last line. It's a hilarious little spot and we even see commitment to the bit on Steve's part. He's sitting in the Thinking Chair out of breath and taking a moment before he grabs the letter. It's legitimately funny even for me, the fifteen-year-old watching Blue's Clues.

Mailbox, while he's here, also receives his present (a flag warmer), while Steve opens the letter from Magenta. The letter here is either really good or really bad. It doesn't suffer from the normal child actor problems we see a lot of time here, but Magenta's unintelligibility gives us nothing to play off of. Though, it occurs to me this might just be a little moment to breathe. I should mention the second clue was a blanket, back in the snow globe, and the third was Mailbox's gift to Steve, a rattle. The patch ends up being Blue as a baby.

Wrapping up this great episode is the adding of the patches and a nice little cozy, warm moment where everyone surrounds the fire and it just feels like family. And we say goodbye but that cohesive feeling of warmth stays with me up until the end of the credits.

This is a really lovely episode and the real gift behind this was giving the repetition a break and giving a little breathing room and the answer to its quality (you know it): variety. I give the episode a 4.5/5.

Click here for Part Two, where I review "Blue's First Holiday".