It appears that something inappropriate is taking place in a certain pineapple under the sea.
The ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC) subsidiary Nickelodeon has pulled two episodes of the popular animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants” over content concerns.
Underwater Shenanigans: According to an NBC News report, Nickelodeon withdrew the 12th season episode “Kwarantined Crab” from the Paramount+ streaming service “due to sensitivities surrounding the global, real-world pandemic.” The episode takes place at SpongeBob’s workplace, the Krusty Krab, a fast-food restaurant where SpongeBob works, which is thrown into an uproar after a health inspector quarantines the staff and their patrons because someone has the “Clam Flu.”
Nickelodeon also re-reviewed the third season episode “Mid-Life Crustacean,” which has not been broadcast since 2018. That episode finds SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick having a night out with Mr. Krabs, Spongebob’s boss. The evening ends with the threesome breaking into a woman’s home and stealing her underwear – but they are caught by the woman, who turns out to be Mr. Krabs’ mother.
Nickelodeon concluded “Mid-Life Crustacean” will be absent from Paramount+ because “some story elements were not kid-appropriate.”
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Badly Dated Material: Nickelodeon’s decision is the latest example of a streaming services policing content in programming that was created years earlier.
Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) has added content warnings ahead of Disney+ episodes of “The Muppet Show” that contain character stereotypes that might be considered politically incorrect. Disney+ also removed access to a number of titles on its curated kids’ profiles, including “Dumbo” and “Peter Pan,” due to outdated character stereotypes.
Elsewhere in the streaming sphere Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) subsidiary NBCUniversal pulled at least two segments from old WWE (NYSE: WWE) episodes on Peacock that featured racial humor.
The women’s underwear humor that got “Mid-Life Crustacean” removed from Paramount+. Photo courtesy Nickelodeon.
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