Controversy Erupts As SpongeBob Refuses Unemployment Benefits
November 8th, 2013
The underwater denizens of Bikini Bottom are not immune to the effects of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In an upcoming November 11th episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, the lovable main character loses his job at the Krusty Krab. However, his admirable reaction to that crisis has ignited a furious political debate over welfare programs.
In the episode, SpongeBob’s friend Patrick attempts to convince him to collect unemployment benefits, and SpongeBob refuses, opting instead to look for a job. The resulting media coverage offended reporters at outlets like Media Matters, who moaned that the portrayal of the collection of government benefits as mooching undermines the social welfare system. However, SpongeBob’s principled stand is a great lesson for children and reflects the rugged individualism for which America was once known.
Controversy over “Mooching”
In the episode, SpongeBob’s friend Patrick characterizes unemployment as “the best gig I know.” He points out the advantages: huge amounts of spare time and free money. Though people on unemployment or welfare are supposed to aggressively look for jobs, many beneficiaries purposefully avoid finding a job until after the benefits run out completely.
SpongeBob, however, has a strong work ethic, and ultimately tells Patrick, “Unemployment may be fun for you, but I need to get a job.” Many Americans refuse to use government benefits for principled reasons, and this is a great lesson for kids on how to overcome adversity. Media Matters found Patrick’s advocacy for unemployment mooching to be a wholesale attack on the welfare system.
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The Stigma Surrounding Welfare Benefits
Since welfare benefits are claimed via taxation, sometimes from people who are struggling themselves, those who collect them often face a somewhat reasonable stigma. When the New York Post essentially summarized the episode accurately, Media Matters characterized the summary as a “right-wing” attack on the “social safety net,” claiming, “The Post used the cartoon’s plot development to attack people who rely on government assistance, referring to individuals who rely on food stamps as ‘mooching off the social services’ and applauding SpongeBob for instead quickly returning to ‘gainful employment.’”
It’s worth noting, though, that Patrick was in fact advocating that SpongeBob mooch off of the unemployment program. SpongeBob’s refusal to do so is admirable and a profound lesson for children. Government bureaucrats and statists want to de-stigmatize and normalize the collection of government benefits. This would have disastrous consequences, as many Americans currently refuse to participate in programs like food stamps out of a sense of pride, and this keeps the welfare rolls from being overwhelmed by people who could otherwise make it on their own.
Virtually anyone could qualify for government benefits and subsidies, and, if everyone actually claimed them, the nation’s already-rapid descent towards bankruptcy would escalate. Nickelodeon’s lesson champions rugged individualism and a strong work ethic and will benefit children who watch SpongeBob SquarePants.
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