Isn't it weird how we culturally try to force some forms of artistic medium or creativity into a single description? This doesn't allow for creative experimentation and can also lead to some pretty big surprises further down the line. For example, there are many cartoons out there that either purposefully caters to an adult audience. Even if they don't do this, you have to be aware that these things are not being made by children. Adults spend their entire working day putting these things together. It's not a surprise that things either fall through the cracks or that there are some secrets behind the scenes that we know nothing about.

This is where SpongeBob SquarePants comes in. This little sponge has spent many years now entertaining our children and childish adults alike. However, just because your child is watching the show doesn't mean there aren't some things you don't know about. These things range from the banal little in-universe things you didn't know about and the bigger industry style secrets that everyone is hiding from us. We thought, in the spirit of honesty and shock, that we’d throw together some of the secrets that lurk behind the scenes of SpongeBob SquarePants. You may know some of these, but we think some of them will definitely shock.

So, are you ready to have a cartoon ruined for you? Think you can take whatever lies in wait throughout this list? We’re not so sure, but if you think so, let’s find out!

20 Some Of The Writers Must Be Into Something...

While the episode itself has nothing to do with illegal things, you should know that this title card is actually for the twentieth episode of the fourth season of SpongeBob Squarepants, a reference that most of you are likely to get. For those of you who don't, 420 is a number that is regularly seen in alternative culture, as it signifies a day of the year when many choose to openly celebrate their lifestyle choice. In fact, many protests on the legality of the situation happen on this date as well, with many going out in public as a sign that they no longer choose to obey the laws in their area. This makes us think that some people on the writing staff are probably into this.

19 Might Not Be Great To Have Him Around Kids...

There's something pretty uncomfortable about SpongeBob once you take a proper look at him and the way that he acts, especially as he is purposefully marketed towards children. Sure, people who aren't children watch the show as well, but you'd be lying to yourself if you thought that it wasn't always about trying to get the kids watching. Well, it’s not a surprise that some of us find the character slightly off-putting, as one of the major influences on how he was originally written was the character Pee Wee Herman. The logical part of our brain knows there’s nothing wrong with these guys acting the way they want to entertain children, but we still have a kneejerk reaction to them that we can’t get away from.

18 Do People Go To These Establishments Under The Sea?

We all know that Patrick is a great character, and one that works well as SpongeBob’s best friend as he is always there to be even more stupid than SpongeBob is, something that seems impossible at first. However, when his character was first conceived, the writers planned on making him the owner of a bar in Bikini Bottom, a choice that we're really glad that they scrapped during the planning stages. This guy is a lovable idiot, not some sort of streetwise businessman who serves drinks to the unlucky rogues who fell through the cracks of society. It just wouldn't have allowed him to become the character we know and love if they’d made this choice.

17 Everything We Know Is A Lie!

If you're a big fan of SpongeBob then you'll know that Squidward has actually been referred to as both a squid and an octopus during the show, but he actually isn't a squid if we're going to get technical about it. While he clearly looks as if he has been designed to look like an octopus, the animators on the show felt that giving him eight legs rather than six would weigh down the general vibe of the character, making him look far too busy on screen. They realized they didn’t have to be so specific and accurate, so they went for the better looking six legs instead, something that we agree was definitely the best move forward.

16 Oh No! My Leg!

To the people who have watched a lot of SpongeBob in their time, we know that you can already hear this character shouting inside your own head, something that we genuinely apologize for. However, it's for a good reason that we're showing him to you today. Believe it or not, but this guy was actually given a proper name by the creators, rather than just adding him in as a random extra with no name so that they could make the gag. His name, Fred, was revealed in the episode Party Hype and has now appeared in many episodes across the entire show's run, always to shout about how much he has hurt his leg.

15 Just In Case You Wanted A Different SpongeBob

We've already taken a look at what happens when you let adults who are into certain things work on children's television show, as they probably find it impossible not to throw in a little reference or two... but some other people took it a whole new level. This was a parody show made by Dailymotion, who produced three episodes before Nickelodeon stopped more from happening, not wanting their show to be associated with this kind of stuff. The ones released online became somewhat of a popular sensation on YouTube where they now have millions upon millions of views. Who knew that people would be so into a different kind of SpongeBob?

14 Nobody Tell Plankton!

It's not surprising that many of the people who work on shows like this end up together. Either they ended up working on the same show because they were already together, giving the other a chance to work on the show they're already working on, or they end up meeting while they work on the show together. Well, the voice of Plankton's computer "wife" and Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob, are actually together! He and Jill Talley are actually known for regularly working together, which is something that we like to see among couples. Sure, you have to have your alone time, but it's a sign of a good marriage when you can spend all day together at work and all night at home together as well.

13 He's How Old?!

When you think about it, it only makes sense that SpongeBob SquarePants would not be older than most of the people who watch him because he's been on the air for so long now. That being said, there's something about the eccentric way that he chooses to live his life that seems pretty creepy, especially when you take into account his high level of stupidity and innocence. Throw in the fact that he’s seemingly an adult who happens to act like a child and you’ve definitely got yourself a pretty unpleasant combination. All we’re saying is, if you met an actual adult who acted like SpongeBob SquarePants, you probably wouldn’t let your kids spend so much time hanging out with him.

12 Mr. Krabs Is Even Worse...

Really, when you take a look at the sort of human being that Mr. Krabs is, it's no surprise that the guy is this old. Not only is he tight with money to the point where he is openly mean and hostile to the people that he supposedly enjoys having around him, he's a generally cranky human being as well. We're not saying that this is all old people, but we know for sure that some of you reading this know exactly what we're talking about. In fact, Krabs does spend a lot of time talking about the things he's done and seen in the past, so this sort of makes sense now. Sorry if you’ve always liked this guy, but we never have.

11 Why Would They Draw Him That Way?

When you're making a cartoon that anthropomorphizes animals that we have in the real world, it can be a tricky business to make sure that you're connecting your show to the reality of what these animals are like. We're not saying that shows have to be completely scientifically accurate or anything, but we would argue that if you actually asked most people who work on these sorts of projects, they'll admit that they like to make sure there is as much fact in there as possible. This is why one episode showed that Patrick Star, a character known for his large physique and slovenly lifestyle, is actually only two ounces, which doesn’t really feel like it makes much sense.

10 Maybe They Should've Respected His Wishes

This guy that you're currently looking at next to SpongeBob is the original creator of the show. While he was still working on the project, he made it explicitly clear that he didn't want to have any guest stars on the show as he felt that it would be getting involved with a side of showbiz that he just didn't have any interest in, something that we completely understand. If this was a passion project of yours, you'd want to make sure that it stayed as uncompromised as possible, which can only be done if you keep the team as tight and connected as possible. However, after he resigned as showrunner, deciding he no longer wanted to work on the show, this very quickly changed and the people making the decisions went completely against his original wishes.

9 Really? Her?

This character that you're looking at was actually voiced by Victoria Beckham, a fact that seems ridiculous to us. The character's name is Queen Amphitrite, and while we have to admit that we have never seen the episode in question, it seems insane to us that this woman was paid money to do voiceover work as she has no experience in this whatsoever. Not only that, but she's famously wooden and icy. While this may just be a persona that she puts on for the media, it would still put us off placing her in a role on a show that we were working on as you never really know what you're going to get. She was more than likely used to try and get people to watch in the same way that The Simpsons continues to get celebrities to appear.

8 Do They Sell Lobster Burgers?

Unless you have a particular interest in the fishing industry, it would be no surprise to find out that you've never realized what The Krusty Krab actually is. This is a lobster catcher, and while that is definitely in keeping with the theme of the show, it is a little bit creepy when you think about it. There's something sinister about the fact that they sell food as if the reference is implying that the Krabby Patties are actually made of the sort of meat that would be caught in these contraptions. Maybe we're reading too much into it, but there's a big chance that the reason Mr. Krabs doesn't any anyone to find out the secret ingredient to his food is that they people would realize they were eating their sea brethren.

7 No Wonder Everyone Is So Weird

It became clear as SpongeBob went on that the name of the place that the characters live, Bikini Bottom, is actually a reference to Bikini Atoll, a fact that can be noticed in the opening credits. However, this area is infamous for being a place where the USA decided to test various nuclear weapons, which has led some to theorize that this is why the animals can talk and act somewhat like human beings. This has never been confirmed, but it's an interesting thought and one that certainly does make sense once you think about. Imagine if we found out that nuclear radiation actually turned sea life sentient? We’d have to rethink how much fish we ate.

6 Do You Think This One Is Real?

Another theory that has gone viral on the internet about SpongeBob is that the main characters were created to highlight the seven deadly sins, yet another theory that has not been confirmed. We really like this one because the further you look into the sorts of things that have been written about it on the internet, it actually starts to make a lot of sense. We know that we don’t have the sort of time on our hands to come up with these sorts of theories so we’re glad that somebody else is willing to put the work in so that we can see television shows in a whole new light. Honestly, we really hope that this one has influenced the writers at some point during the series.

5 Seems He Didn't Like Singers Either...

Believe it or not, but there were some people who wanted Timberlake to join in on the SpongeBob soundtrack when the first movie was released, but this idea was turned down by the show's creator. As we've already told you, this guy clearly had a problem with celebrity types, which is why he didn't want Justin Timberlake to be involved with the making of the movie, instead going for bands and artists that he actually admired. Once again, we have to side with the creator on this one. He knows who he likes and he knows who he wants to work with. While putting up barriers can get in the way of creativity, being indecisive is much worse if you ask us.

4 Conservatives Say The Craziest Things

It wasn't long after SpongeBob started being shown on Nickelodeon that people started to argue there was a gay undertone to the friendship shown by Patrick and SpongeBob, with some pointing to the fact that their hand-holding was proof. We think this is a shame, as it implies men can't hold hands in real life without people assuming they're gay, not to mention the fact that SpongeBob and Patrick are both sea creatures in a cartoon and not men. Focus On The Family argued that the show was almost attempting to push some sort of gay agenda, despite the creator responding that all of his characters are ace and that he thinks of SpongeBob as being about tolerance over anything else.

3 What Is He Doing With It...

One thing that the SpongeBob movie was known for was the cameo made by Hasselhoff, a man who appears to be getting into every role he can in the hope that nobody will forget who he is. One image that went viral on the internet was that of a huge mannequin that was used to film many of the shots that would've been impossible with the actual Hasselhoff. Apparently, Hasselhoff kept this model as a souvenir, which may seem normal to some of you, but actually, sends a bit of a shiver down our spines. What is he doing with that thing? We reckon that he spends most of his time staring at it admiringly, wishing he was taller.

2 These Influences Are Getting Weird...

If you're not much of a reader, then there's a chance you've never heard the name Ray Bradbury, but you should know that he is considered to be one of the best writers of his time and has produced many works that remain popular this day, most notably, Fahrenheit 451. A collection of non-fiction essay written by Bradbury, named Zen In The Art Of Writing, is widely read by those who want to pursue writing as a career. One of the writers working on SpongeBob was given this book and one of the writing exercises contained within was regularly used in the early days to come up with various storylines. Pretty amazing that his influence spread to a cartoon sponge!

1 Pop Culture Really Gets About

Spongiforma squarepantsii is actually the name of the sea sponge you're currently looking at, and if you haven't figured it out yet, it's on this list because it was actually named after the little guy who lives in a pineapple under the sea. This is one of many examples that show how far-reaching popular culture can be, something that we can often forget if we're not reminded of it. Somebody discovered this sponge and decided that they would name it after a cartoon character that lives in a pineapple under the sea. We’re not saying that this isn’t fun or an interesting bit of trivia, but it does seem slightly odd how much influence this sort of thing can have on the real world.