SpongeBob: The Jig is Up!

SpongeBob, that iconic, impossible character living in a pineapple under the sea. You've been living a lie, you know?

Here it is. The jig is up, so to speak.

Imagine this. An iconic figure revealed to be a lie. No, it's not the first time. When I was a boy, it was Dino the dinosaur from "The Flintsones," in his purple glory. Really?

Here's the amazing part. The designer himself has fessed up. It appears that the iconic undersea pineapple is changing its character, in response to brilliant Vi Hart's investigative, mathematical reporting. Don't believe me?

The "confession," such as it is, from Kenny Pittenger, the BG Layout Supervisor of SpongeBob SquarePants:

Hi Vi,

OK, I guess the jig is up. It only took 14 years, 8 months, and about 16 days since I designed SpongeBob's house before I was called out on its fraudulence. And, to be honest with you, I'm tired of living a lie. It's time to come clean and make some changes for the better.

So, in the interest of truth and justice, I've made some slight alterations to the design (see attachment). Also, I've attempted to ferret out a few interesting proportions and relationships that have existed in the geometry of the design since the beginning. The one obvious correction that I've made is to the angles of ascension of the clockwise and counterclockwise spirals. You will find that they now follow their proper, naturalistic course. Also, notice that the third, implied spiral formed by the intersections of these spirals is now also correct.

Throughout the course of the show, the number of rivets on the windows has varied between 5 and 6, so I've standardized it to 5 (see design notes for explanation). And, the number of rivets on the doorframe fluctuates wildly. So, I've standardized that number to 13 (see notes).

Anyway, keep up the good work! Come by for a tour of the studio the next time you find yourself in Burbank.

-Kenny P.

P.S. I love your videos, and, you just happened to have posted the SpongeBob video on my birthday. Synchronicity!

Oh, and I forgot to point out that I laid the design out on a golden rectangle! Oops.

Bravo, Vi, Bravo.

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I suppose Kenny, that the resemblance of your favorite background design to that of the gonads of the sea jelly Aurelia is also Synchronicity? :)

BS

By Blind squirrel (not verified) on 02 Feb 2012 #permalink