Broadway’s new “SpongeBob Squarepants Musical” made a special appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, with a performance by SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy the Squirrel in human form — causing the internet to give one collective groan.
The consensus on Twitter was not to mess with the Nickelodeon cartoon, but a lot of users also expressed relief for the reason the cartoon sponge was trending on the holiday.
“After seeing Spongebob Squarepants is trending, I’m just happy he hasn’t groped anyone. Thank goodness!!” one Twitter user said.
“I saw Spongebob Squarepants trending and thought oh no who did he sexually assault,” said another.
These were joined by plenty of eye-rolling memes, and one user who thought the cartoon “died.”
See more silly reactions below.
Saw Spongebob Squarepants trending. Was like "I knew it!". Then realized it's just about the parade.
— Trevor Moore (@itrevormoore) November 23, 2017
Spongebob Squarepants is trending …
“No, did it get cancelled?”
“No it's a Broadway Mus- ” pic.twitter.com/3eoe5gM8kE
— luisa (@itsluisagibson) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/KassBlckwell/status/933709212793933830
I saw Spongebob Squarepants trending and thought oh no who did he sexually assault.
— Loquitur?Veritatem (@LVeritatem) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/eshields_nc/status/933700601485066240
Watching that "Spongebob Squarepants" thing on the #MacysParade. #MacysDayParade pic.twitter.com/wRq8QoCFzh
— Dustin K. Foley (@DustinFoley13) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/VinnyRico_/status/933706307512741889
spongebob squarepants: the broadway musical… what a time to be alive pic.twitter.com/mSlIsep1Lu
— kate (@avoKateo) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/edoralf93/status/933714736452997121
Thanksgiving day parade already takin the L… this dude is supposed to be spongebob squarepants pic.twitter.com/Rk0BQC0vlW
— Grayson Furry (@commishidente) November 23, 2017
Apparently SpongeBob SquarePants has become a #Broadway musical… #MacysParade pic.twitter.com/2AXCK5zjMn
— Matthew Prensky (@matthewprensky) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/kyrahopewood/status/933721918338891777
https://twitter.com/shanii_x17/status/933704504159203328
Spongebob Squarepants should never have been allowed to evolve into a human… #MacysThanksgivingParade #MacysDayParade pic.twitter.com/EJElrR58pD
— Rowan (@NaiveDrainpipe) November 23, 2017
Spongebob Squarepants was not meant to be remade with humans #creepy #MacysParade pic.twitter.com/OOpHykzR0K
— Katie Nussbaum (@kt_nussbaum) November 23, 2017