'The SpongeBob Movie' cast and crew discuss the culture wars

The voice of SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny, along with the cast and crew of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run talk to Yahoo Entertainment about culture wars and why this issue comes up every so often.

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- Gary, I'm home. Gary? Gare-bear?

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Gary.

[GASP]

Gary! Have you seen Gary?

- No.

- No.

- Nope.

- Gary's been snail-napped. Gary!

ETHAN ALTER: So Tom, starting with you. Over this last summer, Nickelodeon released a tweet that identified SpongeBob as an LGBTQ ally, which Twitter loved. This is something that pops up, I think, every few years. Do you have a particular stance on-- on the character's identity in that?

TOM KENNY: Yeah, you're right, it does seem to be kind of-- kind of a cyclical thing that comes up, you know, every so often. But, really, it's just-- that's not really a part of his character, right. I mean-- I mean, he's not-- he's not really aware in that sense, whatsoever. Like, SpongeBob doesn't really feel lust, you know. He's not like Pepé Le Pew or anything. You know what I'm saying? So-- so it's kind of not even a part of who he is.

But I am proud that people of all stripes, including people who-- who, you know, might at times feel disenfranchised or whatever, you know, look to SpongeBob as kind of-- as, you know, somebody they can identify with, and who's-- and who's-- who's inspirational or at least enjoyable. You know, that's really-- that's really (IN CHARACTER AS SPONGEBOB) warms my-- my little holey heart.

ETHAN ALTER: Well, it is funny. I mean, I think of episodes like the one where he and Patrick, you know, take parent of baby scallop.

TOM KENNY: The scallop.

ETHAN ALTER: Right. Those seem to get caught up in the culture wars sometimes. Is that frustrating for you, when that happens, when [INAUDIBLE]?

TOM KENNY: You know, I guess it would be if I let it, you know. But-- but it's just-- it's just-- it's just such nonsense. You know what I mean? Like-- like I always say, like, it's not even really a part of it, you know. Like, I understand that, like, you know, in a different kind of show that might be an issue.

But, like, when it's just comedy, like, nobody-- you know, when you'd see "The Three Stooges" laying in a bed-- lay in a bed together with their nightcaps, you weren't like, wow, I wonder if Larry-- I wonder if Larry and Moe are an item, you know. Are Laurel and Hardy dating? You know, you never really-- it's just kind of isn't part of it, you know. It's-- it's so outside the universe that it's kind of ridiculous.

But you're right. I mean, we do live in a world where anything that can be used as a distracting culture war, a dividing wedge, will be.

BILL FAGERBAKKE: The world of Bikini Bottom is such it's own universe that it's only natural that people are going to latch on to it and bring it into their universe. That's what good entertainment does, I guess. Right?

ETHAN ALTER: Is it strange for you, whenever you see this character you work on become caught up in, like, a larger culture war? Does it just make you think, like, what's going on here?

TIM HILL: I don't pay much attention, honestly. I just-- you know, people are going to think what they think. And they're going to drive some opinion forward, especially with the echo chamber of social media, et cetera, et cetera. So, I mean, most of that stuff gets blown out of proportion.

It's-- it's like Bugs Bunny, like, you know. Is he, like, you know, what age is Bugs Bunny? It's like, well, I don't know. He's 12, he's 20, he's 40. These things, they don't really matter that much for me, just personally. So I'm kind of gender-blind, or whatever, when it comes to a character, because it's more about what's in their heart for me.

ETHAN ALTER: Reggie, is that something that's always spoken to you about the franchise, the SpongeBob franchise, the-- the sense of inclusion and diversity that's on display in it?

REGGIE WATTS: For the crash course that I had in SpongeBob, I got a pretty huge dose of it in a very concentrated amount of time. Yeah, I mean, the consistency is that it's-- that it's its own world and all the characters are just characters to me. I-- like, when I'm watching it, I don't associate it to anything at all. I just-- I'm just watching what these characters are doing.

I've never like, oh, you know what? Squidward's a lot like my friend, Marsha. You know, like-- or you know what? This actually explains why the Bay of Pigs crisis could have blown out of proportion. You know, it's just more like I'm just watching this show and I'm-- I'm experiencing the joy of, you know, how silly and absurd and crazy it is.

RODGER BUMPASS: Well, it's-- yeah, it's-- it's good that we are more and more inclusive. It's always good to have that sort of thing, to recognize and acknowledge and respect all different groups. So-- so, yeah, I mean, I think the more the merrier here, you know.

CLANCY BROWN: Of course it's inclusive. Of course it's an ally. Of course it doesn't pass any judgment. It's just-- just a cartoon TV show and, you know, there's no reason why we have any politic here. There's no culture war in Bikini Bottom. Come on.

ETHAN ALTER: Stephen Hillenburg, the creator, always created a very diverse and inclusive show. That was definitely one of his legacies with making SpongeBob. Is that's something that-- that you're happy to see continue in-- in this film, in Kamp Koral. Is that part of it that really warms your heart?

CAROLYN LAWRENCE: Oh, very much so. It still blows my mind, just how amazing he really was, that he could create this whole world. It's mind-blowing how much life he just gave everything, not only in his writing and his characters and his art, but in how he cast the show, too. Because he really had a gift all the way around. Like, pulling the people together that he pulled together for his team-- it's magic.

TOM KENNY: Yeah, Steve-- Steve was a-- just a really, you know, without even really trying to be or whatever, like, he was just kind of a open-hearted person, you know. That kind of stuff didn't really matter to him. And he was a very warm and loving person. And I think that came out in the show.

And I think that's one thing that people of all backgrounds and stripes, you know, and regardless of geographical boundaries or linguistic boundaries-- because the show's dubbed in a million languages-- that world that he created, that came from him, without even really trying to-- oh, I'm going to make a warm, fuzzy, lovely place. Like, he never really thought like that.

But he did create this place that's, you know, people want to go to. People want to go and hang out in Bikini Bottom for 22 minutes. You know, it's like the bar in "Cheers," you know. People go, oh, I'd like to go there and hang out with those people, including Squidward. I think-- I think I could get through to him.

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