Essay about Existentialists in the Television Show...

Children across the world enjoy the television show Spongebob for its loveable characters and humor. The most prominent of these characters is Spongebob Squarepants, a personified sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea, in a town called Bikini Bottom. He spends the majority of his time working as a chef at the Krusty Krab, a fast food restaurant run by a greedy crab named Mr. Krabs. Spongebob’s neighbor and co-worker, Squidward Tentacles, has a very cynical view of life, constantly complaining about Spongebob and praising the clarinet and other arts. Across from Spongebob lives his best friend, Patrick Star, a starfish known for little intelligence and extensive sleeping. Most episodes, he and Spongebob act on a new idea which leads†¦show more content†¦Epicureans avoid pain as much as possible, for they believe that since pleasure should rule one’s life, pain would ruin the contentment. Since squirrels do not belong under water, Sandy constantly wears a protective outfit. When her friends taunt her in the episode â€Å"Pressure,† she takes off her helmet, but she soon realizes that importance lies with safety, not seeming normal to her friends (â€Å"Pressure†). Mr. Krabs stores his money under his mattress, as shown in the episode â€Å"The Lost Mattress,† because he does not trust banks to keep his pressure money safe, and he fears the pain of losing it. While both of the aforementioned characters live as content Epicureans, other characters on the show have a less desirable reality. Existentialism also exists in the show in the form of Squidward and Patrick. Existentialists believe that a God does not exist to create meaning for everyone, so one must create one’s own life meaning. Squidward’s purpose lies in playing the clarinet and other art forms like painting and interpretive dance. Spongebob. Patrick also discovers his life’s meaning in the episode â€Å"Big Fat Loser.† He a ttempts to find a purpose by copying Spongebob’s every move, but he soon realizes that what best suits him is sleeping, his favorite activity. Another characteristic of Existentialism is anxiety, for Existentialists cannot often pursue their interests. In the episode â€Å"Squilliam Returns,† Squidward expresses his