Voice actor for SpongeBob Squarepants Tom Kenny has suggested that the popular cartoon character is neurodivergent.
During a panel at the 2024 Motor City Comic Con in Detroit, where he was a guest, a fan on the spectrum asked whether SpongeBob is autistic.
“SpongeBob’s kind of on the spectrum too as a character,” Kenny stated in the clip.
“It was the first time I’d ever been asked this question – a person who was obviously on the spectrum came up to me and said, ‘I have a question for you, Tom Kenny. Is SpongeBob autistic?’”
“‘Yes! Of course!’” Kenny recalled answering the fan. “Of course he is,” he stated.
Tom Kenny responds to claim if SpongeBob is autistic:
“Yes, of course he is! That’s his superpower the way your superpower is.” pic.twitter.com/dkAWkw2bRR
— ToonHive (@ToonHive) July 23, 2024
“‘You know what? That’s his superpower, the same way it’s your superpower,’” he continued.
His response was met with enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience.
While Kenny’s recent comments on the matter have gone viral, this isn’t the first time the voice actor has addressed the character’s neurodivergent traits.”
In Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast episode back in 20122, Kenny previously stated, “I don’t know what there is in that show that talks to kids that are on the autism spectrum, but more than cartoons… because SpongeBob as a character is a little autistic. Obsessed with his job, very hardworking, gets really really deep into something.”
The voice actor received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program back in 2018 and 2020 for his work on SpongeBob.
Apart from voicing the famous character, he has also lent his voice in other projects such as Ice King in “Adventure Time” and its spinoff “Fionna and Cake”, the Narrator and Mayor in “The Powerpuff Girls,” Carl Chryniszzswics in “Johnny Bravo” and Spyro from The “Spyro” video game series.
SpongeBob is a well-loved character who has remained popular over the years, and it’s nice to know that he represents people on the spectrum.
The character, created by Stephen Hillenburg, made his debut in 1999 and quickly became an iconic figure in animation. The series follows SpongeBob, an optimistic and hardworking sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea in Bikini Bottom. With his cheerful personality and whimsical adventures, SpongeBob has charmed audiences of all ages and continues to be a beloved symbol of joy and resilience.
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