A young boy in Brooklyn, New York stunned his mother after he accidentally bought $2,600 worth of SpongeBob popsicles. The famed cartoon sponge is the creation of the late Stephen Hillenburg, who based the character on an educational book about undersea life that he was writing for children in 1989. Officially known today as SpongeBob SquarePants, the series is currently in its thirteenth season on Nickelodeon.
Ever since its first season aired in 1999, SpongeBob has become a global phenomenon. The character, with his unmistakeable appearance and voice, has proven hard to resist for children and adults alike. And although SpongeBob SquarePants is only the fifth longest-running American animated series of all time, its ongoing popularity has allowed it to be adapted into three feature films. Considering that The Simpsons (the current longest-running American animated series) has nearly tripled the amount of time on TV that SpongeBob has, yet has still only given fans one feature film, Nickelodeon’s handling of the IP has been impressive. What’s more is, the series has created a host of other beloved characters, allowing for spinoffs that delve deeper into the day to day life of the franchise’s loveable underwater world.
But while Spongebob SquarePants has no shortage of devoted fans, sometimes that dedication can have some unexpected results. This, as The New York Post reports, was the case with 4-year-old Noah Bryant, a Brooklyn, NY resident who managed to order $2,618.85 worth of Spongebob popsicles from Amazon and have them sent to his Aunt’s house. The order, which amounts to 51 cases containing 918 Spongebob shaped popsicles, came as a considerable shock to his mother when she also discovered that Amazon would not refund the purchase. A GoFundMe has since been set up for Jennifer Bryant, and as of this writing, generous donations have amounted to $5,745.
The SpongeBob popsicles are a favorite for many, and mix fruit punch and cotton candy flavors. It’s hard to say exactly how long it will take Noah to eat 918 of the frozen treats, but he does have two siblings to share them with. The cost of the surprise purchase has been taken care of, however, the storage of the popsicles could be the next most challenging step. Jennifer Bryant does seem to have a helpful network of friends and family, though, and she has already stated that the additional financial donations will go toward “education and additional supports” for Noah, who is living with autism spectrum disorder.
If there’s one lesson that can be learned from this entire fiasco, it’s that SpongeBob SquarePants’ allure knows no bounds. Whether his fans are adults or 4-year-old children, the famed animated character can be just as desirable as a frozen snack as he is to watch on TV. This isn’t to say that fans should order hundreds of popsicles that bare his image, but there’s sure to be more than a few SpongeBob devotees out there who understand Noah’s actions.
Source: The New York Post