Aaron Springer

[hasfarr]

I've seen a lot of hate against Aaron Springer in recent topics, especially for recent episodes like "Squidward's School for Grown-Ups" and "Curse of the Hex". In the more recent episodes he has written and story-boarded, we see Squidward get more abused than usual, more gross-out gags, SpongeBob's cheeks bulging out, and his nose deflating whenever he gets sad.


However, when I look back at his filmography, he's also written some great episodes too. Think "F.U.N.", "Band Geeks", and "Krusty Krab Training Video".

So, what I don't understand is how his writing style has changed in contrast to some of the previous episodes he's written. To me, it seems like his writing took a huge dive in Season 6 (the worst, IMO), with such episodes as "Penny Foolish" and "Boating Buddies". which showed some of the traits I've described above.


So, what do YOU think? Can he still write better episodes, or has his writing failed for good?

 

[DirtyDan]

I don't think he can write better episodes, because I don't think Spongebob can have better episodes... It's sad to see his writing taking such a dive... But it's sad to see the whole show take such a dive. Looking at the (newer) episodes he's written, there were a few in there I kinda liked, (Krusty Dogs, Wreck of Mauna Loa, New Fish in Town)

He's also written a lot of season 7 episodes which I haven't seen... So maybe I'm not the best judge...

 

[JCM]

I don't know enough about the writers to properly judge them, but if the same person that wrote Band Geeks wrote Penny Foolish, I agree that something very fishy is going on.

 

[hasfarr]

Maybe there are TWO Aaron Springers!

 

[DadMom AngryPants]

Though I have used Aaron Springer to vent about my frustrations lately, I really think it's down to writing teams rather than individual writers. If you get the right combination of people, something just clicks. Pair a great writer (like Springer) with a lesser writer, and it's a lot more difficult.

I do feel sorry for the post-movie writers sometimes. Imagine having to come up with something fresh and funny day in, day out, to a strict deadline. They are under a lot of pressure to churn out those episodes and it's been non-stop for years. Unlike a lot of other shows, Spongebob doesn't have a conventional "season", so they never get a break. Episode after episode after episode - and all people do is critizise (yes, even I, a die-hard fan, am guilty of this).

 

[DirtyDan]

I don't know enough about the writers to properly judge them, but if the same person that wrote Band Geeks wrote Penny Foolish, I agree that something very fishy is going on.

Don't forget Dear Vikings...

 

[Steel_Sponge]

I have to say, he's definately better as a writer than a storyboard artist, even though his episodes can be bland sometimes.

 

[hasfarr]

I don't know what got into him that his storyboarding started getting worse. I mean, the weird character traits that are shown in recent episodes weren't used in Seasons 1-5.

 

[SBRoxMan]

It might not completely be his fault. Many people believe that the pre-movie writers were good, and the post-movie writers.... not so. Let's not forget he doesn't write the episodes on his own, when you team up with better writers, the episode will be better, when you team up with writers that don't have that skill, the episode will still be worse, even with one of the older writers.

 

[DJ Sponge]

I don't blame Aaron Springer - he's been there since the golden age. Even if his quality has diminished, I mainly blame the Nickelodeon bigwigs continuing to water down and Bieberify their shows. I don't care if it's nostalgia talking, there's no way those old episodes would get made now, those conservative suit-ups would shoot it down in seconds.

 

[similemetaphor]

Don't forget Dear Vikings...

And Boating Buddies...

 

[hasfarr]

I don't blame Aaron Springer - he's been there since the golden age. Even if his quality has diminished, I mainly blame the Nickelodeon bigwigs continuing to water down and Bieberify their shows. I don't care if it's nostalgia talking, there's no way those old episodes would get made now, those conservative suit-ups would shoot it down in seconds.

Yeah, but what I don't get is that it was STILL largely as popular as when it wasn't "Bieberfied", and yet they took another turn and decided to make it even more kiddy.

 

[Piper]

I love Aaron Springer!! D:

 

[similemetaphor]

^Even though he has made Dear Vikins, and *gulp* Boating Buddies. Worst two episodes.

 

[Perry The Platypus]

I do not hate him, despite that episode...but i agree with the above poster, and besides, i love Penny Foolish

 

[hasfarr]

Remember - he wrote BAND GEEKS!

 

[Jibbix]

Though I have used Aaron Springer to vent about my frustrations lately, I really think it's down to writing teams rather than individual writers. If you get the right combination of people, something just clicks. Pair a great writer (like Springer) with a lesser writer, and it's a lot more difficult.

Huh. I've always wondered about this. The same team that wrote "Dear Vikings" (Springer himself and Dani Michaeli) which is almost universally hated, wrote "Drive Thru", which is regarded as an excellent episode. The sense this makes is equal to none. I think that Aaron just went weird one day. If you look at his first Post-Movie episode (Have You Seen This Snail?) written with Paul Tibbit, it's a pretty great and wholesome episode.

Fast-forward two seasons, and Spongebob V.S The Big One, written with the same two writers (and Steven Banks, but he's not enough to make a whole episode weird) features all the weird character traits that Season 6 is known for, even though it's still good. It really seemed to have started after House Fancy. Springer's final Season 5 episode is great (Banned In Bikini Bottom), and while House Fancy does feature the start of the trademark "Season 6 weirdo Spongebob and gore too" it's not overdone. Skip past Penny Foolish, and you've got Boating Buddies. Ugh. Yeah, I really don't know what's wrong with Mr. Springer.

Also, Aaron was only a storyboard artist for Season 1, guys. The big cheeks and stuff is just the storyboard artist assigned to his episodes. I think it's Sean Charmatz.

 

[similemetaphor]

And Boating Buddies... >_>

I still haven't changed my mind. >_>

 

[The Purple Jigglypuff]

aubrin springer pwns you all he wrote bandgeeks

 

[PatStar2000]

I think Aaron Springer just ran out of ideas. He wrote Band Geeks, which, by fans, is one of the best episodes in SpongeBob's history. He wrote some great episodes in the post-movie seasons, but I think he just messed up one day. Sure he is part of SpongeBob's hideous cheek design, and his plots for episodes can occasionally be stupid, he's not BAD, at least to me.