Vey Intriguing article about the first Spongebob Movie

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so, literally 12 days before the first movies original release, this news article came out talking about some of the hardships working on the movie. you guys can check out the full article, but im gonna quote here what i think is the most interesing part of the whole article:

[The wave of merchandise, meanwhile, continues to swell, the Internet abounding with accusations that Nickelodeon is trying to squeeze ever more cash from this particular sponge. Julia Pistor, the film's co-producer and the chief liaison between the "SpongeBob" crew and the studio, conceded that the company has a strong desire to sell backpacks, lunchboxes, wristwatches and anything else that can profitably accommodate the images of SpongeBob and Patrick. But she insisted that Nickelodeon, which owns the SpongeBob trademark, also respects Mr. Hillenburg's integrity and gives him veto power over merchandising.

Mr. Hillenburg has no problem with candy and ice cream tie-ins, Ms. Pistor said, because candy and ice cream are central to kids' existence - and besides, no one's trying to pass them off as anything but gargantuan loads of sugar and fat. But Mr. Hillenburg does have issues with fast food, which is full of hidden additives. "The trouble is that you can't go out with animated films without a fast-food tie-in," Ms. Pistor said. "People don't take you seriously." And "SpongeBob SquarePants" seems especially conducive to fast food. Think of being able to buy Krabby Patties! Or fish sticks in the shape of your favorite Bikini Bottom characters!

Mr. Hillenburg said, evenly: "Yeah, well, my take on that is that we shouldn't do that. In the show, the whole point of the fast food - the fact that SpongeBob loves being part of the fast-food chain, and that being a manager is his ultimate dream: it's ironic. It's something that most people don't think is a great thing to try to achieve. And we didn't want to suddenly become the people serving up food that's not that good for you - especially kids. We work with Burger King, and they make toys and watches. But to actually take the step of pushing the food, that's crossing the line. I don't want to be the Pied Piper of fast food."

Sherm Cohen, the movie's co-director, has drawn many of the SpongeBob-related commercials including a forthcoming movie tie-in for Burger King. "Stephen has a firm rule that SpongeBob can't interact with the product," Mr. Cohen said.

"At one point in one of the new commercials," he continued, "SpongeBob fries his burgers on a grill, which is the antithesis of the Burger King method, which is flame-broiling. And they actually said, 'We need to change this and have SpongeBob cooking on a flame broiler.' And Steve just said: 'No. Take it or leave it. If you want the toys, that's what SpongeBob uses.' "

Target had proposed the slogan "It's Hip to Be Square," to be accompanied by the Huey Lewis song for a line of SpongeBob merchandise. "Stephen said, 'SpongeBob is not about being hip,' " Ms. Pistor said. His alternative, which is being used, was "Dare to Be Square."

When I mentioned to Mr. Hillenburg that I had thumbed through a shopping catalog on the plane to see him and come upon a page of SpongeBob watches and CD players, he winced. "I looked at the same catalog," he said. "And I was like" - he paused and let out a long sigh. "At first it's both weird and flattering, and then after a while you get tired of seeing it. It loses preciousness after a while. One night I was really beat, we worked really late and went to get food at some takeout place. And I leaned over against this gumball machine, just exhausted, and there was a SpongeBob looking back at me. And it's just, like, 'Oh, brother.' "

Mr. Cohen the co-director remembers when the flood of SpongeBob dolls and products began. "I was really excited," he said. "But Stephen looked grim. He said, 'My biggest nightmare is that I'm going to be at the beach one day, and one of these dolls is going to wash up on the shore like garbage.' Being a marine biologist who also surfs, he doesn't want to be responsible for bringing a glut of garbage into the world."]
 

Ihavedahswag

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Wow, that really is an interesting article. I wonder if Stephen still worries about merchandise and the way his character is presented now?
 

EmployeeAMillion

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I can understand why he feels that way. Sure it’s nice to be successful due to your creation, but you’d have to be careful it’s advertised in a way that reflects your beliefs.
 
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EmployeeAMillion said:
I can understand why he feels that way. Sure it’s nice to be successful due to your creation, but you’d have to be careful it’s advertised in a way that reflects your beliefs.
Why the bump?
 
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