New York – Two episodes of Sponge Bob they will no longer be available on Paramount + and Amazon due to inappropriate content.
One of the episodes of season 12, Kwarantined Crab –still without a title in Spanish–, it has a virus as its plot. “We decided not to air it due to sensitivities around the real world global pandemic,” a Nickelodeon spokesperson told Citizen Free Press Business.
In the episode, a health inspector arrives at the Krusty Krab restaurant and comes across a case of “clam flu.” After this discovery, the health inspector quarantines the clients and the characters become nervous. Those who are supposed to have the virus are rejected and put in a freezer.
The elimination of the episode comes in the context of growing anti-Asian violence in the United States. The storyline of the episode reflects the feelings of increased isolation and hatred that many Asian communities have experienced since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The World Health Organization has urged people to avoid terms like “Chinese virus” as it can generate a backlash against people of Asian descent.; however, former US President Donald Trump repeatedly ignored such requests.
Another episode titled Mature crustacean It has been out of broadcast since 2018. In it, SpongeBob, Patrick and Mr. Krabs break into a woman’s house and steal her underwear. “We determined that some elements of the story were inappropriate for children,” the Nickelodeon spokesperson said.