Two old episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants have been pulled from rotation over concerns that the content of each could cause upset.
According to IGN, the episodes 'Mid-Life Crustacean' and 'Kwarantined Krab' are no longer available to stream or Paramount+ or purchase digitally via services like Amazon.
'Kwarantined Krab', from the more recent season 12 of the animated show, was pulled over concerns that the plot was a little too similar to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In it, a health inspector visits the Krusty Krab and quarantines all patrons within the restaurant when he discovers a case of "Clam Flu".
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"The 'Kwarantined Crab' centers on a virus storyline, so we have decided to not air it due to sensitivities surrounding the global, real-world pandemic," a representative from Nickelodeon explained to IGN.
Reddit users have claimed that 'Kwarantined Krab' wasn't included on the recently-released Complete Season 12 DVD, although an English dub of the episode is circulating online, implying that it aired somewhere. Nickelodeon wouldn't comment on when or where the episode might have been broadcast.
'Mid-Life Crustacean' is a much older episode from 2003 in which SpongeBob and Patrick attempt to make Mr. Krabs feel young again by giving him a fun night out. Nickelodeon has stressed this episode has been out of rotation since 2018 following a "standards review" in which it was determined certain story elements weren't deemed "kid-appropriate". It had been available to purchase digitally until more recently, however.
IGN asked which scene in the episode might have caused it to be deemed inappropriate for children, but Nickelodeon wouldn't comment. It's believed that the biggest issue from the episode is most likely the scene in which SpongeBob, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs go on a "panty raid", which is to say they break into a woman's house to steal her underwear.
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This wouldn't be the first time a streaming service or company has addressed potentially problematic content, of course. TV shows like Scrubs and Community have pulled scenes involving blackface, while Disney+ puts a content warning on a lot of its more dated movies.
Featured Image Credit: Nickelodeon