The Campfire Episode
The Camping Episode is an episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It is the second part of the 17th episode of the third season, and the second half of the 57th episode overall. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 3rd, 2004. It was written by Jay Lender, Sam Henderson, and Marriweather Williams. The animation was directed by Derek Drymon. “The Camping Episode" follows Squidward, who plans a quiet weekend of alone time away from his neighbors Spongebob and Patrick, who decided to go camping. However, his weekend plans are interrupted by Spongebob and Patrick when they decide to go camping in front of Squidward’s window. The episode received widespread acclaim, with Tom Kenny mentioning this episode as his fourth favorite SpongeBob episode ever.
Plot[edit]
Squidward is in his room preparing for bed, before diving into his book excitedly glances at the calendar. Squidward is looking forward to a week away from Spongebob, who has gone camping with Patrick for the weekend. However, his excitement quickly turns to massive disappointment when he hears the familiar giggles of his neighbors and finds the pair in tents just a few feet from Spongebob’s house. Spongebob tells Squidward that camping can be done anywhere as long as you’re outside and tells him to have fun inside. Squidward takes this harmless remark as a challenge, believing that Spongebob and Patrick don’t think he has what it takes to camp out in the wilderness for the night.
The trio prepares for dinner now and Spongebob and Patrick are in full astronaut mode eating marshmallows while squidward is showing off his Swedish Barnacle Balls, but when he tries to go back inside to his forgotten can opener, Spongebob and Patrick scold him for not fitting the camping spirit and he reluctantly sits down for marshmallows, patrick blows multiple flaming marshmallows into his face.
Spongebob declares it’s time for campfire songs and he sings the ‘Campfire Song Song’ for his friends, Patrick is amused by the show but squidward is displeased and plays a horrible rendition of ‘Kumbayah’ on his clarinet. Squidward lashes out at spongebob, telling him Sea bears aren’t real, but spongebob and Patrick have their evidence prepared and show him multiple newspapers and magazines. Squidward pretends to believe them and takes a list of everything that Sea bears are afraid of (wearing a sombrero, waving a flashlight, eating cubed cheese, wearing a hoop skirt, and wearing clown shoes.) Squidward disappears and quickly reappears doing all the things spongebob and patrick had just warned him of. After seeing the Sea bear hasn't arrived he begins to gloat at spongebob and patrick who are cowering in their Sea bear protection circle. When squidward asks when the sea bear hasn't come spongebob suggests it might because his sombrero isn’t being worn in a goofy fashion, and at that moment an arm reaches on screen to correct squidward's hat, putting it in a goofy fashion, the arm belonged to a real life sea bear. The bear mauls squidward off screen and when it leaves Spongebob and Patrick urge Squidward to get in their protective circle. Squidward finally leaps into his neighbors protection circle, when the sea bear appears he growls and squidward, who is now in a protection circle, and leaves.
The trio happily celebrate saving Squidward's life as Spongebob breathes a sigh of relief that there was no Sea rhinoceros, Squidward asks what attracts a sea rhino to which Patrick replies, ‘the sound of a sea bear attack.’ As a sea rhino rolls up to the group Patrick and Spongebob remain calm as they assure themselves they're all wearing their Sea Rhinoceros under pants, which Squidward of course, is not.
Impact[edit]
- “The Campfire Song Song” is performed in the famous “The Camping Episode” from season 3 episode 17b of Spongebob Squarepants. This show has reached people everywhere. “The show is aimed at children in the 2–11 age group, and it is the top-rated children's show on network and cable in that particular market. However, a variety of audiences are attracted to the show” (Rice 1, Maughan 25). Nickelodeon airs the show at 11:30pm, wanting to target an older crowd. Some studies report that nearly a third of SB's audience is 18 years of age or older (Rice 1, Armstrong 44).
- “The Campfire Song Song,” has even made an appearance in a Family Guy episode, “Road to Rupert.”
- “Spongebob Squarepants has also reached Famous and vocal fans of the show include Bruce Willis, Jerry Lewis, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Dr. Dre, and Sigourney Weaver” (Rice 1).
- The show also reaches fans through selling merchandise. “During 2002, the Spongebob franchise had generated over $750 million in merchandise alone” (Rice 1, Elkin S4).
- With this particular episode which includes “The Campfire Song Song” which has even made an appearance in a Family Guy episode, “Road to Rupert.”
- Countless youtube videos are created surrounding this episode, including one using puppets to perform the song that has over 2.5 million views.
Reception[edit]
- "The Camping Episode" was ranked #7 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.
- This episode is number 4 on The Tom Kenny Collection on iTunes and Amazon.com. His description says:
- "I always laugh even though I know the sea bear attacks are coming. By the way, SpongeBob singing the ever-accelerating verses of "The Campfire SONG Song" is NOT artificially sped up. (People always ask about that!)"
- "The Camping Episode" was ranked #22 during the SpongeBob's Top 100 event in the UK and Ireland from June 4-8, 2012.
- The episode has a 9.1/10 on IMDB
References[edit]
Rice, J. L. (2009) “Spongebob Squarepants: Pop Culture Tsunami or More?,” Journal of Popular Culture, 42(6), pp. 1092–1092.
Novandini, H., 2020. The violation of politeness principles used by the characters in Spongebob Squarepants cartoon. [online] Digilib.uinsby.ac.id. Available at: <http://digilib.uinsby.ac.id/41848/3/Saraswati%20Henuk%20Novandini%20_%20A73215070.pdf> [Accessed 29 September 2021].
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