Two ‘SpongeBob’ episodes pulled
Nickelodeon pulled the episodes for insensitivity, appropriateness.
Two episodes of the animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants” have been removed from the Nickelodeon cable network — one because of sensitivity related to the pandemic and another for not being “kid-appropriate,” the network said Tuesday.
The cartoon, which debuted in 1999 on Nickelodeon, follows the underwater misadventures of a talking yellow sea sponge named SpongeBob, who works at a fast-food restaurant, and his starfish buddy Patrick and other aquatic friends.
One episode, titled “Kwarantined Crab,” centers on a virus storyline, David Bittler, a spokesman for Nickelodeon, said on Tuesday. The episode features a health inspector who visits the fast-food restaurant where the main character works and finds a case of the “clam flu.”
The episode “was never put on the schedule to be sensitive to the pandemic outbreak last year,” Bittler said Tuesday.
Another episode, “MidLife Crustacean,” was removed from rotation on the network in 2018 “following a standards review in which we determined some story elements were not kid-appropriate,” Bittler said. That episode followed another character, Mr. Krabs, the owner of the fast-food place, who is feeling old and asks SpongeBob and Patrick if he can join them on a wild night out, according to IMDb.com. The trio breaks into a woman’s house and takes her underwear. CNN reported on the removal of
the episodes Tuesday. The “Mid-Life Crustacean” episode is also no longer on Amazon.
Ariana to make Grande entrance on ‘The Voice’
Ariana Grande is the newest pop star to take a seat on NBC’s singing competition “The Voice.”
The 27-year-old, who announced in December that she is engaged to real-estate agent Dalton Gomez, said in a statement via NBC that she has been “a huge fan of the show for such a long time.”
Grande will replace Nick Jonas, who was part of “The Voice” team in season 18 and appears in the current season 20, which is now in the middle of the “Battle Rounds” portion of the competition. Blake Shelton is the lone coach remaining from the show’s original panel 10 years ago, while Kelly Clarkson and John Legend took their
seats more recently.
Previous coaches have included Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams, Gwen Stefani and Cee-Lo Green, while the likes of Miley Cyrus, Shakira, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Michael Buble and more have appeared as advisers and judges. “We were thrilled to learn that she is a true fan of ‘ The Voice’ and know that this enthusiasm will
add to her impact as a dynamic coach,” said Jenny Groom, executive vice president of unscripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, in a statement Tuesday.
Grande said in her statement that she “can’t wait to go head-to-head with the incredible coaches, get to know these new artists and help to take their craft to the next level.”