Given SpongeBob SquarePant's over-the-top facial expressions and actions, the meme options are endless. In fact, as of September 2019, Know Your Meme boasted over 4,600 images of the jellyfishing fanatic. "The Simpsons" — the longest-running show on television — only had a little over 1,100.
Matt Schimkowitz, a senior editor at Know Your Meme, told TIME of this phenomenon: "There's no real subtlety in terms of when SpongeBob is happy, or when he is sad, or when he is angry. He just is those things, which makes it easier for people online to use them essentially as emojis and share them to express how they're feeling about a particular subject."
Plus, it helps that SpongeBob is, overall, a beloved staple in pop culture. Aside from a few controversies over the years, such as the inappropriate "panty raid" moment in Season 3, Episode 15 ("Mid-Life Crustacean"), few will react negatively if a SpongeBob meme pops up on their feed — a feat that can't be said about every show.
