| SpongeBob SquarePants episode | |
| "Sailor Mouth" | |
| Season no.: | 2 |
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| Episode no.: | 38a |
| Airdate: | September 21, 2001 |
| Credits | |
| Writer(s): | Walt Dohrn Paul Tibbitt Merriwether Williams |
| Episode List Select show to expand. |
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"Sailor Mouth" is the thirty-eighth episode of the second season of SpongeBob SquarePants. It first aired on Nickelodeon on September 21, 2001. In the episode, SpongeBob and Patrick discover graffiti scribbled on the dumpster of the Krusty Krab. Patrick explains that this "word" is a "sentence enhancer" used by people who want to talk fancy. The next day, SpongeBob and Patrick begin saying the word more often, much to the offense and shock of the Krusty Krab patrons. Mr. Krabs then tells SpongeBob and Patrick that the "word" is actually a "bad word". SpongeBob and Patrick promise Mr. Krabs they will never utter the word again, but it is not long before they both slip up and say it again.[1]
This episode marks the introduction of Mr. Krabs' mother, Mama Krabs, who is voiced by former SpongeBob SquarePants creative producer and current executive producer Paul Tibbitt.[2][3][4] Tibbitt later reprised his role in the third season episode "Mid-Life Crustacean", but, for reasons unknown, was replaced by SpongeBob SquarePants cast member Sirena Irwin for the episode Enemy In-Law and each of Mrs. Krabs' subsequent appearances. The scene where SpongeBob and Patrick play a game of "Eels and Escalators" was difficult for the crew to animate, since many shots featured certain board pieces changing location.[2]
The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics, while various members of the SpongeBob SquarePants crew consider this episode to be one of their favorites, mainly due to the satirical nature of the episode.[2] However, the episode was not immune to negative reception, and was criticized by watchdog media group the Parents Television Council, who interpreted the episode as an example of promoting and implicitly satirizing use of profanity towards children. The episode had an average of 8.7 million views.
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SpongeBob and Patrick discover a word scribbled on the Krusty Krab dumpster (the word is found in the sentence "Krabs is a..."). Throughout the episode the word is only heard as a dolphin sound. Although SpongeBob is unsure of its meaning, Patrick assures him that it is a good word to use and will make them sound "fancy". The two repeat the word incessantly throughout the Krusty Krab, including over the loudspeaker, offending many of the Krusty Krab patrons. The two regret their utterings after Mr. Krabs informs them that the word is a bad word, being number eleven in a list of thirteen bad words total (based on George Carlin's Seven dirty words monologue, which Squidward points out when he says that there are only 7, but Mr. Krabs says that a sailor has thirteen bad words).
Later, SpongeBob challenges Patrick to a game of "Eels and Escalators" (based on Snakes and Ladders) but is unable to beat him in the game. When SpongeBob loses (although he got escalators and it turned over to eels), he gets angry, and accidentally says the word again. Shocked, Patrick runs to tell Mr. Krabs, with SpongeBob following. Patrick accidentally says the word again, and SpongeBob now intends on telling on Patrick. When Mr. Krabs hears them both say the word, as punishment, they have to paint the Krusty Krab, but Mr. Krabs stubs his foot on a stone and shouts all thirteen bad words in pain. SpongeBob and Patrick go to tell Mr. Krabs' mother.
When they get there, all three begin tattling on one another to Mama Krabs. They create a constant stream of profanity by saying the word along with some new ones. Mama Krabs, overwhelmed by the barrage of expletives, faints and falls to the ground. Mr. Krabs weeps while holding his mother in his arms (And pulling money out of her pocket) and reprimands SpongeBob and Patrick for causing her to faint. After regaining consciousness, Mama Krabs reprimands the group, "If you're going to talk like sailors, then you're going to work like sailors," and puts all three to work painting her house. While watching them paint, Mama Krabs stubs her foot on a rock as Mr. Krabs did, and as she begins yelling out in pain, an old-fashioned car horn sound is heard over part of her shouting. The three look at Mama Krabs in shock thinking that she is using one of the bad words. However, they all begin to laugh when they discover that Old Man Jenkins was honking the horn of his old jalopy, which happened to correspond exactly with her outburst, revealing that the sound the audience heard was not censoring the word; instead, it was all they heard too during the episode. However, this also raises questions as to why the multiple "bad word" sound effects are not regularly considered bad; most of the "thirteen bad words", such as the dolphin chirp, foghorn sounds, seagull squawks, and the seal bark are heard as sound effects throughout the entire series which nobody appears to be offended by (though in other episodes, they are not covering up bad words).
Erik Wiese, a member of the SpongeBob SquarePants crew, considers "Sailor Mouth" to be his favorite episode, mainly due to its random and satirical nature, saying "Sometimes SpongeBob just catches me off-guard."[2]
"Simply, the group goofed by citing an episode of the cartoon series called "Sailor Mouth" as a touch-point for bad language. [...] Here's the funny thing: The episode is all about the perils of using bad language. It follows along as SpongeBob begins innocently tossing bad words into his sentences. Those words are never heard, ever, and are replaced with more dolphin sounds than you'll get in a day at Sea World. By the end of the show, SpongeBob and his friend Patrick learn why bad words are, well, bad, and they vow not to use them again. [...] The PTC, of course, saw fit to use this positive episode as a negative. The group's media release claimed the dolphin sounds represent the F-bomb and a word for buttocks. Those words do not exist in the episode - and are only created in the minds of adults or young folks exposed to such language in the schoolyard or, dare I say, at home."
In a report titled Wolves in Sheep's Clothing,[6] which documents the increase in potentially violent, profane, and sexual content in children's programming, the Parent's Television Council, a watchdog media group, believed the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Sailor Mouth" was an implicit attempt to promote and satirize use of profanity among children. The episode originally aired during the 2001–2002 television season, ironically the season in which the PTC named SpongeBob SquarePants among the best programs on cable television,[7] but the report cited a repeat broadcast of the episode from 2005 to prove its point that it promoted use of profanity among children.[6] In a later report, several members of the PTC listed "Sailor Mouth" as an example of how levels of profane, sexual, and violent activity has increased in children's television programming.[8] Richard Huff of the New York Daily News criticized the report for misinterpreting an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, "Sailor Mouth", over its intent to satirize profanity implicitly.[5] According to the Season 2 DVD commentary, it was planned to have a scene that had SpongeBob saying "Go 'dolphin noise' yourself" followed by Patrick saying "'Dolphin noise' you too!" during the Eels and Escalators Game. It was cut because it would have been inappropriate for the younger audience.
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