SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon, Nicktoons)

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (voiced by Tom Kenny) lives in Bikini Bottom at the floor of the Pacific Ocean. He works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab restaurant and spends his down time with those he considers his two best buddies: a woefully unintelligent-but-lovable sea star named Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), who returns SpongeBob's friendship; and a grouchy, six-tentacled octopus named Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), who doesn't. SpongeBob and Patrick embark on self-misguided adventures that always land them in some sort of absurd situation, but their spirits are never dampened by their off-the-wall predicaments. Nor are they ever put off by the constant ridicule and disdain they encounter from Squidward, who tries to steer clear of their antics but often finds himself in the middle of their messes as they try relentlessly to win his friendship.

He's yellow, porous, and perpetually happy, and he'd likely be called a kitchen sponge more often than a sea sponge, but there's no doubt that SpongeBob is one of the sea's most famous residents. Since the cheery fellow's debut in 1999, his cartoon series has earned a spot at the top of Nickelodeon's ratings chart and maintains a huge fan following that includes kids and adults. The show is sweet, well-intentioned, and full of zany humor and silly scenes that will appeal to many viewers. It also offers plenty of positive message about friendship, hard work, and loyalty.

But some aspects of SpongeBob will leave parents wanting to preview the series before letting their kids watch. Characters often speak sarcastically and act rudely to each other -- and, unlike in real life, no one seems bothered by the mean-spirited things that are said. What's more, situations are often resolved with violence, and the frequent songs sometimes touch on iffy subject matter like bombs and making fun of people. The fast pace of the show might also be a concern for parents, especially for younger kids. Parents also might be put off by SpongeBob's often-annoying personality and his tendency to take jokes too far. While his antics are funny onscreen, kids' SpongeBob imitations will probably drive adults crazy in the real world.