So, tell me about your mother...

Studying Freud is nothing short of hilarious. And often times, humiliating. So far, my psychology class and I have concluded that I sold as a "pleasure slave" in my childhood which explains my urge to please my parents combined with my chastity and self-doubt. Yeah, thanks for that one guys.

Well, as part of a bonus assignment, some of us have decided to psychoanalyze popular characters using our understanding of Freud. Here's my analysis of Spongebob Squarepants:

Spongebob suffers from insecurity on many levels. Often seen wearing clean, neat, ironed and otherwise "straight-laced" clothing, the viewer can see that he is constantly seeking approval and is afraid to express himself in even the simplest manner. This need for approval as shown by his clothing can be attributed to his over-bearing mother. We can assume that Spongebob's mother always stressed the importance of appearances in the young sponge, forcing him to seek out the best opinions all his life. His attention to detail also shows a mild case of obsessive compulsive disorder, which is most definitely an attempt to further gain his mother's approval by becoming 'perfect'. This strive for perfection and attachment to his mother ultimately had to drive him away from his father, explaining his (at times) overly feminine qualities.

Many viewers question the reason why Spongebob doesn't engage in a romantic relationship with Sandy, a female. The two are constantly fighting each other in hand-to-hand battles or karate matches. Having a pinned-up frustration and adversity to all strong female figures--such as his boating school teacher, Mrs. Puff, from whom Spongebob also goes through great lengths to please by exhibiting good behavior--these sparring matches serve as a release. There is no clear winner of these fights, showing that Spongebob is afraid to overcome females in general.

Patrick is Spongebob's best friend. But this relationship only serves as an outlet to play out Spongebob's un-lived childhood. Because he wasn't allowed to run about, catch jellyfish and sing songs due to his mother's over-bearingness, he is constantly seen living out these fantasies with Patrick. And because Patrick is borderline mentally challenged, he serves as the perfect subject for this use. This need for an outlet to live out his childhood explains why Spongebob is quick to end any arguments or quarrels the two have.

Whew! And they have that rated as a show for preschoolers... pssssht. Where's my psychology degree?

.:~o*'Kaylyn'*o~:.