Why is Sponge Bob Sitting in ZiM's Chair?

[JohnCrichton]

Why is SB more popular thant ZiM? I watched it... it's charming.. it's funny, but it's not brilliant that it deserves to be in the "next Ren & Stimpy" spotlight that it's in. The one ZiM deserves to be sitting in.

We all seem to understand that ZiM is jaw droppingly brilliant.... why doesn't everybody else?

Where is ZiM going wrong that it get cancelled and Sponge Bob is top gun?

The show's ton and style remind me alot of Eek the Cat. Are the same people involved?

[Nickdisk]

Originally posted by JohnCrichton

Where is ZiM going wrong that it get cancelled and Sponge Bob is top gun?

from what i've read so far, even though Zim was popular, it was cancelled because it wasnt that popular with kids, just with teens/adults. and it doesnt matter to Nick if it is very popular with teens/adults, because it wasnt popular with kids (their target age range), they cancelled it

[Magentabeams]

I think it is because of all the stuff Nickdisk said. It is not right, if it popular with teens/adults they should have just run it in their stupid teen nick slot and have not cancelled it. As for Sponge Bob I can't stand him. The laugh just annoys me and I think it is overrated.

Sarahanne

[Auro]

Spongebob and Eek the Cat or Zim and Eek? Zim's style is very original and comes from Jhonen Vasquez while Spongebob comes from creator Stephen Hillburg, personally I love both and wish they would recieve equal treatment on Nick. A lot of times Zim is funnier though, it's probably because I'm more in it's age ground then Spongebob

[Mad Scientist]

I agree with Magentabeams 100%.

Ever since SBSP was first released a few years back, I've been wondering why this stupid show is so damn popular, even with the teens and adults! That annoying, nerdy, shape-shifting freak-of-nature doesn't deserve such fame.

[Magentabeams]

Originally posted by Mad Scientist
I agree with Magentabeams 100%.

Ever since SBSP was first released a few years back, I've been wondering why this stupid show is so damn popular, even with the teens and adults! That annoying, nerdy, shape-shifting freak-of-nature doesn't deserve such fame.

Yes, I am no longer the only one who thinks that!


Sarahanne

[VashTheStampede]

The only remotely funny thing on that show is Patrick, everything else I awful IMO

[Yuss]

I think SpongeBob is hilarious. But it definitely does not need the heavy merchandising.

SpongeBob's good on two levels-- for the young kids who can be brainwashed into liking anything by Nickelodeon, and for the older folks who realize WHY it's funny. ZIM really only works on the older crowd level, and that's why NICK's merchandizing SBSP and not ZIM. Nickelodeon's marketing to the little kid crowd who only like it because they tell them to. If SpongeBob was only cute and funny to older kids, it would've been cancelled by NICK and not its creator.

ZIM deserves to be popular just as much, if not more, than SpongeBob, but that's the way the cookie (or whatever) crumbles.

~B+:

[Storm]

I love Spongebob, the show is great. I think is so funny and clever. I really can't get into Zim maybe if someone would explain the premise of the show to me I would enjoy it. I really think Zim should belong on Cartoon Netowork and not Nick. Nick markets only kids. Zim is really a teen (13 and older) show. Well that's just my opinion.

- Stormy

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

This is why I love stores like Hot Topic. Emily the Strange, Invader Zim, Lenore, it's all there.

[Yuss]

Originally posted by storm1288
I really can't get into Zim maybe if someone would explain the premise of the show to me I would enjoy it.

In short: In a race of alien invaders known as Irkens that aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the box, ZIM is the king of not-brightness. After accidentally killing the empire's ruler, then killing the one after that, then ruining the empire's greatest plan yet, ZIM was finally banished from the empire and sent to work at a food court. Years later, he returns for the empire's second greatest plan yet, and demands to be made an elite soldier-- an Invader. Irk's next rulers, Red and Purple, decide to play along, and send him to a "planet" at the very edge of the universe, a planet which they don't even realize exists. It happens to be Earth. ZIM, being a moron, has trouble bringing doom and stuff. He's trigger-happy.

~B+:

[Kuro-Neko]

Originally posted by Magentabeams



Yes, I am no longer the only one who thinks that!


Sarahanne

again you're not alone.I'm not mad about Spongebob either like everybody else is.
Zim deserves FAR more respect than the Sponge!

[Jimmy Kustes]

Ummm...Spongebob is tied with Zim in goodness, but that's my opinion. If you want to take it out on a Nick Toon take it out on something that is made by Klasko-Cuspo-whatever. Even the name is a rip-off (Hanna-Barbera)

[Allen's Nickname.]

First of all, I'd rather watch Zim. I enjoy that dark humor that Zim has more than Spongebob's light, unabashed looneyness. (Not that I don't love Spongebob.) But I think that's why the masses watch Spongebob more. It's light, bouyant, and insane, whereas Zim is dark, somewhat tormented, and insane. Spongebob is an upper. Zim is a downer. (To some extent.)

[JohnCrichton]

Check out the CNX's very own Uber Review of the series.

That'll give ya all ya need to know about Invader ZiM.

[robert]

>Spongebob is an upper. Zim is a downer. (To some extent.)

Exactly. And perhaps ZIM himself is the reason why the younger ones haven't caught on. It's not against him as a funny character, but despite his idiotcy and bumbling he is a rather evil guy, and this is probably the first Nick show to have someone who's technically the villain as the main character. Knowing how Nick works and markets, I'm sure they found it much easier to market a show with a happy, friendly sponge than an evil alien trying to destroy us all. Plus some of the stuff on ZIM isn't quite for the very little ones, which tunes out that all important demographic.
And by the way, it's more easy to blame Klasky Cuspo, not SpongeBob, for ZIM's fate, if you have to blame it on shows. You may not like SpongeBob[and I seem to be one of the few here that do]but the guys who made that didn't make two other shows and plan two spinoffs of their most popular show to utterly clutter the schedule like Rugrats creators Klasky and Cuspo have done. And with all the money they made for Nickelodeon, some shows had to go to make room. But then you can complain that they didn't decide to get rid of the other non Klasky Cuspo shows like SpongeBob, so my point now seems mute.

[Andy Mancini]

Controversial Statement #1: "SpongeBob Squarepants is just a second-rate ripoff of "Rocko's Modern Life". Here's why:

"Every Man" Type Main Character: Rocko and SpongeBob
Well Meaning, But Not Too Bright Friend: Heffer and Patrick
Neighbor Who Hates the Main Character: Mr. Bighead and Squidwerd
Bizzare Pet: Spunky and Gary.

Yes, I know that there are some differences, but when it comes down to it, SpongeBob is just Rocko under the sea.

As far as Zim goes, it's targeted to a completely different audience than SpongeBob is. Expecting everyone in the SpongeBob to watch both shows is like expecting everyone who watches "Law and Order" to also watch "The Shield". It doesn't work that way. The other thing against Zim, (as far as Nick is conerned), is the fact that Zim is groundbreaking and edgy, and Nick doesn't like groundbreaking and edgy. Remember the "Ren and Stimpy" fiasco that made John K quit? Same thing here.

[Elven Moon]

I don't hate Spongebob, but ZIM isn't getting the treatment he deserves. Sure, it's a lot more dark and disturbing, but that doesn't make it bad or undeserving of respect.

You'd think Nick would want to make money from more people - older folk who enjoy ZIM. But I guess we gotta stick with the fluffy, kiddy friendly shows, huh?

[Nickdisk]

Originally posted by Elven Moon
You'd think Nick would want to make money from more people - older folk who enjoy ZIM.

they are.. with all the Zim stuff they sell at hot topic, plus a CD being released later this year, and Zim being in a Nicktoons PC game

[Allen's Nickname.]

Originally posted by dj_gir
Controversial Statement #1: "SpongeBob Squarepants is just a second-rate ripoff of "Rocko's Modern Life". Here's why:

Alot of the Spongebob staff worked on Rocko.