A virus-themed episode of Spongebob Squarepants has been pulled from broadcasting amid the ongoing pandemic.
An episode of the Nickelodeon cartoon – titled “Kwarantined Crab” – will not air “due to sensitives surrounding the global, real world pandemic”, the network’s executive vice president of communications David Bittler told NBC News.
The season 12 episode is set at the Krusty Krab, the fast-food restaurant where Spongebob works, when a health inspector informs workers and customers that they have found a case of “Clam Flu” present and, therefore, will all have to quarantine in the restaurant, causing panic.
As well as “Kwarantined Crab”, another episode – titled “Mid-Life Crustacean” – was previously pulled from broadcasting, having not aired since 2018.
In the season three episode, Mr Krab feels deflated about ageing and wants a night on the town with Spongebob and Patrick. The trio attempt to steal a woman’s underwear by breaking into her house – the woman turns out to be Mr Krab’s mother.
The episode was pulled “following a standards review in which we determined some story elements were not kid-appropriate”, Bittler told NBC.
Earlier this week, Scholastic announced its decision to remove the 2010 graphic novel The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey, due to its “passive racism”.
