Spongebob is not being canceled

Rumors regarding the cancellation of popular SpongeBob Squarepants have circulated for years. Two recent surges of the rumor have been especially prominent. Today we’ll take a look at recent rumors regarding the cancellation of SpongeBob Squarepants.

Spongebob is not being canceled. 

Let’s take a look at two recent rumors which have made this assertion.

December 2013 – January 2014

The following graphic which claimed the popular series would be canceled on January 28, 2014 was heavily shared on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus in December 2013 and January 2014:

Nickelodeon confirmed in a tweet on December 11, 2013 that the #SaveSpongebob campaign was “Nothing more than a hoax.” The network also confirmed that “We’ve got new episodes in 2014 and the movie coming out 2015.”

SpongeBob Squarepants debuted in 1999 and has generated billions in merchandise and advertising revenue for Nickelodeon. The title character has been voiced by Tom Kenny since its inception. Kenny has also been the subject of various internet hoaxes over the years, including a “death hoax” which circulated in January 2013.

Mid-2014 Rumors

Despite Nick’s denial, and the passing of the rumored January 28, 2014 deadline, rumors of SpongeBob’s alleged cancellation continued to circulate in early and mid-2014.

November 2014 Satire

The lowbrow “satire” website Huzlers posted a story in November 2014 which reported the cancellation of SpongeBob due to legal troubles faced by voice actor Tom Kenny. Huzlers is a self-proclaimed “satirical entertainment” site which publishes false, tabloid-style shocking news. Huzlers encouraged readers to use the hashtag #spongebobcancelled in order to promote their false story.

The Huzlers report is completely untrue.

Google History

As you can see in the Google Trends chart below, rumors of the cancellation of SpongeBob have had several surges over the years, most prominently in December 2013.

Bottom Line

SpongeBob Squarepants is not being canceled, despite a variety of rumors that state otherwise. A SpongeBob movie is currently in the works, slated for release in 2015.