Virtual Reality Jumps the Shark with SpongeBob

Is this the beginning of the Apocalypse? I read last week (sorry it’s late, real life has been all-consuming) that Nickelodeon is expanding its virtual-world portfolio by creating a virtual world around its little yellow cash cow SpongeBob SquarePants.

Why does this make me shudder? The prospect of interacting with SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs and the pufferfish drivers-ed teacher could well induce the kind of virtual-world-induced paranoia a King’s College Institute of Psychiatry (UK) study detected recently.

All I can say is I’m grateful my kiddo is finally legal for Second Life’s Teen Grid. I don’t even mind that he also is fascinated with the Pirates of the Caribbean MMORPG. Maybe this means we can finally give up Toontown? (Just asked him that question. The answer: “Are you kidding? I still have Cogs to kill!” I guess that would be a “no,” then.)

As for SpongeBob, it’s obvious that I’m not the intended demographic target, and I’m glad that our household as a whole no longer considers him spongeworthy. That giggle could peel paint.