A terrifying reference to the viral horror story 'Squidward's Suicide' aired on 'SpongeBob SquarePants' this week
- Fans of the show "SpongeBob SquarePants" noticed that Saturday's episode "RandomLand" featured a terrifying cameo from an internet meme that started with a "creepypasta" called "Squidward's Suicide."
- A creepypasta is a horror-related image or story that gets copied and pasted (hence, "pasta") around the internet. "Squidward's Suicide" is one of the most well-known.
- The original story involves the character Squidward Tentacles committing suicide, and it spawned fan videos and a meme of a black-and-white image of Squidward with glowing red eyes that drip black tears.
- The "SpongeBob" animators clearly drew inspiration from the viral image, as well as the story, which takes place in Squidward's bedroom with a screaming sound. All three elements were in the short clip in "RandomLand," which showed Squidward opening doors to see alternate versions of himself.
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Fans of internet horror were stunned to see a clip from the latest episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants" that depicts the "Squidward's Suicide" meme from the classic "creepypasta" of the same name.
Even for those who aren't familiar with the internet urban legend, the scene from the episode that aired Saturday, titled "RandomLand," is nightmare fuel. The plot follows SpongeBob and Squidward as they explore a town that doesn't adhere to the rules of logic, and at one point, a row of doors appear. Squidward starts opening doors at random to reveal alternate, creepy versions of himself.
The first alternate Squidwards have goofy, gross oversized features, and a laugh track plays behind them. But behind the third door, Squidward's bedroom from inside his Easter Island head home appears. Then, the screen cuts to static, and a terrifying depiction of Squidward with hyper-realistic red eyes and black tears. A scream is heard in the background, and Squidward slams the door.
I can not believe this. They actually did it! pic.twitter.com/MahUnK1sCe
— Egg (@surrealegg) September 21, 2019
The scene is a direct reference to "Squidward's Suicide," one of the most popular creepypasta stories that has spawned its own memes. A creepypasta is an online horror legend, often involving photo and video manipulations, that gets copied and pasted (in meme-speak, "pasted" becomes "pasta") in forums and on social media.
Creepypasta's hey-day has subsided, but it gave rise to a few mainstream internet culture fixtures, including the Slenderman, which has since resulted in a feature film, a viral video game, and a real-life criminal case involving two 12-year-olds stabbing their friend in hopes of summoning the fictional creature.
The suicidal Squidward cameo is undoubtedly based on the creepypasta story. The image matches the description in the original text better than even the fan-made meme does. There are three consistent elements – Squidward's eerie, black-and-white face with red eyes and black tears, Squidward's bedroom in the background, and the scream that can be heard.
"Squidward's Suicide" has existed online since at least 2012, with YouTube videos depicting the story dating back seven years. The webpage on the Creepypasta Wiki became active again over the weekend, with comments like "we did it bois" and "I bet whoever wrote this is probably the happiest person alive right now."
Why the "SpongeBob" animators chose to incorporate the meme is unclear. The show's original target audience has grown up, but it's still predominantly marketed towards children, and the inclusion of the scary Squidward is pretty dark – especially considering its source material, which contains graphic descriptions of murdered children.
Nickelodeon representatives didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.