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Journalism of Courage
Tom Kenny, the voice behind SpongeBob SquarePants, has revealed a touching insight about the beloved animation character. Asked if SpongeBob was autistic, Kenny did not just affirm the notion but celebrated it, dubbing the character’s autism as his “superpower”.
A viral clip of Kenny saying so at the 2024 Motor City Comic Con in Detroit, Michigan, has melted hearts across social media. Sitting on the panel, he said, “SpongeBob’s kind of on the spectrum too as a character.”
“It was the first time I’d ever been asked this question—a person who was obviously on the (autism) spectrum came up to me and said, ‘I have a question for you, Tom Kenny. Is SpongeBob autistic?” he explained at the convention.
“ ‘Of course!’ I said, ‘You know what? That’s his superpower, the same way that’s your superpower.”
The crowd erupted in cheers and claps. Tom Kenny has been the iconic voice of SpongeBob SquarePants since the show’s debut in 1999 and has embraced the idea that the quirky sea sponge is neurodivergent, a person whose brain processes information in a way not typical of most people.
Watch the video below:
An X user commented, “This is why Tom Kenny is the best!.” Another user said, “I can finally relate to SpongeBob.” A third user wrote, “No wonder I liked SpongeBob so much we got a CONNECTION.” Yet another user reacted, “HELL YA LET’S GOOOOOOO.”
