 SpongeBob SquarePants has received generally positive reviews from critics , and it has been noted for its appeal towards different age groups . James Poniewozik of Time magazine described the title character as " the anti @-@ Bart Simpson , temperamentally and physically : his head is as squared @-@ off and neat as Bart 's is unruly , and he has a personality to match — conscientious , optimistic and blind to the faults in the world and those around him " . According to Laura Fries of Variety magazine , the series is " a thoughtful and inventive cartoon about a hopelessly optimistic and resilient sea sponge ... Devoid of the double entendres rife in today 's animated TV shows , this is purely kid 's stuff ... However , that 's not to say that SpongeBob is simplistic or even juvenile . It 's charming and whimsical , but clever enough to appeal to teens and college @-@ aged kids , as well " . The New York Times critic Joyce Millman said SpongeBob " is clever without being impenetrable to young viewers and goofy without boring grown @-@ ups to tears . It 's the most charming toon on television , and one of the weirdest . And it 's also good , clean fun , which makes sense because it is , after all , about a sponge " . Millman wrote , " His relentless good cheer would be irritating if he weren 't so darned lovable and his world so excellently strange ... Like Pee @-@ wee 's Playhouse , SpongeBob joyfully dances on the fine line between childhood and adulthood , guilelessness and camp , the warped and the sweet " . 
