Sponge-worthy extravaganza

While my older brother may argue that the quality of "SpongeBob SquarePants" has diminished in recent years (you'll have to excuse him, he's kinda grouchy like Squidward), there's no denying that Bikini Bottom’s master fry cook is just as lovable as ever.

In one of those random realizations bound to make you feel really, really old -- yes, even for those "SpongeBob" fans who claim to still be young at heart -- the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon is celebrating 10 years of nautical nonsense this week.

The party starts tonight at 8 p.m. on VH1 with "Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants,” an original documentary that dives into the unique history of the show and its celebrity fans (including President Barack Obama, Johnny Depp, LeBron James and Ricky Gervais). Then it's onto the big guns: Nickelodeon’s 50-hour “Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash Weekend" beginning Friday.

Someone may want to wipe the drool from Adam Reinhard's chin.

Of tonight's feel-good doc, the Washington Post writes: "A frothy spirit comes through in 'Square Roots,' which succeeds because it doesn't get too 'behind-the-scenes' wonky -- no laboring over the analytics of animation's 'squash and stretch' techniques, or long-winded lectures on why SpongeBob is So Very Funny. Fittingly, the hour-long film moves briskly with the in-the-moment attention span of a 12-year-old.

"The old, too-oft-forgotten adage is: 'Try to dissect comedy and it dies on the operating table.' 'Square Roots' comes not to dissect 'SpongeBob's' genius, but merely -- more nobly -- to celebrate it. We get the hilarious images. We get the infectious joy. And we get Tom Kenny's high, squeaky SpongeBob laugh, which warbles joyously over all the wacky proceedings."

Man, we're sooooooo there.

Read more about this week's sponge-worthy celebration here.

-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com