Spongebob
SpongeBob has achieved what media theorists term memetic saturation. The character's image, catchphrases, and associated imagery have permeated global internet culture to a degree unprecedented for animated properties. A 2019 study identified SpongeBob-derived memes as constituting approximately twelve percent of all shared image content on major social platforms.
The character transcends generational boundaries: those who watched the premiere in 1999 now share content with their children, creating multi-generational cultural transmission. SpongeBob references require no explanation across demographics from age eight to forty.
Perhaps most significantly, SpongeBob content generates organic propagation without corporate marketing expenditure.
Superman
Superman's cultural presence, whilst historically foundational, has experienced measurable erosion in contemporary relevance metrics. Younger demographics increasingly perceive the character as outdated, with market research indicating preference for more morally ambiguous heroes.
The character's association with American nationalism creates cultural friction in international markets. His earnest morality reads as naive to audiences conditioned by darker superhero narratives. Warner Bros. Discovery's repeated attempts to modernise the character have yielded inconsistent results.
Superman remains recognisable but increasingly culturally static, a monument rather than a living phenomenon.