Nature Pants

**Episode** · Transcript · Gallery · Credits

September 25, 1999

 January 4, 2000

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If you were looking for the article about the background music track, then see Ripped Hide.

"**Ripped Pants**" is a *SpongeBob SquarePants*episode from season 1. In this episode, SpongeBobrips his pants, causing everyone to laugh. But after a while, he pushes the joke too far.

### Characters

* French Narrator
* SpongeBob SquarePants
	+ SpongeBob's swim trunks (debut)
* Sandy Cheeks
* Squidward Tentacles (indirectly mentioned)
* Larry the Lobster (debut)
* Snack Bar chef (debut)
* Sports guy (debut)
* Whale (debut)
* Incidentals
	+ Incidental 32 (debut)
	+ Incidental 24 (debut; cameo)
	+ Incidental 16 (debut)
	+ Incidental 17 (debut)
	+ Incidental 15 (debut)
	+ Incidental 5 (debut)
	+ Incidental 23 (debut)
	+ Incidental 14 (debut)
	+ Incidental 4 (debut)
	+ Incidental 7 (debut)
	+ Incidental 22 (debut)
	+ Incidental 2 (debut)
	+ Incidental 34 (debut)
	+ Incidental 29 (debut)
	+ Incidental 6 (debut)
	+ Incidental 31 (debut)
	+ Fred
	+ Incidental 36 (debut)
	+ Incidental 27 (debut)
	+ Incidental 20 (debut)
	+ Scooter (debut)
	+ Incidental 37B (debut)
	+ Incidental 37A (debut)
	+ Incidental 10 (debut)
	+ Incidental 13 (debut)
	+ Incidental 18 (debut)
	+ Incidental 9 (debut)
	+ Incidental 39 (debut)
	+ Incidental 41 (debut)
	+ Incidental 40 (debut)
	+ Incidental 155 (debut)
	+ Incidental 8 (debut)
	+ Incidental 21 (debut)
	+ Loser (debut)
	+ Incidental 46 (debut)
	+ Incidental 49 (debut)
	+ Incidental 47 (debut)
	+ Incidental 48 (debut)
	+ Incidental 45 (debut)
	+ Incidental 3
	+ Incidental 12 (debut)
	+ Incidental 35 (debut)
	+ Incidental 19 (debut)
	+ Incidental 30
	+ Incidental 42 (debut)
	+ Incidental 24A (debut)

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The episode begins with SpongeBob and Sandy having a good time at Goo Lagoon. A lobster named Larry comes by and asks them if they want to do some weights. They accept, despite SpongeBob not being in the mood to do weights. Larry and Sandy do several impressive weight stunts, while SpongeBob tries to pick up a stick. When SpongeBob strains to pick up a stick with two marshmallows on the sides, he accidentally rips his pants.

This causes everyone to laugh, prompting SpongeBob to continue making ripped pants jokes. After a while, though, SpongeBob's ripped pants jokes start to annoy the people in Goo Lagoon. At some point, SpongeBob fakes himself drowning in order to make a ripped pants joke, but this proves to be too far, as it causes everyone, most importantly Sandy, to get disgusted with SpongeBob and continue playing without him.

SpongeBob tries to figure out more ripped pants jokes as the last one did not work but realizes nobody is paying attention to him, and tears off his pants during the course of one of these jokes. The pair of pants suddenly takes on a personality and deserts SpongeBob as well. He sees some other people who make big mistakes. SpongeBob decides to sing a song about how he lost his friends due to ripping his pants. Sandy forgives SpongeBob for what he did, and he rips his underwear while signing Larry's shorts, making him embarrassed and ending the episode shortly after.

### Running gags

* SpongeBob ripping his pants.
* SpongeBob getting jealous when Sandy hangs out with Larry.

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### Music

**•** You're Nice - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield *[Title card]*

**•** Hawaii Bob - The Blue Hawaiians *[The opening]*

**‣** Fun at the Seaside - Syd Dale *[Lifting weights]*

**‣** Side Drum [#52.05] - Mark Nolan *[SpongeBob lifts a twig.]*

**‣** Side Drum [#52] - Mark Nolan *["Y'all watch this."]*

**‣** Entry of the Gladiators - Dick Stephen Walter *[Sandy lifts anchors.]*

**‣** The Land Is Ours - Gregor F. Narholz *[Larry lifts the audience.]*

**‣** Timpani Signal 1 [#44] - Sammy Burdson *[SpongeBob adds marshmallows to the twig.]*

**‣** Timpani Signal 1 [#44.2] - Sammy Burdson *[SpongeBob adds marshmallows to the twig.]*

**‣** Timpani Roll - Sammy Burdson *[SpongeBob prepares to lift the twig.]*

**‣** Caesar's Entry [#7] - Gregor F. Narholz *[SpongeBob struggles to lift the twig once/SpongeBob struggles to lift the twig twice/SpongeBob struggles to lift the twig again.]*

**‣** Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill *[Everyone laughs at SpongeBob.]*

**‣** Orchestral Effect (f) - Dick Stephen Walter *[SpongeBob smiles.]*

**‣** Stars and Games - Alf Saro *[Volleyball/Everyone laughing at SpongeBob again.]*

**‣** Surf Buggy - The Surfdusters *[Frisbee]*

**‣** Timpani - Glissandos (a) - Gary Kettel *["Except I ripped my pants!"]*

**‣** Showtime Fill (h) - Gary Kettel *[rimshot]*

**‣** Showtime Fill (g) - Gary Kettel *[rimshot]*

**•** Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield *[Later...]*

**‣** Showtime Fill (i) - Gary Kettel *[rimshot]*

**‣** Showtime Fill (a) - Gary Kettel *[rimshot]*

**•** 12th Street Rag - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield *[SpongeBob annoys people.]*

**‣** Return of the Surfin' Headhunters - The Mel-Tones *[Surfing]*

**‣** Dramatic Impact 5 - Ivor Slaney *["Holy fish paste, it's a guy!"]*

**‣** Hope & Glory - Thomas Blug, Mark Scholz *["Why? Why?! Why?!"]*

**‣** Beautiful Moonlit Night - George Wilson *["Come closer... I need..."]*

**‣** Timpani Glissando (b) - Gary Kettel *[Everyone walks away.]*

**‣** Ups And Downs (D) - Richard Myhill *[Everyone walks away.]*

**‣** Botany Bay (b) - Robert Alexander White *["Dude..."]*

**‣** Timpani - Military (d) - Gary Kettel *["Come on, SpongeBob, you're losing 'em."]*

**‣** Side Drum [#52.02] - Mark Nolan *["Hey, everybody!"]*

**‣** Entry of the Gladiators - Dick Stephen Walter *[SpongeBob's pants get ripped off.]*

**‣** Stars and Games - Alf Saro *[Sandy plays volleyball with Larry.]*

**‣** Aloha - Dick Stephen Walter *["Oh no, everybody's gone!"]*

**◦** Ripped Pants - Peter Strauss, Paul Tibbitt

**‣** Moloka'i Nui A -  Kapono Beamer *[Ending]*

### Release

* This episode is available on the Nautical Nonsense and Sponge Buddies, Complete 1st Season, Home Sweet Pineapple, Absorbing Favorites, The 1st Season: Volume 1, The Best of Nickelodeon: Summer Adventures, Sponge Crazy, 3 DVD Pack, Really Big Box Set, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, The Super Celebrations, SpongeBob on DVD Volume 1, Tea Under The Tree, Two for One with Nickelodeon!, Two for One with Nickelodeon! Volume 2, Two for One with Nickelodeon! Volume 3, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, Tea at the Treedome, Ripped Pants, First 100 Episodes, SpongeBob Schwammkopf Folge 1, SpongeBob SquarePants, iSponge Offer Pack, Splash from the Past!, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 1, Employee of the Month, The Complete First Season, From the Beginning, Part 1, Triple Pack 4, The First & Second Seasons, Movies & TV Collection, Big Hits: Volume 2, and The Best 200 Episodes Ever DVDs along with *SpongeBob SquarePants* Volume 1 on GBA Video and on VideoNow.
* This episode is available on the Nautical Nonsense, Undersea Antics Volume 1, Home Sweet Pineapple (VHS), and Absorbing Favorites (VHS) VHS tapes, making it the episode with the most appearances on VHS.
* This episode is also available on the It's a SpongeBob Christmas! Blu-ray.

### Reception

* "Ripped Pants" was ranked #3 during The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash event from July 17–19, 2009.
	+ Also, during The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash, actor Nathan Kress said this was his favorite episode.
* "Ripped Pants" was ranked #6 in the "Top 100 Moments in Nicktoons History" event.
* "Ripped Pants" is one of Tom Kenny's favorite episodes. He says "I think one of my favorite episodes is uh, "Ripped Pants," the one where SpongeBob rips his pants by mistake and gets a laugh out of it, and then overplays his hand by doing it one too many times, and people get bored with it, and he realizes that jokes have a lifespan. And I think that's something that happened to me a lot as a kid, where you would accidentally hit on something that was really funny and you would just do it over and over and over again, and when people stopped laughing, it was kind of like a slap in the face, it kinda hurt, and then you had to go out and find something else stupid to uh, get attention and laughs from your classmates."
	+ However, this episode is not included on The Tom Kenny Collection on iTunes and Amazon.com.

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### General

* This marks the first episode where SpongeBob does his signature laugh.
* The Nautical Nonsense and Sponge Buddies DVD and Nautical Nonsense VHS tape covers are based on this episode.
* This is the first appearance of Larry the Lobster.
* This is the first appearance of Goo Lagoon.
* This episode is the debut (in packaging and airing order) for most of the incidental characters who are used a lot throughout the series, minus Fredand Incidental 3, who debuted in "Reef Blower." However, some of them appear in "Squeaky Boots," which began production earlier.
* This is the first episode where SpongeBob's house doesn't appear.
* This episode marks the first instance of differing bubble transitions.
* This is the first episode to be released on home video (not counting the original 1997 version of "Help Wanted").
* This is the first episode that uses the trademark *SpongeBob* font on the title card, albeit only on the letters "R," "i," "e," and "ants."
* This is the first episode in which, at no point, SpongeBob wears his normal clothes. Instead, he wears a pair of swim trunks for most of the episode, wears only a pair of underwear towards the end, and accidentally rips them in the final shot, nude for the last few seconds.
* In the Nick Scene It? DVD Game, "Caesar's Entry" can be heard when SpongeBob tries to lift the twig with marshmallows.
* This episode's German title is "Der Riss in der Hose," which translates to "The Crack in the Pants."
* This is the first episode to use the tracks "Stars and Games," "Botany Bay (b)," and "Beautiful Moonlit Night."
* This is the first episode to have an original song.
* This is the first episode in packaging or release order to use the track "Grass Skirt Chase."
	+ However, this track was not used for a chase scene in this episode.
	+ The episode "Jellyfishing" features the track, in a chase scene, and began production earlier.
* This is the first episode to play a "Dramatic Impact" (#5).
* Some of the storyboard frames can be seen on the booklet for *SpongeBob's Greatest Hits*.
* There are two books based on this episode, titled *Ripped Pants* and *I Ripped My Pants!*, respectively.
* This is the first episode in which SpongeBob is shown naked but leaves his shoes and socks on.

* There is a toy produced by Fisher-Price based on this episode that consists of a SpongeBob whose pants can rip. The toy also features the song, performed by Tom Kenny instead of Peter Strauss. The verse: "When big Larry..." was cut out.
* This episode premiered on David Hasselhoff's 47th birthday.
* The part where SpongeBob says, "Oops!" was reused in the online game *Crater Crossing*.
* SpongeBob goes surfing in this episode, but in "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One," he doesn't know how to surf.
* SpongeBob addresses the flying disk as a "Frisbee" when reviewing his checklist, but in "Sand Castles in the Sand," he calls the flying disk "Small plastic disc that you throw" as a joke to the fact the term "Frisbee" is copyrighted.
* This episode's title is mentioned four times.
	+ The first time is when SpongeBob says to Incidental 40, "**Ripped... pants**."
	+ The second time is when SpongeBob says to two fish, "**Ripped pants a la mode**."
	+ The third time is when SpongeBob asks to the fry cook, "**Delivery! Did you order twenty cases of ripped pants?**"
	+ And the last time is when SpongeBob says, "**Hey, everybody! Not ripped pants! Pants ripped off! Huh? Someone call the police. There's a pants thief on the loose!**"
* During the SpongeBob vs. The Goo marathon, this episode was paired with "MuscleBob BuffPants."

### Cultural references

* The song that SpongeBob sings is similar to the 1963 Beach Boys song "Be True to Your School."

### Errors

* In the original airing of this episode, Paul Tibbitt's name is misspelled as "Paul Tibibitt" with an extra I in his surname when credited as storyboard director in the opening credits. However, his name is spelled correctly when later credited as a writer. This error also happens with Mark O'Harewhose name is misspelled as "Mark O'hare" with a lowercase 'h'. These errors were corrected on Amazon releases, later reruns, and DVD releases.
* When the first view of the weightlifters is shown, there are two huts, but when it goes to a close-up on the weightlifters, the huts are gone.
* When Larry lifts the seats the Bikini Bottomites were sitting on, the background moves in such a way on the close-up on the Bikini Bottomites that it looks like the camera is panning down to the bottom of the seats instead of it looking like the seats are lifting up.
* After SpongeBob rips off his pants, he still has his sleeves on for the rest of the episode, save for one shot.
* SpongeBob rips off his swimsuit, revealing his underwear, but when the camera zooms out as the other "losers" join him for the "Ripped Pants" song, SpongeBob is seen wearing his swimsuit again.

* When Incidental 155 and the other fish walk away in annoyance, there are two duplicated fish with a gray body and light green shorts.
* In several scenes, SpongeBob rips his pants, then in the next scene, they are not ripped.
* When the five female fish listen to the song, the yellow fish is on the left and the green fish is on the right, but in the next scene, they are switched.
* After he rips off his pants, SpongeBob's cuffs disappear when he looks toward Sandy and Larry, but they reappear when it cuts back to him.
* When SpongeBob and the others were singing the song, they ripped their pants. After the song, they are not ripped.
* During the "Ripped Pants" song, several scenes still have SpongeBob with his swim trunks on.
* In the "Ripped Pants" song, Frank the Whale's eyes are missing in a few shots.

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1. ^https://nickstory.fandom.com/wiki/February\_17,\_2014