When working class America becomes a joke

     Lately, Television shows centered around work tend to be dramas, focusing on the struggles that the job brings.  Yet there once was a period where these sorts of shows were shown in a comedic fashion or a sitcom.  The lighter mood of shows centered around work might have been used for an escapist approach or to just purely satirize the nature of the work world.  Back in that decade, no show could satirize the conditions of the work world while remaining appropriate for all viewers other than SpongeBob Squarepants.

     Like many other 90s sitcoms, SpongeBob doesn't paint the work world with dark, dreary undertones.  The "workforce" of the show is a fast food joint called The Krusty Krab, and only consists of three staff members: Mr. Krabs, the boss, Squidward, the cashier, and SpongeBob, the fry cook.  SpongeBob, because of his childish nature, isn't the best representation of an employee in the modern workforce; he is endlessly loyal to his job, even if the work conditions are putrid.  Squidward and Mr. Krabs better reflect the current work world that many people can relate to.  Squidward is the apathetic employee who drags his way through the monotony of his job.  Mr. Krabs, amidst his goofy character design and "pirate-talk," is the boss most employees fear: a scrooge who could care less about meeting the needs of the employees and only cares for money.  Many TV shows, movies, and books look at an unpleasant work environment with a grim, hopeless eye; at least with SpongeBob, the viewer can manage a laugh at the ridiculous and irony.