Streaming services ban episodes of Spongebob Squarepants due to ‘inappropriate content’ deemed sexist and racist

According to the Associated Press, the move was made after the episodes were deemed to include "inappropriate content".

Mid-Life Crustacean, an episode in which Mr. Krabs, Spongebob, and Patrick break into a woman's house and steal her underwear, was taken off air back in 2018.

More recently, however, an episode called Kwarantined Crab was pulled. The plot centres around the arrival of a fictional virus, the "Clam Flu", at the Krusty Krab. Hysteria breaks out, and those who have the virus are "shunned and tossed in a freezer". Nickelodeon decided that the events depicted in this episode might not be appropriate, citing "sensitivities surrounding the global, real-world pandemic".

Some suggest that the storyline of Kwarantined Crab might make some viewers uncomfortable, given the similarities between isolated groups in the TV show, and those who experienced isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been a rise, for example, in anti-Asian hate crimes as a result of the virus being tied to China.

Have Nickelodeon and streaming services gone too far in their attempt to not upset viewers?