According to a report titled Wolves in Sheep 's Clothing , which documents the increase in potentially violent , profane , and sexual content in children 's programming , the Parents Television Council , a watchdog media group , and fans believed the SpongeBob SquarePants episode " Sailor Mouth " was an implicit attempt to promote and satirize use of profanity among children . The episode originally aired during the 2001 – 02 television season , ironically the season in which the PTC named SpongeBob SquarePants among the best programs on cable television , but the report cited a repeat broadcast of the episode from 2005 to prove its point that it promoted use of profanity among children . In a later report , several members of the PTC listed " Sailor Mouth " as an example of how levels of profane , sexual , and violent activity has increased in children 's television programming . Nickelodeon , in response to the incident , said " It 's sad and a little desperate that they stooped to literally putting profane language in the mouths of our characters to make a point . Has the FCC looked at this ? " Richard Huff of the New York Daily News criticized the report for misinterpreting an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants , " Sailor Mouth " , over its intent to satirize profanity implicitly .