ABSTRACT
Essential to understanding each adventure is repetition, not only of the phrases within the show and the clues or places on the map of the little tunes and sounds that called viewers' attention to key plot elements. Dora and Blue interpellate the child not just through familiar sound effects, but also through commercial goods. The fantasy of an alternative future began with green slime. Nickelodeon sells its slime as Gak, a toy noted in advertising for its ability to imitate the sounds of crass bodily functions. But slime also interrupts narratives in progress; when someone gets slimed, everything stops and everyone cheers. Since solidifying its brand in the early 1980s, Nickelodeon has been associated with color: a bright orange logo dominates its station identification, and green slime is a main attraction of its game and award shows. One of Nickelodeon's most beloved characters, SpongeBob debuted in 1999 without the preschool programs' mandate to educate.
