The episode begins at the Krusty Krab, with SpongeBob making a Krabby Patty in the kitchen. Just then, SpongeBob hears Pearl running in crying so profusely that her tears literally flood the restaurant. SpongeBob asks Mr. Krabs what is wrong with Pearl, and he explains to SpongeBob that her apparently "long, tan, and handsome" prom date has just dumped her the day before the prom. Mr. Krabs offers to take her instead, but she starts crying, causing an earthquake. He then suggests she take Squidward or one of the restaurant's customers to the prom, but she also continues crying, which causes the earthquake to become worse. Ultimately, he offers to have SpongeBob accompany her. However, Pearl does not want to be embarrassed by SpongeBob, and begs him to try his best to not do anything embarrassing. Mr. Krabs proceeds to give SpongeBob words of advice, only for another SpongeBob to walk over and reveal the other SpongeBob was a realistic wax dummy in his likeness. Despite being excited to go to the prom with Pearl, SpongeBob admits later he never got a date for his own prom and is a failure.
At home, using a magazine that Gary provides as a guide, SpongeBob dresses up and uses extremely long and unstable artificial legs to make himself look "long, tan, and handsome" for Pearl. On the night of the prom, things initially work well for SpongeBob and Pearl. However, SpongeBob's costume soon begins malfunctioning, resulting in disaster and severely embarrassing Pearl. SpongeBob, after having broken everything at the prom, runs into the ladies' restroom crying.
Pearl, feeling sorry for him, attempts to console him and restore his confidence. This ultimately succeeds, and Pearl and SpongeBob join the prom dance. They begin doing a dance called "Doing the Sponge," which everyone else soon begins doing. However, this results in many injuries and mass destruction. An angry mob forms and lifts up Pearl and SpongeBob, who think they are popular enough to be lifted until the mob throws them out of the building.
SpongeBob apologizes, but Pearl tells him not to worry as she knew it was going to be a total disaster the whole time and even though it was a disaster, it was really fun. Mr. Krabs opens the door with a rake saying "Keep away from my precious, little flower!" Pearl thinks he is talking about her, but Mr. Krabs really meant a literal flower on the walkway. Pearl says goodnight to SpongeBob as she returns home, and tries to get SpongeBob's attention, but as she does so, SpongeBob appears to be frozen.
Mr. Krabs congratulates SpongeBob on his success at the prom, then goes in his house and closes the door. The real SpongeBob then arrives to retrieve his wax dummy of himself, saying it sure comes in handy and carries it home, laughing as the episode ends.
Production
This episode's recording script was completed on January 25, 1999.
Script
On November 14, 2016, recording scripts for every episode from season 1 were publicly released, found on one of the asset discs for the PlayStation video game, SuperSponge. This included the recording script for "The Chaperone."[5]
‣Border Run - The Surfdusters [title card] ‣The Rake Hornpipe - Robert Alexander White [opening] ‣Lonely Violin - Dick Stephen Walter [Pearl crying/Pearl crying again] ‣Vibe Link (B) - Richard Myhill ["What do you mean?"] ‣The Rake Hornpipe - Robert Alexander White [Krabs asks who wants to take Pearl to the prom] ‣Hawaiian Breeze - Jon Jelmer ["Just don't be late, SpongeBob."] ‣Orchestral Climax 12 - Gregor F. Narholz ["I am a prom expert!"] ‣Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill ["Oh, Gary, I'm a prom failure."] ‣Cha Cha Nova - Gerhard Narholz [Montage of SpongeBob getting ready for the prom] ‣Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill [later...] ‣Love for Sale A - Peter Fallowell [SpongeBob at the door] ‣Baby Elephant - Dick Stephen Walter [SpongeBob listing all the things Pearl wants to do] ‣Chief Taravana - Kapono Beamer ["A limo!"] ‣Surf Buggy - The Surfdusters [at the prom] ‣Romeo And Juliet (Full) - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky [Pearl's ex-boyfriend] ‣Border Run - The Surfdusters [the whack] ‣Lonely Violin - Dick Stephen Walter [Pearl cries] ‣Kona Angel - The Surfdusters [SpongeBob cries] ◦Doing the Sponge - Peter Straus ‣Kamakani B - Kapono Beamer ["Gee whiz, Pearl."] ‣Dramatic Cue (H) - Ronald Hanmer ["Aha!"] ‣Kamakani B - Kapono Beamer [ending]
Release
Broadcast
This episode and its sister are the first episodes to premiere during March Toon Mania, and the first episodes to premiere on a Wednesday.
One of the poses that SpongeBob does in "Doing the Sponge" was later made into stock art.
SpongeBob was also seen wearing a tuxedo suit from the 2001 Nickelodeon interactive PC game, Nicktoons Nick Tunes.
This episode marks the first of many things in the series:
The first episode in the series where SpongeBob and Pearl interact with each other. In fact, SpongeBob is already familiar with Pearl at the beginning of the episode.
This is also the first episode in which Pearl plays a major role.
This also marks the first time Pearl wears a dress which is also her prom dress.
This is also first episode to focus on non-adult/kid(s) character.
This episode and its sister are the first episodes to premiere in another country before premiering in the United States.
This is also the first episode to premiere in Canada and Latin America before premiering in the United States.
This is also the first packaged pair of episodes where Patrick does not make any onscreen appearances. He is mentioned briefly in this episode, though.
This is the first episode where SpongeBob wears a long pair of pants.
In the trailer for the episode, "SpongeBob LongPants," it was said that "we" have never seen SpongeBob wearing long pants.
"My leg!": Can be heard when the camera pans over the ruined prom.
This is the last episode for two things:
The last episode where "Chief Taravana" plays in the higher pitch.
The final episode where Aaron Springer is a storyboard artist.
All the customers at the Krusty Krab use Fred's character model.
If one listens closely, after SpongeBob and Pearl get thrown out of prom, one of the fish says, "Thank God."
In the console version of the Lights, Camera, Pants! video game, there is an art gallery with a painting that is based on this episode.
Clips in this episode were used during bumpers seen in the Bikini Bottom Block Party event, even though the episode didn't air in the marathon.
Pearl's "pizza topping" remark is a reference to anchovies being used as a topping for pizza.
When the people at the dance throw Pearl and SpongeBob out, rather than sounding angry, they sound more like they are cheering. This was done to deceive the audience.
The Anchovy who tells SpongeBob and Pearl to go and wreck someone else's prom was voiced by Tom Kenny, and he was using the style that he did for Heffer Wolfe in Rocko's Modern Life.
This is the second episode in which Pearl cries. The first was "Squeaky Boots."
However, in production order, this is the third and last season 1 episode where Pearl cries. The first was "Squeaky Boots," and the second was "Scaredy Pants."
The opening credits look different in this episode, as the sand and rocks background have some more brightness, the text looks darker blue, and the waves are darker.
On the November 27, 2001 airing on Nickelodeon, this episode was broadcasted without a screenbug with the rating bug lasting on-screen for over half the episode's runtime before finally disappearing near the end.[14]
Dub facts
In both the Italian and Filipino dubs, only the instrumental of "Doing the Sponge" was used.[15]
Errors
File:The Chaperone 006.pngThe unusual proportions of the Krabby PattyAt the beginning, when SpongeBob makes a Krabby Patty, the patty looks wider than usual. Also, the bottom bun looks smaller and narrower than usual.
File:The Chaperone 011.pngThe unusual door to Mr. Krabs' officeWhen SpongeBob listens to Mr. Krabs talking to Pearl in his office, the outside door is a wooden door instead of the usual metal door.
File:The Chaperone 018.pngMr. Krabs' office door back to its normal appearanceWhen SpongeBob asks what is wrong, there is a window on the door that goes to Mr. Krabs' office, rather than an anchor, but the anchor is back in a later shot.
File:The Chaperone 033.pngPearl's shirt is the wrong colorWhen Mr. Krabs is trying to convince the customers to go to the prom with Pearl, Pearl's skirt is briefly the same color of pink as her shirt instead of darker.
File:The Chaperone 036.pngKrabby Patties with only lettuceThe Krabby Patties seen at the beginning initially contain the patty meat as it should be, but when one table is suddenly cleared of customers refusing to go to the prom with Pearl, the sandwiches are shown to only contain lettuce.
After SpongeBob accidentally fails the whack, his springy legs revert to normal for the remainder of the episode.
In the scene where SpongeBob is coming to Mr. Krabs and Pearl's house before the prom, sounds of him struggling to walk can be heard, though his legs can clearly be seen through the window, not having moved the whole time.
One of Pearl's friends is seen on a stretcher during "Doing the Sponge," but when the teenagers throw SpongeBob and Pearl out of the prom, she is one of the teens who threw them out.
During the "Doing the Sponge" song, another of Pearl's friends is seen sitting on the floor with her arm in a cast. When the song ends, she throws Pearl and SpongeBob out with both arms, and the cast on her arm is missing.
In some scenes, Pearl's ponytail is the same color as her hair.
While the real SpongeBob is offscreen as Pearl is crying about her prom, the supposed dummy SpongeBob can be seen blinking.
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