SpongeBob SquarePants Takes His Place in Super Bowl Halftime Show Lore

But fans felt the tribute was far too brief

For pop-culture junkies, the Super Bowl halftime performance is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. But there was some controversy going into the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, headlined for the first time by Maroon 5, and joined by Travis Scott and Atlanta’s own Big Boi.

The controversy swirled not around any of those real-life stars, but around a beloved cartoon character: SpongeBob SquarePants. Yes, you read that right.

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