SpongeBob? Really?

• by Matthew McNairy, June 12, 2012 at 10:00am

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Trendrr is a service that measures the amount of buzz television shows are generating on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, GetGlue, and so on. Apart from television executives and agencies that are paid to monitor this kind of information, the value beyond curiosity is relatively minimal. At best, it’s nice to see that lower rated shows like Community have a strong and passionate fan base. And if you love TV, it’s amusing to see what programs are getting the most play.

On a lark, I decided to check out what was hot the week of May 14 through May 21 (I know. I’ve been sitting on this one, but it’s good. Keep reading). For the most part, the results weren’t surprising. The NBA Playoffs received a lot of attention, as did popular television shows wrapping up their seasons, such as Glee, American Idol, and Saturday Night Live. What was surprising, however, was the number three ranking of SpongeBob SquarePants among weekly cable shows. Even more surprising is that at one point it was the number one ranked show for social networking attention.

Let me clarify: I know SpongeBob is one of the most popular cartoons on television. But who is tweeting, posting to Facebook, or engaging in other social channels about the show? For a live show like American Idol, it’s understandable that there are a large number of fans communicating online about the real-time results. Debate away! But what are people talking about when it comes to Mr. SquarePants? How does a children’s cartoon foster engagement?

What are your thoughts? Is SpongeBob SquarePants really a hot button social networking topic, or does that kind of information make you question the validity of measuring services?