Mrs. Puff

Mrs. Puff
SpongeBob SquarePants character
First appearance "Boating School" (August 7, 1999)
Created by Stephen Hillenburg
Voiced by Mary Jo Catlett[1]
Information
Species Blowfish[2][lower-alpha 1]
Gender Female
Occupation Driving teacher[3]
Family Mr. Puff (ex-husband)

Mrs. Puff is a fictional character appearing in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants and both films based on the franchise. She is voiced by actress Mary Jo Catlett[4][5] and debuted in the season one episode "Boating School" on August 7, 1999.[6] Mrs. Puff was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg.

Mrs. Puff is depicted as SpongeBob's paranoid driving instructor, as well as Mr. Krabs' love interest. While she is friendly and patient with most of her students, Mrs. Puff finds SpongeBob's recklessness exasperating and has come to despise him throughout the series' run. The character has received positive critical reception and has become well known in popular culture for her distinctive voice and temperamental personality.

Role in SpongeBob SquarePants

Mrs. Puff is an anthropomorphic blowfish[7][lower-alpha 1] who owns an underwater boating school that SpongeBob attends. Despite her efforts, she has never successfully taught SpongeBob how to drive a boat.[8] He fails her class every time he takes it and often causes townwide destruction in the process. Mrs. Puff displays the blowfish's inflation defense mechanism whenever SpongeBob crashes one of her vehicles.[9]

A running gag in the series is Mrs. Puff's large criminal record. SpongeBob regularly lands her in jail accidentally as a result of his incompetence.[10] This gag is introduced in "Hall Monitor", in which Mrs. Puff is held responsible for SpongeBob's actions after he inadvertently destroys Bikini Bottom.[11] In "Doing Time", SpongeBob and Patrick attempt to break her out of prison to no avail. She is revealed to prefer prison to working as a teacher, because she does not have to drive with SpongeBob. In "No Free Rides", it is implied that Mrs. Puff once had to move to a new town and start a new school with a new name.[12]

Mrs. Puff's friendliness toward other characters varies. She sympathizes with the short-tempered Squidward Tentacles[13] and considers him a good driver.[14] Patrick, who has attended Mrs. Puff's class multiple times,[15][16] is treated with respect by her in spite of his slow-wittedness. SpongeBob is the only resident of Bikini Bottom she truly dislikes. In the 2012 episode "Demolition Doofus", Mrs. Puff is shown to hate SpongeBob so much that she wants him dead, even though she has helped Spongebob at times.[17]

Mrs. Puff is a widow, another misfortune from her past that she does not want to talk about. Mr. Puff's fate was becoming a novelty lamp. Mr. Krabs has a crush on Mrs. Puff and has taken her on many dates.[18][19] According to Krabs in season ten's "Whirly Brains", he and Mrs. Puff have been dating for sixteen years.[20] His love for her is so strong that it temporarily transcends his greed for money.[21] He gives her a variety of pet names in the series and in spin-off media.[22] In his review of the third season, Bryan Pope of DVD Verdict examined the two characters' relationship and mistook Mrs. Puff for Krabs' wife.[23]

In other media

A float featuring Mrs. Puff at Sea World in Southport, Queensland.

Mrs. Puff has appeared in many forms of SpongeBob SquarePants merchandise, including action figures,[24] aquarium ornaments,[25] and video games.[26][27] Tie-in books have prominently featured the character.[28][29] Board games based on the show, such as "The Game of Life" and "Bikini Bottom Book of Games", use her schoolhouse as a playing location.[30][31] In 2007, a Mrs. Puff-themed Lego set was released.[32] SpongeBob's Boating Bash, a 2010 racing video game, takes place at Mrs. Puff's boating school.[33][34] Mrs. Puff is a playable character in the Wii version[35] and acts as a guide for the player in the Nintendo DS game.[36]

Theme parks and events have featured Mrs. Puff, often as a costumed character. She was included on a boating school float as part of Sea World's "SpongeBob ParadePants" parade, which opened in December 2011.[37] She appeared at Universal Studios Hollywood's "SpongeBob Fan Shellabration" in 2013[38] and at the 2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400 in Kansas City.[39] Mrs. Puff also made regular appearances at Nickelodeon Suites Resort and Nickelodeon Universe alongside Mr. Krabs.[40][41] A section of the "SpongeBob StorePants" souvenir shop at the Universal Orlando Resort is modeled after Mrs. Puff's boating school.[42]

Mrs. Puff plays a supporting role in the 2004 film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and its 2015 sequel.[43] Her lack of screen time in both movies was criticized. Jessica Walsh of the Reading Eagle felt that the first film was "missing something, since key characters, such as Sandy the Squirrel and Mrs. Puff, make only cameo appearances."[44] Sandie Chen of Common Sense Media wrote that the decision to relegate characters like Mrs. Puff to small roles "won't go over well with some fans."[45] About.com's Nancy Basille considered this the first movie's largest flaw and asked, "why didn't they use more of Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Gary, Mrs. Puff and all our other favorite secondary characters?"[46] The novelization of the 2004 movie adds additional scenes starring Mrs. Puff and Squidward that were not included in the motion picture.[47] Mrs. Puff appears in the 2009 stage adaptation of "The Sponge Who Could Fly",[48] which debuted at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. The 2016 musical based on the series stars Abby C. Smith as Mrs. Puff.

Mrs. Puff sings a track on The Best Day Ever album, titled "Mrs. Puff's Boating School Ad".[49] It was released on September 12, 2006 by Nick Records.[50] Rita Engelmann, who voices Mrs. Puff in the German dub of SpongeBob SquarePants, recorded a single as her character titled "Hinterher! (feat. Mrs. Puff)".[51] The song is a parody of Icona Pop's "I Love It" and was released in 2014 under Sony Music's label.[52] Mrs. Puff is mentioned in Shingaling, a 2015 sequel to Wonder.[53]

SpongeBob's inability to pass Mrs. Puff's course has been referenced in popular culture. In 2011, ice hockey player Taylor Hall failed his driving test and likened it to SpongeBob's situation at Mrs. Puff's school.[54][55] The writers of Engadget compared a remote-controlled underwater camera to the boats in SpongeBob, remarking that Mrs. Puff should call her insurance agent if users channel their "inner SpongeBob while remotely driving the thing."[56] In a satirical article, the writers of The Washington Post pretended to interview SpongeBob about his trouble graduating from Mrs. Puff's boating school.[57]

Mrs. Puff's quotes and voice have also become popular with fans and casual viewers. Her quote "Oh, Neptune" became part of an Internet meme in 2016.[58] Various memes covered by the comedy websites Smosh[59] and BuzzFeed[60] have featured other quotes from the character. In an interview with San Diego Gay & Lesbian News, the cast of Surprise Surprise (which starred Mary Jo Catlett) mentioned that "not one cast or crew person on the movie let a day go by without calling some relative ... and handing their cell phones to Mary Jo to do her best 'Oh noooooooo, SpongeBob, nooooooooooo!'"[61]

Reception

The character has received positive reaction from critics. In 2004, film critic A. O. Scott named Mrs. Puff as one of his favorite characters on SpongeBob SquarePants, along with Squidward Tentacles and Sandy Cheeks.[62] Mrs. Puff was ranked second on Chilango's list of favorite cartoon teachers.[63] KSL-TV listed Mrs. Puff on their countdown of "13 teachers from pop culture you can't help but love".[64] Andrew Whalen of IBT Media called Mrs. Puff's role in the "Doing Time" episode "a series highlight."[65] Conversely, the National Expert Commission of Ukraine on the Protection of Public Morality criticized Mrs. Puff's name in 2012, citing the usage of the word "puff" as both a derogatory and affectionate term to describe a gay man.[66][67][68]

Mary Jo Catlett's voiceover work as Mrs. Puff was nominated for a 2001 Annie Award.[69] Catlett and the other major cast members were nominated for "Best Vocal Ensemble" at the 2013 Behind the Voice Actors Awards. Francis Rizzo of DVD Talk called Mrs. Puff’s voice "spot-on" thanks to "the perfectly cast Mary Jo Catlett."[70]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Mrs. Puff has been called both a blowfish and a pufferfish in tie-in media. These two names refer to the Tetraodontidae family of fish and do not signify a particular species.

References

  1. ↑ Pressley, Nelson (March 8, 2013). "Remember the time when Washington saved 'Hello, Dolly!'?". The Washington Post. Jeff Bezos.
  2. ↑ "Nickelodeon Southeast Asia: Mrs. Puff Biography". Nickelodeon (Southeast Asia). Viacom International, Inc. Archived from the original on November 3, 2008.
  3. ↑ Morse, Felicity (August 17, 2012). "SpongeBob SquarePants is a 'Gay Cartoon Character and a Real Threat to Ukrainian Children'". The Huffington Post. Verizon Communications.
  4. ↑ Jacobs, Bill (October 20, 2010). "Mary Jo Catlett Interview for This Stage Magazine". LA Stage Alliance.
  5. ↑ Basile, Nancy (January 30, 2016). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Cast: Who Does What Voice?". About.com.
  6. ↑ Writers: Ennio Torresan Jr., Erik Wiese, Doug Lawrence (August 7, 1999). "Boating School". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 1. Episode 4b. Nickelodeon.
  7. ↑ Bentley, Rick (March 3, 2015). "SpongeBob SquarePants' zany facts from A to Z". The Star.
  8. ↑ Sichtermann, Barbara (December 4, 2008). "SpongeBob: Das Kind im Schwamme". Der Tagesspiegel. Dieter von Holtzbrinck.
  9. ↑ Walter Foster (January 1, 2002). How to Draw SpongeBob SquarePants. Walter Foster Publishing, Incorporated. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-1-56010-703-3.
  10. ↑ "Can a spongy exterior hide an iron fist?". The Los Angeles Times. Tronc, Inc. April 27, 2003.
  11. ↑ Emily Dial-Driver (February 17, 2012). Fantasy Media in the Classroom: Essays on Teaching with Film, Television, Literature, Graphic Novels and Video Games. McFarland. pp. 113–. ISBN 978-0-7864-8941-1.
  12. ↑ Writers: Aaron Springer, C.H. Greenblatt, Doug Lawrence (March 7, 2001). "No Free Rides". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 2. Episode 30a. Nickelodeon.
  13. ↑ Writers: Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Richard Pursel (July 23, 2007). "Boat Smarts". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 5. Episode 84b. Nickelodeon.
  14. ↑ Mavis, Paul (September 4, 2007). "DVD Review: SpongeBob SquarePants Season 5, Vol. 1". DVD Talk.
  15. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants, Season 4". iTunes. Apple Inc. January 1, 2009. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  16. ↑ Television Guide. Triangle Publications. 2005.
  17. ↑ Writers: Luke Brookshier, Marc Ceccarelli, Derek Iversen (July 21, 2012). "Demolition Doofus". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 8. Episode 173b. Nickelodeon.
  18. ↑ Nickelodeon Publishing (January 11, 2013). Good Ideas...and Other Disasters (SpongeBob SquarePants). Nickelodeon Publishing. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-1-61263-051-9.
  19. ↑ "June 2003 children's highlights". The Free Lance–Star. Google News. June 29, 2003. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  20. ↑ Writer: Doug Lawrence (October 15, 2016). "Whirly Brains". SpongeBob SquarePants. Season 10. Episode 205a. Nickelodeon.
  21. ↑ Joseph J. Foy (August 21, 2013). SpongeBob SquarePants and Philosophy: Soaking Up Secrets Under the Sea!. Open Court Publishing Company. pp. 49–. ISBN 978-0-8126-9735-3.
  22. ↑ David Lewman (18 November 2003). The SpongeBob SquarePants Oracle. Simon and Schuster. pp. 16–. ISBN 978-0-7434-8316-2.
  23. ↑ Pope, Bryan (February 8, 2006). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Third Season". DVD Verdict. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Mrs. Puff's Boating School Playset from ALEX Brands". AlexBrands.com. ALEX Brands. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015.
  25. ↑ "SpongeBob's Living Room Aquarium Kit from Penn Plax" (PDF). PennPlax.com. Penn Plax. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Exercise, Lose Weight With 'Exergaming'". Fox News Channel. 21st Century Fox. January 18, 2005. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  27. ↑ "SpongeBob Bubble Party Available Now". Nick.com. Viacom International, Inc. September 22, 2015. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  28. ↑ Nickelodeon Publishing (February 7, 2011). Class Confusion. Nickelodeon Publishing. pp. 15–. ISBN 978-1-61263-032-8.
  29. ↑ Veronica Paz (August 24, 2010). Crash Course!. Simon Spotlight. ISBN 978-1-4424-0173-0.
  30. ↑ Mason, Allie. "Games Guaranteed to Make You Geek Out". Ript Apparel. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  31. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom Book of Games". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Lego SpongeBob SquarePants, Set 4982: Mrs. Puff's Boating School". Lego. The Lego Group. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008.
  33. ↑ Boy Scouts of America, Inc. (March 2010). Boys' Life. Boy Scouts of America, Inc. pp. 51–.
  34. ↑ "SpongeBob's Boating Bash for Nintendo Wii". GameStop. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Nickelodeon Interactive Site: Boating Bash". Nick.com. Viacom International, Inc. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Nintendo: SpongeBob's Boating Bash". Nintendo Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Gold Coast Theme Parks Trade Brochure 2012". Gold Coast Attractions. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012.
  38. ↑ Wolfe, Jennifer (August 29, 2013). "SpongeBob Fan 'Shellabration' Headed to Universal Studios". Animation World Network.
  39. ↑ Kerkhoff, Blair (May 9, 2015). "A special day at Kansas Speedway". The Kansas City Star. The McClatchy Company.
  40. ↑ "Nickelodeon Suites Resort Character Appearances". Nickelodeon Suites Resort. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Nickelodeon Universe on Twitter: Mr. Krabs and Mrs. Puff Are Here". Nickelodeon Universe. July 17, 2015. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  42. ↑ "SpongeBob StorePants Retail Store – Universal Studios Florida". Universal Orlando Resort. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016.
  43. ↑ John Willis; Barry Monush (April 1, 2006). Screen World: 2005 Film Annual. Hal Leonard. pp. 160–. ISBN 978-1-55783-668-7.
  44. ↑ Walsh, Jessica (December 14, 2004). "AWOL characters leave 'SpongeBob' gasping". Reading Eagle. Google News. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  45. ↑ Chen, Sandie (February 6, 2015). "The SpongeBob Movie Review". Common Sense Media.
  46. ↑ Basille, Nancy. "'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie': A hysterical show becomes hysterical movie". About.com. IAC.
  47. ↑ Marc Cerasini; Derek Drymon (2004). The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Simon and Schuster. pp. 81–. ISBN 978-0-689-86840-5.
  48. ↑ "SpongeBob: The Musical". JumpZone Touring. 2009. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  49. ↑ "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best Day Ever - Various Artists". AllMusic. All Media Network. September 12, 2006. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  50. ↑ "The Best Day Ever CD Product Details". Nick.com. Viacom International, Inc. September 12, 2006. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  51. ↑ "Hinterher! (feat. Mrs. Puff)". iTunes. Apple Inc. June 13, 2014. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  52. ↑ "SpongeBob Schwammkopf: Mein Gedudel". JPC.de. Leidenschaft für Musik. March 21, 2014.
  53. ↑ R. J. Palacio (May 12, 2015). Shingaling: A Wonder Story. Random House Children's Books. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-0-553-49910-0.
  54. ↑ Dunn, Ryan (February 25, 2016). "Kings Gameday: Boating School". Battle of California.
  55. ↑ Gentille, Sean (June 27, 2011). "NHL Draft live blog, trade rumors, analysis". Sporting News.
  56. ↑ Hidalgo, Jason (May 30, 2012). "Remote-controlled Aquabotix HydroView takes underwater HD video, Mrs. Puff calls insurance agent". Engadget. AOL.
  57. ↑ "Interview with SpongeBob on education". The Washington Post. February 14, 2011.
  58. ↑ DaLuisio, Alexandra (July 3, 2016). "16 Relatable AF Mrs. Puff Memes That'll Definitely Make You Say, "Oh, Neptune"". Teen.com.
  59. ↑ "31 Of The Best "Steal Her Look" Pictures". Smosh. Defy Media. 2014.
  60. ↑ Chack, Erin (December 12, 2015). "33 Times SpongeBob Fans Killed It on Tumblr". BuzzFeed. Jonah Peretti.
  61. ↑ Rox, Michael (September 6, 2010). "'Surprise Surprise,' a Q&A with actor/playwright Travis Michael Holder and Director Jerry Turner". San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. Hale Media, Inc.
  62. ↑ Scott, A. O. (November 19, 2004). "Absorbency Plus Frivolity, a Blend the World Needs". The New York Times.
  63. ↑ Gaona, Pável (May 15, 2015). "Los maestros más rifados de las caricaturas". Chilango.
  64. ↑ Utah Online (July 28, 2015). "13 teachers from pop culture you can't help but love". KSL-TV. Bonneville International.
  65. ↑ Whalen, Andrew (August 20, 2014). "SpongeBob Movie 2 Trailer: Plot and Release Date Revealed". iDigitalTimes. IBT Media.
  66. ↑ "Ukraine wants to ban cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants...as it 'promotes homosexuality'". Daily Mail. August 17, 2012.
  67. ↑ "Ukraine to ban SpongeBob SquarePants for guy promotion". Sina Corp. Charles Chao. August 20, 2012.
  68. ↑ Kirell, Andrew (August 18, 2012). "Ukraine Gov't Wants To Ban SpongeBob: 'Promotes Homosexuality'". Mediaite. Dan Abrams.
  69. ↑ Staff (2001). "29th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2001)". Annie Award. ASIFA-Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  70. ↑ Rizzo, Francis (June 27, 2011). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Heroes of Bikini Bottom Review". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015.
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