So it looks like Nickelodeon is pulling an upcoming episode of SpongeBob SquarePants due to its virus storyline.

In the pulled episode, which would've been titled "Kwarantined Crab", a virus by the name of the "Clam Flu" is discovered in Bikini Bottom (that's where SpongeBob lives).

And when the virus is first discovered at the Krusty Krab (a burger joint where SpongeBob works), the patrons are quarantined inside the restaurant. Eventually, patrons believed to have the Clam Flu are shunned and thrown into a freezer.

I'm sorry, but that sounds like a pretty good episode of SpongeBob to me!

I mean, the episode is literally tied to current events (a tad late, but whatever) and would help kids understand what the heck is going on in the world around them. Which, as a parent of young ones, I thought was kind of the point of children's television.

No?!?

But oh, here's something cool. Look at this…

CNN didn't waste any time tying the cancellation of the SpongeBob episode to anti-Asian violence… AAAAAAND TRUMP:

The removal of the "Kwarantined Crab" comes during a time of increased anti-Asian violence in the United States. The episode's storyline reflects feelings of increased isolation and hatred that many Asian communities have experienced since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The World Health Organization has urged people to avoid terms like "Chinese virus" or because they can create a backlash against people of Asian descent, though former President Donald Trump repeatedly ignored such pleas.

Great job CNN. Looks like that industrial-sized washing machine is working just fine.

Here's a clip of the banned episode. (Lo siento, es en español.)