ESPN’s Toy Story-themed NFL broadcast delved into unexpected territory, referencing ayahuasca, UFOs, and Aaron Rodgers. In contrast, the SpongeBob-led Super Bowl LVIII broadcast on Nickelodeon steered clear of such tangents but did feature a surprising Leonardo DiCaprio reference from the fry cook himself.
While planning to celebrities, the broadcast led by Noah Eagle and Nate Burleson saw cameras turn their attention to the 49-year-old actor. That saw references to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character Leonardo and their subsequent love of Pizza, as well as one of DiCaprio’s famous flicks, Catch Me If You Can.
Following Bill Fagerbakke’s witty DiCaprio reference as Patrick Starr, Tom Kenny, voicing SpongeBob SquarePants, brought back a hilarious memory with a quick nod to an episode where they hilariously obsessed over the number 25.
Kenny’s SpongeBob went beyond expectations for the children’s broadcast, tapping into the show’s history of subtle humor that sometimes flies over younger viewers’ heads. The reference involved SpongeBob drawing a connection between Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating history and the number 25.
“Leonardo DiCaprio, 25! That’s about his dating history.”
SpongeBob makes a joke about Leonardo DiCaprio on the Nickelodeon #SuperBowl stream.
“Leonardo DiCaprio, 25! That’s his dating history.” pic.twitter.com/e8YXhj1czK
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 12, 2024
While known for dating partners under 25, Leonardo DiCaprio has recently been linked to models outside this age range, like Gigi Hadid. Interestingly, a Daily Mail article mentioned DiCaprio’s acknowledgment of the “under-25” perception and his reported desire to move beyond it.
SpongeBob’s quip on Nickelodeon playfully referenced a common online observation about DiCaprio’s dating history. It’s worth noting that DiCaprio’s actual dating choices vary, and he has been linked to both younger and older partners. Though his current love interest, Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, is 25 years old.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.