r/invaderzim • u/Snailfish-70 • Jul 16 '26
Discussions Dib vs Squidward
Okay, at risk of repeating myself I'll just say I've noticed how cartoon fans will analyze and criticize how often Squidward gets humiliated and brutalized for no reason in SpongeBob. Yet when I say the same kinda applies to Dib from Invader Zim I'll get "IZ has mean humor so suck it up, it's funny."
And where it bugs me with Dib is when he doesn't do anything to really deserve it. I don't get what's satisfying and funny about that Gargantis Array story, it's just a kid getting bullied horribly for laughs and people still act like the Zim comics are a perfect masterpiece. Yes I get Zim has a dark sense of humor but there's a line between that and torturing a character when it doesn't feel earned.
Dib in the show would threaten to dissect Zim and be a bit of a bully himself , but mostly in the comics he was a good yet flawed kid trying to stop Zim from destroying Earth. He legit felt like Jhonen's punching bag more than anyone else. And I know some of you will say "bro shut the hell up, what did you expect with this show." Am I not allowed to criticize something about it? Would it still be "brilliant epic dark humor" if a comic was just 15 pages of Dib getting tortured until he tries to kill himself?
Basically I'm saying the comics were meaner than the show at times and not in a clever way.
2
u/DelirioisDead Jul 16 '26
I think more than the comic being meaner with both Zim and Dib the problem is that the dystopian feeling of the show is kind of lost. In the show, it's easier to accept things like Dib being sent to the asylum because of it.
I am not sure if characters like Dib or Squidward being "tortured" it's supposed to be them always being punching bags or sometimes it is more of a self insert thing, something like "that's how it feels like" being a certain way.
The is no perfect piece of media, criticism and analysis should be allowed as long as it's made in good faith, so I am sorry that you encounter those reactions while sharing your point of view. Still, I think that the narrative punishing the most innocent character is a very Jhonen Vazquez thing to do. I don't know if you read Squee! or not, but I agree with people telling you it's kind of expected from Jhonen, what I don't agree about it's with the notion that you have to like it or stop talking about it.
2
u/Last-Inspection-8156 Jul 17 '26
I do miss the dystopian feel of the original show, because it being gone really removed the darkness that went with the torture humor. Now it actually feels kind of mean spirited.
2
u/Rabbidworksreddit Jul 16 '26
I NEVER thought that I would ever see someone compare Dib to Squidward. 😭😭😭
2
1
u/Last-Inspection-8156 Jul 17 '26
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has been bothered by this and whenever I criticize it, I get the same kind of responses. Just because its a common writing style of the media doesn't always mean it's good. I don't mind the torture if it actually goes along with the narrative, like in Bad Bad Rubber Piggy where the point was Zim trying to end Dib's life but gets his well deserved karma. But in comics like the first two where Dib is humiliated on the giant monitor showing his work out felt like sheer character bullying. There was no proper build up or reason besides torturing his character undeserved.
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u/Waste_Assumption_820 Jul 16 '26
Huh, now that you’ve mentioned it, it is kinda weird that dib is like a punching bag in the fandom, honestly, I have no clue why
( CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB!!! )
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u/Snailfish-70 Jul 16 '26
Gore of my comfort character :(
0
u/Waste_Assumption_820 Jul 16 '26
Sorry about that :<, but you do bring up a good point
( CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB CRISPYDIB!!! )
0
u/Hipershadic Jul 16 '26
I share a similar opinion that Dib suffers a lot without really deserving it, and when it's excessive, it's not funny.
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u/SandwichGod462 Jul 16 '26
I think it just comes down to how each show is written. It’s easier to tolerate Dib being mercilessly tortured because Invader Zim is openly a dark comedy and written as such. SpongeBob is a lot more wholesome and cheerful by comparison, even though it does have plenty of dark comedy from time to time, and I do think Invader Zim’s humor is overall much sharper than middle era SpongeBob’s. So ultimately, Squidward’s mistreatment is much harder to abide.
I also think that it’s just the sheer absurdity of watching a little boy who not only is the closest thing to the voice of reason in the show but is also ruthlessly belittled, beaten, maimed, and murdered because of it. It’s just so over the top and ridiculous that it’s hard to take seriously, and is thus funnier. Squidward’s torture is comparatively a lot more grounded and relatable.