SpongeBob: Why Only Some Fans Get Sponge Out Of Water's Beard Joke

SpongeBob SquarePants is arguably the most significant character to come from a Nickelodeon show. He's become a pop culture icon, so it's no surprise he's had multiple feature-length films come out over the years. It's easy to see the franchise's appeal as there are always numerous gags and jokes to delight children, but there's something for adults, too. 

In fact, many blink-and-you'll-miss-them jokes throughout the show and films only really exist for adults to catch. One such example that was easy to overlook came in the 2015 film "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water." The plot involves a pirate named Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas), who obtains the Krabby Patty secret formula with a magic book. There's a scene showing a library card within the book featuring the names of other pirates, such as Captain Kidd and Black Beard. However, some humorous names are thrown in, like Blue Beard, Pink Beard, and Frank Beard. 

While Frank Beard may seem like a random name involving "Beard," it's actually the name of ZZ Top's drummer, as pointed out by Redditor u/Numerous-Lemon. And there's an extra hidden layer to this joke only ZZ Top fans may have recognized.

It's a safe bet that most kids probably aren't familiar with ZZ Top's work unless their parents are cool and let them listen to the likes of "La Grange" and "Sharp Dressed Man." However, the rock band was known just as much for their unique visual style as their music. Vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill both sported signature hats, sunglasses, and long beards. Drummer Frank Beard was the only one who didn't have a beard, which many have found interesting given his last name is "Beard."

The two physical beards in the band took on a life of their own. The Gillette Company once offered the two bandmates $1 million to shave their beards, but they turned them down. The humorous reasoning behind the refusal is that the two of them just wouldn't look good without beards. 

ZZ Top has certainly made its mark on pop culture beyond music. In addition to the brief shoutout in "SpongeBob: Sponge Out of Water," ZZ Top also appeared as an Old West band in "Back to the Future Part III," playing an acoustic version of their song "Doubleback." They also had a memorable role on "King of the Hill," where it's revealed Dusty Hill is actually Hank Hill's cousin. It's clear these guys have a sense of humor surrounding their reputation, and it's great to see them continuing to be recognized for their iconic style.