While some football fans watched the Super Bowl on CBS last night, those truly in the know tuned in to Nickelodeon for a slightly more unhinged version of the broadcast — which included SpongeBob SquarePants taking a shot at Leonardo DiCaprio.
As the camera panned to DiCaprio, 49, in the crowd, the game’s commentators made a reference to Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and his love for pizza, saying, “Leonardo ‘da cap is low.’”
SpongeBob, voiced by Tom Kenny, then chimed in to add, “Leonardo DiCaprio, 25! Hahaha, that’s about his dating history.”
The dig came as a shock to many viewers, some of whom were surprised that SpongeBob had it in him. “Idc about the NFL but I decided to throw on the Nickelodeon broadcast of the game & I just listened to Spongebob make a joke about Leonardo DiCaprio only dating women in their early 20s on national TV and I think that’s great,” one amused fan wrote via X.
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
Another viewer wondered whether DiCaprio can ever recover from the burn, writing, “Nah, Leonardo DiCaprio is f–king done bro. Imagine getting roasted on live TV by SPONGEBOB F–KING SQUAREPANTS.”
DiCaprio’s dating life has long been a subject of public discussion, with many observers joking over the years that he doesn’t date women over a certain age. Most recently, the Oscar winner famously split from ex-girlfriend Camila Morrone shortly after she turned 25, then moved on with Vittoria Ceretti, also 25.
“It’s going so well that Leo’s actually being exclusive,” an insider told Us Weekly of DiCaprio and Ceretti in November 2023. “Vittoria is all he thinks about.”
While SpongeBob’s roast of DiCaprio was one of the most brutal burns in the Nickelodeon broadcast, it certainly wasn’t the only moment that caused a stir. At one point in the second quarter, Dora the Explorer — serving as a “rules analyst” during the game — popped up to ask whether the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers needed a map to help find the end zone. (At that point, the score was 3-0, in favor of the 49ers.)
That same quarter, Dora explained the concept of a false start, then sang, “Where are we going?” Boots the monkey then jumped up and replied, “Back five yards!”
The Nickelodeon broadcast also identified Travis Kelce in a chyron as “Taylor Swift’s Boyfriend.” When the Chiefs scored their first touchdown, a caption underneath Coach Andy Reid read, “Three hours later … finally scored a TD!”
As the Nickelodeon crew may have informed you, the Chiefs ultimately won the game 25-22.
