AI 'SpongeBob' parody of problems in Egypt draws scrutiny of authorities

An AI-generated version of the hit US cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants has recently become the unlikely star of a controversial online trend by Egyptians criticising living conditions, amid strict rules about political dissent.

A wave of satirical postings began last month with a Facebook group dedicated to "Complaints of the Residents of al-Hamour Bottom" - the Arabic name used for SpongeBob's underwater home, Bikini Bottom.

Soon images were showing Egypt's President, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, as the money-grabbing Mr Krabs, a seabed overcrowded by tuk-tuks (automated rickshaws), and schoolgirl fish being sexually harassed by sleazy, male fish.

Other posts prompted comments complaining about allegedly corrupt ministers, skyrocketing rent, and the poor state of health and education.

The manipulated images of the SpongeBob programme, originally produced by Nickelodeon, were created by users of the site.

Within a couple of weeks, the Facebook group had picked up 1.8m followers. One astute cartoon depicted ministry of interior staff underwater, warning: "Be careful", before the group was suspended, amid reports of official scrutiny.

A teenage girl who claimed she was the group's administrator put a video clip online saying that she and her fellow creators should not be held responsible for political posts that some members had posted in spin-off groups.

Pro-government media and TV presenters accused the outlawed Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, of exploiting the viral phenomenon. Egypt's military ousted the Brotherhood-backed President Mohammed Morsi in 2013, following mass protests against his one-year rule.

"The trend of al-Hamour Bottom belongs to the Brotherhood," insisted well-known talk show host Tamer Abdel Monaim in a programme dedicated to the topic. "Its aim is to sow confusion."

While many posts containing the most sensitive political comments have now been removed, some of the most popular content has continued to circulate widely on social media. Many Egyptian celebrities, social media influencers and brands adopted the theme, sharing AI-generated memes of al-Hamour Bottom.

"The laughter surrounding Bikini Bottom is not necessarily a sign of happiness," the Egyptian radio presenter Rabab Kamal told her thousands of Facebook followers. "People are laughing because circumstances have become so absurd that laughter feels like the only possible response."

Home to more than 110m people, Egypt is the most populated Arab country. Since the 2011 Arab Spring, it has been through years of social and economic upheaval. Ordinary Egyptians still struggle with high inflation from previous currency devaluations affecting their standard of living.

Regional instability has hit Suez Canal revenues, tourism and remittances from Egyptians working in the Gulf. Fuel costs have risen and this summer, the government raised some electricity tariffs by 12%.

At the same time, there is increased intolerance for public dissent in Egypt since the military, led by Sisi, returned to power. The government fears instability and challenges to its rule.

The surreal humour of SpongeBob and his aquatic friends - particularly popular with Millennials and Generation Z - became an unlikely way to work around this.

"The Egyptian government has long been cracking down on online expression. Thousands of people in Egypt languish for years in pretrial detention simply for expressing views online that are not sanctioned by the state," says Mahmoud Shalaby, a regional researcher at Amnesty International.

"This repression is not limited to political opponents. It extends to a wide range of people, including religious minorities, people who do not adhere to a religion, people perceived to be LGBTI, and female social media creators who are often prosecuted under vague morality laws."

Although Sisi insists he is committed to freedom of expression and that Egyptians are free to air any views, few are buying it. Late last month, the president appeared to obliquely reference the SpongeBob craze when he referred to "social media chaos" and how ongoing public discussions failed to grasp the magnitude of national challenges.

Egyptian state security encourages reporting on suspicious or anti-government behaviour.

It may not come as any surprise then that already a lawyer has reportedly submitted a legal complaint against "the administrators, operators, financiers and contributors behind the creation of online content, pages and social media accounts associated with al-Hamour Bottom".

The Cairo 24 news site says he has called for a review into "satirically depicting economic conditions and decisions in a manner that could disturb public security and social order".

The mounting pressure means that SpongeBob could soon be setting aside his new pharaonic costume and giving up the pyramids and his Egyptian home.