SpongeBob is definitely not alone in making this comedic masterpiece stand out among audiences of all ages. With such an iconic duo, SpongeBob and Patrick Star’s character has rocked the cartoon scene by a storm. And for a very good reason! I’ve personally been among the many kids who doted over the awesome characters in the show.
SpongeBob and Patrick’s friendship is among the many cartoon friendships I admired—simple yet extremely genuine. It has earned a special place in my heart. I look forward to seeing them both on screen. Because of their dynamic, the show is easily one of my favorites.
What genuinely grabbed my attention is how they casually have fun with each other as they start playing around and enjoying their daily antics. “That’s Not A Lady” of Season 4, Episode 75b, is in the top tier list of the best ones from the entire show.
“That’s Not A Lady” first premiered on DVD on October 31, 2006. While it has less than 11 minutes of run time, it still is one of the funniest episodes that will crack you up every time you watch it. The episode highlights Patrick, who is paranoid about a man who aggressively screamed at him to “Get out of town!” This alarmed him so much, that he created a disguise: “Patricia.”
It’s hilarious to see the story unfold. Who would have thought that the dumb and naive Patrick Star would become a lovely lady and the talk of the town? If you’re interested to know more details about this episode, read on as I share a detailed summary, including the list of characters and the plot. You’ll also get to know some trivia facts and FAQs at the end. Warning: Spoilers Alert!
Bottom Line Upfront
“That’s Not a Lady” focuses on Spongebob’s best friend, Patrick. In the episode, you can witness how Patrick transforms into beautiful Patricia, which was adored by many sea creatures, both from minor and non-recurring characters up to the main characters like Mr. Krabs and Squidward.
- Season: 4
- Episode No.: 75B
- Production Code: 430
- Copyright Year: 2006
- Running Time: 10 minutes 42 seconds
- Writers: Casey Alexander, Chris Mitchell, Steven Banks
- Storyboard Artists: Casey Alexander, Chris Mitchell
- Animation: Andrew Overtoom
What Is the “That’s No a Lady” Episode in SpongeBob SquarePants?
If you want an episode where Patrick stars in the show, “That’s No Lady” is definitely for you. It is one of the best episodes where Patrick Star just shines! It is equal parts fun and nonsensical. I just really love it. In fact, it is one of the best episodes for me.
Airing in 2006, when drag culture wasn’t extremely popular, the episode was monumental. Looking back, Patrick’s cross-dressing and pretending as a woman were incredibly different, especially for a kids’ show. However, I believe that SpongeBob SquarePants has its way with incredible story-telling; the show’s progressive yet subtle themes leave a good taste to today’s viewers.
In “That’s No Lady”, ” Patrick’s fear intensified since he thought he was hunted down by an assassin to kill him. The story revolves around him trying to mask his true identity with different props and clothing items, only to be noticed as himself. In desperation, Patrick asks SpongeBob’s help to ensure his identity is hidden in plain sight. Both of them concocted a plan to turn him into a girl we now know as Patricia.
Who Appears in the Episode?
The show not only highlights Patrick Star but a plethora of other supporting characters who certainly made his “Patricia persona” shine the brightest. There are roughly ten supporting characters that interacted with Patrick, including:
- Patrick Star / Patricia Star (debut, main character)
- SpongeBob SquarePants (major character)
- Salesman (debut episode, supporting character)
- Eugene H. Krabs (major character)
- Squidward Tentacles (major character)
- Larry the Lobster (minor character)
- Seaweed man (debut episode, minor character)
- Fancy Dandy fish (minor character)
- Incidentals: There were definitely a lot of incidentals involved considering many Bikini Bottom residents praised Patricia’s look and were swooned over her appearance. A few of the most noteworthy incidentals were Fred, Incidental 27, and Incidental 6.
Get Out of Town
The episode starts where Patrick is running around and laughing and then is stopped by someone saying, “Hey.” Patrick looks from side to side and sees a fish with a briefcase in front of him. The fish then yells, “Hey, you there,” to which Patrick replies,” Who me?”. The fish replies, “Yes, you,” and then screams at Patrick to get out of town. Patrick runs away while screaming in panic.
The fish looks confused and then tells the next fish to “get out of town and take a beautiful vacation to a beautiful seashore resort” while handing out flyers.
Patrick Breaks the News to SpongeBob
Patrick runs to SpongeBob’s house, opens the door where SpongeBob is standing with a tray of lemonade with ice, and says, “I gotta get out of town” while holding his head. SpongeBob hands him a glass of lemonade with ice and a pink umbrella, and Patrick thanks him for it.
And just as SpongeBob is saying, “Sure,” Patrick freaks out again and starts screaming, looking out of the window, and saying that he needs to get going. He points to the window and says, “He told me to.” SpongeBob then asks, “Who did”? Patrick thinks for a moment and answers SpongeBob with, “I’m not sure… but he had a briefcase”.
SpongeBob is freaking out and yells, “Oh, a briefcase!” while throwing his hands in the air. SpongeBob then tells Patrick he might be a paid assassin; he then falls to the floor crying, and Patrick does the same.
SpongeBob then tells Patrick he can’t go because who will go with him to the next “Jellyfisherman’s Expo.” Patrick answers SpongeBob with,” It will have to be one of your other chums cause my mind is set.” They both start crying again, and SpongeBob begs Patrick to unset it. They cry even louder until there is a huge puddle of tears under them.
Patrick then gets his blue suitcase and starts packing his stuff.
The Items Patrick Packs in His Suitcase
- He packs his clothes, but it is actually two of SpongeBob’s uniforms
- He packs a huge pile of peanut butter, which is also SpongeBob’s
- And a bunch of pickles, which is also SpongeBob’s
SpongeBob’s Reaction to Patrick Leaving
He tells Patrick that it is his clothes and his peanut butter. And then SpongeBob starts crying again and says, “I can’t believe you are leaving Patrick … with all my pickles.” Patrick then takes his suitcase, walks to the front door, and says, “It is the end of me… being here. “
Patrick and SpongeBob’s List
SpongeBob had a list that he and Patrick were going to do together, and it reads as follows:
- 8am – Wake up, Patrick
- 9am – Eat Kelpo with Patrick
- 10am – Brush teeth with Patrick
- 1pm – Stare at Patrick
- 3pm – Eat lunch with Patrick
- 5pm – This piece of the paper is cut off, and we can’t see what it reads.
SpongeBob then asks Patrick who will do all those things with him, and Patrick says he is sorry, but there is “no stopping the unstoppable. Patrick star will live no more. Forever… in Bikini Bottom. “
SpongeBob Comes Up with an Idea
SpongeBob comes up with the idea that “What if Patrick was not Patrick Star?” SpongeBob then puts shades on Patrick and tells him that no one will know it is him. Patrick looks at himself in the mirror, gets frighted, and runs out of SpongeBob’s house, taking a piece of the wall shaped like him with him. SpongeBob asks him if he is okay.
Next, a lobster walks past and says, “Hey guys” he then stops and says, “Yo Patrick, cool shades.”
SpongeBob then tells Patrick that the disguise did not work and that they will need to try harder. Patrick then says, “Yeah, well, thanks, old SpongeBob, for your help. It was a noble effort, but alas, all in vain. It’s no use. I must leave”.
Items Patrick Says Goodbye to
- A rock
- A coral
- Seaweed
SpongeBob says, “Too bad we couldn’t come up with a better costume.” Patrick then says goodbye to the sky.
The Next Idea that SpongeBob Comes Up with
SpongeBob puts the seaweed on Patrick’s head, and Patrick then says he can be “Mr. Seaweed Monster Man. And live happily forever after in Bikini Bottom “. SpongeBob points out to Patrick that there is already a Mr. Seaweed Monster Man.
Patricia Is Born
After SpongeBob puts the seaweed on Patrick’s head and sees that there is already a Mr. Seaweed Monster Man, it gives SpongeBob another idea. (Patrick’s alter ego). And this is how Patricia was born.
Patricia’s Appearance
Patricia has blonde hair tied up in 2 ponytails and 2 purple bobbles. She has mascara and purple eyeshadow on with some red lipstick. And has a green crop top with its matching skirt.
SpongeBob and Patricia’s Encounter with the Lobster
A fish walks past SpongeBob and Patrick, greets SpongeBob, says, “And hello, lady,” and raises his hat to Patrick. It is here where SpongeBob tells Patrick that the disguise is working. And then he says, “I mean Patricia.” They both start giggling, and the lobster walks past them again.
He says, “SpongeBob, you never told me that you had a girlfriend.” Patricia replies, “Oh, I’m not his girlfriend; I’m Pat.” SpongeBob freaks out a little, complete Patrick’s sentence, and says, “Patricia, Patricia, Patricia,” emphasizing the name, then starts laughing nervously.
The lobster then says, “Bro, your girlfriend is not ugly,” winks at SpongeBob, and Patrick is flattered and starts laughing. SpongeBob says: Actually Larry, she is not my girlfriend, she is just a … but he doesn’t get to finish his sentence because the lobster cuts him off and says, “It’s okay buddy, you don’t have to explain your girlfriend to me to which SpongeBob says “But she’s not my girlfriend.”
The lobster then says, “I don’t know why you are standing here talking to me when you could be talking to your girlfriend,” and he puts his arm around “Patricia.”
SpongeBob drags Patricia away and says, “Come on, Patricia.” Patricia says bye to the lobster. And the lobster says, “Congratulations on the new girlfriend, dude.” It is then that SpongeBob and Patricia walk into Mr. Krabs.
Mr. Krabs Meets Patricia
When SpongeBob and Patricia walk away from the lobster, they get Mr. Krabs along the way, who seems very angry. Mr. Krabs then says to SpongeBob, “This is not the time for a Sunday stroll; it’s time for work,” and he puts SpongeBob’s working hat on his head.
SpongeBob answers and says, “But Mr. Krabs the Krusty Krab doesn’t open for another two hours. “Mr. Krabs then hands SpongeBob’s spatula and says, “There be no such thing as opening too early, me boy.” He then says, “excuse us, Miss,” to Patricia.
After Mr. Krabs has said that and he and SpongeBob walks away, he turns his eyes. He sees Patricia standing there with sparkles surrounding her. Mr. Krabs’ eyes inflate like a balloon and then pops and now look like a shrimped-up balloon on the sides of his face.
Mr. Krabs then asks SpongeBob who his friend is. To which SpongeBob replies, “Mr. Krab, this is Patricia.” Mr. Krab then repeats the name Patricia and says it is the most beautiful sound he has ever seen.
He then asks SpongeBob if they need any more help at the Krusty Krab, to which SpongeBob quickly replies and says “no.” Mr. Krab ignores SpongeBob’s answer and says, “we do? Great. She can start right away.”
Squidward’s Reaction when He Sees Patricia at the Krusty Krab
The door opens of the Krusty Krab, and Squidward says “Huh?” in his sad and depressing voice, but when he sees Patricia standing there, he says, “And who are you, my Rubenesque beauty’ and folds his hands together. Mr. Krabs then answers Squidward by saying, “That’s Patricia. Our newest Krusty Krab employee.” Squidward then says, “Well, she sure is stunning.” Mr. Krabs gets angry and tells Squidward to just keep his eyes on the customers and walks away.
The Things Squidward and Mr. Krabs do to Impress Patricia
Squidward
While Patricia is cleaning the tables, Squidward brings her a picture that he drew of himself and gives it to her. He then tells her that the “likeness is uncanny” if he does say so himself. Patricia looks confused and says, “Uhm, thank you, Squidward. “
Mr. Krabs
Mr. Krabs then says, “Order up, Miss Patricia,” and is standing holding two trays of Krabby patties. Patricia excuses herself from Squidward and eats his drawing, and then spews.
Mr. Krabs then gives Patricia the order and says it goes to table 7 and tells her to remember her manners. Patricia walks to table 7, reads the 7 the wrong way round, and says, “fournee foonee.” Mr. Krabs then tells Patricia that it is a seven.
Patricia is confused and asks if Mr. Krabs ordered two Krusty Krab meals. Mr. Krabs looks angry and says, “Did I order 2 meals?” His face changes instantly, and he seems friendly, saying, “Oh silly me, I can’t possibly eat two Krusty Meals myself.”
Mr. Krabs then sets the table, adds a radio and a candle, and tells Patricia, “I guess you’ll just have to help me finish all this food. “Patricia looks happy and unbothered and says, “Okay.” Mr. Krabs starts playing romantic music and tells Patricia they may have only known each other for a short time, but he feels like a special connection has been made. Mr. Krabs looks shocked because Patricia is swallowing everything up, including the radio and table cloth. Patricia then belches and spits out the radio.
SpongeBob comes to clean the table and says, “Quite an appetite, but she’s all woman.”
Squidward
When Patricia gets the next order to take to the table, she is stopped by Squidward playing the clarinet. Squidward then tells Patricia that they don’t call him the “sizzle-lipped squid for nothing.” Patricia is uninterested and walks away but is stopped by Squidward, who asks her if she is free this Saturday night. Patricia says no and tells Squidward that it’s the night she and SpongeBob are having a staring contest.
Just as Squidward looks surprised and asks, “SpongeBob?!” Mr. Krabs yells on a speaker, tells him to get back to work, and calls him a “Goldbricking freeloader.” He then tells him to not come back until all the patties are Krabby.
Mr. Krabs
When Mr. Krabs and Patricia are alone, he asks her if she wants to be his date Friday night. Still, he doesn’t finish his sentence. He is interrupted by Patricia, who says she can’t because she and SpongeBob will be flying submarines that night. Mr. Krabs looks speechless, and Patricia then says she needs to get back to “Krusting the Krab.”
Patricia/ Patrick’s Emotions At This Stage
Patricia is confused about why everyone is so nice to her because they were never so nice to Patrick. She then says it is weird and opens the cabinet door to find Squidward hiding there, asking whether she is sure about Saturday night? Patricia then slams the door closed and says, “Persistent bunch.”
She then opens the tap to find Mr. Krabs sticking his head out of the tap and asking, “How about Sunday brunch.” At this stage, Patricia is irritated and angry and says, “No thanks… again,” and then opens then tap further.
Patricia then goes to the toaster, where Squidward pops out as toast and says he has made reservations for two. Before he can end his sentence, Patricia yells, “I said no!” And pushes Squidward back into the toaster.
When she is frying the Krabby Patties, Mr. Krabs appears in there with steam coming out of him, and Patricia once again says, “No.”
Mr. Krabs and Squidward pop up at the following places:
- When Patricia is watering the wooden floor, Squidward appears, and Patricia says, “no way.”
- When she is getting water from the dispensary, Mr. Krabs appears in the water dispenser. And Patricia says, “No, no.”
- Squidward even appears in the toilet; again, Patricia yells, “No.”
Patricia/Patrick Confides in SpongeBob
She is irritated and storms in where SpongeBob is busy frying Krabby Patties and asks him what about her makes them so friendly? She then says it must have something to do with the disguise and that she can’t wear it any longer.
SpongeBob looks worried and tells Patrick that if he reveals his secret identity, he will have to leave Bikini Bottom. Patrick tells SpongeBob that he is sorry, but he just can’t live like this anymore. He is tired of pretending to be someone who he is not.
He then storms out to the restaurant where all the customers are sitting and says he has an announcement to make. He says that the entire day he has worked there, he wanted to say, then the door opens, and Patrick starts to panic because the “Out of town guy with his briefcase” is standing at the door. The guy goes to sit and puts his briefcase on the table.
Patrick is sweating at this stage and says that what he wanted to say was he would eat any leftovers that the customers leave on their plates.
The “Out of Town Guy” Comes to the Krusty Krab
All the customers look confused by what Patricia just said. As Patricia is walking away from SpongeBob, the “Out-of-town guy” stops her and says, “Ahoy, waitress.” He then asks if she isn’t going to take his order and looks very upset. Patricia seems very nervous and says, “I’ll be right there, Sir.”
SpongeBob then asks Patrick what’s the matter, to which he replies, “That’s the guy with the briefcase. The guy who’s trying to run me out of town.” SpongeBob immediately freaks out and says, “The assassin!”.
Both walk over to the guy nervously, and Patricia asks the guy what she can get him. The fish responds, “Don’t; I know you from somewhere?” Both SpongeBob and Patricia look freaked out, and Patricia replies with “No.” The guy thinks, then realizes, points at Patricia, and says, “That’s it! Get outta town.” SpongeBob and Patricia grab each other in a hug, and Patricia says, “He is on to us. “
SpongeBob jumps in front of Patricia and says, “I won’t let you do it. You will have to do something horrible to me before I let you throw Patrick out of town.”
Mr. Krabs and Squidward’s Reaction to the Truth
They freak out when they hear that Patricia is Patrick. The guy then tells Patrick that he forgot his flier. SpongeBob reads the flier and then tells Patrick that the guy wasn’t trying to run him out of town. He just wanted to sell him a “luxury vacation at a modest price.” Patrick says he guesses that he doesn’t need his disguise anymore. And then rips off all his clothes and stands naked in front of everyone.
Squidward’s eyes shrivel up, and then he says he needs to take a shower. Mr. Krabs, on the other hand, is still confused and asks Patrick, “So let me get this straight you are not a woman?”. Patrick answers him with a “No,” and Mr. Krabs says, “Well then you are fired, and if anybody needs me, I’ll be in my office for the next, I don’t know, 20 years or so. “He then walks away sadly.
SpongeBob and Patrick’s Next Mission
SpongeBob asks Patrick to go home and get started on their list. Patrick and SpongeBob run out of the Krusty Krab, screaming, “Yahoo and yippee.”
The Message behind this Episode
The message behind this episode is that sometimes in life, we jump to our own conclusions too easily, and we tend to misinterpret things. We stress ourselves about things we see in a certain way, which is not even the case.
Sometimes we just need to step back for a second, analyze the situation, and ask ourselves what is actually happening at that moment. If you are still unsure of what to make of the problem, you can always ask for more clarity; there is no harm in asking questions. Because just like Mark Twain said: “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.”
My advice is to “Think before you act.” And I think this episode of SpongeBob shows us that if Patrick did not freak out and misinterpret the “Out of town” scenario, he wouldn’t have had to make a fool out of himself with the disguise.
Fun Facts About Nasty Patty in Spongebob Squarepants
- A lot of characters debuted in this episode, including Patricia, the salesman, and the seaweed man.
- This is one of the few episodes where Krusty Krabs is open on a Sunday. It’s usually closed so the crew can have a rest day.
- Patrick unknowingly packs the wrong things when he grabs SpongeBob’s suitcase.
- In various dubbed versions, the title of the episode was different; some called it “Patricia”, “A Big Misunderstanding”, or even “Not and Lady.”
- This episode ranked fifth during SpongeBob’s Top 100 event in the UK and Ireland from June 4-8, 2012.
- It is among the few episodes with voiced participation from more than five incidental characters.
- SpongeBob got an idea to turn Patrick into his lady-like disguise when he was sporting seaweed for hair as a seaweed man.
- There are no female main characters in the episode.
- The episode was briefly pulled out from rotation since many believed it highlights “transgender propaganda.”
- Patricia made an appearance in the game “Nicktoons Unite!”
- A few characters had a crush on Patricia, namely Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Gus, Larry, and some incidentals.
- “Rubenesque” is the word used by Squidward to describe Patricia. It means a woman of a large, plump figure. It is also in reference to Peter Paul Rubens’ paintings of full-figured and bodacious women.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What are the disguises Patrick wore to hide his identity?
Answer: Patrick and SpongeBob were extremely creative with Patrick’s disguises. First, he wore the cyclops shades, then the seaweed wig, and finally, the whole Patricia get-up. His first costumes were later scrapped since many still recognized him. His seaweed man disguise didn’t work in his favor since there’s an existing seaweed monster man in Bikini Bottom.
Question: Did Patricia go on a date with Mr. Krabs or Squidward?
Answer: Nope, Patricia kept declining their offers. While she’s never explicitly mentioned it, she might have felt violated by their constant badgering. She has repeatedly said “no” to both Mr. Krabs and Squidward, yet they still continued to ask her.
Question: How many incidentals appeared in the episode?
Answer: There were approximately ten incidentals who appeared on the episode. Here’s a list of the following incidentals in order of appearance:
- Incidental 155 – He wears a white tank top and red shorts. He’s one of the characters who received a flier from the salesman.
- Incidental 4 – He only wears a dark blue polo shirt. Like incidental 155, he also received a flier from the salesman. However, he was not amused by the offer.
- Incidental 27 – One of the more popular incidentals, he had a minor role in greeting both SpongeBob and Patricia.
- Incidental 42 – Wearing a blue crew neck shirt, Incidental 42 appears in the Krusty Krab restaurant.
- Incidental 64 – He is a striped fish that had a cameo role in the episode.
- Fred – Also known as incidental 1, wears high-waist brown pants. He was among the many people who liked Patricia’s appearance.
- Incidental 40 – He wears a white shirt and skimpy basketball shorts in red. Like the other incidentals, he also sits inside the Krusty Krab restaurant when Patricia is about to reveal his true identity.
- Incidental 47 and Incidental 37B – They met SpongeBob and Patricia while strolling in town.
- Incidental 6 – He appeared in the background as Patricia was about to confess her real identity to everyone inside Krusty Krabs.
Question: Who wrote the episode That’s No Lady?
Answer: The episode had three writers, namely Casey Alexander, Chris Mitchell, and Steven Banks. Chris and Casey are usually partners for many episodes of the fourth season.
Patrick as Patricia: She’s Definitely Not a Lady!
While this is the first time I’ve seen Patrick sporting a female character, it’s not surprising that he still acts like his usual self. I love how this episode explores gender and how it ties it back to genuine friendship. It’s heartwarming to see how SpongeBob is willing to go the extra mile to protect his friend.
Aside from that, I personally like this episode since it also showed how Squidward cares for someone he likes. He is rarely seen seeking others’ attention, more so, making an effort to be noticed. It’s definitely surprising to see that whenever Patrick transforms into a lady, all eyes will be on her.
Bottom line, the episode is just the balance of everything I want in a SpongeBob Squarepants episode; equal parts wacky, weird, and surprisingly relatable. When was the last time you disguised yourself as someone you’re not? Well, I’m sure that’s a remarkable story too, just like this episode!