London, Aug 18 : The Ukraine government's morality agency has called cartoon "SpongeBob Squarepants" a "real threat to children" and wants to ban it as it "promotes homosexuality", the Daily Mail reported.

The National Expert Commission for Protecting Public Morality released a report that also includes other shows including "Family Guy", "Pokemon", "The Simpsons" and "Teletubbies".

It said the projects are "aimed at the destruction of the family, and the promotion of drugs and other vices".

The report said "Teletubbies" sends children into a trance and creates "an imbecile who will sit near the screen with an open mouth and swallow any information".

It also criticised Tinky Winky, one of the stars of the BBC children's show, who carries what looks like a woman's handbag. "In real life, boys very rarely want to put on girls' clothes," it said.

It said there was "evidence" that points to SpongeBob's homosexuality. He regularly holds hands with a pink starfish called Patrick, who is also his best friend.

Equally suspect is the fact that SpongeBob lives in an underwater pineapple and receives boating lessons from a teacher called Mrs.Puff, and "puff" was both a derogatory and affectionate term to describe a gay man, the report said.

Creator Stephen Hillenburg earlier defended his creation, saying: "I always think of him as being somewhat asexual."

The Wall Street Journal reported in the past that some of the cartoon's reported $500 million merchandise sales have come from gay men purchasing branded toys, lunch boxes and even thongs.

©IANS