Spongebob and Gender

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One thing I've noticed while watching Spongebob Squarepants, that I hardly see anyone else talk about, is how the series seems to approach the subject of gender. See, sponges and starfish in real life are hermaphrodites; composites of both biological sexes, with no inherent gender attached. The show reflects this in its portrayal of Spongebob. Though he dresses like a boy most of the time, there are many episodes where he is seen dressing or acting in a traditionally feminine manner. His friend Patrick Star is the same, though he definitely leans more toward the masculine side. This could be a sign that these two have little regard for gender roles since, being hermaphrodites, their brains aren't wired that way. This could be a commentary on the subjective nature of gender and its inherent traits, or maybe I'm reading too much into this.