Summary

• Jerry Seinfeld apologizes for inadvertent sexual undertones in Bee Movie, acknowledging the lack of appropriateness for children.
• Despite mixed reception, Bee Movie remains culturally relevant, known for memes and quirky quotes like "Ya like jazz?"
• Bee Movie's unsettling undertones in Barry and Vanessa's relationship continue to fuel discussions years after its release.

Jerry Seinfeld offers up his formal apology for his animated movie Bee Movie. Released in 2007, Bee Movie tells the story of Barry B. Benson, a bumblebee and recent college graduate who makes an adventurous trip outside his beehive when he finds himself dismayed at the thought that his only career choice is to make honey, as other bees do. In addition to voicing Barry, Seinfeld also wrote and produced Bee Movie. The film’s supporting vocal cast included Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Barry Levinson, Larry King, Ray Liotta, and Kathy Bates.

In a 2024 commencement speech at Duke University (via People), Seinfeld now apologizes for Bee Movie. Seinfeld introduced this concept by saying “I made a cartoon movie about bees you may have watched as a child.” He then went on to say sorry for the “sexual undertones in the relationship between Barry B. Benson and Vanessa,” who is a human woman who saves his life. Seinfeld said that these implications were not “intentional” but that he later “realized this is really not appropriate for children.” Check out the full quote from Seinfeld below:

I made a cartoon movie about bees you may have watched as a child.

If any of you felt slightly uncomfortable about the sexual undertones in the relationship between Barry B. Benson and Vanessa, the florist who saves his life, I would like to apologize for that now. I may not have calibrated that perfectly.

I apologize for what seems to be a certain uncomfortable subtle sexual aspect of the Bee Movie. [It] really was not intentional, but after it came out, I realized this is really not appropriate for children. Because the bee seems to have a thing for the girl, and we don’t really want to pursue that as an idea in children’s entertainment.

The Cultural Zeitgeist Surrounding The Bee Movie Explained

Bee Movie has been immortalized through memes

Bee Movie received mixed reviews at the time of its release. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an even-split 50%, with an only slightly-higher audience approval rating of 53%. The film made $293.5 million at the worldwide box office. While this is a relatively hefty sum for an animated movie, Bee Movie had a massive budget of $150 million, making Bee Movie not as profitable as the box office gross may suggest.

Despite its mixed reception and lackluster box office, Bee Movie has remained vibrant in the cultural memory. Moments from Bee Movie are the subject of countless gifs and memes, including quoting of the famous Barry line “Ya like jazz?” Said line is also one of the moments in Bee Movie that is cited as overly sexual. Said to Vanessa, it comes across like Barry B. Benson’s lame pickup line, therefore an attempt to start a romance with this human woman.

Watch Bee Movie on Prime Video.

Given that Bee Movie is a PG movie aimed at children, there is something inherently disturbing to the bestiality insinuated by the relationship between Vanessa and Barry. Nonetheless, it is this disconcerting nature of the Bee Movie’s concept that has allowed the animated film to persist in the cultural memory. Other computer-animated movies of the era — such as Hoodwinked, Over the Hedge, and Open Season — have been long forgotten in the years since their release, but Bee Movie continues to be a topic of discussion.

Source: People