Seinfeld Apologizes for Sexual Undertones in Animated Film

Clear Facts

• Jerry Seinfeld, during his commencement address at Duke University, apologized for the sexual undertones in his 2007 animated film, “Bee Movie”.
• The relationship between Seinfeld’s character, a bee, and his human co-star, Vanessa (voiced by Renée Zellweger), has inspired significant debate.
• An honorary degree from Duke University was awarded to Seinfeld, who has publicly shown support for Israel, during the commencement ceremony.

Esteemed comedian and actor, Jerry Seinfeld, utilized his platform at Duke University’s commencement ceremony to acknowledge an underlying issue present in one of his past works. During his address, Seinfeld acknowledged and apologized for the sexual undertones in his 2007 animated children’s film, “Bee Movie”.

Addressing the large crowd gathered in Durham, North Carolina, the 70-year-old comedian stated,
“I created an animated film about bees that you may have watched as a child.”

He further added,
“For those who felt slightly uncomfortable about the sexual undertones in the relationship between Barry B. Benson and Vanessa, the florist who rescues him, I would like to apologize for that now. I may not have calibrated that perfectly.”

The relationship between Seinfeld’s character, Barry B. Benson, a bee, and Vanessa, a human florist (voiced by Renée Zellweger), who saves his life, has sparked substantial debate over the years.

Seinfeld also expressed regret about this part of “Bee Movie” during a 2021 appearance on a late-night talk show. He apologized for what he described as the “uncomfortable subtle sexual aspect of the ‘Bee Movie’”.

Seinfeld clarified,
“[It] really was not intentional, but after it was released, I realized this is really not suitable for children. Because the bee seems to have a thing for the girl, and we don’t really want to endorse that as an idea in children’s entertainment.”

Before Seinfeld’s address, the commencement ceremony witnessed some unrest with a few pro-Palestinian students staging a walkout in protest of Seinfeld’s support for Israel, especially in light of the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

In the ceremony, Seinfeld was conferred an honorary degree from Duke University. His family has a connection with the institution–his son, Julian, is currently enrolled and his daughter, Sascha, is an alumna.

Seinfeld’s recently released comedy, “Unfrosted”, was also part of his discussion. The film, which explores the origin of Pop-Tarts, has received mixed reviews, with a critical rating of 40% and an audience rating of 55% on a popular film review site. Critics have offered varied responses, with one stating,
“Overall, ‘Unfrosted’ is like a child mixing every cereal from his parents’ cupboard into a big salad bowl, hoping that a splash of milk will magically blend the various flavors into something palatable.”

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