Jerry Seinfeld apologizes for 'Bee Movie' and its 'uncomfortable subtle sexual aspect'

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Jerry Seinfeld issued a light-hearted apology for the "uncomfortable" relationship between the two main characters in his 2007 animated film "Bee Movie." 

The acclaimed comedian appeared on "The Tonight Show" where he and host Jimmy Fallon discussed the fact that his hit sitcom "Seinfeld" is now streaming in its entirety on Netflix. The duo also discussed getting older, prompting Seinfeld to note that he has done a lot in his 67 years. This led to him discussing the film and apologizing for the "subtle sexual aspect" of it that many critics on the Internet have highlighted throughout the years since its premiere. 

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

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For those unfamiliar, "Bee Movie" was co-written by Seinfeld, who also did the voice of the main character. The film focused on Barry, a bee, alongside Renee Zellweger, who played a human woman. Part of the plot centers on the friendship that the two characters of different species have. However, upon reflection, many on the Internet have made hay out of the fact that the relationship seemingly gets a bit romantic at times, leading to countless memes about "Bee Movie." Entertainment Weekly notes, though, that the film is about more than the two characters’ relationship. It also has a bit of a legal drama running through it after Barry the Bee sues the human race for exploiting bees for their honey.

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Jerry Seinfeld discussed ‘Bee Movie’ in a recent interview on ‘The Tonight Show.’ (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

Still, the bizarre legal aspect of "Bee Movie" is not what people remember more than a decade later. In addition, Seinfeld isn’t the first of the creative minds behind the film to discuss its reception from audiences as predominantly odd. In 2017, speaking to The News Statesman, director Steve Hickner and co-writer Barry Marder discussed the enduring, less-than-stellar legacy of "Bee Movie." 

"It was never going to be sexual or anything like that," Hickner explained at the time. "It was purely this friendship… maybe in Barry’s mind he thought… but it was never going to be that."

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The writer noted that the movie was "weird to begin with" and noted that, in hindsight, he understands people’s criticism of the film.

Jerry Seinfeld appeared on ‘The Tonight Show’ to discuss ‘Seinfeld’ being on Netflix. (Sean Gallagher/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Fellow writer Spike Feresten also said that people are either "entertained or repulsed" by the movie. 

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"I suspect it’s that odd relationship between an insect and a human woman," he concluded "There isn’t really an interspecies love affair movie, I think… we don’t really want to sell that to kids."