Ya like memes?

Barry B. Benson is a name that may ring a bell. Maybe the name will even take you back a decade ago, to 2007, when he was first introduced to the big screen. Yes, I’m talking about “The Bee Movie.” If you’ve never heard of this animated film, well, it’s about bees.

Barry B. Benson is voiced by Jerry Seinfeld, who also co-wrote the movie. This iconic film – yes, iconic – is focused on a bee who leaves his hive to start a career far from the norms of the usual bee work.

Along the way, Barry falls in love with a human – an iniquity within bees. The whole plot of the film seems odd, but that is exactly why it has been made into a meme.

The movie gained $126 million in the U.S, but has made $287 million around the world-not bad for a movie that cost $150 million to make.

But the bee memes we see today originated from the social media website Tumblr. Tumblr users described this meme as “inescapable.” This movie returned a decade later to fill a void the meme world never knew was needed.

The Bee Movie may have affected your life, I know it has affected mine. For instance, I like jazz and it’s almost impossible to not think about “The Bee Movie” whenever I disclose my interest.

For example, a notable scene in the movie is when Barry vacillates on how to talk to the human girl that saved his life. Thinking aloud, Barry blurts out, “Ya like jazz?” This was only supposed to be a line of dialogue. A phrase. Something that was supposed to be said and done.

The meme world, however, is known for making lines more than just lines – they become inescapable jokes. Now, how has this single line changed my life? Well, you see, I cannot tell someone I like jazz without receiving a response that I have heard and seen a hundred times.  

Memes can be found anywhere from social media sites to youtube videos. It’s on YouTube where I’ve fallen victim to spending the precious minutes of my life on videos titled, “The Bee Movie, but every time they say bee….” In each of these movies, every time they say “bee” the movie speeds up or is simply replaced by another well known meme.

I’d be lying if I said that I have never seen any of these videos. The truth is, I’ve seen more than an handful. A few of these videos don’t even have anything to do with “The Bee Movie.” For example, “The Bee Movie, but every time they say Bee, Shrek screams ‘DONKEY’.” You may be asking yourself who could possibly watch these videos? And the answer is people like me.

This movie has created a world of it’s own. In others words, the film has created satire-like topics such as ‘bestiality’, in reference to the odd relationship between a bee and a human.

Fans of the film have even made their own T-shirts with the whole movie script on it. May I repeat: the whole script. It didn’t take very long for Barry B. Benson to earn his seat next to Shrek and other animated characters who also became a meme.

The memes left in the shadows of “The Bee Movie” have left the internet wondering if a sequel will be made. In case you’re wondering if a sequel to “The Bee Movie” will come out, it won’t. It’s not happening. Don’t look forward to it.

If a sequel were to come out, this would mean the death of all original bee memes, and they will no longer be funny. All it takes is the internet to ruin how the world sees bees. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us. Bee happy.