Finding Nemo's Crush provides a rare mature joke in the Pixar movie universe. Released in 2003, Finding Nemo is one of Pixar's biggest and most popular releases, and would eventually spawn a Dory-centric sequel in 2016. The original story sees Marlin the clownfish embark on a journey to find his missing son, the titular Nemo, meeting a host of colorful sea life characters along the way. Expertly animated, heartfelt and typically quotable, Finding Nemo quickly became an animated classic.
Like many Pixar releases, Finding Nemo succeeds in appealing to a wider audience than most Disney animations. While the colors, characters and "touching the butt" jokes capture the imaginations of youngsters, there's still plenty for adults to enjoy in the vividly realized world and well-crafted script. Finding Nemo also revels in dropping gags that would fly over the heads of younger viewers, but put a smile on the faces of their parents. From the vegetarian sharks and "here's Brucey!" to the disgusted seagull, Finding Nemo continues the long-standing Pixar tradition of broad humor that traces all the way back to Toy Story.
Even by those standards, however, Finding Nemo's Crush gives rise to a joke audiences probably wouldn't expect from a Pixar movie. When Marlin and Dory first come across Crush, the sea turtle is riding the East Australian Current and helps the duo reach Sydney harbor. Crush is incredibly laid back, goes with the flow of life (literally) and sounds exactly like Keanu Reeves' Bill Preston from the Bill & Ted movies. On a surface level, this appears to be a play on the generic beach surfer stereotype. Many Finding Nemo characters represent human traits (the worried single parent, the forgetful klutz, the recovering addict, etc.) and Crush's personality seems based on that typical extreme sports "dude" persona .
Another element of that stereotypical chilled-out wave rider image is indulging in a bit of the marijuana from time to time and, surprisingly, this too is reflected in Finding Nemo's Crush. In a real life sea habitat, turtles consume jellyfish that provide them with a natural high not dissimilar to the sensation humans get from cannabis. Although anyone unfamiliar with the eating habits of sea turtles might not get the reference, it seems Crush is so spaced-out and chill because he's permanently stoned on jellyfish. Perhaps this quirk of nature is what inspired Crush's personality in the first place, spinning out to encompass a complete set of stereotypical stoner traits. It's surely no coincidence that Crush first comes across Marlin after the clownfish has escaped from a jellyfish forest.
This level of detail is arguably Pixar's biggest strength. The Crush drug gag mixes real life inspirations with recognizable human traits and cute animals - Pixar's usual winning formula. And since this isn't a reference many viewers would be likely to pick up on during a first watch, Finding Nemo is rewarding repeat viewings with these extra layers of detail.