Bobs Burgers creator Loren Bouchard on the evolution of Marshmallow

Sometimes a piece of art comes to you right when you need of it.

That's what "Hope N' Mic Night" was for me. The sixth episode of Bob's Burgers Season 15 aired on November 10, 2024. On its surface, it was a silly episode about the Belcher kids putting together an open mic night at the family's burger joint — because the school's talent show was cancelled for lack of talent. However, when fan favorite Marshmallow (now voiced by Jari Jones) got on the makeshift stage and sang a slowed-down version of "Seabird" while playing the guitar, the episode became about more than musical shenanigans and Tina's love of butts. It was a beacon of hope and reminder of the power of community when I needed both. 

I picked the episode as one of the best of 2024. So, when Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard joined me for a Say More interview, I knew I wanted to touch on this episode, and how it displays the cartoon show's evolution — and Marshmallow's too. In the virtual interview, Bouchard shared how the episode came about, and what it meant for Marshmallow. 

How Marshmallow went from a one-joke line to a fan favorite on Bob's Burgers. 

Originally voiced by David Herman, Marshmallow first appeared in Season 1's "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" as an unexpected guest at Tina's birthday party. There, she made a grand entrance and delivered a solid punchline about how she got her name. ("'Cause if you show me a sweet potato pie, I am on top of it.") Since then, Marshmallow has popped up again and again, cracking Bob's back, supporting the kids' basement casino, and attending every party, from Tina's birthday, to the Bog to Beach parade, and that secret subterranean Christmas rave. 

Fans loved her, but also they began to question the casting choice to have a white cis man provide a deep voice for character that's a trans Black woman. Ahead of Season 15, the role of Marshmallow was recast, bringing in Jones, who made her debut in "Hope N' Mic Night." 

Bouchard spoke of Marshmallow's development over the seasons, saying, "I don't want to oversimplify and make it sound pat, but we're evolving. As somewhat oblivious cis white males, speaking for myself — we certainly have lots of not-cis-white males working on the show — but we're all evolving and learning. Marshmallow was never, ever intended to be mean [in terms of trans representation].... It was never like, 'Get it? That person is other and different and stupid' or whatever. It was always intended to be loving. But it was a short, sharp introduction of a character." 

"Whatever was implied by Marshmallow's incredible life," Bouchard continued, "was not clear [at the start]. It was just a knockout entrance and a great line for how she got her name. And I loved that character. I loved that voice [by Herman] because I'm a dumbass, and I thought it was funny to hear a low voice. And, you know, that has to evolve as we learn and understand more about trans people and just the rich tapestry of human existence." 

Alluding to fans' concerns over Marshmallow's original voice casting, he said, "I love that. When we were reminded about representation in casting in general, especially as it pertains to race, then we recast. And then I love that we then found Jari. Jari was the right person. It was so obvious. And then I could have conversations with Jari [about Marshmallow and her voice]... It was a such a reasonable thing to bring to my attention and to help me see that [the deep voice is] not what this character is about. And it's still going to be a funny character when we need it. You know, there's comedy. You don't need to have the low voice. That's not the joke." 

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

As to why Bouchard thinks Marshmallow caught on with fans, he said, "When you add a character, you're theoretically not just adding the character who's gonna be 'funny.' You're adding a chemical reaction between one of your existing characters and this new character. So it's always the space between the characters. And in Marshmallow's case, Marshmallow was fantastic, but it was Bob's reaction to Marshmallow that made that work on the show."

As Bob puts it, she "comes and goes as she pleases, answers to no one, and is truly free." 

Loren Bouchard on the real-world roots of "Hope N' Mic Night." 

In this Season 15 episode, Louise, Tina, and Gene beg Bob and Linda to let them throw an open mic night. While the kids start promoting the idea around the Wharf, their parents learn how expensive and complicated the planning is for such an event. But before they can balk, Marshmallow stops by the restaurant to sign up. Marshmallow is the reason Bob carries on with the event. And that night, when a pesky fire marshal threatens to shut them down for being over capacity, it's Marshmallow's intervention that saves the show (again) — and the Belchers. 

On open mic night, Bob's Burgers is packed, with lots of recurring characters performing kooky cover songs. Then, Marshmallow changes the tone of the episode by singing "Seabird" while playing guitar. She soulfully performs before her parents and her friends, and it's a rendition so beautiful I tear up thinking of it now.

Then, of course, the kids close out the night with a rousing song about butts. Because at its core, Bob's Burgers is always about learning to love yourself, as freaky or quirky as you are. 

After confessing that this episode is a favorite of mine because of how it moves me, I asked Bouchard how the episode came about. He responded, "That one is near and dear to me as well. I wrote it with this sort of sandbox approach, like, 'Oh, won't it be fun to have an open mic night?' Like, we just get to have so many musical numbers, and we're going to license all these songs. It'll be our big spend for our music budget."

From there, Bouchard recalled the inspiration for "Hope N' Mic Night" — a humble open mic he attended on vacation with his family. "I had been to one over the summer at this little coffee shop in Cape Cod, and I just was so charmed — so fucking charmed — by these people, putting themselves out there and that urge," he said. "I'm sort of shy. I wish I were that guy who would get up and sing off-key at an open mic night, or this woman who played her flute to a backing track. I'm not even sure if she was possibly in the wrong key, but like, it was still so charming. I was excited to try and give that to Bob's and our kids, and then these side characters."

At this point in Season 15's development, Jones had been cast to take up the mantle of Marshmallow. Bouchard explained, "And it was one text to Jari Jones… We'd been looking for Marshmallow opportunities. And I said, 'Can you sing?' And she said, 'Yes.' And I was like, 'How would you like to do a cover of something?'"

Bouchard hadn't yet figured out what the song would be, but he knew it had to be a "big moment." He continued, "We started looking for the song, and that was another whole journey... We looked at a lot of stuff, but when we really were at the deadline, 'Seabird' emerged. It's been on my radar since I saw it in the end credits of Hunt for the Wilderpeople. And it blew me away.

"I didn't know if it was a current song, if it was an old song, which it turns out it is. I had never heard it before, and I just found it so charming. The Alessi Brothers, I had never heard of them. But then ['Seabird'] became part of regular rotation in my house, my wife and I singing it to the point where our kids wanted to actually ban it. They said we weren't allowed to play it anymore because we had, like, worn it out, I guess. 

"Anyway, then it was like, 'Oh my God, yes.' 'Seabird' slowed down. Guitar and voice. Chris Maxwell, who's one of our composers, played that guitar lick. And I just love it so much. And Jari killed it, just crushed it. It was one of those vocal sessions where you're crying. You can't believe your luck that you get to record a performance like that. I think we did two takes. That's it. It was perfect."

At this point, I teared up recounting how this episode made me feel the hope that comes from community. Bouchard replied, "Me too. I mean, that's what it was intended to do. And then Marshmallow delivered, you know, just delivered as a character. Jari as a performer, Chris as a guitarist, that song, everything came together. And that's why we do this."

He concluded, "You live for those moments doing a show like this, when it all comes together like that. We've had a few of them and boy, oh boy, it means everything to hear you say that, because it's why we do this."

For more from Mashable's interview with Loren Bouchard, watch the full Say More episode on YouTube.