It wouldn’t be a Kids’ Choice Awards show without slime. Lots and lots of slime.
And to make sure all that slime behaves like it’s supposed to, Nickelodeon does “lots of testing,” Ashley Kaplan, executive vp, Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Unscripted & Digital Franchise Studio, told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week.
Nickelodeon graciously allowed THR to go behind the scenes for a portion of that testing to see what it was like to actually get slimed ahead of Saturday’s live broadcast. On Wednesday, my mom and I took my three kids — son Braden, age 15, and daughters Brianna, age 12, and Brooklyn, age 8 — to Santa Monica to participate in the tests for this year’s show. They were very excited to join the elite ranks of folks who’ve gotten the chance to experience this, including such famous faces as Harrison Ford, Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, James Earl Jones, Rosie O’Donnell, Katy Perry and other stars who’ve previously been slimed at the annual event.
To accommodate the slime, producers have to build a stage that incorporates special plumbing features, which is surely something that is unique to this awards show. In years past, slime has spewed forth out of the ceiling, from the floor, from slime-equipped water guns, from waterfalls, from a carwash and even onto the audience during the awards show, though its first appearance on the network was actually in the ’80s on the series You Can’t Do That on Television. While the slime is typically green, at the 2016 Kids’ Choice Sports Awards, David Beckham, Kobe Bryant and Michael Phelps all got drenched in gold-colored slime, a first. As for this year, I won’t spoil the surprises here, but we do know that the 2024 show — hosted by SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star — will feature another first: rainbow slime, spurting out of a giant birthday cake, in honor of SpongeBob’s 25th anniversary.
Of course, getting the slime recipe out of anyone involved in the KCAs is like trying to break into Fort Knox, but it’s always fun to ask. What it’s made of is a closely held secret, much like your grandmother’s famous recipe for apple pie, as Nickelodeon has told me in the past. When I inquired about the substance at the testing, I was playfully told that the slime is comprised of “fun stuff” — but I did learn that it’s nontoxic and safe to ingest.
To suit up for the slime test, my three kids decked themselves out in old clothes — though at the last minute, after seeing the first test subject get a faceful of slime, they opted to wear ponchos (a decision they later regretted) — and braced themselves for a giant dousing of the green goo. Afterward, I asked them what the experience was like. Read below for a transcript of our conversation. (The TL;DR version: They loved it.)
What did it feel like to get slimed?
BROOKLYN The slime came at me hard.
BRADEN I was surprised how hard it pushed me back, and how much came out, too.
BRIANNA It was very slimy. That’s a quote.
Apparently, you can eat it. It’s edible.
BROOKLYN I want to eat it!
How did you feel before walking up to do the testing, before the slime came out?
BROOKLYN I was really scared before getting up there and getting slimed. I felt like, why am I doing this?
BRADEN I was scared, and I was shaking after because of how intense it was.
BRIANNA It was very cold, and I was nervous. I was shaking. It went longer than I thought it would.
BROOKLYN I put the poncho over my face so slime wouldn’t get on my face.
Tell me about the cleanup process.
BRADEN I would not want to do that. I would not want clean it up.
I meant, cleaning yourself up.
BRADEN Oh — not fun.
How long did it take you to clean up?
BRADEN Five minutes.
BRIANNA At least seven. I’m still cleaning up. [In fact, when we got home, they were still finding slime stuck to their body, from their hair down to their feet.]
Would you do it again?
BRADEN Yes, but next time I wouldn’t wear a poncho because I think it would be fun to get more slimed.
BROOKLYN Yes, without a poncho because it would be more fun without it.
How do you think the celebrities feel when they get slimed on stage in their fancy clothes?
BRADEN Surprised.
BRIANNA Upset?
BRADEN I mean, I don’t think they’d be mad because of how much money they have. You know, If I was slimed in a suit, I’d be pretty mad, but they have a lot of money.
BRIANNA Sometimes, I see them change [after they get slimed], so I think they wear a nicer outfit after they get slimed.
BROOKLYN Oh, I don’t think they’re upset because, like, they’re celebrities, isn’t it supposed to happen?
Any advice to give to the stars who are attending the awards show and might end up slimed?
BRADEN Expect it to happen.
BROOKLYN Expect it to be hard.
BRADEN Bring a spare change of clothes.
BRIANNA Don’t wear nice shoes. You’ll regret it.
How would you have felt if you didn’t know it was coming and you were just standing there in your regular clothes?
BRIANNA I would be scared. I’d jump out of the way because I would be scared.
BRADEN I probably would be shocked and scared.
BROOKLYN I’d be happy and surprised.
Do you wish you had a slime machine in your front yard and you could slime people as they walked down the street?
BRIANNA Actually, as long as it doesn’t hit me, yes.
If someone asks, how was the overall experience, what would you say?
BRADEN I would say, intense, worth it and very fun.
BRIANNA Fast, worth it, fun, slimy.
BROOKLYN It came down very hard. Scared, intense and fun.
Is there anything else about sliming that you would tell your friends?
BROOKLYN I would tell my friends Arianna and Reese that it came down hard, and I would say, “I think you should do it.”
BRIANNA It was messy.
BRADEN I got slimed.
The 2024 Kids’ Choice Awards will be handed out in a live telecast airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT on July 13 on Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, MTV2, TV Land and Nick Jr. Among this year’s nominees are Taylor Swift, who leads with six, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé and Travis Kelce.
Nickelodeon also revealed this week that it will offer live audio description for blind and visually impaired viewers during the Kids’ Choice Awards. This enhancement will provide live audio-narrated descriptions of the program’s key visual elements that will be available on the Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) channel as provided by Descriptive Video Works. Live audio description will be available on all broadcasts.
