Ever since it’s release in 2017, “Big Mouth” has been gracing the screens of teens, young adults, and older generations with its raunchy humor and disgusting imagery. The show, available on Netflix, follows a group of cartoon pre-teens as they navigate puberty with their “hormone monsters” guiding the way. “Big Mouth” covers topics such as periods, masturbation, anxiety, acne, boob growth, sexual awakenings, and intrusive thoughts.
While “Big Mouth” has received great reviews and is constantly talked about, there are some critics that don’t think it should be a show at all. Because of the risqué images and, yes, genitalia, some people, especially parents, have complained that “Big Mouth” is way too racy to be viewed at all and does not have any good qualities. A review from ParentsTV calls the show “the most utterly sickening ‘entertainment’ seen in 40 years in this industry.” Some have gone as far to say it should be outlawed, as it can be seen as basically child pornography and harmful for viewers.
While anyone who feels uncomfortable from the show has a total right to feel that way, I think the show has more value than people think, beyond the graphic descriptions of vaginas and raunchy songs about aspects of puberty. It can be hard to get past the shock humor and outward sexualness of the show, but it may be beneficial for you to watch.
To start, “Big Mouth” is not legally child porn–and Netflix would not continue releasing seasons if it was. It’s reasonable to think that “Big Mouth” might be close to pornography, as even the creators of the show considered the risks of airing it. Andrew Goldberg, producer of the show and inspiration for the character Andrew (voiced by John Mulaney), argued that ” the people who have those objections, for the most part, have not seen the show, and if they have, and they’re looking at these images and finding them sexy or titillating, to me that says a lot more about them than the show.” He continues to point out that “what we’ve experienced a lot more is people watching the show and saying, ‘Wow, that’s just what it was like, or what it is like, going through this, and I feel better and not alone,’ which is what our goal is.” I have to agree with Goldberg. Although I had trouble accepting the show’s sense of humor at first, I’m glad to have watched it.
A part of “Big Mouth” that is often overlooked in conversation is what it has done in normalizing puberty for girls. Wet dreams, erections, and other aspects of male puberty are often discussed in other shows, in middle school sex ed, and pop culture, but periods and female sexuality are often taboo. I am sure I was not the only one fully appreciative of Jessi’s (voiced by Jessi Klein) experience talking to her vagina (voiced by Kristen Wiig), figuring out how to put a tampon in at summer camp and combating feelings of wanting to feel attractive while also wanting to seem independent. Missy (voiced by Jenny Slate) also has some important storylines that many women can relate to when reminiscing about their preteen days, including figuring out her own sexuality, daydreaming about fictional characters, navigating her race and identity, and enduring mood swings strong enough to distort her entire personality. For me, a lot of these topics were always too taboo to talk about in public, and “Big Mouth’s” unapologetic inclusion of them was refreshing to see in a media landscape full of coming-of-age comedies for men. Even long after I’ve faced the worst of puberty, “Big Mouth” showed me that what I was feeling during that time was okay, even normal.
I also think a lot of the mental health issues covered in “Big Mouth” are overlooked by nay-sayers. The show covers a multitude of emotions and how they can affect you, including depression, anxiety, shame, fear, and love. For a lot of adults, how to cope with these emotions was never covered in their youth, and it can be extremely validating to see Missy breakdown over a standardized test, Jessi be seduced by “Depression Kitty” (voiced by Jean Smart), and see everyone harassed by Tito the Anxiety Mosquito (voiced by Maria Bamford).
Overall, “Big Mouth” describes puberty as it should: it’s obnoxious, it’s disgusting, it’s inappropriate, and it gives you second-hand embarrassment at least once every episode. But once you look beyond the cartoon genitals and the graphic depictions of just about everything you can think of, you’ll see that you’re learning important lessons from the show just like you had to learn the hard way during puberty. Sure, it’s not meant for actual preteens, but viewers will realize that it’s really not all that worse than you experienced during those awkward years– and it’ll give you a much-needed reflection on the one time of life that everyone tries to block out.