Why Big Mouth’s Outrageous Sexual Humor is Necessary on Netflix

Big Mouth season 4 (and 5 and 6) is finally happening!! Netflix has released new seasons once a year since 2017 and, if that schedule holds, season 4 should release in late September of 2020.

This article is merely a review of the show but also expresses how it is a real-life representation of how young teenagers deal with puberty.

Don’t be fooled by the animation, this show isn’t exactly a classic. The show doesn’t go a few minutes without an inappropriate joke and frequently shows nudity and drug use. Yet, it is a calculated method of speaking to both kids and adults at the same time. It shows how far society has come from the ’50s to now in terms of trusting women, calling out misogyny and recognizing patriarchal power dynamics. This show is definitely meant for junior high schoolers and up. Even though there is a lot of heart and truth beneath the surface, the show is unquestionably crude.

The show talks about everything and anything that pubescent teenagers face, including menstruation and sudden “urges.” It opens the discussion for an array of issues and hardships that young people face such as sexual identity, body image, birth control, slut-shaming, and drugs while remaining painfully candid.

In today’s social media-saturated world, the female characters struggle with self-esteem is heartbreakingly real. Missy is deeply insecure about her childish look and her “flat” chest. It is also important to note that it’s not a hormone monster or a random classmate that continuously tells Missy to hate her body — it’s her own reflection. It visually demonstrates a common problem that many young girls struggle with.

Nick’s genuine and heart-warming character ties the show together and teaches teens how hard it can be to navigate relationships when boys are growing up at different rates. His character is firmly stuck in preadolescence and he lacks the sex drive that people his age enjoy. He spends all of two seasons confused as to why his own body is taking so long to catch up. He struggles with the shame of how he treats women and his ‘relationship’ with Gina that progressed because of a dare also opens up real issues of consent and respect.

Andrew’s character also hurts women in various ways. He shamefully accepts using a girl he doesn’t like for sexual means before dumping her. This puts him in a self-hating situation where he wonders if he’ll ever be able to be a good person and be sexually active at the same time.

The situations in the show circle back to real-life conversations, proving to be more relevant than ever in the #MeToo era as women fight against sexual assault, harassment, and shame. Repeatedly, the characters emphasize the fact that apologizing isn’t enough and every action has a reaction.

If you can make it past the vulgar humor, it’s worth a watch. Every single one of them does something terrible and none of them are perfect. At the end of it, there’s always a lesson learned and laughter reaped.

As Jay’s father said “mean men f***, great men clean it up”

 

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