Netflix’s Big Mouth-Review

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Going through prepubescent adolescence can be a real challenge for kids. Sometimes a TV show can help you through these tough times of curiosity and change. When I was going through my awkward stage, I had “The Wonder Years” . In reality, the struggle that Kevin Arnold went through didn’t even come close to what I was going through. The Wonder Years painted a “pretty picture” about teen romance and the coming of age obstacles we all face. But honestly, what the fuck did Kevin Arnold know? Going through puberty wasn’t cute. Rejection from the love of your life was almost certain. What about random “hard-ons”, masturbation, and porn? Big Mouth really nails the weirdness you can get when going through puberty. Perhaps because it’s animated the creators are able to get away with pushing the limits both comically and tastefully! You get realism in Big Mouth. Big mouth is the kind of show that young preteen’s and teens can really benefit from. The show talks about the real side of dealing with out of control hormones and life changes. Big Mouth takes a hard look at what it means to be a young person growing up in today’s society. The show doesn’t sugarcoat it. Big Mouth tackles some very serious issues like homophobia, penis envy, being straight or gay, menstrual cycles, masturbation, and pornography.

Two best friends Nick Birch, Nick Kroll, and Andrew Glouberman, John Mulaney, are going through that awkward time of their lives together. They can rely on each other for help but also have the Hormone Monster and the ghost of Duke Ellington to lend sage advice. The Hormone Monster is their imaginary monster guide through all of the obstacles of puberty. The ghost of Duke Ellington is a ghost that lives in Nick’s attic who also gives the boys Adult advice, Although be it out of date and sometimes terrible advice.

Nick and Andrew aren’t the only ones going through changes. The boys discover that the girls in their class are going through some life changes. Girls becoming women and having to upgrade their bras, dealing with unwanted attention, and menstrual cycles. The REM Parody “Everybody Bleeds” had me in stitches, but at the same time, had me wishing that I had this show around to watch with my teenage girls when they were going through this for the first time.

A lot of people I’ve spoken to have had a hard time with how direct and beyond perverted some of the situations that the kids in Big Mouth find themselves in. But the fact of the matter is that not everyone is sheltered from sex like others are. But in school, kids from all levels of sexual exposure and knowledge are thrust together. The school-yard was the place that I learned about the things that go on at my friends houses. I know that I was probably responsible for corrupting a mind or two of my own, that’s the school-yard life!

The show cutely and cleverly breaks the 4th wall with a few nods to the show being on Netflix and the binge watching culture that we’ve become. The look to the camera asking if they are going to keep watching knowing that Netflix is going to ask after the third episode. Or being grounded from Netflix, which is a pretty harsh and effective punishment for kids today.

As a teenage boy, I would’ve related to Big Mouth a lot. To know I was not alone when it came to the uncertainty and awkward changes in life. The creators of the show would’ve done boys in my day a great service to help us realize that girls are very similar to boys. Even as an adult, the show has opened my eyes to some things that I had forgotten about both the differences and similarities between the sexes. “Newsflash: Girls get horny too!”