Big Mouth isn’t only a great Netflix original – it’s also full of life lessons that anyone can follow. Here is just a handful of the hundreds of lessons you can learn.
1. Everyone feels shame
The end of Season 2 teaches us something we should all know: everyone feels shame over one thing or another. But we shouldn’t let it control us. Shame is a natural part of being human and we need to remind ourselves that we are more than our humiliations.
2. Bodies are beautiful
Season 2 features an episode based on Missy dealing with her body confidence. Not going to lie, this episode was what made me want to write this article. With a visual representation of how body dysmorphia can feel – as well as a really great song you’ll want on repeat – Big Mouth reminds us that it’s ok to be uncomfortable with our bodies, but reminds us that they are beautiful and do so much good.
3. It’s ok to be confused about your body
It’s ok to be confused about why things hurt, why things are growing, why you’re emotional all the time. Jessi suffers from this a lot in Season 1. She starts to feel agitated and angry and confused. Her Hormone Monstress, Connie, assures her it’s ok and completely natural. In one episode, Jessi decides she wants a new sexy red bra to feel adult, but regrets it when she starts to get the attention she doesn’t want. We’ve all felt that way. This reminds us that it’s completely normal to feel not normal.
4. Everyone has embarrassing parents
Your parents are going to be a pain in the ass. That’s normal. They may walk in on you doing something you don’t want them to see, they may tell embarrassing stories about you at the dinner table, they may even have a love-hate relationship with scallops (looking at your Marty). Moral of the story is that everyone has weird parents. Appreciate them, otherwise you might regret it when they’re gone.
5. It’s ok to be a late bloomer
This is brought up in the very first episode. Nick doesn’t get a puberty monster until the second season and, once he does, he goes through two monsters until he finds a match. Andrew, on the other hand, has a growing mustache and has had a monster the whole time. Gina has boobs while Missy hasn’t gotten her’s yet. Every body is different and you just need to accept that you’re along for the ride.
6. Being confused about your sexuality is ok, too
Life is confusing. Sex is confusing. It’s ok to question yourself and your identity. Experimentation is something that you shouldn’t be ashamed of. Everyone is unsure about who they are. Just be authentically you, not who you think people need you to be. And you might need to follow the advice of the ghost of Freddie Mercury.
7. Friends will always have your back
Whether it’s helping you hide your first period when you’re in white shorts to kissing you to help you figure out if you’re gay, Big Mouth shows what true friends will do for each other. Yes there will be fights and there will be mistakes, but true friends will always end up back at your side.
8. Anyone can have depression
Sometimes life sucks. During Season Two, Jessi goes through her mom cheating on her father, her parents’ divorce, and many other negative life changes. This understandably is too much for one girl to handle. She starts avoiding people, acting out and, in the last episode of the season, discovers she has depression. Andrew and Nick wonder how they didn’t see it sooner, but they realize the only way they could help Jessi was to have her ask them for help. If someone you know is needing help, ask them if they want to talk. Sometimes that can be the first step to a better future.
9. Everyone masturbates…it’s normal
Everyone has a little fun with themselves from time to time and everyone has at least one embarrassing story from it. Don’t let it destroy your life or eat away at you, and remember maybe your friend’s bathroom or at a sleepover may not be the best time. Also maybe don’t be like Jay and impregnate a pillow.
10. Life is confusing
Big Mouth has hundreds of more tiny messages mixed in all of its crude adult comedy. Buts its main lesson is this: life is confusing. Sometimes it can feel like you don’t know what to do next or where to turn. You can feel like it’s the end of the road or feel unsure on which step is the right one. Just remember that everyone is struggling to understand the world we live in. Let’s all struggle through it together.