Why You Need To Watch “Big Mouth”

There are a few important reasons why you need to watch Netflix’s “Big Mouth”. This sitcom may seem like another Family Guy or Bob’s Burgers-type show in your feed, but “Big Mouth” offers something different; the show follows the lives of a few middle-schoolers going through some unusual changes (hint: it’s puberty), with the help of a few guardian-angel-esque “hormone monsters”. The kids tackle standard experiences of first loves, drug experimentation, and annoying parents, yet the show portrays these events with a lot of crudity. The middle-schoolers’ sexual tendencies and the characterization of sexual objects and body parts are a lot to handle for first-time viewers. So why watch it?

1. There are plenty of respected (and hilarious) comedians that have lent their voice to some “Big Mouth” characters, which just goes to show that a) the material actually is funny and b) the show is relevant. My favorite is Maya Rudolph as the female hormone monster (she uses the funniest voices and says “babushka” a lot). Comedians John Mulaney and Nick Kroll voice two other main characters, and the latter is also the main producer and writer. Nasim Pedrad, another famous ex-SNL member, has a great cameo as a fictional princess in one of the episodes.

2. It’s part-musical. In every episode, at least one character starts singing a completely original song in the middle of some random situation, complete with backup dancers and unrealistic changes of scenery. This definitely adds to the whole awkward vibe of the show, but it also switches up your viewing experience. There’s also a Duke Ellington ghost living in one of the main character’s attics, so some of his songs involve other famous ghosts (think Whitney Houston). The tunes are kind of catchy, so watch out.

3. It’s super easy to binge-watch. The episodes are only a half-hour long, the perfect time that isn’t too long so you get bored but also not so short that there’s no plot. Even more, Netflix already has two seasons out for your leisure (including an hour-long Valentines Day special).

4. Most importantly, the show embodies the reality of puberty, and throws it right into our faces in a way we aren’t used to. Many of my friends have watched the first episode and stopped since it was “too uncomfortable”. But this discomfort is the whole point of the show; everyone goes through puberty, yet we were never encouraged or given the space to talk about what was going on. Topics like masturbation and the growth of hair/body parts are things tweens learn in health class from older people who went through puberty a long time ago. Therefore talking about these things became awkward, even with close friends, making puberty a pretty angsty and isolating time. “Big Mouth,” in portraying a slightly exaggerated reality, puts those topics out in the open and establishes a new norm.