Puberty is definitely not the best part of growing up, but everybody goes through it at some point. It’s that awkward stage in somebody’s life when their body starts to make some drastic changes. It’s a very awkward time that people don’t really talk about, even though it’s universal. Last year Netflix came out with an original show, Big Mouth, which focuses on the journeys of a few middle school students going through puberty. The animated comedy showcases all the awkwardness and difficulties that can occur. My first encounter with this show was when I walked in on my brothers watching it, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Then one day I finally decided to give it a try and instantly fell in love.
To start off, the main characters are middle schoolers going through puberty. Andrew, voiced by John Mulaney, is the awkward kid; Nick, voiced by Nick Kroll, is the late bloomer; and Jessi, voiced by Jessi Klein, is the sarcastic smart girl. This show really does a good job showcasing awkward middle schoolers. Andrew starts going through puberty first, and that’s when we are introduced to his Hormone Monster, Maurice, also voiced by Kroll. Maurice controls Andrew’s hormones, making him very horny and wanting to ejaculate in many situations, not all of which are appropriate. Maurice is almost like the little devil on your shoulder telling you to do things that don’t totally feel right. Maurice did feel like a lot but the personality of his character really worked with Andrews awkward personality. As Andrew figures out the magical world of masturbating, poor Nick is wondering why he isn’t really going through puberty yet. His character made me think of all the late bloomers out there that take a little longer to go through changes. Even though Nick isn’t yet able to go through all the joyful parts of puberty, he’s definitely there for Andrew, showing us what it means to be a good friend.
With the Hormone Monster comes, of course, a Hormone Monstress. This is where the wonderful Connie comes in, voiced by Maya Rudolph. After seeing Connie, it made me wish that I had her, especially during my first period. When Jessi does get her first period, a tampon comes out singing Everybody Bleeds. This song was the cream of the crop when it comes to songs about periods. Much more happens in season one, from Jessi finding out her mom is having an affair, to the misadventures of the very clueless Coach Steve. I mean the man was excited when he was the person of interest in a murder case. All this and more happens in season one. When I saw that season two came out, I was ecstatic to see what was going to happen throughout the season.
While the first season really looked at the boy’s side of puberty, this season really looks at the girl’s side of puberty. Everyone thinks that Gena (voiced by Gina Rodriguez) is a new girl because she has developed boobs, when really she’s always been in their class. Some of the girls start thinking of their own boobs and bodies and get self-conscious about it. Missy is definitely struggling the most with looking so young still. One day Missy’s mother takes her and Jessi to a Korean spa. Here the girls find out that this spa is fully nude, and they walk in to see all different types of woman. This scene brings us the wonderful song I Love My Body. This scene was a one for the books. It showcased all different types of bodies, which is really isn’t portrayed in media. Seeing this made me love the show even more. Body confidence is something that many people struggle with and the show did a phenomenal job sending the message that all bodies are beautiful.
It gets better when the wonderful Shame Wizard comes in to mess with people’s heads and make them feel, well, shame. The Shame Wizard attacks Andrew first with his pervy little mind wanting to masturbate to anything that involves a female. The Shame Wizard also starts shaming people for spreading rumors, and everybody who’s been through middle/high school knows that rumors get spread all the time. One episode focuses on all the different things that Planned Parenthood does, and with everything revolving around Planned Parenthood it was so great for them to include that. Season two just goes into more struggles that middle schoolers can face, from not loving your body to dealing with the shame of discovering who you are.
Big Mouth is a great coming of age comedy series. This series is a raunchy take on all the glorious parts of puberty. The characters experience masturbation, porn, periods, body changes, hormonal changes, and everything else that puberty brings. I would recommend this show to everybody. It almost brings you back into puberty, but instead of suffering through it you get to laugh about it.
Season 1 trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTC7wQMHHEA&has_verified=1
Season 2 trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QUix4Hdyps
Summary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mouth_(TV_series)