Big Mouth: Beyond the Birds and the Bees
Big Mouth Background
Ah yes, the birds and the bees: a way to talk about sex without actually mentioning the act of sex, or even human bodies. The new Netflix Series 'Big Mouth' is just about as far away from that as you can get. Created by Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg based on their shared childhood, the show dodges no bullets, tacklinging anything and everything puberty with candor, ease, and the occasional dick joke. The show follows a group of budding pubescent preteens, all at different, yet equally painful, stages of their journeys.
So, who is it for?
So, who is it for?
Common Sense Media says:
It's rated TV MA:
With all this in mind, it seems that the show is meant for people who have already gone through puberty and are old enough to not only cringe at the truth in the struggles of the characters, but also to understand the older references to Duke Ellington, Freddie Mercury, and Antonin Scalia.
Why Cartoon?
Short Answer...
Adult animation has long been the red-headed stepchild of television, never taken seriously and cordoned off for immature men on Adult Swim. Recently, shows like 'Bojack Horseman, and 'Rick and Morty' have redefined the landscape of adult cartoons, leaning into some heavier topics. While 'Big Mouth' does discuss themes of toxic masculinity , slut shaming , and body positivity, it does so without compromising its main purpose: to be funny.