Big Mouth: Beyond the Birds and the Bees
Big Mouth Season 1
Click here to watch a Season 1 Recap
NC-17 Warning: Video contains adult language, explicit sexual references, and spoilers (duh)
Season 1 Themes
Ravaging Puberty
While this seems to be the theme of the entire show, season 1 sets the tone, introducing the audience to the kids, as well as their all controlling hormone monsters.
Adolescence for Boys
Episode 1: 'Ejaculation'
Episode 3: 'Am I Gay?'
Toxic Masculinity is Episode 4
While sex and hormones are often portrayed in the media as a non-stop party for young boys, in this episode, ejaculation isn't quite the 'miracle' Jessi describes. Andrew's struggles to suppress his raging hormones are hilarious, relatable, and cringe-worthy, revealing the embarrassing truths of public erections, masturbation, and, of course, ejaculation.
In only the third episode of the show Andrew, is able to openly and honestly question his sexuality. Mathew, the only openly gay kid in their class, convinces Andrew that he is gay and that he has a crush on Nick. After finding this out, Nick kisses Andrew, Andrew feels nothing, realizing he isn't really gay, and the two continue their friendship. The episode explains with ease and hilarity the idea of sexuality as a spectrum and that it is completely normal for a young boy to question his own sexuality and turn out to not be gay.
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At a sleepover at Jay's house, Nick and Andrew become sucked into the tavern of toxic masculinity. The three make plan the sleepover with intentions to play the new videogame "Hooker Killer: Vatican City", a thinly veiled jab at Grand Theft Auto. The degradation of women and raw aggression continue as Jay's older brothers offer to let the boys watch the "best porno in existence", but only if Nick and Andrew fight. The two agree and attempt to fight each other but eventually snap out of it and escape.
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Click here to read more about toxic masculinity
Adolescence for Girls
Episode 2: 'Everybody Bleeds'
Episode 5: 'Girls are Horny Too'
Slut Shaming and Head Pushing in Episode 8
The horror and embarrassment Jessi feels upon getting her first period on a class field trip could conjure sympathy from any audience member, uterus-owning or otherwise. When Jessi asks Andrew for help, he is unable to stop vomiting at the idea of menstruation. The episode tackles not only the brutal reality for young girls, but the truth of the disconnect and disgust with which young boys often view menstruation.
While puberty for girls, on the other hand, is often portrayed as periods, PMS, and pregnancy scares, this episode focuses on the anomalous notion - girls can, and do, get horny too. It's a shocking and important lesson for the boys in the show, as well as any boys on the other side of the screen. For female viewers, it normalizes being sexual in a way other than for the pleasure of men.
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Things get crazy for the characters at a high school party thrown by Nick's older sister Lena. Lena has a crush on the douchiest of guys. Within the span of the night he is ousted for nick-naming one girl "The Blowjob Machine" and being a "Head-pusher", as he pushed Lena's head down while making out to try to get her to perform oral sex. The empowering episode shows girls, and guys, banding together to stand up to head pushers and slut shamers everywhere.