Parents' Guide to

Big Mouth

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Raunchy but sweet animated comedy has sex jokes galore.

TV Netflix Comedy 2017
Big Mouth Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 14+

Based on 110 parent reviews

Katkat79
Katkat79 Parent of 11-year-old
November 6, 2022
age 18+

Graphic

This show is super graphic and full of raunchy jokes. It’s entertaining but definitely not for all audiences. Even adults might fine it a little much. Also, the kids are supposed to be in 7/8th grade!? Would make more sense of they were supposed to be in high school or college!

This title has:

Too much sex
6 people found this helpful.
Ashayinfla
Ashayinfla Adult
May 19, 2021
age 11+

Welcome to the real world kids!

This show is officially rated 17+. This is for legal reasons. I'm very convinced that it is a healthy and great show for any kid who has hit puberty and does not live a completely sheltered life (some 11 year olds are not ready for it yet, but some are &that's why I recommended 11). If you are a die-hard religious nut then avoid this at all costs, but otherwise this show will bring you back to remembering your middle school years, and I firmly believe it's a healthy show for anybody who is and/or has gone through this. Please note that there is little or no "actual sex" between the characters (animated) on this show (contrary to what other reviews will lead you to believe), however, just like most young teenagers are always thinking about, the shows is loaded with "sexual situations", and/or "wishful thinking!". It brushes on drug use (and how things never actually turn out good in the end), takes many situations way out of proportion (as most teens do), and it's a cartoon so they go places (figuratively) that are beyond reality. If you start watching in the middle, you will likely be shell shocked at the intensity of the show and the situations they cover, but if you start from the beginning (season 1 episode 1) then it will all fall into place and make sense. If your kid is going to middle school and/or has started puberty and/or has an older sibling/friends (neighborhood kids) then this show will make allot of sense to them, and is a healthy way to learn about the things that rarely get discussed between kids and adults. Also, keep in mind there's alot of detailed nudity as well as explicit language in the show. The nudity is half educational, half comedic, and all within a realm of reality, and the language is likely not any more than tweens/teens hear or use when not in front of adults anyway. My 11 year old daughter has been binging it since we found it and loves it, and she said she definitely relates to it with what she goes through in school. My son (now 15) enjoyed watching too.

This title has:

Great messages
6 people found this helpful.
See all 110 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Everybody goes through puberty. But there's never been an animated comedy specifically about it before. BIG MOUTH takes a deep dive into sex in the teenage years, complete with disobedient body parts, confusing instruction from adults, and highly disorienting messages from hormones -- who, in this show, takes the form of a giant, pushy Hormone Monster (voiced by co-creator, executive producer, and star Nick Kroll) who gives really bad advice to best friends Nick (Kroll) and Andrew (John Mulaney). Romantic complications soon ensue between Nick, Andrew, and classmates Missy (Jenny Slater) and Jessi (Jessi Klein) as they all slowly grope their way to adulthood. It's good that Nick and Andrew have each other -- because they'd be totally lost otherwise.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (110 ):
Kids say (232 ):

This animated comedy gets some important things right: Sex can be scary, other people are complicated, and there are a lot of laughs to be mined from growing up. That it's a bit too raunchy and frank to allow parents to be comfortable showing it to -- or watching it with -- the very teens the show intimately understands is ironic, but these teens could do worse than watching a show that talks frankly about feeling weird about your body, normalizing these complex topics in a surprisingly sweet way. The great thing about Big Mouth is that it has bawdy jokes aplenty, and moments where characters genuinely connect (particularly as seasons move on and the characters mature, both as characters and in their relationships with each other).

You may wince along with Nick when his parents discuss their sexual compatibility in graphic terms, but we've seen scenes like this before. What's rarer, and far better, are moments when characters talk to each other like real, unguarded people. One episode revolves around Nick getting a good look at Andrew's penis, which he views as more impressive than his own. Threatened, he snubs his friend until Andrew begs to know "Why are you being so mean to me? What did I do?" Nick admits exactly what's wrong -- and with the embarrassing confession on the table, all the two good friends can do is laugh at themselves, and each other. "It's embarrassing," says Nick, rueful. "Everything's embarrassing," counters Andrew. It is. But it's a little less so when a show like this makes you feel so normal.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about animated comedies like Big Mouth. What kinds of things can an animated series offer viewers that a live-action series can't? Do you think animated comedies rely on more risqué behavior to please their audiences?

  • How does Big Mouth use humor? Do you find it funny? What makes sensitive topics, such as sex or love, ripe for comedy? Can it ever go too far?

TV Details

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