Femininity/Masculinity and LGBTQ+ Representation throughout Puberty:A Thematic Analysis of Big Mouth

“I’m Going Through Changes”: A Thematic Analysis of Netflix’s Big Mouth

University of North Florida

Word Count: 3281

---

ABSTRACT

As media becomes a more critical social force for shaping beliefs and principles of viewers and members of society, what is being represented is more important than it was even a decade ago. In the TV series, currently owned by Netflix, Big Mouth deals with the brutally, truthful depiction of puberty, including sexual identity, construction of self, and roles of masculinity and femininity. In post-modern fashion, the show draws in a large audience and dives deep into "taboo" subjects in a form that is easily digestible for the large segment of the population. Implications for the representation found in this show are sex education expansion and breaking down the walls between what is real and what is hidden, especially in terms of one's development throughout puberty.

Word Count: 126

Keywords: puberty, development, identity, media, social influences, masculinity, femininity, postmodernism

---

Media is socially constructed and those who create the message, shape the beliefs and principles that are displayed. The viewers do not merely accept the representations at face value; they consume it, interpret and analyze the validity of it and then express their thoughts on what they see (Chapter 6). Media is an influential tool for challenging, maintaining, and expanding consumer’s understanding of the world around them, playing a key role in shaping people’s identities, especially gender and sexuality. It’s important to be able to analyze media to critically think about the worlds that are presented to us that represent the world we live in. Evidently aimed at a younger audience, even with an unpleasant style of cartoon, Big Mouth deals with teenage sexual issues comedically and bluntly representing and explaining the ugliness of puberty and society. It’s progressive and sex-positive, showing the true awkwardness and weird sexual urges that adolescents experience. It is littered with diverse representation and a relatable plot. By purposefully setting up situations, the show takes a stab at certain situations, calling out institutions and society, in a postmodernist way (Chapter 12). This paper is a discussion of Big Mouth, which dives deep into “taboo” subjects, in a brutally honest way, and discusses the struggles of navigating sexuality, puberty, and injustices of society in childhood.

EXPLORATION OF PUBERTY: THE UGLY TRUTH

There is a pretty significantly equal amount of portrayal of girls and boys experiences. The experiences that the characters are going through seem to be a bit exaggerated for what a middle-schooler would experience, but at the same time, these things do happen in younger years. Some critics say that Big Mouth is not appropriate for the audience it’s directed at and represents (“Parent Reviews” 2017), but the show actually demonstrates and portrays the ups and downs of puberty and the confusion that accompanies life events, giving a sense of 'you’re not alone.' In a society that is uncomfortable with childhood sexuality, we assume that children are ignorant about sexuality and justifiably so (Fitzgerald & Grossman 2018). In every episode of Big Mouth, masturbation is present, which is significant as it is often avoided in most media outlets. The show serves as a type of educational outlet for the viewers, especially in women’s case with an entire episode exploring Jessi’s journey with masturbation.[1] In the first two episodes of the series, titled “Ejaculation” and “Everybody Bleeds,” discuss and follow the adolescents as they journey through puberty. Big Mouth takes a look at how periods work and how the vagina works, which is significant in the media, as female sexuality and feminine menstruation is seen as something that is embarrassing and should be hid. By having Andrew help and be Jessi’s helper when she has her first period, it breaks that boundary that men are ignorant about female menstruation. When talking to Nick later, they discuss how awful it would to have to go through a period. Nick says,

“You bleed out of your vagina once a month, that shit’ll change you.”

Rather than deviating their conversation, the boys discuss an important phenomenon that is happening in their friend’s life.

Without having a good support system, whether it’s through parents, friends, school officials, or someone else, going through puberty and learning “how to be a man” can be hard.[2] Andrew, as he develops secondary sex characteristics, such as his “moustache,” is scorned by his father who waxes it off. Missy approaches him, questioningly, to which she explains,

“We need to love ourselves for who we are! I’m in an online community called ‘Girls Are Perfect and There’s Not a Thing Wrong With Any One of Them and Anyone Who Would Tell You Otherwise Is Actually Just Afraid of Your Power!’”

Andrew then asks,

“Is there anything like that, but for pubescent boys?”

Missy chuckles and explains,

“Yeah, it’s called, ‘society’ you privileged white, cis-hetero male!”

Missy snickers decisively, before leaving Andrew question whether he falls into this as a Jewish individual. Andrew is confronted with different ideas of what it means to be a man and the type of privilege than men, heterosexual, and cisgender individuals receive, especially when they intersect (Stuber 2015; Fitzgerald & Grossman 2018). In “What Is It About Boobs?” Andrew questions Maury,[3]

“I can’t be horny and still be a decent guy?”

Big Mouth, in many episodes, is about the modern male role model, and is about the inadequacy and confusion of navigating human sexuality, with a hint about changing bodies. It demonstrates that puberty is a different journey for everyone, different paces and different experiences. Even adults are going through changes later in their life that may be new for them.

FEMININITY AND MASCULINITY: IT’S NOT A BATTLE

When Jay got distracted by a bare shoulder and cut off Andrews finger, the Dean of Student Life calls a meeting to talk about “toxic masculinity,” and then reproduced it with a dress code that’s goal was

“to protect our strong, empowered women from the white-hot male gaze, we’ll be implementing a dress code.”[4]

Andrew uses the “boys will be boys” and “we’re animals” excuse to explain his behavior. By using the terms that the school administration and their parents, Big Mouth shows how boys are influenced by adult institutions (Stuber 2015) that elusively show, defend, and suggest outlets for sexist behavior. The females, who the dress code directly affected, were upset and organized a “SlutWalk,” to protest the male’s supposed absence of self-control and hit “rape culture” on the nose. In Big Mouth fashion, the musical scene had the boys singing:

“You’re fired up and filthy / And we like it a lot / Who knew that civil disobedience could be so hot?” The boys were confused after the girls sing, “Keep it in your pants, boys / It’s not for you.”

Andrew snaps saying,

“You’re the ones that dressed up all sexy, and then you get mad at us for saying you’re sexy. It’s like … what do you bitches want from us?”

Nick tries to be an ally (after not sticking up for females earlier) for the females asserting that the girls aren’t bitches—they’re sluts, as they named the protest. Jessi, frustrated, explains that only the girls can use it as it is a reclamation of a term that is used derogatorily. Nick says,

“Look, I’m just trying to be an ally to women,” [5]

and gives up. Andrew and Jay instantly call him a “pussy.”

When Missy walks in, Jessi and the girls complain that she isn’t in the “slutty” clothes, even though Missy was uncomfortable with objectifying her body, the same feeling Jessi had on her way to school. This emphasizes the “girl power,” third-wave feminism that started in the mid-1990s, that underlined a woman’s right to choose which feminine traditions she participates in and doesn’t, as a private choice and empowerment (Fitzgerald & Grossman 2018). By drawing natural links between intolerance and their solutions[6] without connecting them directly with one another. When Andrew realizes the irrationality of his anger toward the girls and Missy[7], it shows the journey and growth that can be made in that respect. Big Mouth shows how boys can elude and fight back against the perilous influences that they are surrounded by and socialized with and give recognition to the females around them, treating them as equals. Overall, Nick’s father is the hero that foils the toxic masculinity, as he consistently explains that there is no one way to be a man, which demonstrates how boys are socialized to be men (sometimes in toxic ways that can be perilous).

DISCOVERING YOUR SEXUALITY: IT'S A LIFELONG EXPERIENCE

Andrew, Jay, and Nick are talking[8] and Nick gets defensive and hyper-masculinity (Pascoe 2007) shows through, even though he repeats that being gay is okay. Jay says,

“If it’s so okay to be gay, then why are you so afraid to be called gay?”

He also repeats,

“You’re picturing it, and we’re talking about it.”

This hits on subjective reality, explaining that by talking about a certain event or concept makes it real. Throughout this sequence, Andrew is experiencing confusion related to his sexual attraction and keeps asking about if it would be okay and so on, trying to get answers without explicitly explaining what he is experiencing.[9] After being “outed” to Nick by Duke, Andrew explains his confusion and goes on and on until Nick kisses him for “scientific” purposes. The “test results” were that Andrew did not like it and he tells Mathew that he’s “figured it out” and is not gay. Mathew goes on to tell him that

“No one is 100% gay or straight. It’s a spectrum.”

This relates to the first scenes of Season 1: Episode 1.[10] Nick’s father explains that

“A man can touch another penis or even kiss one, very lightly, and it still doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a homosexual.”

This touches on the differences between sexual orientation and sexual behavior that exists on the Gender Axis of Evil (Jones 2014) and heteroflexibility in a society that is heterocentric (Fitzgerald & Grossman 2018).[11] The show is notorious for emphasizing that sometimes you are unsure of your orientation and that’s okay because it’s on a spectrum. This parenting style is very different from Andrew’s parents. When Andrew and his mother are having a “sex talk” with a condom demonstration on a banana, Andrew’s father walks in and says,

“The next time you think you need to know something, Andrew, shut your face!”

In many of the episodes of Big Mouth, there is a common thread of navigating their sexuality. There are two specific characters who struggle with internalized homophobia in significantly different forms: Matthew, an openly gay boy and Jay, a closeted bisexual. Matthew deals with obsession and being the “only” gay guy in the school, but ultimately meets Aiden who he develops a relationship with. He is labeled as “young, gay, and mean.”[12] Throughout the series, Matthew is accepted by his peers, even asked for advice for sexuality questions. Jay, while going through a “crisis” of trying to figure out how he feels and then finally accepts himself, embraces and owns his bisexuality, after kissing (then making out with) Matthew. However, when Ali was introduced into the show,[13]thus the representation of pansexuality, the episode starts off on an off-note tune. There is conflict between pansexuals and bisexuals due to the confrontation to the binary, leading to a sense of invisibility and reject the legitimacy of bisexuality sexual identity (Fitzgerald & Grossman 2018; Doyle 2019) as shown when Jay comes out as bisexual and no one accepts it the same way they accepted Ali as a pansexual. On one hand, there is representation of the conflict and pansexuals who are adamant about the rejection of the binary; on the other hand, it portrays bisexuality as transphobic and accepting the binary.[14] In the end of the episode, it “ends” the conflict with a shared dance between Ali and Jay, after Ali tells Jay that his coming out was brave and she explained why she left her old school. If this scene was not done in the way it was, it may have been more fuel for the fire, but it does create a representation of harmony in the LGBTQ+ community.

POSTMODERNISM

Throughout the series, there are many times the characters use breakage of the fourth wall and intertextual references to display viewpoints and comment on societal happenings in ways that make the show more familiar and relatable (Olson 1987; Chapter 12). In Disclosure the Movie: The Musical![15] Mr. Lizer claps after the kids finish auditioning and singing the song of the scene. He says, “Thank you everyone! The cast list will be posted after you [points to the camera/viewer] skip the main titles.” In a previous season’s episode, Steve The Virgin,[16] the main title screen (that is skippable on Netflix) is cued by Coach Steve saying, “Do the song!” and looks at the viewer. It is then karaoke-d by Coach Steve and the scene of the main title and credits are commented on. At the end of the sequence, Coach Steve heckles the introduction skipper for “fast-forward[ing] through the credits.” These comments on the phenomenon that people immediately leave and get up (or skip through the introduction) when the credits or repeated opening introductions start going. As a poke that emphasizes how people who enjoy watching a show should “respect the process,” “respect the people,” and how “watching the credits is not just about the movies” (Mashni 2018). By sitting through the credits and looking at the people and the amount of work that had been put into the making of the film, show, video, and so on. Maury often breaks the fourth wall. In “Sleepover: A Harrowing Ordeal of Emotional Brutality,”[17] Maury references a phrase in an older episode: “You’re picturing it. We’re talking about it.”[18] Maury side-eyes the camera and says, “They’re binge-watching it.” He then looks directly at the camera (at the viewer) and asks, “You’re binge-watching it, right?” This remarks on the rationalized system that television and TV series have become and the instant gratification that viewers have grown to desire (Ritzer 2013; Shim, Sohye, Eunjean, & Shin 2018). He goes on to describe the plot of the next episode, which gives the episode/scene/show a meta vibe; and labels is “sex-positive,” which is the writer’s way of bringing up the motivations of the stories.

By using pastiche, referencing pop culture, such as Sheldon[19], Queer Eye crossover,[20] and Star Wars.[21] In “Super Mouth,” the characters all develop superpowers which allowed the writers to reference comics and superhero personas. The Fantastic Four (Gina is able to stretch, Devon is able to flame, Andrew is able to go invisible) was present except for The Thing. Comic-book-style recreation of the Big Mouth characters were cut to when they were mentioned or showed their superpower, which bridged the gap between this cartoon and comics. Particularly Missy’s character, “Her-ricane” attacks the gender-specific names that females often have imposed on them in the super-world. Indirect mentions of pop culture items are also often used. The yellow raincoat that Caleb wears in the rain with the hood up,[22] is a reference to It, a popular horror film. In Cellsea, as Nick walks down the rabbit hole that is the internet, created by his cellphone, he passes by cartoonized recreations of viral videos, including the “salt guy,”[23] a balloon baby of Donald Trump,[24] and a skateboard fail. The episode is a social commentary about society’s obsession with media and the content we are consistent berated with on a daily basis, influencing our mindset, values, and what we deem important. In Obsessed, Maury (the hormone monster) dressed up as Randy Savage, which is known as “Macho Man” in wrestling. The use of this character in the scene with Matthew and Aiden exploring their relationship plays on the “wrestling” that should happen between the two gay boys. In the background of many of the scenes, there are posters and clippings that are posted that often relate to current events. In The Shame Wizard, when the Shame Wizard and Coach Steve are in the bathroom, the phrase “EAT MY SHARTS” is written on the stall walls which references The Simpsons (Mitchell 2013). This represents the change in society that has happened with parents and the “vulgarity” that they allow their children to partake in. As times have changed since the birth of The Simpsons, Big Mouth has gone way beyond mere catchphrases, with penises jumping around in gyms to talking vaginas shown through a mirror and personified in a type of “body.” In Super Mouth, there is a poster that reads, “Eat Your Veggies. It’s Healthy,” featuring a picture of pizza. This is a reference to the law that was passed by Congress that deemed pizza a vegetable due to the tomato sauce that was on the pizza (Winstead 2011) acting as a commentary about the joke that is the decision made in this case. The raunchiness of Big Mouth is useful to keep the show from being “sappy” and link the world of the viewer to the world in the show.

CONCLUSION

Big Mouth is one of the newer, revolutionary choices of TV shows available. The show insists that sexuality isn’t straightforward and shouldn’t be frightening. It could be a good resource for education of puberty, sexuality, and a plethora of different societal issues. It shows a representation of morality and compassion that young people face even with trying to control their rowdy and boisterous hormones (hormone monsters). Media is noteworthy in developing patterns that people incorporate into their lives and use to shape their thoughts on the world. Big Mouth explores the journey of fumbling through puberty, exploring femininity and masculinity, and discovering complexity of sexuality. The show consistently grants its young characters the change to learn and more aware about the “grown-up world,” which challenges their socialized instinctual reactions to the different hurdles that life throws at them.

REFERENCES

Chapter 6 PDF. 2019. Media and Pop Culture. University of North Florida.

Chapter 12 PDF. 2019. Media and Pop Culture. University of North Florida.

Doyle, Mika. 2019. "The Difference Between Bisexual and Pansexual Matters Less Than Solidarity Among LGBTQ Folks, Advocates Say.” Bustle. Retrieved from https://www.bustle.com/p/the-difference-between-bisexual-pansexual-matters-less-than-solidarity-among-lgbtq-folks-advocates-say-15959039

Fitzgerald, Kathleen J. & Kandice L. Grossman. 2018. Sociology of Sexualities. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Flackett, Jennifer, Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, & Mark Levin (Creators). 2017. Big Mouth [Television series]. Scotts Valley, CA: South Pacific Pictures. Netflix.

Jones, Zinnia. 2014. Gender Analysis 02- The Gender Axis of Evil[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0co0minMG6I

Mashni, John. 2018. “3 Reasons Why You Must Watch Movie Credits.” Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@JohnMashni/3-reasons-why-you-must-watch-movie-credits-594f2d426d54

Mitchell, David. 2013. “Homer Simpson isn’t a positive role model for my kids? Eat my shorts…” The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/16/homer-simpson-role-model-mitchell

Olson, Scott R. 1987. “Meta-Television: Popular Postmodernism.” Critical Studies in Mass Communication 4(3):284.

“Parent Reviews.” 2017. “Parent Reviews for Big Mouth.” Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/big-mouth/user-reviews/adult

Pascoe, C. J. 2007. Dude, You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Ritzer, George. 2013. The McDonaldization of Society. 20th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Shim, Hongjin, Sohye Lim, Eunjean Elizabeth Jung, and Euikyung Shin. 2018. “I Hate Binge-Watching but I Can’t Help Doing It: The Moderating Effect of Immediate Gratification and Need for Cognition on Binge-Watching Attitude-Behavior Relation.” Telematics and Informatics 35(7):1971–79.

Stuber, Jennifer. 2015. Exploring Inequality: A Sociological Approach. Cary, NC: Oxford University Press.

Winstead, Lizz. 2011. “Is pizza a vegetable? Well, Congress says so.” The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/nov/18/pizza-vegetable-congress-says-so

1. [1] Season 3, Episode 6: How To Have An Orgasm [2] Andrew receives advice from Jay’s father: “Mean guys fuck, nice guys clean it up!”; from Nick’s mother and sister: that it’s okay to like boobs, but you can’t treat woman as if she is only a pair of boobs; from Duke: “Women— get this— just want to be treated like human beings.” [3]The boys become obsessed with boobs. Missy, who is underdeveloped, feels bad. Jessi mentions this to Andrew who in insistent on his desire. When Andrew gets beat up, he realizes that he has “gone too far” and “feels like a prevent.” Maury explains that liking boobs is natural, to which Andrew explains that he doesn’t “want to make girls feel weird about their bodies, especially Missy (his love interest). Maury says, “I honestly don’t think we can continue working together.” [4] Season 3, Episode 2: Girls Are Angry Too [5] Nick’s sister explains that he needs to stand up for his female friends, because as a male, his friends might listen to him. Nick’s brother explains that he will be called a “pussy.” [6] Jessi: “You don’t know what it’s like to be a girl.” … Nick: “I’m sorry for all that stuff, but, Jessi, I’m on your side. I just literally don’t know what to do.” … “I think it might just be this long conversation we all have to keep having!” … Connie: “Damn, y’all are in middle school and you’re havin’ this big-ass conversation.” [7] He ends up at a white-supremacist meeting, where he realizes he’s with Nazi’s. By experiencing this, he learns the exaggerated anger he held, toward the girls and toward Missy (his ex) was unjust. [8] They are discussing what to do about Jessi, who broke up with Nick and said that he had a “catfish mouth,” and Jay suggests calling Jessi a lesbian. Nick rebuttals and mentions that if he does that, she will say he’s a “pussy.” [9] He leaves and talks to Duke, the ghost that lives in Nick’s attic, and participates in the musical number “I Am Gay.” [10] Nick sees Andrew naked and becomes uncomfortable. When Nick’s parents ask what happened, his father asks if he’s questioning his sexual orientation. [11] Nick then explains the situation and expresses his disappointment in his own body because Andrew’s was “bigger and hairier” than his own. His father explains that being gay is okay, even “better.” [12] Season 2, Episode 7: Guy Town- labelled by an older LGBTQ+ man. [13] Season 3, Episode 8: Rankings [14] “Biami doesn’t exist.” … “Bi’s weird.” [15]Season 3, Episode 10 [16]Season 2, Episode 4 [17]Season 1, Episode 4 [18]Season 1, Episode 3: Am I Gay? [19] Season 3, Episode 9: The ASSes; Season 3, Episode 10: Disclosure the Movie: The Musical! [20]Season 3, Episode 10: Disclosure the Movie: The Musical! [21] Season 2, Episode 5: “The Planned Parenthood Show” [22]He approaches Andrew and asks him to sign his yearbook. [23] https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/021/971/Salt-Bae-001.jpg [24] https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/5tQ2onELYfh8stsINZOp1vIG9XQ=/767x0/smart/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/JYUELSEGPYI6RHQGJW2SVRBOAU.jpg