Big Mouth Season 6: Sex Education, But Make It Fun

Since the release of the first season in 2017, Big Mouth has divided viewers into two camps: those who love it, and those who absolutely hate it. For those in the latter group, the show is filled with unnecessarily vulgar jokes and scenes that make their skin crawl. But with the release of the sixth season, I think it's time to look at Big Mouth for what it truly is: a gateway to sex education that is accessible and the opposite of preachy. 

Big Mouth follows a cast of teenagers as they navigate uncomfortable situations surrounding adolescence and puberty. They are aided by a comical cast of hormone monsters, lovebugs, shame wizards, and creatures of the like. Previously, the show has addressed issues involving puberty and sexuality, but also navigated certain social and cultural situations, such as code-switching. Season 6 is no different, with episodes including issues such as asexuality, gender, and “vagina shame”. The writing was originally based on the teenage experiences of creators Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, but before starting each new season, the writers now go to psychologists, sex educators, adolescence experts, and actual teenagers to help them create a more inclusive cast, and nuanced stories about issues faced by today’s high schoolers. 

This season, an episode dedicated to “Vagina Shame” brings us issues that many will recognize. The episode contains three case studies of teenage girls navigating their changing bodies, and their embarrassment and confusion over these problems. Watching these characters overcome familiar issues is oddly heartwarming, and the way the show addresses these topics is both educational and entertaining. 

Big Mouth has fumbled its execution a few times. Jenny Slate originally voice Missy Foreman-Greenwald until season 4, when she announced she would no longer voice the character in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and was replaced by Ayo Edebiri. The creators of the show also apologized for their original decision to cast Slate to voice a black character, stating that they “took their privilege for granted” and are “working hard to do better moving forward”. 

Kroll has commented that the writers still “have an incredible amount of stories to tell”. With the next season already confirmed, I am excited to see the show growing its diverse range of characters and continuing to discuss issues that affect more of us than we think.