TV & Film
Coming-of-age is a Vantage column where staffers share their opinions on a specific beat. From in-depth analyses of TV series to miscellaneous musings in music (and everything in between), this monthly column is an avenue to spread and inspire thought-provoking ideas.
In this column, Vantage Magazine staffer Ly talks about the fear of change and how she finds comfort in the vulgarity of Big Mouth.
At the start of 2021, I told myself that this year I’d consume better, healthier stuff—shows, movies, music, food—just anything really, as long as it’s good.
Then, I started watching Big Mouth (2017). Oh God.
For what it’s worth, I never thought Big Mouth would drop the hard hitting reality bombs that it did when I first started watching. It doesn’t promise you an epiphany every episode. One could even think of the cartoon as the exact opposite—it’s literally a cringe-worthy comedy packed with vulgarity, while barely concealing euphemisms about all things dirty from a teenager’s point of view. Compared to the likes of Bojack Horseman (2014), Big Mouth is not the type of show you’d take seriously and view knowing you’ll have an existential crisis at the end. Rather, it seems like something to watch for lighthearted content to laugh and to pass the time.
As I continued binge watching the sitcom, I found myself rooting for its main characters and reflecting on my own experiences when I was going through puberty. For all its salaciousness and generous sprinkling of f-bombs, Big Mouth presents the universal awkwardness of puberty in a way that is relatable to anyone. I saw bits and pieces of my teenage self as its characters went about discovering the wonders of sexuality, identity, and relationships.
There were even times I wished I had something like it to watch when I was at that point in my life. I mean, who wouldn’t want that feeling of solidarity as you go through one of the weirdest times in your life? I’m way past puberty, I still think I’m at a weird time in my life, and I thank God Big Mouth exists.
To put things frankly, becoming an adult terrifies me.
Now that I’m going through the changes of adulthood, I unexpectedly found comfort amidst the dirty jokes and profanity that Big Mouth offers. Its witty, empathetic writing only got better as each season progressed. The show, as its characters matured, began tackling more serious themes and feelings such as depression, shame, and anxiety. There were even moments when I felt personally attacked because of how much these events applied to me. Since Big Mouth is a comedy at its core, it presents life in a way that makes confronting my own monsters easier to deal with.
By no means is the show your friend that holds your hand while you cry over your problems. Rather, it’s like the BFF that interrupts your rant, and tells you something so ridiculous about it that you just kind of forget what you called them for in the first place.
Sure, turning to a show is escapist. But when life knocks you down and stomps on you, why dwell even more about how bad things are?
I realized that change will always be scary, no matter which stage of life you’re at. The uncertainty, fear, and confusion will always be there—but you don’t have to beat yourself up over these doubts all the time. Sometimes, you just have to tune your worries out, look around, and have a good laugh about the absurdity of everything.
