It was a time of chaos, exaggerated moods, incessant mental breakdowns and haywire levels of hormones, all to the backdrop of grimy classroom hallways that most definitely smelled of Axe body spray. Battles were fought outwardly and inwardly, while changes never before experienced wreaked havoc on young minds just trying to be normal. I am, of course, speaking of the dark years: middle school — or more specifically, the era of puberty.
We try to make sense of what is happening in health class. While they’ve gotten better in the modern age, they really don’t offer much in terms of how to deal with the loads of awkward scenarios, embarrassing changes and torrential downpour of hard-to-comprehend emotions. In essence, we were given the straight scientific facts and told not to have unprotected sex, or we would die of the various graphic diseases shown. Other than that, it was basically a pat on the back, and a solid “good luck to you all; don’t have sex or you will actually die.”
This could vary with the involvement of your parents as a kid; but even then, most at that age didn’t wish to talk to their parents — let alone anyone — about this kind of stuff.
This mindset is certainly being challenged nowadays. Almost as suddenly as puberty hit came the new animated comedy, Big Mouth. The Netflix original decided to tackle our dark years as it focused on a small group of pre-pubescent kids starting the terrifying ride that is puberty, depicted brilliantly by the Hormone Monster. Don’t let the simple, welcoming animation style fool you. Unlike health classes, Big Mouth isn’t afraid to showcase the tribulations of this time in our lives in all its horrifying glory. With in-your-face depictions, unfiltered visuals and dialogue, and outlandish yet relatable scenarios, this is a show that will make you burst out laughing and shake your head in regards to how true everything is.
While certainly adult-oriented, something that really shines through in this show is the normality of puberty. Yes, it’s hectic, confusing, terrifying and any other negative adjective, but Big Mouth tells us that everyone goes through it, and while it certainly doesn’t seem okay in the moment or even in retrospect, it really is. And if young kids on the cusp of puberty were exposed to even half of the content and beliefs this show depicts, maybe they’d be a little less ashamed and scared about what’s happening to them and a little more prepared for all that is to come. I’m not suggesting this show be aired in classrooms worldwide, but there’s a thing or two to learn from this crazy cartoon.
Something showcased in Big Mouth through all the main characters is the sense of being alone during these early developmental years, or the idea that what’s happening and all the ensuing emotions you feel are wrong. But it also demonstrates that the reality of the situation is the complete opposite — everyone goes through it, and that’s why this show has become so popular and attracted so much attention.
The show is not afraid of puberty, and it turns it into a joke that we can laugh at with our friends because all the content hits home that hard. So if this kind of normality was applied to real life, maybe kids could go through these tough years with their peers feeling supported, and most importantly, normal.
Season two of Big Mouth recently dropped on Netflix with even more hilariously accurate depictions of your middle school days. Hopefully watching it can shine a little bit of light on such dark, dark years.
Jackson Horvat is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.
