Sorry, parents. But it's better you know what's about to appear on Netflix in case you have it (or in case the families of your children's friends subscribe).
What is it?
- The raunchy, animated comedy is titled "Big Mouth" and begins streaming Sept. 29.
- It's about "teenage friends" who "find their lives upended by the wonders and horrors of puberty."
What does the trailer reveal?
- A "hormone monster" that gives a boy a "nocturnal emission."
- The "miracle of ejaculation" (albeit hidden by a bed cover).
- A girl peeking at her blood-stained panties.
- A dad telling his son that "a man can touch another man's penis ... even kiss one very lightly."
- A hollering boy thrusting against his pillow.
- A boy telling his friends that "girls are horny, too!"
- A girl holding a mirror in front of her crotch and having a friendly chat with her vagina.
- A quip that the kids "are coming of age all over the place."
- Oh, and a fair amount of profanity.
Who's the program for?
- Co-creator Nick Kroll told Variety his "hope is that people can watch this as a little bit of catharsis of what they were like and how far they’ve come,” which would seem to say "Big Mouth" is for adults.
- But executive producer Jennifer Flackett told the magazine that “there’s a lot of stuff, especially for girls, that goes really underground. It was a chance to say, ‘You don’t need to be ashamed of anything.'” That seems to indicate a young teen target audience.
- She also said, “Everyone’s always surprised it’s a very emotional show in the midst of being filthy.”
Here's the trailer. (Content warning: Profanity and plenty of sexual references):
This writer's perspective
While the show is rated TV-MA — meaning it's "specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17" — it looks and sounds just like the kind of show teens in our already sex-saturated culture will flock toward.
Problem is, Netflix isn't just on TVs at home. It streams to computers, cellphones, tablets and game consoles. And even if you don't have Netflix, any number of your children's friends probably do. Not to mention the show's clips are already buzzing on YouTube. All of which presents a lot of trouble spots for parents — as if there aren't enough of them out there.
But moms and dads also know the existence of such a show can present a big opportunity for real-life family conversation — and one that Hollywood can never dictate.
(H/T: Truth Revolt)
