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The show is called Big Mouth, and it’s premiering on Netflix this weekend. It’s a cartoon about teenagers whose lives have been upended by the wonders and horrors of puberty.
For those who think today’s young people aren’t exposed to sexual messages and imagery… think again.
Take a peek at the trailer here: (and WARNING: This YouTube trailer is very sexually explicit and contains foul language… and yeah… it’s available on your kid’s phone.)
Careful now… the temptation would be to respond by “freaking out” …which never does any good.
Ask yourself, how can I respond reasonably regarding this sexually explicit show just a click away on my kids’ devices? On one hand we’d like to be able to provide guardrails that steer our kids clear of some of these distractions, but on the other hand, we know that no matter how many guardrails we provide, nothing is fool proof (who says their friend isn’t going to just pull out their own device and say, “Hey, have you seen this?”) Is there a way we can equip our kids to make wise decisions when they encounter entertainment media like this?
Here’s some choices how we can respond:
A. Freak out and begin yelling about how corrupt and evil this world is and take away all your kids’ devices. (Probably not a good idea)
B. Let your kids watch whatever they want. (Not recommended)
C. Check the ratings of the show, and if your kids are young, check what ratings your Netflix account allows. This might at least prevent them from watching the show at home. But what about the YouTube preview? What about at their friend’s house or on their friend’s devices?
D. Provide some helpful guardrails and blocks in your home, but also, and more importantly, become the Go-To person for your kids questions about sex. Create a climate of continual conversations about sex.
Are you having conversations with your kids about sex?
I constantly meet parents who are scared to “bring up” sex to their kids, in fear they will get their kids thinking about something they wouldn’t have thought of. Two thoughts:
- You don’t have to bring it up. The world brings up the subject all the time. We just need to be ready to not “dodge” the subject when it does.
- The Bible brings up sex all the time and reveals the explicit truth. In a world full of explicit lies, how are they ever going to learn the explicit truth if we don’t open the doors of dialogue about this subject?
Our kids are hearing about sex from way more sources than just Netflix. (Have you looked at the top of the music charts lately?) Would you rather they just hear what entertainment media offers… or would you like them to hear God’s design for this amazing gift?
How can you engage your kids in conversation about this important topic?
For more help becoming your kids Go-To person about sex, take a peek at Jonathan’s books, More Than Just the Talk (for parents) and Sex Matters (for young people).
Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, TV | Tags: Big Mouth, media discernment, Netflix, parenting, sexually explicit imagery | Leave A Comment
Oh my God, this made my jaw hit the floor. Really Netflix? Come on. This cartoon is maybe about teenagers and puberty, but even the younger ones can access it. I watched the trailer, it said it’s written by someone who wrote for Family Guy. So what do we expect right? Foul language (as if it’s the norm), talking private parts (is that really funny?), advice on how teens should react and communicate rudely to parents, weird thoughts about sexuality.. man, I could go on and on. Big Mouth may be funny for adults but I will never, ever recommend this show to teenagers. And yes, I’d rather my teen asks me about sex than him watching this.
I should be surprised, but sadly, I’m not. I want to be appalled, but I’m simply reminded of where our culture is. Thank you for keeping us all in the loop about what our teens are exposed to, as we naively miss it so many times.
Another Sausage Party episode. You can reach kids without being that nasty.
I am a 61 year old youth volunteer, and this may be surprising. I am not at all surprised by this show! First, kudos to McKee for bringing this subject to light. And for the courage to post the trailer. Many would not, but just as he writes the kids will see it anyway. Even the “good kids” are subject to this at the school and for many of them it will seem light hearted and funny in the surroundings that they are in.
So, what is the response? I agree – don’t freak out. Let this be an opening to a conversation. I might even, in the correct atmosphere, bring it up to see what the kids say about it. Starting the conversation in an inquisitive manner, letting the kids tell you their thoughts, opens up a frank discussion about Biblical principles of what to watch. You may disagree, but I look forward to a frank convo about this with my kids. They want to talk about it – so let’s guide that discussion back into the Christian perspective of life and maturity.
Good article, as always!
I agree with the above! Thank you to Mr. McKee for enlightening parents to this and to offer an opportunity for conversation with your children! I think it is wrong but look at the source it is coming from and everyone is just interested in $. So THEY don’t care, but parents do care and we can talk to our children about what we feel is right and just! So Thank you for this!
This show is not for children and marketed as MA for mature audiences. You can set the parental controls in your Netflix account to make sure your children aren’t watching shows meant for adult audiences.
True, you can set your parental controls in your Netflix account, just like I mentioned in the article, but I surely wouldn’t go as far as to say “to make sure your children aren’t watching shows meant for adult audiences” …simply because if their friends are talking about this show and watching it on their own devices… there’s a good chance your kid will see at least a snippet of it. That’s why conversations are so important. We’re not always going to be there setting “blocks” on their devices.