Netflix refused to air one Big Mouth joke, says Nick Kroll. The shockingly raunchy adult animated series, which debuted in 2017, is based on creators Kroll and Andrew Goldberg's childhood experiences. The voice cast stars John Mulaney, Kroll, Jason Mantzoukas, Jessi Klein, Ayo Edebiri (taking over for Jenny Slate), Maya Rudolph, Nathan Fillion, Fred Armisen, David Thewlis, and Jordan Peele, among many others. The series has been lauded for its brutally honest and no-holds-barred depiction of middle school and puberty for kids of all genders and sexualities, earning multiple Emmy nominations and wins.
Following a group of adolescents navigating various ups and downs in their personal and social lives, the animated show has tackled many compelling topics while walking the line between realistic and fantastical, including many catchy musical numbers and imaginary creatures that represent various abstract themes. In particular, the hilarious and depraved Hormone Monster characters, which represent the darker sides of puberty and mood swings, are often highlights of the show and even got their own spin-off called Human Resources. Those monsters are frequently the source of some of the show's most shocking lines and raunchiest sequences, one of which apparently went too far for Netflix.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Kroll stated that Netflix hasn't been especially limiting when it comes to the series' risqué humor. However, he revealed that there have been a few times in which their jokes crossed the line and were left out of the episode. In particular, he cites a majorly gross scene involving hormone monster Rick that the crew ultimately agreed was better left out of the show. Additionally, Kroll spoke about some controversy surrounding the girl-centered "I Love My Body" episode of Big Mouth, detailing concerns about bodies being equated to sexuality. Check out what Kroll had to say below:
"Occasionally Netflix has put its foot down, but not many times over the years. Like, there was something very disgusting that Rick, the hormone monster that I voice, did. I don’t know if you could put this in The Hollywood Reporter, but he talks about his sick little dick, and then someone pulls a thermometer out of the mouth of his penis and blood spurts out. Netflix was like, 'We don’t know about that.' But we’d just seen it at the color screening, and we were like, 'Yeah, we agree.'
There was also stuff around the girls in the 'I love My Body' episode. They go to a Korean spa and are topless as all these women around them are showing how much they love their bodies, and, frankly, Netflix had some thoughts. But I was also uncomfortable with how long we were exposing the girls. My partners, specifically Jennifer Flackett, who’s the sole female among the four EPs, was like, 'Well, we show the boys topless all the time. This is not a sexual thing. This has nothing to do with sexuality.' And she was right, but it’s dealing with things like that, like how long are we showing things. And often, I end up being the most prude."
What To Expect From Big Mouth Season 6
Though Big Mouth is famously over-the-top, it's clear that there is still a limit as to what Netflix will allow. The 'Rick' scene Kroll mentioned was clearly cut for being too graphic, but his discussion of the "I Love My Body" episode shows that Netflix and the series creators are well aware of the criticisms often levied at the series regarding being kid-centered and overtly sexual. However, as Kroll points out, bodies and adolescence are natural and common phenomena that deserve to be represented without being sexualized, and the series has often walked that line with aplomb. A trailer was recently released for Big Mouth season 6, showing a new direction for the famously crude show.
Big Mouth season 6 will be available on Netflix in one week, with the trailer displaying family and home lives as the prominent theme for the season. Though the kids' home lives have been delved into before, Maury (Kroll) and Connie's (Rudolph) new monstrous baby (revealed in Human Resources) as well as Jessi's (Klein) newborn baby sister, Jay's (Mantzoukas) estranged half-brother, Lola's (Kroll) dad, and various other new developments will take center stage in season 6. The trailer hasn't revealed whether a new 'monster' will take the place of season 5's love bugs and hate worms, but the show could be gearing up for a surprise. The future of Big Mouth is bright, with season 7 confirmed earlier this year and Human Resources already renewed for season 2.
Source: THR