Big Mouth: Filthy, Vulgar, Vile, Hilarious and Sweet

At the recommendation of a friend I watched the first episode of “Big Mouth” the Nick Kroll produced series for Netflix. My first reaction after only a few minutes in was of something hilarious yet, vile, filthy, and taking full advantage of not having to be censored. It didn’t take long before I realized the show was going to be taken in in a two day binge, 5 episodes at a time.

The familiar topic of teenage awkwardness at the onset of puberty has seldom, if ever, been addressed so matter-of-factly and in terms and visuals as disgustingly hilarious as it has here. For one thing, generally the domain of a “boys only” realm, “Big Mouth” gives equal time and opportunity to show just what a disgusting, tragic and confusing mess this time of life is for girls as well. The series revolves around 8th graders, Andrew (John Mulaney), Nick (Kroll), Jessi (Jessi Glaser), Missy (Jenny Slate) and Jay (Jason Mantzoukas). The series – definitely for adult only audiences – is, almost necessarily animated for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a live version would require child actors, and, given the material, language and . . . well, it’d have had mothers and churches and civic groups protesting to shut it down, and rightfully so. Instead, we’re given exquisite voice performances by adult actors, who do very little to sound childish, their own vocal imprints coming through so we’re always, at some level at least, aware these are not children, but actors reliving childhood.



At its heart, “Big Mouth” is not only about the changes our bodies go through at that age, but about loyalty, friendship, social structures, family dysfunction, and secrets so terrifying one dare not share. In addition to the kids, the show is populated by two hormone monsters (over-the-top, terrifying performances by Maya Rudolf and series creator Kroll), and most hilariously, Nick’s unlikely confessor and mentor, the ghost of Duke Ellington. Frequently offering the worst possible advice, Duke is brutally honest as he shares memories of a bygone era, and delivers, in my opinion, the series best lines.

There is component of vulgar sexual violence that is pushed to its comedic limits and, definitely not for more sensitive viewers.
At times “Big Mouth” has the feel of an existentialist/absurdist work of theatre, not just crossing lines, but obliterating them into Kingdom Come . . . or is that Kingdom Cum?

Opera's Hall of Fame?

"Why has no one created an Opera Hall of Fame?"

*******

At first, I thought, "Hey, yeah." But then envisioned the following scenario. I mean, can you even begin to IMAGINE the vetting process for a singer to be put into the "Opera Hall of Fame?" I can!

Chairman: Okay, Callas.

Committee Member 1: Are you KIDDING ME? The woman slaughtered everything she sang, and don’t give me that “she revived the bel canto” crap . . . the woman was a hack and wouldn’t know bel canto if it bit her in the tuckus, which, by the way, is exactly what sounds like is happening everytime she dared to try to sing the stuff. And don’t EVEN get me started about how she sabotaged her sister Jackie’s career. Now THAT was the Callas who should be in the Hall of Fame! Callas? Pass.

Chairman: Corelli?

Committee Member 2: Say whaaaaat? The guy was a musical joke, a stiff, a putz. Oh sure, nice looking and all, but so what? As subtle as a bull in a china shop and no idea what he was singing. Pass.

Chair: Tucker?

Committee Member 3: You’re crossing the line, bub. First of all, the guy looked ridiculous on stage, and those toupees? He couldn't fool a blind man. Add to that how he turned down lucrative contracts because of his “principles” yet sang everything in lowered transpositions of nearly all he sang.

Chair: Richard Tucker did NOT lower his music!

Committee Member 3: Then you have rocks in your ears. Answer: no room for this guy.

Chair: Okay then . . . Rosa Ponselle?

Committee Member No. 2: Okay, you’re kidding right? C'mon, man . . . No bigger fraud has ever been perpetrated upon the citizens of Operaville than this woman, clearly the least talented of the Ponzillo children.

Chair: Sayou?

Committee Member 5: Haaaaaaahahahaha . . . . hahhhaahahahahaha .. . . hahahahaha hah ha ha ha ha ha hah a hhhh . . . excuse me a moment . . . Bid. . . aHAAAA ha ha ha ha ha . . .

Chair: Moving on, how about Carlo Bergonzi?

Committee Member 6: Are you mad? Man, I heard him once and it was the WORST Otello in modern history . . . Make that history history.

* * * * *


And just TRY to imagine the order of the displays and the discussions amongst fans planning to visit the Hall.

“Joan, dear, we wanted to go to the Opera Hall of Fame, but they put that awful Gianni Poggi just before Pippo’s statue, and as I told you, God and the world, I will not step 10 feet within a tribute of that man.

“Eileen, why don’t you go, and then you can actually spit on Poggi’s tribute en route to see di Stefano’s.”

“Why thank you, Joan; that's an absolutely GRAND idea! Say, why don’t you come with and we’ll make a whole day of it.”

“Are you mad? I’d sooner burn the place to the ground and eat the glowing coals then enter any building that would defile itself honoring del Monaco. Phttt.”

“Well, if I'm gonna go and spit on Poggi, you should come and do something vile to defile del Monaco’s space.”

“Hmmmm . . . Eileen, my friend, you just may be onto something.”


p.