Big Mouth as an Efficient Mediator of Sexual Education

Big Mouth as an Efficient Mediator of Sexual Education in Relation to Sexual Education Courses in the United States Leslie Cavada Hope College Abstract This paper aims to discuss the role that the Netflix Original Series Big Mouth plays in educating adolescents about sexual education in comparison to the traditional classroom taught sex-ed courses that are typically taught in public school classrooms. For the purpose of this paper, I will include puberty as a part of sexual education. This paper will look at reviews of the show as well as academic journals that explain the relationship between sexual education and the media.

Moreover, this paper will aim to explain this phenomenon through Berger and Luckmann’s Social Construction of Reality and how Big Mouth can potentially be more efficient mediator of sexual education. Overall the question that this paper will aim to answer is can an informal institution like Big Mouth better educate adolescents about sexual education compared to a formal institution regarding Berger and Luckmann’s Social Construction of Reality theory?

Sexual Education in the U.S. Sexual education is a very interesting topic here in the United States. There are many ways to teach it and not many people agree with the few ways that it is being taught. As human beings we are influenced sexually in many ways like music, social media, television, movies, and much more. But as a society, we have not developed a strategy to effectively educate adolescents about sex. The Netflix Original Series Big Mouth is a show that aims to inform adolescents about sex that includes puberty. There are many arguments that suggest whether there is a perfect way to teach sex ed. Often the media is viewed as a negative informant of sexual education, but the media is a powerful tool that can send very important messages regarding topics like sex. But what makes a sex ed program effective? An article that studied the effectiveness of school-based sex ed stated “”a delay in the initiation of sexual activity constitutes a positive and desirable outcome, since the likelihood of responsible sexual behavior increases with age”” (Silva, 2002).

In the U.S. it is not mandated that every school teach sexual education however, there are some states that do require publics schools do so. According to data collected by the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Department of Nursing, only about 25 states require that sexual education be mandatory (N., 2017). Of those 25 states that require it, only 10 require that sexual education be medically accurate (N., 2017). There are many ways to teach sexual education and the education system can allow for the most consistent form of educating adolescents. The reason why schools are an efficient mediator for sexual education is because “”the school is the only institution in regular contact with a sizeable proportion of the teenage population, with virtually all youth attending it before they initiate risk-taking behavior”” (Silva, 2002). We view the school system as a formal institution that has structure and expresses unbiased information. Sex is a very serious topic, and how it is presented can greatly affect the interpretation that an adolescent takes. It is important that sexual education talks about everything that is relevant around the topic. According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, “”Comprehensive sex ed includes age appropriate, medically accurate information based on a broad set of topics related to sexuality including human development, relationships, decision making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention”” (N. 2017).

It seems that these are clear guidelines that any sexual education course could follow, however according to Planned Parenthood, “”only 10 states and the District of Columbia require that sex education programs include teaching about birth control”” (Parenthood, 2014). Not being fully informed about sex, and everything that evolves around it, can greatly impact the choices made by adolescents and can result to them finding false information that can negatively affect them. Dr. Theresa Granger from the USC Dworak- Peck School of Social Work Department of Nursing states “”one of the weaknesses in our current system is that we’re trying to assign primary responsibility and it is too tall of an order for any single entity to try to tackle”” (N., 2017). While Sexual education courses are not the only mode of educating adolescents about sex, are they effective when it comes to delaying sex? Parents can play a crucial role in informing their child(s) about sex. Parents have more power and influence over what their children think and act than a teacher does, and this is often why parents are left with the responsibility to give “”the talk”” to their kids. In a survey from Planned Parenthood, “”Forty-three percent of parents say they feel very comfortable talking with their children about sex and sexual health”” (Parenthood, 2014).

If a parent is comfortable with talking about topics of sex to their children, then they will be more likely to engage in conversations surrounding the topic of sex. In that same survey it states, “”some parents are still uncomfortable talking with their children about harder topics, such as birth control and how to say no”” (Parenthood, 2014). In another study about the effectiveness of sexual education courses, the findings suggest that “”too few studies have reported success in involving parents in sex education”” (Silva, 2002). Relying on parents to educate their children about sexual education is not effective, but parents should continue to engage with their child about conversations of sex and puberty. The Media The media receives much attention in relation to how much sexual content is available now to people of all ages. Often, people believe that exposure to such content increases the possibility of adolescents engaging in sex. In a journal article by the American Academy of Pediatrics that discusses sex in the media states, “”Eight peer-reviewed, controlled clinical trials have revealed that giving teenagers freer access to condoms does not increase their sexual activity or encouraging virginal teenagers to begin having sex”” (Council on Communications, 2010). Ads are one way to promote safe sex habits. Additionally, there have been many television programs that send strong messages about sex.

This same journal discusses a few television series that have done so: “”Friends aired an episode about condoms, and 27% of a national sample of teenagers saw the program; many of them reported that they talked about condom effectiveness with an adult as a direct result of the episode”” (Council on Communications, 2010). In another instance “”viewers of a Grey’s Anatomy episode learned HIV-positive women could still have HIV-negative infants”” (Council of Communication, 2010). Friends takes on a more comedic scenario while Grey’s Anatomy aims to portray a more medically accurate depiction. All of these serve as examples of how the media can efficiently communicate information of sexual health. Big Mouth Many viewers of Big Mouth would agree that this is a show meant to entertain. In an article, the creators of the show reveal how they were able to come up with their scenes by talking about their own experiences. The creators stated, “”‘We really created a space where we could all talk about that [what our experiences were] and certainly learn, and what we learned is that the things we feared and the horrifying experiences we had- we weren’t alone in them'”” (Giansanti, 2017). It is interesting to see how the show was developed out of real experiences that people are embarrassed to even think about. The show has a strong message in that “”its tender look at bourgeoning sexuality is less about changing bodies than about how we learn to navigate a world where there is no clear roadmap for healthy sexuality and where many of the messages we receive about sex are confusing at best and toxic at worst”” (Bernstein, 2018). Reviews about the show state that “”it covered a longstanding issue that audiences across the board can relate to: puberty”” (John, 2018). Not only does the show greatly portray puberty but it also discusses topics related to sexual orientation, relationship struggles between parents and friends, and learning to understand their body as well (John, 2018).

All of which fulfill what a comprehensive sexual education program should have. The Social Construction of Reality Berger and Luckmann are very important sociologists and they are known for their theory on the Social Construction of Reality. In the Social Construction of Reality theory, Berger and Luckmann state we socialized with predetermined roles and ideas. This is something that we can connect to with how sexual education functions now in the United States. Men are socialized to be tough and aggressive, while women are socialized to be caring and compassionate through baby dolls and kitchen toys. There is this very important quote form Berger and Luckmann that states, “”There are always elements of subjectivity reality that have not originated in socialization”” (Appelrouth, S., & Edles, L. D., 2012, p. 539). Sexual education is not something individuals are socialized to think about. In this post sexual revolution era, the way that individuals perceive sex and all its surrounding topics has changed drastically from the inclusion of sexually transmitted diseases to medical advancements that prevent pregnancy for both male and females who do not wish to have children. Due to these advancements and historical changes, adolescents are being brought into a world of casual sex and hookups that influence their sexual development and choices as they grow up. It is through this how we can see connections between Berger and Luckmann’s Social Construction of Reality and the way that adolescents are receiving information about sex. If we wish to create a society where individuals are making more mature and informative decisions regarding their sex life, it must begin in a way that individuals will be able to adequately retain all necessary and accurate information to do so, and the Netflix series Big Mouth does so in a way that reaches the target adolescent population.

An interesting episode from Big Mouth where Andrew Goldberg, the protagonist, gets his mustache waxed of by his parents is confronted by the harsh reality of his position in society. (Kroll, 2018). I think that often adolescents have a hard time understanding their pre-determined role in society and fail to understand how it affects their self-esteem which greatly impact their sexual decisions. There is an important scene that takes place when Andrew goes back to school after his mustache is waxed off (Kroll, 2018). In an article by the Guardian, it talks about this scene that really reaches all points of society when it comes to puberty: We need to love ourselves for who we are!”” Missy reassures her friend. “”I’m in an online community called Girls Are Perfect and There’s Not a Thing Wrong With Any One of Them and Anyone Who Would Tell You Otherwise Is Actually Just Afraid of Your Power!'”” “”Is there anything like that, but for pubescent boys?”” Andrew asks “”Oh ho ho yeah, it’s called, society’ you privileged white, cis-hetero male!”” Missy chortles, resolutely, though not unkindly, before leaving Andrew to grapple with whether Jews are considered white. (Bernstein, 2018). This is a very important scene in the show that really connects back to the social construction of reality. Missy is quick to respond to Andrew’s plead for help by stating that society is what he has to use as comfort since society is still supports the ideas of white-male supremacy (Bernstein, 2018). This is just one way that the show portrays the ideas of Berger and Luckmann. Berger and Luckmann also develop this idea for taken for grantedness. With this idea, what they try to explain is how certain ideas are not acknowledge consciously until a situation arises and those taken for granted ideas are thought of (Appelrouth, S., & Edles, L. D. 2012, p. 534).

An important scene that represents the idea of taken for grantedness from Berger and Luckmann is in the Planned Parenthood episode of Big Mouth. In this episode, the sexual education teacher has for the first time engaged in sexual intercourse and the students raise questions regarding his practice of sex (Kroll, Goldberg, Levin, & Flackett, 2018). After the children raise awareness to questions that he should have been asking himself while he was engaging in sexual intercourse, he begins to reevaluate that information that was taken for granted (Kroll, et. al, 2018). This scene accurately shows how the ideas of taken for grantedness play out in a scenario of sex by rethinking of the important topics and questions one should be asking when engaging in risky sexual behavior. The media is a powerful tool that can effectively communicate messages of sexual education to its viewers in a way that grasps the attention of its viewers. In a journal by William A. Gamson titled Media Images and the Social Construction of Reality, he talks about the way people create interpretations about the content shown through media (Gamson et. al., 1992). He states, “”reading media imagery is an active process in which context, social location, and prior experience can lead to quite different decodings. Furthermore, it is frequently interactive, taking place in conversation with other readers who may see different meanings”” (Gamson et. al., 1992). The media can often create conversations either within families or in larger groups. We can see this interaction process come into play in the above example of the Friends episode and how adolescents created conversations with their family members.

Conclusion

Sexual education in the United States has not shown to be effective at informing adolescents of all the necessary information that is needed to make knowledgeable and mature decisions in relation to sex. The show Big Mouth has proven to send medically accurate and complete information about a wide variety of topics that relate to sexual education. Through the Social Construction of Reality Theory from Berger and Luckmann we can see how individuals are socialized into a post sexual revolution era where adolescents are exposed to a lot of sexual content but are not shown how to properly navigate through it or understand it without gaining messages that influence negative sexual behavior. To conclude, the media can greatly impact the way that individuals think and learn about puberty and sex so that they are able to make responsible decisions about their sexual behavior and sexual health.

References

Appelrouth, S., & Edles, L. D. (2012). Classical and contemporary sociological theory: Text and readings(2nd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. Bernstein, A. (2018, October 03). Big Mouth: How Netflix’s sex education comedy remains vital. Retrieved November 2, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/oct/03/big-mouth-netflix-sex-education-comedy

Council on Communications. (2010, September 01). Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/3/576 Gamson, W. A., Croteau, D., Hoynes, W., & Sasson, T. (1992, August). Media Images and the Social Construction of Reality … Retrieved November 11, 2018, from https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.so.18.080192.002105

Giansanti, R. (2017, October 03). ‘Big Mouth’ Cast and Creators on How the Very Adult Netflix Show Can Really Help Kids. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://www.indiewire.com/2017/10/netflix-big-mouth-cast-nick-kroll-kids-show-1201882146/

John, G. (2018, October 26). Netflix’s ‘Big Mouth’ Is Simultaneously Problematic and Informative. Retrieved November 11, 2018, from https://studybreaks.com/tvfilm/big- mouth/

Kroll, N., Goldberg, A., Levin, M., & Flackett, J. (Writers). (2018, October 5). Am I Normal? [Television series episode]. In Big Mouth. Netflix. Retrieved October 5, 2018, from https://www.netflix.com/us-es/title/80117038

Kroll, N., Goldberg, A., Levin, M., & Flackett, J. (Writers). (2018, October 5). The Planned Parenthood Show [Television series episode]. In Big Mouth. Netflix. N. (2017, September 18). America’s Sex Education: How We Are Failing Our Students. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://nursing.usc.edu/blog/americas-sex-education/

Parenthood, P. (2011, October 3). New Poll: Parents are Talking with Their Kids About Sex but Often Not Tackling Harder Issues. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/new-poll-parents-talking-their-kids-about-sex-often-not-tackling-harder-issues Silva, M. (2002, August 01). Effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: A meta-analysis. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://academic.oup.com/her/article/17/4/471/590928

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