Big Mouth,????? ??????? ???????? Netflix's filthy cartoon chronicle of puberty problems, has been praised for its shameless take on how everyone explores their own sexuality at every stage of life. And while it crosses lines in every episode, it's usually in service of choosing relatability, insight, and a laugh over good taste.
But a scene in an episode from Season 3, which dropped on Netflix on Friday, attracted criticism over a new pansexual character's definition of their orientation.
New student Ali (voiced by Ali Wong) introduces herself to her Bridgeton Middle School homeroom class, saying she's a Ravenclaw and also pansexual, which she defines as attraction that's not limited by gender identity. Nick Birch (Nick Kroll) asks if it's the same as being bisexual, which Ali rejects as "so binary."
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"Some of you borings like tacos and some of you like burritos, and if you're bisexual, you like tacos and burritos," she explains. "But I'm saying I like tacos and burritos, and I could be into a taco that was born a burrito. Or a burrito that is transitioning into a taco."
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Tired food analogies reducing people to their genitals aside, Ali's implication is that a) bisexuals aren't attracted to people who aren't cis men or cis women, and b) people who are trans are a separate category only pan people are attracted to, no matter their gender.
It's perhaps understandable that some people still link the "bi" in bisexual to the "bi" in binary, and bi folks have had to do some work in recent years to clear up the outdated misconception Ali's definition perpetuates: that "swinging both ways" also means believing there are only two directions in which one can swing.
Everyone's definition of their sexuality is theirs to shape, but broadly speaking, bisexuality is being more widely understood as being attracted to "same anddifferent genders" — which can and does include nonbinary and gender-fluid people — rather than "men andwomen." More importantly, you don't have to identify as pansexual to be attracted to trans men and women — because they're men and women. "Including" trans people but putting them in a separate category to cis people is still transphobic.
The response to the scene from fans was swift and strong, with many especially disappointed that the scene sat alongside the arc of the character Jay (Jason Mantzoukas) working out that he's bisexual, including a song that took a much less reductive look at sexual preferences.
And while it's true that the 13-year-old characters aren't going to be 100 percent across this, Ali's explanation is framed as pretty authoritative, even (or especially) in the out-of-context clip.
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On Monday evening, Andrew Goldberg, who created the series with Kroll, quote-tweeted the clip with a Notes app screenshot addressing the feedback from disappointed fans.
"We missed the mark here with this definition of bisexuality vs. pansexuality, and my fellow creators and I sincerely apologize for making people feel misrepresented. Any time we try to define something as complex as human sexuality, it's super challenging, and this time we could have done better. Thank you to the trans, pan, and bi communities for further opening our eyes to these important and complicated issues of representation. We are listening and we look forward to delving into all of this in future seasons."
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The show shoehorns a lot of genuinely useful, educational, and destigmatising moments in alongside the raunchy jokes. Alongside irresponsible or misjudged bits like this (or Coach Steve's first time) that miss the mark, there are plenty that nail it (like the show's takes on Planned Parenthood and enthusiastic consent last season). A scene that misrepresents at least three communities in a single exchange is especially disappointing in a show that's trying to make people feel lessweird and alone.
SEE ALSO: All hail the drag Hormone Monstress dancing to 'bubble bath'But Goldberg's apology seems to suggest that the show will revisit the bi/pan conversation in one of the three future seasons Netflix has already ordered, hopefully more aware of where that missed mark actually is. While it started as a loosely autobiographical story about his and Kroll's journey into adulthood as straight dudes, listening more to people with different experiences can make the story richer, funnier, and of course, ever hornier.
Topics LGBTQ Netflix