Puberty is gross. Honestly, there isn't a better way to put it. When Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg first pitched the idea of an animated series based on their own awkward middle school years, they knew they couldn't just rely on standard coming-of-age tropes. They needed something visceral. Something hairy. They needed the Big Mouth puberty monster, specifically Maurice (voiced by Nick Kroll), to act as the foul-mouthed personification of every surging urge and weird bodily change that hits a twelve-year-old like a freight train.
It’s weirdly relatable. Even if you aren't a fan of the crude humor, you can't deny that the show nails the psychology of being a teenager. Maurice isn't just a sidekick. He is the externalized manifestation of Andrew Glouberman’s internal chaos. He’s the one whispering bad ideas in Andrew's ear, obsessed with "bubble baths" and the constant, distracting need for self-gratification.
But why did this specific character design work so well? Why did Maurice become the face of the show while other "monsters" like Connie or the Shame Wizard filled in the gaps? It comes down to the way the show balances absolute absurdity with painful, lived-in truth.
The Design and Psychology of the Big Mouth Puberty Monster
Maurice is a masterpiece of character design if you look at him through a biological lens. He’s covered in fur, has horns, and possesses a physique that is simultaneously powerful and kind of pathetic. This is purposeful. He represents the "animal" side of human development. When those hormones hit, we stop being purely rational children and start becoming driven by biological imperatives we don't quite understand yet.
He’s loud. He’s impulsive. He has no filter.
Most shows about puberty try to make it look "magical" or "sweet." Big Mouth goes the opposite direction. By making the Big Mouth puberty monster a literal creature that follows kids around, the creators managed to visualize a feeling that is usually invisible. That feeling of being "possessed" by your own body. One minute Andrew is a normal kid trying to study, and the next, Maurice is there, screaming about things that would make a sailor blush. It's a perfect metaphor for the loss of control that defines adolescence.
The nuance here is that Maurice isn't actually a "villain." Sure, he encourages some pretty questionable behavior, but his ultimate goal is to guide Andrew through the transition into manhood. He’s more of a chaotic mentor. Think of him as a life coach who really, really likes pornography and lacks any sense of boundaries.
Not Just Maurice: The Ecosystem of Monsters
While Maurice is the primary Big Mouth puberty monster we meet early on, the show quickly expands the roster. We get Connie the Hormone Monstress, who handles the girls (and eventually Nick Birch). Connie is different. She isn't just about urges; she's about the emotional volatility of being a teen girl. She talks about "bubble baths" too, but her influence often leans toward the dramatic and the theatrical.
Then there’s the Shame Wizard. If Maurice is the gas pedal, the Shame Wizard is the brakes—but the kind of brakes that make the car flip over. Voiced by David Thewlis, the Shame Wizard represents the social anxiety and self-loathing that usually follows a visit from a Hormone Monster. It’s a brilliant dynamic. The show treats these characters like a workplace comedy happening inside a child's brain.
- Maurice: Represents pure libido and growth.
- Connie: Manages the intersection of hormones and intense emotion.
- The Shame Wizard: The crushing weight of societal expectation and guilt.
- Rick: The aging, incompetent Hormone Monster who represents the "broken" parts of puberty.
This isn't just for laughs. Research into adolescent psychology, such as the work by Dr. Dan Siegel on the "teenage brain," suggests that during these years, the amygdala (the emotional center) is highly active while the prefrontal cortex (the logic center) is still under construction. Maurice is the amygdala. He is the part of the brain that wants what it wants, right now, consequences be damned.
Why We Find Him So Relatable (and Slightly Terrifying)
Have you ever looked back at your middle school years and just... winced? That's what this show taps into. The Big Mouth puberty monster works because he acknowledges the things we all felt but were too ashamed to say out loud. He’s the embodiment of that "first time" energy—the first time you felt a crush, the first time you felt disgusted by yourself, and the first time you realized your parents were just flawed people.
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The show doesn't shy away from the darker stuff. It covers menstruation, nocturnal emissions, and the confusion of sexual orientation with a level of frankness that is honestly refreshing.
Critics like Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker have pointed out that while the show is "filthy," it is also deeply empathetic. It uses the monster motif to protect its young characters. If Andrew does something embarrassing, we can blame Maurice. It gives the audience—and the characters—a bit of distance from the trauma of growing up. It’s a coping mechanism in animated form.
The Evolution of the Hormone Monster Concept
By the time the spin-off Human Resources arrived, the lore of the Big Mouth puberty monster had grown into a full-blown mythology. We learned that these creatures aren't just for kids. They exist for adults too. They manage grief, love, and ambition.
This shift was crucial. It moved the conversation from "puberty is a phase" to "human emotions are a lifelong struggle." Maurice becomes less of a "puberty" monster and more of a "human nature" monster. He represents the parts of us that never quite grow up, the parts that still want to eat too much candy and stay up too late.
Interestingly, the show uses different monsters to represent different stages of a single biological event. For example, when a character deals with depression, the "Depression Kitty" appears. She’s heavy, purple, and sits on your chest so you can't get out of bed. It’s a stark contrast to Maurice’s high-energy antics. It shows that the creators understand that hormones aren't just about being "horny"—they are about the chemical soup that dictates our entire reality.
Practical Takeaways from the Big Mouth Universe
If you're a parent watching this, or just someone trying to process your own weird past, there are actually some "real world" insights to be found under all the fart jokes.
First, acknowledge the "Monster." In cognitive behavioral therapy, there’s a technique called "externalizing." Instead of saying "I am anxious," you say "My anxiety is telling me X." That is exactly what Big Mouth does. By viewing your urges or your shame as a separate character—a Big Mouth puberty monster—it becomes easier to manage them. You can talk back to the Shame Wizard. You can tell Maurice to take a backseat for a while.
Second, understand the biological "why." Puberty is a massive hardware and software upgrade for the human body. It’s buggy. It crashes. There are compatibility issues. The show’s depiction of Maurice as a bumbling, often confused guide is actually quite accurate to how hormones function. They aren't precise; they are a flood.
Finally, normalize the "gross." The primary mission of the Hormone Monster is to tell kids that they aren't uniquely weird. If everyone has a Maurice, then no one has to feel like an outcast for having a body that does unpredictable things.
To truly handle the "monsters" in your own life, start by identifying which one is talking. Is it the Shame Wizard making you feel small? Or is it Maurice pushing you toward an impulsive decision? Labeling the feeling is the first step toward controlling it. Don't try to kill the monster—you can't. You just have to learn how to live with him in the house without letting him wreck the furniture.
Understand that the volatility of adolescence is a temporary state of biological restructuring. Keep the lines of communication open, whether you're a teenager or an adult reflecting on that time. Use the "externalization" method to separate your identity from your passing emotions. Accept that growth is inherently messy and that "normal" is a moving target.