Jay is one of the saddest characters in Big Mouth — even if he doesn't know it. He finds cheer in the smallest of things, such as copulating with furniture, because his general life is nothing a 13-year-old child should be subjected to. It's shocking that S hasn't dismantled the Bilzerian home already. Jay adores magic, and although he is exceptionally talented at the art form, he receives little to no appreciation for his skill — whether from his parents, brothers, or friends. Nevertheless, he stands strong against the many adversities of his life, but there are a few situations that are just plain unfair to force this innocent boy into.
When Big Mouth hit Netflix as its latest adult animated series, there was no indication it would become as massive of a success as it did. The show was smart from the start and just became more popular as the seasons rolled on. Now, in 2023, there is not only a new seventh season coming for the show about kids reaching puberty, but a second of its spin-off series Human Resources. When it comes to the seventh season of Big Mouth, all the kids are coming off a season where they ended up put through the wringer, but it is Jay who came out heartbroken as Matthew broke up with him. However, on this show, that remains par for the course for the youngster.
His Friends Make Fun Of Him
Jay's cheerful facade hides a deep well of insecurity, largely based on the notion that his friends (and several other characters) all hate him. All the kid pines for is a sense of camaraderie to hold his shattered life in place, but instead, nearly all of them mock him for his various eccentricities.
Forgetting about their overreactions towards his perspective on sex, they demean Jay for the one thing he's proud of the most (and incredibly talented at), magic. In other instances, it almost seems like they expect him to behave like his monster of a father.
His Brothers Torture Him Constantly
Given real-life teenage precedent, it's unfortunately not surprising that Jay's older brothers bully him, but the extent to which Val and Kurt Bilzerian take their torture methods is just horrific.
Their usual procedures combine physical agony with a variety of bodily fluids. In fact, Nick and Andrew obtain a little sympathy for Jay after enduring a sleepover at the Bilzerian household. That's just the tip of the iceberg of what the youngest kid goes through at the hands of his family.
The Whole Pillow Situation
Jay doesn't really know much about sex, though he constantly drones on about how he is the best there ever was, is, and could be.
However, involving his pillows in his fantasies reeks of a cry for help. Just copulating with them is harmless enough, but then there's that elaborate fantasy of one of his "lovers" giving birth to a child, only later revealed to be the son of his brother, Kurt. This was one of Bog Mouth's grosses moments, and it proves the dramatic extent that Jay needs to escape his reality.
His Home Life Is A Mess
In addition to the sibling abuse on the Netflix animated series, Jay's parents are egregiously uncaring of his basic needs. He's forced to forage around for food because they never feed him, and his mother doesn't he even exists.
If that's not sad enough, it would be better for Jay if his dad forgot about him. Unfortunately, Guy Bilzerian has Jay tag along on his numerous affairs, leaving the boy in a locked car while he's off doing his thing.
Doesn't Know What Real Food Is
Jay's diet is composed of fast food (or the scraps he manages to scrounge up after his bigger, stronger brothers have finished eating). He only learns that nutrition doesn't have to be fought over and that some families even shower each other with love, affection, and a ton of delicious shared meals, when he is taken in by Nick's parents, the Birches.
Jay is more astonished than anything to find out that real food is actually much better and less stressful to obtain, and that he can do a lot better.
He Truly Loves His Family
For all the mistreatment, poor Jay does care for his parents and siblings a great deal, though they don't deserve a shred of his affection. He keeps rationalizing everything terrible they inflict on him, such as scorning him for his hobbies, forgetting to pick him up at school, ignoring his smallest requests for dignity, and so on.
Jay insists that the Bilzerians adore him, often offering some kind of ridiculous reason for their actions. This evidently does not play out the way he wants it to, even with his pillow family.
His Inability To Cope With His Burgeoning Sexuality
With Jay's path to a normal childhood being destroyed, his puberty-themed escapades took an uncomfortably twisted turn. He finds pleasure in the sexual comfort provided by soft furniture, a strong indication that he finds it difficult to connect with regular people.
As such, when he learns that he might not be straight, Jay doesn't come to with it too easily. Instead, his way of dealing with things is through objectophilia, by fantasizing his queerness into the masculine Brad, his aggressive cushion partner. Jay doesn't have any actual person to talk to about his sexuality. It wasn't until season 5 that Jay finally found himself and began a relationship with Matthew.
His Vulnerability With Lola
Speaking of his only stable relationship, Jay's openness allows him to reveal to Lola that he loves her, but he is given nothing concrete in response. He angrily stalks away, seeking solace in some plush fabric, when she tells him that she has a problem with accepting commitment.
Rather than acknowledge her concerns, Jay lashes out at her in a toxic fashion, asserting that he doesn't want anything to do with her anymore. Jay and Lola eventually came to an agreement, though. By season 5, though, Jay finally broke things off with her for Matthew.
His Relationship With Coach Steve
As an extension of his desperation for human , Jay becomes buddies with Coach Steve, another man without access to most of the same things that are lacking in him. A wayward child and a clueless adult man finding themselves in each other do not bode well for Jay.
As harmless and well-intentioned as Coach Steve may be, this entire relationship is inappropriate on Big Mouth. Luckily, the introduction of the Jay-Lola pairing could go a long way in setting Jay on the right track.
He Experiences Parental Love Only Temporarily
The worst thing Jay undergoes is that he sometimes receives some amount of love from his parents, but for the most part, the sheer absence of it is a painful burden to bear.
In other words, if his family had simply ignored him from scratch, it would have taken some time, but there is the possibility that he could theoretically set his priorities straight. Nonetheless, when these moments come and go, the only thing they do is create hope in Jay's heart that can never be completely fulfilled.
