What should a parent do in this circumstance?
Despite his other roles, Jason Biggs remains most famous for starring in American Pie and its sequels.
As a father, he’s always known that his kids will inevitably hear about some of his more infamous acting scenes.
Was showing his 11-year-old his legendary “pie” scene the right parenting call?
This is an awkward legacy for a parent (or their kid)
If you’re not familiar, American Pie is a 1999 coming-of-age teen sex comedy that spawned multiple sex comedy sequel films.
(We know that this may sound unlikely these days, but there was a time when many films contained central sexual themes. There are entire genres like erotic thrillers that are essentially extinct now, as our sex-negative culture has driven most horny content to books, video games, and television)
The film’s title stems not only from a song of the same name, but from a scene in which one of the main characters uses an actual pie to masturbate — hoping that it will approximate the feeling of having sex.
Biggs plays that very character.
In a new interview on SiriusXM’s The Julia Cunningham Show, he explains why he showed that very nsfw scene to his 11-year-old son, Sid.
Biggs explained that he wanted to “control the narrative” and to “get ahead” of his son’s peers, because his son has already heard about the now-classic film.
“They kept hearing about ‘American Pie’ and pie and [asking], ‘Daddy, what do you do with the pie?'” he shared.
“And,” Biggs continued, “I had to have a conversation with my oldest.”
He revealed: “I actually showed him the scene.”
And it was not a unilateral decision.
‘How much do you want them to hear from friends’
“Jenny and I talked about this,” Biggs explained. “And we were like, ‘We want to get ahead of this.'”
He reasoned: “It’s my version of a sex talk, right?”
Elaborating, Biggs continued: “It’s like, how much do you want them to hear from friends and other people at school, and how much do you want to control the narrative.”
That is so important for any parent. Normally, it’s about key topics — like sex and sexuality. His was a special circumstance.
He pointed out: “And it was literally happening with American Pie.”
“He was embarrassed to say it, very embarrassed,” Biggs said of the admittedly awkward scene.
“But I was like, ‘Okay. Let me show you. Let me show you what happened,'” he described. “And so I showed him the scene, and he laughed and laughed.”
Biggs admitted: “He was a little uncomfortable for sure.” On a brighter note, he added: “He did say I was a good actor.”
Obviously, he received social media backlash. Some were clutching their pearls, worried about an 11-year-old seeing this content in any circumstance. Others left worst comments, using words like “Hollyweird” that tell you exactly what sort of person the commenter is.
Truth be told, Biggs handled a complex parenting situation very well. That seems like exactly the right time and way to show that to his eldest son.