Or was it an elaborate callback to his earlier work, planted for fans seeking evidence that art is lie? Burnham makes it textual, too. Gross asked Burnham if people "misinterpreted" the song and thought it was homophobic. The fun thing about this is he started writing it and recording it early on, so you get to see clips of him singing it both, you know, with the short hair and with the long hair - when he had just started this special and when he was finishing it. And so I think he's always had that stubborn insistence on holding both of those things in his head at the same time. The question is now, Will you support Wheat Thins in the fight against Lyme disease?). And you know what? A harsh skepticism of digital life (a life the pandemic has only magnified) is the dominant subject of the special. But I described it to a couple of people as, you know, this looks like what the inside of my head felt like because of his sort of restlessness, his desire to create, create, create. Its a visual that signifies a man exposing himself, until you realize hes in a spotlight. Burnham wrote out: "Does it target those who have been disenfranchised in a historical, political, social, economic and/or psychological context?". If we continue to look at it from the lens of a musical narrative, this is the point at which our protagonist realizes he's failed at his mission. And it's important to remember, you know, this is a piece of theater. Burnham had no idea that his song would be seen more than 10 million times,nor that it would kick start his career in a niche brand of self-aware musical comedy. It's an instinct that I have where I need everything that I write to have some deeper meaning or something, but it's a stupid song and it doesn't really mean anything, and it's pretty unlikable that I feel this desperate need to be seen as intelligent.". Bo Burnham's Netflix Special, 'Inside WebOn a budget. The structured movements of the last hour and half fall away as Burnham snaps at the audience: "Get up. The song's melody is oddly soothing, and the lyrics are a sly manifestation of the way depression convinces you to stay in its abyss ("It's almost over, it's just begun. Bo Burnham I think this is something we've all been thinking about. "And so today I'm gonna try just getting up, sitting down, going back to work. Transcript Comedian and filmmaker Bo Burnham used his time alone during the pandemic to create a one-man show. ", He then pulls the same joke again, letting the song play after the audience's applause so it seems like a mistake. Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity. The Volcano, which touched on labor rights. and concludes that if it's mean, it's not funny. He's self-evaluating his own visual creation in the same way people will often go back to look at their Instagram stories or posts to see how it looks after they've shared it. Most sources discuss fictional characters, news anchors, childrens show hosts, or celebrity culture as a whole. Its a stupid song, and, uh, it doesnt really mean anything. The video continues. Bo Burnham: Inside review this is a claustrophobic masterpiece. So this is how it ends. ", And last but not least, for social media he put "sexually pranking unsuspecting women at public beaches" and "psychologically abusive parents making rube goldberg machines" alongside "white people using GIFs of Black people widening their eyes.". The global pandemic and subsequent lockdown orders of March 2020 put a stop to these plans. The battery is full, but no numbers are moving. The special is hitting an emotional climax as Burnham shows us both intense anger and then immediately after, a deep and dark sadness. Some of this comes through in how scenes are shot and framed: its common for the special to be filmed, projected onto Burnhams wall (or, literally, himself), and then filmed again for the audience. 7 on the Top 200. Went out to look for a reason to hide again. I cant say how Burnham thinks or feels with any authority, but as text and form-driven comedy, Inside urges the audience to reflect on how they interact with creators. Remember how Burnham's older, more-bearded self popped up at the beginning of "Inside" when we were watching footage of him setting up the cameras and lighting? At the beginning of "Inside," Burnham is not only coming back to that same room, but he's wearing a very similar outfit: jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers picking up right back where he left off. And part of it is sometimes he's just in despair. Daddy made you your favorite. begins with the question "Is it mean?" But in both of those cases, similarity and connection would come from the way the art itself connects people, not any actual tie between Burnham and myself, Burnham and the commenter. Burnham was just 16 years old when he wrote a parody song ("My Whole Family") and filmed himself performing it in his bedroom. Mirroring the earlier scene where Burnham went to sleep, now Burnham is shown "waking up.". I mean, honestly, he's saying a lot right there. Even when confronted with works that criticize parasocial attachment, its difficult for fans not to feel emotionally connected to performers they admire. It's conscious of self. Inside takes topics discussed academically, analytically, and delivers them to a new audience through the form of a comedy special by a widely beloved performer. See our full breakdown of every detail and reference you might have missed in "Inside" here. Fifteen years later, Burnham found himself sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to sit back down at his piano and see if he could once again entertain the world from the claustrophobic confines of a single room. Not in the traditional senseno music was released prior to the special other than a backing track from Content found in the trailer. He grabs the camera and swings it around in a circle as the song enters another chorus, and a fake audience cheers in the background. All rights reserved. The hustle to be a working artist usually means delivering an unending churn of content curated specifically for the demands of an audience that can tell you directly why they are upset with you because they did not actually like the content you gave them, and then they can take away some of your revenue for it. Might not help, but still, it couldn't hurt.". It has extended versions of songs, cut songs, and alternate versions of songs that were eventually deleted; but is mainly comprised of outtakes. Netflix. Is he content with its content? A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Bo Burnhams Inside begs for our parasocial awareness, Sign up for the Though it does have a twist. But also, it's clear that there's a lot on his mind. So in "Inside," when we see Burnham recording himself doing lighting set up and then accidentally pull down his camera was that a real blooper he decided to edit in? It's a quiet, banal scene that many people coming out of a depressive episode might recognize. Relieved to be done? Bo He takes a break in the song to talk about how he was having panic attacks on stage while touring the "Make Happy" special, and so he decided to stop doing live shows. Perform everything to each other, all the time for no reason. Bo Burnham, pictured here at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, wrote, directed and performed the entirety of his new Netflix special, Inside, by himself. WebStuck in a passionless marriage, a journalist must choose between her distant but loving husband and a younger ex-boyfriend who has reentered her life. While the other songs have abrupt endings, or harsh transitions, "That Funny Feeling" simply fades quietly into darkness perhaps the way Burnham imagines the ending of it all will happen. "Healing the world with comedy, the indescribable power of your comedy," the voice sings. A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio (John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris) onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy. The second emotional jump scare comes when Burnham monologues about how he stopped performing live because he started having panic attacks on stage, which is not a great place to have them. The monologue increases that sense of intimacy; Burnham is letting the audience in on the state of his mental health even before the global pandemic. Burnham slaps his leg in frustration and eventually gives a mirthless laugh before he starts slamming objects around him. Bo Burnham MARTIN: And it's deep, too. In the worst case, depression can convince a person to end their life. Bo Burnham His virtuosic new special, Inside (on Netflix), pushes this trend further, so far that it feels as if he has created something entirely new and unlikely, both sweepingly cinematic and claustrophobically intimate, a Zeitgeist-chasing musical comedy made alone to an audience of no one. Bo Burnham defined an era when he created Inside. Then comes the third emotional jump scare. Having this frame of reference may help viewers better understand the design of "Inside." MARTIN: Well, that being said, Lynda, like, what song do you want to go out on? He is not talking about it very much. He tries to talk into the microphone, giving his audience a one-year update. But Burnham is of course the writer, director, editor, and star of this show. The special is set almost entirely in one cluttered room. "Goodbye sadness, hello jokes!". Bo Burnham Now Burnham is showing us the clutter of the room, where he's almost claustrophobically surrounded by equipment. So when you get to the end of a song, it often just kind of cuts to something else. At the end of the song, "Inside" cuts to a shot of Burnham watching his own video on a computer in the dark. Poioumenon (from the Greek word for "product") is a term created by author Alastair Fowler and usually used to refer to a kind of metafiction. During that taping, Burnham said his favorite comic at the time was Hans Teeuwen, a "Dutch absurdist," who has a routine with a sock puppet that eats a candy bar as Teeuwen sings. And finally today, like many of us, writer, comedian and filmmaker Bo Burnham found himself isolated for much of last year - home alone, growing a beard, trying his best to stay sane. In the song, Burnham specifically mentions looking up "derealization," a disorder that may "feel like you're living in a dream. Got it? Im talking to you. Instead of working his muscles at open mics or in improv, Burnham uploaded joke songs to the platform in 2006. Let's take a closer look at just a few of those bubbles, shall we? I did! Years later, the comedian told NPR's Terry Gross that performing the special was so tough that he was having panic attacks on stage. But on the other hand, it is lyrically so playful. When we saw that projection the first time, Burnham's room was clean and orderly. It's a reprieve of the lyrics Burnham sang earlier in the special when he was reminiscing about being a kid stuck in his room. I feel very close and intimate with him in this version. MARTIN: You know, about that, because it does move into a deeply serious place at some point. I've been singing that song for about a week NOW. "A part of me loves you, part of me hates you," he sang to the crowd. To save you the time freeze-framing, here's the complete message: "No pressure by the way at any point we can stop i just want to make sure ur comfortable all this and please dont feel obligated to send anything you dont want to just cuz i want things doesnt mean i should get them and its sometimes confusing because i think you enjoy it when i beg and express how much i want you but i dont ever want that to turn into you feeling pressured into doing something you don't want or feeling like youre disappointing me this is just meant to be fun and if at any point its not fun for you we can stop and im sorry if me saying this is killing the mood i just like ". Whatever it is, NPR's Linda Holmes, host of Pop Culture Happy Hour, has reviewed it, and she liked it. "I was in a full body sweat, so I didn't hear most of that," Burnham said after the clip played. Long before the phrase parasocial relationship had entered the mainstream zeitgeist, Burnhams work discussed the phenomenon. [1] Created in the guest house of Burnham's Los Angeles home during the COVID-19 pandemic without a crew or audience, it was released on Netflix on May 30, 2021. I've been hiding from the world and I need to reenter.' As we explained in this breakdown of 31 details you might have missed in "Inside," Bo Burnham's newest special is a poioumenon a type of artistic work that tells the story of its own creation. Burnham may also be trying to parody the hollow, PR-scripted apologies that celebrities will trot out before they've possibly had the time to self-reflect and really understand what people are trying to hold them accountable for. Feelings of depersonalization and derealization can be very disturbing and may feel like you're living in a dream.". True, but it can deepen and clarify art. But what is it exactly - a concert, a comedy special? Likewise, the finale of Burnhams next special, Make Happy (2016) closes in a song called Handle This (Kanye Rant). The song starts as him venting his hyperbolically small problems, until the tone shifts, and he starts directly addressing the audience, singing: The truth is, my biggest problem is you / [. Burnham brings back all the motifs from the earlier songs into his finale, revisiting all the stages of emotion he took us through for the last 90 minutes. '", "Robert's been a little depressed, no!" Bo Burnham Similarly, Burnham often speaks to the audience by filming himself speaking to himself in a mirror. Bo Burnhams latest Netflix special, Inside, is a solo venture about the comedian and filmmakers difficult experience in quarantine thats earned enthusiastic critical acclaim. At the forefront of this shift has been Bo Burnham, one of YouTubes earliest stars, who went on to make his own innovative specials with satirical songs backed by theatrical lighting and disembodied voices. Bo Burnham There's no more time left to add to the camera's clock. Research and analysis of parasocial relationships usually revolves around genres of performers instead of individuals. Released on May 30, 2021, Bo Burnham wrote, recorded, directed, and produced Inside while in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Throughout "Inside," there's a huge variety of light and background set-ups used, so it seems unlikely that this particular cloud-scape was just randomly chosen twice. That YouTube commenter might be understood by Burnham if they were to meet him. We're a long way from the days when he filmed "Comedy" and the contrast shows how fruitless this method of healing has been. As he shows in this new sketch, he's aware at a meta level that simply trying to get ahead of the criticism that could be tossed his way is itself a performance sometimes. MARTIN: So as you can hear in that bit, he sounds something like other comedic songwriters who do these kind of parody or comedy songs, whether it's Tom Lehrer, Weird Al or whoever. All Eyes on Me also earned Bo his first Grammy win for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2022 Grammys. I got so much better, in fact, that in January of 2020, I thought 'you know what I should start performing again. Burnham uses vocal tuning often throughout all of his specials. HOLMES: So before he was this celebrated filmmaker, Bo Burnham was himself a YouTube star. He's freely admitting that self-awareness isn't enough while also clearly unable to move away from that self-aware comedic space he so brilliantly holds. Carpool Karaoke, Steve Aoki, Logan Paul. It's so good to hear your voice. It's a reminder, coming almost exactly halfway through the special, of the toll that this year is taking on Burnham. "Inside" kicks off with Burnham reentering the same small studio space he used for the end of "Make Happy," when the 2016 Netflix special transitioned from the live stage to Burnham suddenly sitting down at his piano by himself to sing one final song for the at-home audience. of the internet, welcoming everyone with a decadent menu of options while disco lights twirl. If the answer is yes, then it's not funny. Burnham's career as a young, white, male comedian has often felt distinct from his peers because of the amount of public self-reflection and acknowledgment of his own privileges that he does on stage and off screen. WebA biotech genius tries to bounce back from the depths of grief with help from his son, who works to escape his dads shadow and save the family business. Daddy made you your favorite, open wide.". It's as if Burnham knows there are valid criticisms of him that haven't really stuck in the public discourse around his work. And its easier to relax when the video focuses on a separate take of Burnham singing from farther away, the frame now showing the entire room. Copyright 2021 NPR. WebBo Burnham: Inside (2021) Exploring mental health decline over 2020, the constant challenges our world faces, and the struggles of life itself, Bo Burnham creates a. wonderful masterpiece to explain each of these, both from general view and personal experience.

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