Likewise. MARTIN: And I understand you were saying that it moves between genres. Underneath the Steve Martin-like formal trickery has always beaten the heaving heart of a flamboyantly dramatic theater kid. "The poioumenon is calculated to offer opportunities to explore the boundaries of fiction and reality the limits of narrative truth," Fowler wrote in his book "A History of English Literature.". And the very format of it, as I said, it's very much this kind of sinister figure trying to get you interested. ", "On September 17, the clock began counting down from seven years, 103 days, 15 hours, 40 minutes and seven seconds, displayed in red," the Smithsonian reported. From the very beginning of "Inside," Burnham makes it clear that the narrative arc of the special will be self-referential. But now Burnham is showing us the clutter of the room where "Inside" was filmed. And it's important to remember, you know, this is a piece of theater. our ranking of all 20 original songs from the special here. While he's laying in bed, eyes about the close, the screen shows a flash of an open door. Bo Burnhams 2021 special, Inside. TikTok creator @TheWoodMother made a video about how Burnham's "Inside" is its own poioumenon thanks to the meta scenes of Burnham setting up lights and cameras, not to mention the musical numbers like "Content" and "Comedy" that all help to tell the story of Burnham making this new special. In the song, Burnham specifically mentions looking up "derealization," a disorder that may "feel like you're living in a dream. our full breakdown of every detail and reference you might have missed in "Inside" here. WebBo's transcripts on Scraps From The Loft. "Everything that once was sad is somehow funny now, the Holocaust and 9/11, that s---'s funny, 24-7, 'cause tragedy will be exclusively joked about, because my empathy iss bumming me out," he sang. ", 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 first comes when Burnham looks directly into the camera as he addresses the audience, singing, Are you feeling nervous? The album peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 chart, #1 on the Comedy Albums chart, and #18 on the Independent Albums chart. It feels like the ending of a show, a climax, but it's not. Inside (2021) opens with Bo Burnham sitting alone in a room singing what will be the first of many musical comedy numbers, Content. In the song, Burnham expresses, Roberts been a little depressed ii. Burnham's earlier Netflix specials and comedy albums. Bo Burnham, pictured here at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, wrote, directed and performed the entirety of his new Netflix special, Inside, by himself. WebBo Burnham is more than a comedian he's a writer-director-actor who first went viral in 2006. That cloud scene was projected onto Burnham during the section of "Comedy" when Burnham stood up right after the God-like voice had given him his directive to "heal the world with comedy." LINDA HOLMES, BYLINE: Thank you, Michel. Netflix WebA grieving woman magically travels through time to 1998, where she meets a man with an uncanny resemblance to her late love. "The world needs direction from a white guy like [you] who is healing the world with comedy. He's almost claustrophobically surrounded by equipment. Might not help, but still, it couldn't hurt.". He's the writer, director, editor, and star of this show. Maybe we'll call it isolation theater. WebBo Burnham's new Netflix comedy special "Inside" is jam-packed with references to his previous work. 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? The performer, along with the record label and brand deals, encourage a parasocial relationship for increased profits. "I was in a full body sweat, so I didn't hear most of that," Burnham said after the clip played. At first hearing, this is a simple set of lyrics about the way kids deal with struggles throughout adolescence, particularly things like anxiety and depression. Burnham achieved a similar uncanny sense of realism in his movie "Eighth Grade," the protagonist of which is a 13-year-old girl with extreme social anxiety who makes self-help YouTube videos. MARTIN: So Bo Burnham has had a lot of different identities lately. Accuracy and availability may vary. BURNHAM: (Singing) Start a rumor, buy a broom or send a death threat to a Boomer. But also, it's clear that there's a lot on his mind. Its easy to see Unpaid Intern as one scene and the reaction videos as another, but in the lens of parasocial relationships, digital media, and workers rights, the song and the reactions work as an analysis for another sort of labor exploitation: content creation. 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. HOLMES: Yeah. Its horrific.". In the song Problematic, Burnham sings about his past problematic behavior, asking the audience, Isnt anyone going to hold me accountable? The specials intermission looks like a clear view into Burnhams room, until Burnham washes a window between himself and the viewer an explicit, but invisible, boundary between creator and audience. But by using this meta-narrative throughout the whole special, Burnham messes with our ability to know when we're seeing a genuine struggle with artistic expression versus a meticulously staged fictional breakdown. Not a comedy per se, but a masterpiece nonetheless. On May 30, 2022, Burnham uploaded the video Inside: The Outtakes, to his YouTube channel, marking a rare original upload, similar to how he used his YouTube channel when he was a teenager. According to a May 2021 Slate article, the piece was filmed at Bo Burnhams Los Angeles guest housethe same room used for June 2016s Are You Happy? and the closing shots of the Make Happy special. He uploaded it to YouTube, a then barely-known website that offered an easy way for people to share videos, so he could send it to his brother. "Part of me needs you, part of me fears you. Inside is the work of a comic with artistic tools most of his peers ignore or overlook. His new Netflix special Inside was directed, written and performed all inside one room. Is he content with its content? Its a stupid song, and, uh, it doesnt really mean anything. The video continues. 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. The arrogance is taught or it was cultivated. And the biggest risk Burnham takes in the show is letting his emotional side loose, but not before cracking a ton of jokes. 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. A harsh skepticism of digital life (a life the pandemic has only magnified) is the dominant subject of the special. Bo Burnham: Inside review this is a claustrophobic masterpiece. Using cinematic tools other comics overlook, the star (who is also the director, editor and cameraman) trains a glaring spotlight on internet life mid-pandemic. 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 / [. Got it? The song brings with it an existential dread, but Burnham's depression-voice tells us not to worry and sink into nihilism. Web9/10. MARTIN: You know, about that, because it does move into a deeply serious place at some point. In his new Netflix special, Inside, Bo Burnham sings about trying to be funny while stuck in a room. Under the TV section, he has "adults playing twister" (something he referenced in "Make Happy" when he said that celebrity lip-syncing battles were the "end of culture") and "9 season love letter to corporate labor" (which is likely referencing "The Office"). The comedians lifetime online explains the heart of most of his new songs, I made you some content, comedian Bo Burnham sings in the opening moments of his new Netflix special, Inside. Some of the things he mentions that give him "that funny feeling" include discount Etsy agitprop (aka communist-themed merchandise) and the Pepsi halftime show. I'm sitting down, writing jokes, singing silly songs, I'm sorry I was gone. Inside is a tricky work that for all its boundary-crossing remains in the end a comedy in the spirit of neurotic, self-loathing stand-up. But during the bridge of the song, he imagines a post from a woman dedicated to her dead mother, and the aspect ratio on the video widens. Come and watch the skinny kid with a / Steadily declining mental health, and laugh as he attempts / To give you what he cannot give himself. Like Struccis Fake Friends documentary, this song is highlighted in Anuska Dhars video essay, Bo Burnham and the Trap of Parasocial Self-Awareness. Burnhams work consistently addresses his relationship with his audience, the ways he navigates those parasocial relationships, and how easy they can be to exploit. During the last 15 minutes of "Make Happy," Burnham turns the comedy switch down a bit and begins talking to the audience about how his comedy is almost always about performing itself because he thinks people are, at all times, doing a "performance" for one another. When you're a kid and you're stuck in your room, you'll do any old s--- to get out of it.". . Instead of working his muscles at open mics or in improv, Burnham uploaded joke songs to the platform in 2006. Bo Burnhams latest Netflix special, Inside, is a solo venture about the comedian and filmmakers difficult experience in quarantine thats earned enthusiastic critical acclaim. Bo Burnham The clean, tidy interior that first connected "Inside" with "Make Happy" is gone in its place is a mess-riddled space. In this time-jumping dramedy, a workaholic who's always in a rush now wants life to slow down when he finds himself leaping ahead a year every few hours. It's full circle from the start of the special, when Burnham sang about how he's been depressed and decided to try just getting up, sitting down, and going back to work. "This show is called 'what.,' and I hope there are some surprises for you," he says as he goes to set down the water bottle. Bo Burnham: Inside is a devastating portrait of the actor-director-singer-comedian's dysfunctional interiority and 2020's unyielding assault on mental and social health. This special spoke to me closer and clearer than Ive ever felt with another person. Like, what is it? While this special is the product of evolution, Burnham is pointing out its also a regression. HOLMES: Thank you. Later in Inside, Burnham thanks the audience for their support while holding them at knifepoint. 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. Open wide.. He decided to stop doing live performances, and instead set out to write and direct his first feature film, the critically-acclaimed 2018 movie "Eighth Grade." "And I spent that time trying to improve myself mentally. The song is a pitched-down Charli XCX-styled banger of a ballad has minimal lyrics that are mostly just standard crowd instructions: put your hands up, get on your feet. Each of the songs from the first half of the special are in line with Burnham's earlier Netflix specials and comedy albums. And so I think he's always had that stubborn insistence on holding both of those things in his head at the same time. And now depression has its grips in him. According to the special, Bo decided he was ready to begin doing stand-up again in January 2020, after dealing with panic attacks onstage during his previous tour, the Make Happy Tour of 2015-2016. And it portends and casts doubt on a later scene when his mental health frays and Burnham cries in earnest. He slaps his leg in frustration, and eventually gives a mirthless laugh before he starts slamming objects around him. / Are you having fun? The crowd directions are no longer stock pop song lyrics; now, the audience understands them as direct orders to them from Burnham. 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. "I was a kid who was stuck in his room, there isn't much more to say about it. And it has a lot of very clever and very quick wordplay about the specific things you can get on the internet. Linda, thank you so much for joining us. An ethereal voice (which is really just Burnham's own voice with effects over it) responds to Burnham's question while a bright light suddenly shines on his face, as if he's receiving a message from God. And it has a real feel of restlessness to it, almost like stream of consciousness. An existential dread creeps in, but Burnham's depression-voice tells us not to worry and sink into nihilism. I think this is something we've all been thinking about. Now, you heard me struggling to describe what this is, so help me out. Inside The penultimate song "All Eyes on Me" makes for a particularly powerful moment. .] Relieved to be done? If "All Eyes on Me" sounds disconcertingly comforting to you, it could be because you can recognize the mental symptoms of a mood disorder like depression. He brushes his teeth, eats a bowl of cereal, and begins editing his videos. One of the most encouraging developments in comedy over the past decade has been the growing directorial ambition of stand-up specials. Let's take a closer look at just a few of those bubbles, shall we? The reason he started making this special, he explains in the show, is to distract himself from shooting himself in the head, the first of several mentions of suicide (including one in which he tells viewers to just dont). But what is it exactly - a concert, a comedy special? Not only has his musical range expanded his pastiche of styles includes bebop, synth-pop and peppy show tunes Burnham, who once published a book of poems, has also become as meticulous and creative with his visual vocabulary as his language. Under the movies section, there's a bubble that says "sequel to classic comedy that everyone watches and then pretends never happened" and "Thor's comebacks.". But in recent years, theres been enough awareness of online behavior to see how parasocial relationships can have negative impacts on both the creator and the audience if left uninterrogated by both parties. In a giddy homage to Cabaret, Burnham, in sunglasses, plays the M.C. Bo Burnham and concludes that if it's mean, it's not funny. And then, of course, he had previous standup comedy specials. I mean, honestly, he's saying a lot right there. Is he content with its content? The title card appears in white, then changes to red, signaling that a camera is recording. 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.". His career evolved through YouTube, MTV, Vine, his movie "Eighth Grade," and now Netflix's "Inside." 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. 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. Likewise. The label of parasocial relationship is meant to be neutral, being as natural and normal and, frankly, inescapable as familial or platonic relationships. But, like so many other plans and hopes people had in the early months of the pandemic, that goal proved unattainable. Burnham uses vocal tuning often throughout all of his specials. Something went wrong. The whole song sounds like you're having a religious experience with your own mental disorder, especially when new harmonies kick in. The final shot is of him looking positively orgasmic, eyes closed, on the cross. 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. It's an emergence from the darkness. .] Inside has been making waves for comedy fans, similar to the ways previous landmark comedy specials like Hannah Gadsbys Nanette or Tig Notaros Live (aka Hello, I Have Cancer) have. 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. 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. Thematically, it deals with the events of 2020, rising wealth inequality, racial injustice, isolation, mental health, social media, and technologys role in our lives. All Eyes on Me also earned Bo his first Grammy win for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2022 Grammys. This line comes full circle by the end of the special, so keep it in mind. Gross asked Burnham if people "misinterpreted" the song and thought it was homophobic. Doona! And I think that, 'Oh if I'm self-aware about being a douchebag it'll somehow make me less of a douchebag.' Hes been addressing us the entire time. But we weren't. Bo Burnham: Inside, was written, edited, and directed by the talent himself and the entire show is shot in one room. They may still be comical, but they have a different feel. Bo Burnham He is not talking about it very much. Many of his songs begin seriously, then shift into the joke, but this one doesnt. Netflix. But unlike many of us, Burnham was also hard at work on a one-man show directed, written and performed all by himself. Burnham can't get through his words in the update as he admits he's been working on the special much longer than he'd anticipated. of the internet, welcoming everyone with a decadent menu of options while disco lights twirl. But Burnham is of course the writer, director, editor, and star of this show. Though it does have a twist. He says his goal had been to complete filming before his 30th birthday. So we broke down each song and sketch and analyzed their meaning and context. Im talking to you. Initially, this seems like a pretty standard takedown of the basic bitch stereotype co-opted from Black Twitter, until the aspect ratio widens and Burnham sings a shockingly personal, emotional caption from the same feed. He doesn't really bother with any kind of transitions. For those who are unaware, Bos real name is Robert Burnham. Its called INSIDE, and it will undoubtedly strike your hearts forevermore. Bo Burnham "Healing the world with comedy, the indescribable power of your comedy," the voice sings. Linda Holmes, welcome. . It's a quiet, banal scene that many people coming out of a depressive episode might recognize. His hair and beard were shorter, and he was full of inspired energy. And that can be a really - if you're not very good at it, that kind of thing, where there's a balance between sort of the sarcastic and ironic versus the very sincere can be really exhausting. But then the video keeps playing, and so he winds up reacting to his own reaction, and then reacting yet again to that reaction. WebBo Burnham's "Inside" special on Netflix is an incredibly detailed musical-comedy artwork. Partway through the song, the battery icon switches to low and starts blinking in warning as if death is imminent. How how successful do you think is "Inside" at addressing, describing kind of confronting the experience that a lot of people have had over the past year?
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