I like this song, Burnham says, before pointing out the the lack of modern songs about labor exploitation. In the same way that earlier vocal distortion represented God, the effect on his voice in "All Eyes on Me" seems to signal some omniscient force outside of Burnham. On June 9, Burnham released the music from the special in an album titled Inside (The Songs), which hit No. ", 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.". MARTIN: So Bo Burnham has had a lot of different identities lately. In his first Netflix special (2013's "what. Its a lyrically dense song with camerawork that speeds up with its rhythm. With electro-pop social commentary, bleak humour and sock-puppet debates, the comics lockdown creation is astonishing. 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. WebBo Burnham has been critical of his past self for the edgy, offensive comedy he used to make. Perform everything to each other, all the time for no reason. Burnham has said in interviews that his inspiration for the character came from real YouTube videos he had watched, most with just a handful of views, and saw the way young women expressed themselves online.
The clearest inspiration is Merle Traviss 16 Tons, a song about the unethical working conditions of coal miners also used in weird Tom Hanks film Joe vs. So this is how it ends. Well, well, buddy you found it, now come out with your hands up we've got you surrounded.". The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Research and analysis of parasocial relationships usually revolves around genres of performers instead of individuals. I was not, you know, having these particular experiences. "The world needs direction from a white guy like [you] who is healing the world with comedy. Bo Burnhams 2021 special, Inside. In Inside, Burnham confronts parasocial relationships in his most direct way yet. He points it at himself as he sways, singing again: Get your fuckin hands up / Get on out of your seat / All eyes on me, all eyes on me.. Likewise. The voices of the characters eventually blend together to tell the live Burnham on stage, We think we know you.. Now, the term is applied to how viewers devote time, energy, and emotion to celebrities and content creators like YouTubers, podcasters, and Twitch streamers people who do not know they exist. Well, well, buddy you found it, now come out with your hands up we've got you surrounded.". How does one know if the joke punches down? We see Burnham moving around in the daylight, a welcome contrast to the dark setting of "All Eyes on Me." HOLMES: I liked a bunch of the songs in this, and a lot of them are silly songs about the things that his comedy has already been concerned with for a long time, right?
Bo Burnham That's what it is. While he's laying in bed, eyes about the close, the screen shows a flash of an open door. HOLMES: So before he was this celebrated filmmaker, Bo Burnham was himself a YouTube star. Inside doesnt give clear answers like parasocial relationships good or parasocial relationships bad, because those answers do not, and cannot, exist. "Any Day Now" The ending credits. WebBo Burnham's "Inside" special on Netflix is an incredibly detailed musical-comedy artwork. He brushes his teeth, eats a bowl of cereal, and begins editing his videos.
And maybe the rest of us are ready, too. But before that can register, Burnham's eyes have closed and the special transitions to the uncannily catchy song "S---," bopping about how he hasn't showered in nine days or done any laundry. HOLMES: Right. "That's a good start. Netflix .] The comedy special perfectly encapsulated the world's collective confusion, frustration, and exhaustion amid ongoing pandemic lockdowns, bringing a quirky spin to the ongoing existential terror that was the year 2020. And they're biting, but he's also very talented at these little catchy pop hooks. Viewer discretion is advised. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. It's a heartbreaking chiding coming from his own distorted voice, as if he's shaming himself for sinking back into that mental state. Just wanted to make sure everybody knew about Bo's comedy special transcripts on Scraps. 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. ", Right as Burnham is straightening up, music begins blaring over the speakers and Burnham's own voice sings: "He meant to knock the water over, yeah yeah yeah, but you all thought it was an accident. ", He then pulls the same joke again, letting the song play after the audience's applause so it seems like a mistake. 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 ". His 2014 song Repeat Stuff and its music video parodies how boy bands and other corporately-owned pop stars prey on young fans desire to feel loved by writing songs with lyrics vague enough anyone can feel like it was written specifically about them. By keeping that reveal until the end of the special, Burnham is dropping a hammer on the actual at-home audience, letting us know why his mental health has hit an ATL, as he calls it ("all time low"). 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. HOLMES: Thank you. Having this frame of reference may help viewers better understand the design of "Inside." Simply smiling at the irony of watching his own movie come to life while he's still inside? Web9/10. So let's dive into "Inside" and take a closer look at nearly every song and sketch in Burnham's special. This is when the musical numbers (and in-between skits) become much more grim. BURNHAM: (Singing) The live-action "Lion King," the Pepsi halftime show, 20,000 years of this, seven more to go. 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. Relieved to be done? While platforms like Patreon mean creators can make their own works independently without studio influence, they also mean that the creator is directly beholden to their audience. Released on May 30, 2021, Bo Burnham wrote, recorded, directed, and produced Inside while in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The incentives of the web, those that reward outrage, excess and sentiment, are the villains of this show.
Bo Burnham It's wonderful to be with you. As someone who has devoted time, energy, and years of research into parasocial relationships, I felt almost like this song was made for me, that Burnham and I do have so much in common. Now we've come 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. Please enter a valid email and try again. The clean, tidy interior that first connected "Inside" with "Make Happy" is gone in its place is a mess-riddled space. "I'm so worried that criticism will be levied against me that I levy it against myself before anyone else can. When the song starts, the camera sitting in front of Burnham's mirror starts slowing zooming in, making the screen darker and darker until you (the audience member at home) are sitting in front of the black mirror of your screen. 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. Burnham spent his teen years doing theater and songwriting, which led to his first viral video on YouTube a song he now likely categorizes as "offensive.". 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. Let's take a closer look at just a few of those bubbles, shall we? Even when confronted with works that criticize parasocial attachment, its difficult for fans not to feel emotionally connected to performers they admire. The penultimate song "All Eyes on Me" makes for a particularly powerful moment. In one interpretation, maybe the smile means he's ready to be outside again. "You say the ocean's rising, like I give a s---, you say the whole world's ending, honey it already did, you're not gonna slow it, heaven knows you tried," he sings. Bo Burnham: Inside, was written, edited, and directed by the talent himself and the entire show is shot in one room. 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. Relieved to be done?
Bo Burnham Its a stupid song, and, uh, it doesnt really mean anything. The video continues. Transcript Comedian and filmmaker Bo Burnham used his time alone during the pandemic to create a one-man show. Thank you, Michel. See our analysis of the end of the special, and why Burnham's analogy for depression works so well. The song is like having a religious experience with your own mental disorder.
Bo Burnham Inside is the work of a comic with artistic tools most of his peers ignore or overlook. It's as if Burnham is showing how wholesale judgments about the way people choose to use social media can gloss over earnest, genuine expressions of love and grief being shared online. He slaps his leg in frustration, and eventually gives a mirthless laugh before he starts slamming objects around him. Netflix. Good. 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. He, for example, it starts off with him rhyming carpool karaoke, which is a segment on James Corden's show, with Steve Aoki, who's a DJ. On the Netflix special, however, Josh Senior is credited as a producer, Cooper Wehde is an assistant producer, and a number of people are credited for post-production, editing, and logistical coordinating. The performer, along with the record label and brand deals, encourage a parasocial relationship for increased profits. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The penultimate song "All Eyes on Me" makes for a particularly powerful moment. It's so good to hear your voice.
Bo Burnham After more sung repetitions of get your fuckin hands up, Burnham says, Get up. MARTIN: And it's deep, too. He has one where he's just sitting on a stool with an acoustic guitar describing our modern world. There's no more time left to add to the camera's clock. He's the writer, director, editor, and star of this show. (SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "BO BURNHAM: INSIDE"). But when reading songs like Dont Wanna Know and All Eyes On Me between the lines, Inside can help audiences better identify that funny feeling when they start feeling like a creator is their friend. From the very beginning of "Inside," Burnham makes it clear that the narrative arc of the special will be self-referential. 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.". ", "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. Its a visual that signifies a man exposing himself, until you realize hes in a spotlight. HOLMES: So, as you'll hear there, on the one hand, there's a lot of sadness in what he's talking about there. All rights reserved. It's self-conscious. It's a reminder, coming almost exactly halfway through the special, of the toll that this year is taking on Burnham. Here's a little bit of that. Were complicated. WebBo's transcripts on Scraps From The Loft. 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. Burnham reacts to his reaction to his reaction: Im so afraid that this criticism will be levied against me that I levy it against myself before anyone else can. The video keeps going. "I was a kid who was stuck in his room, there isn't much more to say about it. I have a funky memory and I sometimes can't remember things from something I've watched, even if it was just yesterday. Not a comedy per se, but a masterpiece nonetheless. Doona! Finally doing basic care tasks for yourself like eating breakfast and starting work in the morning. Coined in 1956 by researchers Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, the term initially was used to analyze relationships between news anchors who spoke directly to the audience and that audience itself. "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. that shows this exact meta style. The first comes when Burnham looks directly into the camera as he addresses the audience, singing, Are you feeling nervous?
Bo Burnham: Inside Instead of a live performance, he's recorded himself in isolation over the course of a year. He was alone. And she's with us now to tell us more about it. But look, I made you some content. Parasocial relationships are neutral, and how we interact with them is usually a mixed bag. The scene cuts to black and we see Burnham waking up in his small pull-out couch bed, bookending the section of the special that started when him going to sleep. Daddy made you your favorite, open wide.". Photograph: Netflix Its a measure of the quality of Inside 1.0 that this stuff could end up on the cutting-room floor. He takes it, and Burnham cries robotically as a tinny version of the song about being stuck in the room plays. Tell us a little bit more about that. WebBo Burnham: Inside is by far one of the riskiest and original comedy specials to come out in years. Still terrified of that spotlight? WebOn a budget. Daddy made you your favorite. WebBo Burnham: Inside is a 2021 special written, directed, filmed, edited, and performed by American comedian Bo Burnham. newsletter, On Parasocial Relationships and the Boundaries of Celebrity, Bo Burnham and the Trap of Parasocial Self-Awareness.. I don't know exactly how it tracks his experience, Bo Burnham, the person, right? At the second level of the reaction video, Burnham says: "I'm being a little pretentious. Burnham quickly shifts from the song to a reaction video of the song itself in the style of a YouTuber or Twitch streamer. But unlike many of us, Burnham was also hard at work on a one-man show directed, written and performed all by himself.
Bo Burnham's Netflix Special, 'Inside Like he's parodying white people who think that by crucifying themselves first they're somehow freed from the consequences of their actions. And the biggest risk Burnham takes in the show is letting his emotional side loose, but not before cracking a ton of jokes. I don't think it's perfectly morally defendable.". In Unpaid Intern, Burnham sings about how deeply unethical the position is to the workers in a pastiche of other labor-focused blues. It's a series of musical numbers and skits that are inherently about the creation of comedy itself. Like most of Burnhams specials, it includes comedic songs and creative lighting effects. My heart hurts with and for him. 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. But now Burnham is back. The battery is full, but no numbers are moving. One of the most encouraging developments in comedy over the past decade has been the growing directorial ambition of stand-up specials. 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. 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. Netflix did, however, post Facetime with My Mom (Tonight) on YouTube. Bo Burnham also uploaded Welcome to the Internet and White Womans Instagram on his YouTube channel. Don't overthink this, look in my eye don't be scared, don't be shy, come on in the water's fine."). Soering New insights from various parties come to light that raise questions about Jens Sring's conviction of the 1985 murders of his then-girlfriend's parents. Burnham lingers on his behind-the-scenes technical tinkering handling lights, editing, practicing lines. 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. The special is hitting an emotional climax as Burnham shows us both intense anger and then immediately after, a deep and dark sadness. When that future-Burnham appears, it's almost like a precursor to what he'll have shown us by the end of the special: That both he, and his audience, could never have known just how brutal the next year was about to be. 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.
Inside Accuracy and availability may vary. @TheWoodMother made a video about how Burnham's "Inside" is its own poioumenon, which led to his first viral video on YouTube, written in 2006, is about how his whole family thinks he's gay, defines depersonalization-derealization disorder, "critical window for action to prevent the effects of global warming from becoming irreversible.". And many of them discuss their personal connection to the show and their analysis of how Burnham must have been thinking and feeling when he made it.
Bo Burnham 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. WebBo Burnham's Netflix special "Inside" features 20 new original songs. And then the funniest thing happened.". HOLMES: Well, logically enough, let's go out on the closing song. But then the video keeps playing, and so he winds up reacting to his own reaction, and then reacting yet again to that reaction. True, but it can deepen and clarify art. And the very format of it, as I said, it's very much this kind of sinister figure trying to get you interested. "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. Though it does have a twist. One comment stuck out to me: Theres something really powerful and painful about, hearing his actual voice singing and breaking at certain points. "I'm criticizing my initial reaction for being pretentious, which is honestly a defense mechanism," he says. Audiences who might not read a 1956 essay by researchers about news anchors still see much of the same discussion in Inside. Finally doing basic care tasks for yourself like eating breakfast and starting work in the morning. But now Burnham is showing us the clutter of the room where "Inside" was filmed. Its called INSIDE, and it will undoubtedly strike your hearts forevermore. 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. In his new Netflix special, Inside, Bo Burnham sings about trying to be funny while stuck in a room. 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. It feels like the ending of a show, a climax, but it's not. A distorted voice is back again, mocking Burnham as he sits exposed on his fake stage: "Well, well, look who's inside again. Burnham reacts to his reaction of the song, this time saying, Im being a little pretentious. It's just Burnham, his room, the depressive-sound of his song, and us watching as his distorted voice tries to convince us to join him in that darkness. "Problematic" is a roller coaster of self-awareness, masochism, and parody. The question is now, Will you support Wheat Thins in the fight against Lyme disease?). He's showing us how terrifying it can be to present something you've made to the world, or to hear laughter from an audience when what you were hoping for was a genuine connection. Self-awareness does not absolve anybody of anything.". Inside, a new Netflix special written, performed, directed, shot, and edited by comedian Bo Burnham, invokes and plays with many forms. For the album, Bo is credited as writer, performer, and producer on every song. But before that can register, Burnham's eyes have closed and the special transitions to the uncannily catchy song "S---," bopping about how he hasn't showered in nine days or done any laundry. (For example, the song "Straight, White, Male" from the "Make Happy" special). Once he's decided he's done with the special, Burnham brings back all the motifs from the earlier songs into "Goodbye," his finale of this musical movie. And it portends and casts doubt on a later scene when his mental health frays and Burnham cries in earnest. Now, you heard me struggling to describe what this is, so help me out. Only he knows. And if you go back and you look at a film like "Eighth Grade," he's always been really consumed by sort of the positive and the negative of social media and the internet and the life of of young kids. I feel very close and intimate with him in this version. 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. ", From then on, the narrative of "Inside" follows Burnham returning to his standard comedic style and singing various parody songs like "FaceTime with My Mom" and "White Woman's Instagram.". So for our own little slice of the world, Burnham's two time spans seem to be referencing the start and end of an era in our civilization. Performing "Make Happy" was mentally taxing on Burnham. Burnhams 2013 special, what., culminates in Burnham, the performer, reacting to pre-recorded versions of himself playing people from his life reacting to his work and fame, trying to capitalize on their tenuous relationship with him. Mirroring the earlier scene where Burnham went to sleep, now Burnham is shown "waking up.". We're a long way from the days when he filmed "Comedy" and the contrast shows how fruitless this method of healing has been. Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity. And part of it is sometimes he's just in despair. His new Netflix special Inside was directed, written and performed all inside one room. Maybe we'll call it isolation theater. The special is available exclusively on Netflix, while the album can be found on most streaming platforms. At just 20 years old, Burnham was a guest alongside Judd Apatow, Marc Maron, Ray Romano, and Garry Shandling. Teeuwen's performance shows a twisted, codependent relationship between him and the puppet on his hand, something Burnham is clearly channeling in his own sock puppet routine in "Inside.". BO BURNHAM: (Singing) If you'd have told me a year ago that I'd be locked inside of my home, I would have told you a year ago, interesting, now leave me alone. For all the ways Burnham had been desperate to leave the confines of his studio, now that he's able to go back out into the world (and onto a real stage), he's terrified. Entertainment correspondent Kim Renfro ranked them in ascending order of greatness. For the song "Comedy," Burnham adopts a persona adjacent to his real life self a white male comedian who is driven to try and help make the world a better place. 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. But usually there is one particular voice that acts as a disembodied narrator character, some omniscient force that needles Burnham in the middle of his stand up (like the voice in "Make Happy" that interrupts Burnham's set to call him the f-slur).
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