Netflix Comedy Special Tackles Loneliness Unlike Anything You’ve Seen

Written by Robert Scucci | Published 1 second ago

I was first exposed to Bo Burnham’s comedy when I stumbled upon his 2013 Netflix stand-up special, what.and I had mixed feelings about it after watching it for the first time. I vividly remember turning to my wife and saying, “this kid has a lot of talent, and he’s funny, but he’s not going to reveal anything really deep until life hits him a little hard.” I was so surprised when the shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world-weary and lonely Bo Burnham to do what I consider to be his best work as of this writing: 2021’s. Bo Burnham: Inside.

While I’ve always approached Burnham’s comics (and even his original YouTube content) with guarded enthusiasm due to the level of immaturity you’d expect from a young artist struggling to cope with his meteoric rise to fame, I’ve always viewed his work on the safe side. the distance he knows he is destined for greatness. I felt in my gut that Bo Burnham was a raw nerve waiting for the right motivation (or lack thereof) to push him into that dark place. Inside claustrophobically exploring, and it turns out I was right.

I also felt very guilty for being happy that my prophecy had come true because it meant that a real person had to fight his personal demons down to carefully create his magnum opus.

Inside Setup

Bo Burnham has always had a complex relationship with the Internet, his audience, parasocial relationships, his creative process, and, most importantly, himself. Bo Burnham: Inside fearlessly addresses all of these insecurities while also forcing audiences to feel the same level of discomfort that led him to retire from comedy altogether in 2016 after the release of his single. Be happy special.

Picking up there Be happy gone, Bo Burnham: Inside he takes us back to the guest house he fled to at the end of his last episode, but this time he’s ready to start singing again. The only problem is that there is nowhere for him to do it, as he is trapped, as the title says, inside.

Low-Brow But High-Concept

Stay in a guest house full of cameras, laptops, gadgets, and an unimaginable amount of horrors, Bo Burnham: Inside it’s not a comedy special, but it’s an unflinching exploration of the creative process, perfectionism, the dark side of fame, isolation (and government sanctioning), and funky synth-pop bangers about Jeff Bezos that make you want to clap your hands between tears.

Just below the scary songs found Bo Burnham: Insidethe inner workings of a madman are revealed in Burnham’s colorful songs about FaceTiming with his mother, sexting with his girlfriend because our communication devices are replacing physical relationships, large media conglomerates profiting from our addiction to the Internet, and the idea that in a society we are more connected than ever, but also we are the most separated we have ever been.

It Comes Full-Circle

Between each skit, song, and experiment there is one available on InsideBo Burnham pulls back the curtain by showing us his behind-the-scenes process. After nailing what you would think is a perfect performance, there are a few changes that involve Burnham sitting alone in front of his computer and scrutinizing his work before saying “one more time” and getting ready to reshoot the entire episode from scratch. . As the weeks turned into months, Burnham’s hair and beard grew uncontrollably long, which he addressed by telling the audience that he had booked a haircut that was canceled.

Any fan of Bo Burnham will tell you that he is familiar with the backstory that led to the creation of Insidebut that doesn’t stop the 30-year-old comedian from breaking out his most confessional single, “All Eyes On Me.”

Lowering his voice a few octaves to fully capture his depression as he sings over a synth-laden dirge, Burnham reveals with a hearty laugh that he stopped singing because he suffered severe stage fright during his last tour. Revealing that he has worked on his mental health during his five years without acting, he looks into the camera and says that as he prepares to put himself out there again “a funny thing happens…”

Everything is Small

To enjoy it to the fullest Bo Burnham: Inside, you need to admit that everything special is written, and carefully planned down to its smallest details. While there’s no doubt in my mind that Burnham spent more time alone than he should have put together this special that sprung from the depths of his imagination, he’s still playing a fictional, hyperbolic version of his stage persona.

If you want to take a closer look at the creative process in the hands of a perfectionist, Bo Burnham: Inside it should be the next comedy special you queue up on Netflix. And if you don’t believe me when I say it’s all an act, Inside Getting outand streaming on Netflix, it’s the perfect companion episode that tells you “everything’s going to be okay.”