Content Warning: This article contains discussions/references to depression and anxiety.
Comedian Bo Burnham is back with another Netflix stand-up special. Bo Burnham: Inside, was written, edited, and directed by the talent himself and the entire show is shot in one room. It chronicles Burnham’s life during the pandemic and his journey creating the special.
Like most of Burnham’s specials, it includes comedic songs and creative lighting effects. It also features commentary on society, as well as an introspective look at Burnham’s mental health. The comedy special is dark but hilarious. Viewers can relate to his self-deprecating humor, and they laugh out loud during his songs.
“Look, I Made You Some Content. Daddy Made You Your Favorite, Open Wide.”
The opening song of the Netflix comedy special is "Content." The lyrics discuss how Burnham wouldn't have expected a year ago that he'd be stuck inside his home. The song also apologizes for being gone for a long time as Burnham took a five-year break from doing live shows.
Later in the special, he informs the viewers that the gap in content was due to his anxiety. In the song, Burnham tells fans he's back with new content for them that he made during the Covid-19 pandemic but he delivers it in his classic comedic fashion.
“How We Feelin’ Out There Tonight? Hahaha, Yeah, I Am Not Feeling Good.”
The comedy special narrates Burnham’s feelings and thoughts while in quarantine. The song “Sh*t” particularly expresses his distress. He outright states that he feels like “sh*t,” but to an upbeat tune.
The song opens with Burnham asking how the audience is feeling, and he answers after laughing that he’s not feeling good. The conversation he has with the make-believe audience that’s actually himself is a balance between funny and sad—which also describes Burnham’s comedic tone.
“Systematic Oppression, Income Inequality...The Other Stuff. And, There's Only One Thing That I Can Do About It While Being Paid And Being The Center Of Attention.”
Often, performers feel like it is their job to help heal the world with their talents. Burnham sets out to make the world better with his comedy in the second number of the special. But, he does this ironically, aware of how the comedy special benefits him more than others.
Burnham describes how entitled people use social movements to boost their self-esteem. The song is facetious, and the fact that he runs out of issues he knows about and says “the other stuff” is hysterical.
“She'll Hold Her IPhone 5 No Further Than Six Inches From Her Face.”
FaceTiming with parents who don’t know how to use their phones can be frustrating. Burnham captures the experience in the song “FaceTime with my Mom (Tonight).” Throughout the song, he struggles to get his mom not to cover her phone camera with her thumb.
The lyric about how his mom holds her iPhone no further than six inches from her face is particularly relatable. The way Burnham enjoys the conversation with his mother and also hates it is hilarious.
“The Question Is No Longer, ‘Do You Want To Buy Wheat Thins?’ For Example. The Question Is Now, ‘Will You Support Wheat Thins In The Fight Against Lyme Disease?’”
Some segments of Bo Burnham: Inside are sketches. In one of them, Burnham pretends to be a social brand consultant. He talks about how brands try to jump in on social movements to stay relevant.
The sketch is a comedic commentary about how brands try to entice consumers by taking political stances. But, they do it to create brand awareness, not to instigate positive change. Burnham ironically asks what brands like Wheat Thins and Bagel Bites have to say about social issues.
“Some Random Quote From Lord Of The Rings Incorrectly Attributed To Martin Luther King.”
Burnham shows the strength of his photography skills in the song "White Woman's Instagram." He recaptures pictures commonly seen on Instagram feeds like food art, mirror selfies, and a lot of fairy lights.
The song also represents how people fabricate a fantasy life that doesn't represent reality online. It also highlights the ignorance people display on social media. A laugh-out-loud line talks about how Instagram users incorrectly attribute quotes, showing their lack of knowledge on subjects.
“We’ll Talk Dirty Like We’re Ancient Egyptians.”
The awkward nature of dating someone when they're quarantining in a separate location is exposed in the song "Sexting." It makes fun of how people flirt over text and how sending emojis to a significant other can get pretty confusing.
Burnham sends abstract emojis, including carrots, Ferris wheels, and snowmen. He says sexting using emojis is like ancient Egyptians talking dirty. The messages the audience sees him send are certainly as hard to interpret as hieroglyphics.
“When I Find A Pirate’s Map, It’s Always Tea-Stained, And The Edges Are Burnt. And It’s Like, If You’re A Pirate, All Right, And You’re Gonna Make This Map And Expect Me To Carry It Around The Globe As I Search For Your Treasure, Then Laminate It!”
While in nothing but underwear, Burnham monologues about how people treat the world as a theatrical space where content is recorded for the digital space. Afterward, he goes into a random but hilarious rant about pirates.
He asks why pirate maps are so unkempt. If you’re going to carry the map around the world, he reasons it should be laminated to avoid damaging it. The interlude is a hilarious juxtaposition of the previous serious conversation.
“My Stupid Friends Are Having Stupid Children.”
The minute he turns thirty, Burnham sings about how his youth is passing him by. He compares what boomers were doing at his age to what he’s doing now. They were fighting in wars, and he’s building birdhouses with his mom.
Additionally, Burnham touches on how all of his friends are starting to have children. He humorously describes both his friends and their kids as “stupid.” This song is a favorite amongst millennials who are somewhat insecure about becoming adults.
“I Think That, ‘Oh, If I’m Self-Aware About Being A Douchebag, It’ll Somehow Make Me Less Of A Douchebag.’ But It...But It Doesn’t.”
One of the segments pokes fun at YouTubers. After the song “Unpaid Intern,” Burnham reacts to the music video. Reaction videos are a common video premise on YouTube and sometimes feel pointless.
Burnham begins reacting to the reaction to the music video. The video amusingly loops over and over, so all of his videos are playing at once. While watching his content, Burnham asserts that being self-aware about being a douchebag doesn’t make him any less of a douchebag.