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Bo Burnham - Inside

Started by up_the_hampipe, April 28, 2021, 08:13:31 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Virgo76

Bo Bunham Make Happy on Netflix is a good starting point.
His earlier, What is good too.

daf

Urnham Urnham Bo-Burnham
Bonana-fanna fo-furnham
Fee fi mo-murnham
Burnham!

Retinend

Moments of brilliance but it was a little too meta for me.

Quote from: dirkgonnadirk on June 08, 2021, 12:18:43 PM
Welcome To The Internet is now #2 on YouTube's Trending Music chart. Pretty cool stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU

I didn't get this far, but it doesn't make me want to. What's the big deal about this? It's a relatively blandly produced song listing shit things about the internet as if it's saying something new. People have said funnier and snappier things about the internet in far less time, and more importantly, about 20 years ago. There is absolutely nothing original in this. That's not an exaggeration. Nothing new is being said or shown.
Genuinely, what are people seeing that I'm not?

EDIT - haven't had chance to watch the full Eight Grade yet, but her opening to camera piece made me laugh twice. Which is twice more than I did during the 11 minutes of inside I watched. Probably cause although it's similar teen angst material, she's an actual teen. Not a mid 30s bloke who should really have grown out of it.

Virgo76

#34
Quote from: Largely Babble on June 08, 2021, 06:04:52 PM
I didn't get this far, but it doesn't make me want to. What's the big deal about this? It's a relatively blandly produced song listing shit things about the internet as if it's saying something new. People have said funnier and snappier things about the internet in far less time, and more importantly, about 20 years ago.
Who did? Specifically?

Lungpuddle

This didn't make me laugh out loud all that often, but I really enjoyed it. It's impressively charming. It's a bit like the concept for Maria Bamford's last special only nothing like that, but there's a similar thing with the self-laceration (although Bamford comes across as more genuine to me, I don't know why). The reacting to his own video and the fake let's play bit, I would be dead chuffed with myself if I'd done them and I think all the coolest nerds would love me. As for it not saying anything new, I don't really care to be honest. My priority is how things are being said/done in comedy more than anything else, probably. I did get a bit frustrated on the fifth 'I'm a white guy, my problems mean nothing' iteration, but I would say that, wouldn't I. I'm a white guy and my problems mean nothing.

So, my rating is eight and a half out of ten. Well done, Bo.

Quote from: Virgo76 on June 08, 2021, 07:07:41 PM
Who did? Specifically?

Adam Buxton and Dave Gorman have done fantastic bits again and again about online-arguments, weird obsessions, erosion of facts, awful and misleading adverts and on and on. In fact, Adam Buxton's illustration of the internet (a picture of a cat with some tits) is snappier than that song. Tim Minchin did a song (better musically, but with Minchin's smuggness to counteract that) about privacy and Google Street View for Big Fat Quiz of the Year. People are giving away this stuff. Even Ricky Gervais turned his hardly laser-like chops on Social Media in his Netlfix Special. Non-stand up wise, Black Mirror has done multiple episodes which cover social media's ills and obsessions.Dead Pixels in a very coarse and broad manner covered a whole load of meme culture.
I genuinely don't see what is raised in the song there which is so ground breaking? He's at "women's feet" by the second verse and that was like the early days of Twitter when everyone jumped on Google Images for adding the word "feet" as a search suggestion only after women's names. That's why it doesn't do it any more.
It just seems very old hat, and in a rather bland wrapper. It's hard to think of any art form which hasn't had something to say about the internet for the last decade.

EDIT - Oh! And I forgot! https://youtu.be/hBdPCI6Ldrs

selectivememory

It's not just a list of bad things on the internet (not least because he also lists some good things in there too), it's about the overload of information we're subject to, the drawbacks of having almost constant access to the flow of all this information, and specifically I think the impact it could have on a person's mental health and impulse control. And all performed in the persona of some creepy, sinister carnival barker-type conman who's trying to sell you something he knows is going to be bad for you.

And, well, you won't know because you haven't watched the whole show, but the impact of the internet/social media on mental health is a theme that recurs again and again in the special (and apparently is something he's talked about in some of his other work and interviews, so it's clearly something that's been an interest of his for a while), so the song probably works better in that context[nb]Might be grasping here perhaps, but I also think its place in the latter half of the show is relevant, as the mental health themes become more prominent, and also given that most of us have probably spent even more time than usual on the internet in the last year or so and will be more likely to notice the negative effects of that after a certain amount of time.[/nb].


Also, just curious about what you meant by "teen angst material" when it comes to this show (I haven't seen his film yet). Because that seems like a strange reading as well. I mean, there are mental health themes, but it would be odd to characterise them as teen angst.

Quote from: selectivememory on June 08, 2021, 08:31:48 PM
It's not just a list of bad things on the internet (not least because he also lists some good things in there too), it's about the overload of information we're subject to, the drawbacks of having almost constant access to the flow of all this information, and specifically I think the impact it could have on a person's mental health and impulse control. And all performed in the persona of some creepy, sinister carnival barker-type conman who's trying to sell you something he knows is going to be bad for you.
To you. I saw it totally as the former.

QuoteAnd, well, you won't know because you haven't watched the whole show, but the impact of the internet/social media on mental health is a theme that recurs again and again in the special (and apparently is something he's talked about in some of his other work and interviews, so it's clearly something that's been an interest of his for a while), so the song probably works better in that context[nb]Might be grasping here perhaps, but I also think its place in the latter half of the show is relevant, as the mental health themes become more prominent, and also given that most of us have probably spent even more time than usual on the internet in the last year or so and will be more likely to notice the negative effects of that after a certain amount of time.[/nb].
Cool. It just failed to pull me in so I don't see a reason to stick with it cause the first page of a novel should be the last one you write. That song also didn't strike with me. I just don't see anything new in it at all though.


QuoteAlso, just curious about what you meant by "teen angst material" when it comes to this show (I haven't seen his film yet). Because that seems like a strange reading as well. I mean, there are mental health themes, but it would be odd to characterise them as teen angst.
Because he presents like a teenager. Moping around his room. Toys everywhere. The opening monologue of the film is a much better potted view of identity on social media because the words are literally coming from the mouth of a teenager. It evens contains a meta joke "Be yourself... er... sorry I'm reading this of a piece of paper"
I would suggest his mental health issues are probably then related to not feeling accepted at school and needing to get affirmation from increasingly large numbers of people the odler he gets. If so, so fucking yawn. That's all of us.
I think actually, that's got to the crux of it. He's nothing special. Yet he's moping around like a tortured genius. That's why I can't connect with it.

Retinend

Quote from: Largely Babble on June 08, 2021, 08:46:43 PM
I would suggest his mental health issues are probably then related to not feeling accepted at school and needing to get affirmation from increasingly large numbers of people the odler he gets. If so, so fucking yawn. That's all of us.

Sounds like projection - oh and you admit it.

Lungpuddle

Also, it might be just my generation and a few either side, but teenagers have so much more cause to have a shit time of it these days. I think the 'oh, grow up you teenager' is quite a damaging attitude to have (for the teenagers, as an adult who uses the phrase all the time I'm as happy as Larry).

Not having a go at Largely Babble for not liking this thing I enjoyed a lot though, just feel I have to speak up on behalf of the kids these days.

Milo

I'd be fascinated to know what the equipment budget for this was. I think it's an amazing achievement but I'd love to know the tech. I don't think a single shot quite gave the camera away.

dirkgonnadirk

Quote from: Largely Babble on June 08, 2021, 08:46:43 PM
I think actually, that's got to the crux of it. He's nothing special.

To you. I see him as significantly more talented than pretty much everyone you cited in your post (with the possible exception of Minchin).

Here's another one from his last special that got a lot of views:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYy0o-J0x20

"What's the big deal about this? He's literally just listing the ingredients of a dish. Julia Child did this 40 years ago. There is absolutely nothing original in this."

Virgo76

Quote from: Lungpuddle on June 08, 2021, 09:50:52 PM
Also, it might be just my generation and a few either side, but teenagers have so much more cause to have a shit time of it these days. I think the 'oh, grow up you teenager' is quite a damaging attitude to have (for the teenagers, as an adult who uses the phrase all the time I'm as happy as Larry).

Not having a go at Largely Babble for not liking this thing I enjoyed a lot though, just feel I have to speak up on behalf of the kids these days.
A teenager?
I thought he was 30?

SteveDave

I watched another one of his (from 2016) on the Netflix last night and it was in a similar vein song wise (I'm a white man/I'm sad) but there were some nice bits playing with the form of the live stand-up special.

phantom_power

The Kanye-esque last song in that special is phenomenal

Quote from: Lungpuddle on June 08, 2021, 09:50:52 PM
Also, it might be just my generation and a few either side, but teenagers have so much more cause to have a shit time of it these days. I think the 'oh, grow up you teenager' is quite a damaging attitude to have (for the teenagers, as an adult who uses the phrase all the time I'm as happy as Larry).

Not having a go at Largely Babble for not liking this thing I enjoyed a lot though, just feel I have to speak up on behalf of the kids these days.

Actually, feel free to have a go. I felt bad about that sentence as soon as I typed it and feared looking back at the reaction. Bit of cunt's rhetoric to make a foreful point - but quite dismissive. Apologies to anyone I offended.
The great thing about comedy anyway is it can be immensely personal and certainly of its time to a selection of its audience.
I'm nearly 50. This isn't aimed at me and therefore it's arrogant of me to think it might speak to me in some way.
I suppose what I was trying to say was those feeling are valid and his observations true, but I don't know if they're unique enough seeming to me to warrant the level of adoration he's getting.
And yes - projection. But take an average 30/40 year old Western citizen and dig, not even that deep, and you'll find these feelings are pretty common. Again, it's something which particularly comes up in stand up a lot.
I'm still looking forward to Eight Grade cause I genuinely "enjoyed" (it's so intentionally cringe worthy that's the wrong word) the first two minutes I think it will resonate more with me.

#47
Quote from: dirkgonnadirk on June 09, 2021, 02:58:27 AM
To you. I see him as significantly more talented than pretty much everyone you cited in your post (with the possible exception of Minchin).
Weirdly I find Minchin as almost intolerable as Gervais. But yeah. It's all opinions isn't it.


QuoteHere's another one from his last special that got a lot of views:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYy0o-J0x20

"What's the big deal about this? He's literally just listing the ingredients of a dish. Julia Child did this 40 years ago. There is absolutely nothing original in this."

Well, here's one of my least favourite "comedy" things ever. Buxton did the Meatballs song. A guy I was in a band with aged 18 did the same with Ravioli.
Personally I'd prefer Weird Al's Stranded at the Drive In* to this which mimics a style better and parodies the actual lyrics too.

I'm genuinely finding this interesting though. Even though I fail to be finding the same footholds, it's good to know there are some there and it's not all Emperor's flash jacket.

*Not Kanye, obvs. Also, it's not even called this. Never let it be said I have an eye for detail.

Lungpuddle

Quote from: Virgo76 on June 09, 2021, 05:58:59 AM
A teenager?
I thought he was 30?

He is, yeah, I ended up not making any point about him and more a general thing about the phrase 'teenage angst' being used in a derogative way. I think I may have also accidentally implied that I'm a teenager, which is actually one of the creepiest things you can do on the internet. I'm 7.

I'm off to check out his other stuff now, this is all I've seen of him so far apart from Tim Key interviewing him.

Quote from: Lungpuddle on June 09, 2021, 12:02:57 PM
I'm off to check out his other stuff now, this is all I've seen of him so far apart from Tim Key interviewing him.

Oh balls. If Tim Key likes him I really want to like him now. Jesus I'm shallow.


brat-sampson

Quote from: Largely Babble on June 09, 2021, 11:41:41 AM
Well, here's one of my least favourite "comedy" things ever. Buxton did the Meatballs song. A guy I was in a band with aged 18 did the same with Ravioli.
Personally I'd prefer Weird Al's Stranded at the Drive In* to this which mimics a style better and parodies the actual lyrics too.

I'm genuinely finding this interesting though. Even though I fail to be finding the same footholds, it's good to know there are some there and it's not all Emperor's flash jacket.

*Not Kanye, obvs. Also, it's not even called this. Never let it be said I have an eye for detail.

Question, but did you watch it all? It's *really* not actually him listing food to the sound of a Kanye song or something...

Blue Jam

Finally got round to watching this tonight. Already thought he was annoyingly good for someone so much younger than I am. Now I view him as I view Nathan Fielder- ie, quite possibly an actual genius. Bastard. Love him.

neveragain

I look forward to watching it all at some point but my last attempt only lasted twenty minutes. I know it's not a fair criticism but his voice just got on my ti- nerves, sorry. If it helps me get to heaven, I will admit the songs I saw were very well written.

olliebean

I've watched the first couple of songs, will probably watch the rest in dribs and drabs, but I just don't feel inclined to watch the whole thing in one sitting.

MojoJojo

Quote from: olliebean on June 14, 2021, 11:51:52 AM
I've watched the first couple of songs, will probably watch the rest in dribs and drabs, but I just don't feel inclined to watch the whole thing in one sitting.

Yeah, I feel the same.

Eight Grade is really very good. The lead actor is amazing. I grew a little tired by act three, but overall it's got some teeth and a stack of empathy. I was also really impressed by the score. It's not by Bo Burnham. He should've got someone else to do the music for Inside.

Dr Rock

I just came here to post that I watched Eighth Grade and it was very very boring. I wasn't expecting kung fu robots or nothing either.

We would not be friends probably.
I don't understand because it's exactly, and I mean exactly, the same topic as Inside, but actually from the mouths of people who should be having these feelings, not a 30 year old.

Barry Admin

I just remembered Stewart Lee's impersonation of Bo Burnham! 10 years old now, blimey: https://m.soundcloud.com/cookdandbombd/stewart-lee-impersonating-bo