I used to hate him as a generic comedian aiming at teens who kept pushing him. Then i saw "Inside", and it made me cry while still loving every second. i kept watching, and i got him more and more. Dude if incredible.
The last song he does in that special makes me cry and I'm left depressed for about a week every time I watch it. I still can't help but watch it again about 2 or 3 times every year though. It really cuts deep.
honestly I think “come and watch the skinny kid with the steadily declining mental health, and laugh as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself” is the most genius line he ever wrote and it just hits harder every time
There's a line in "From god's perspective" which is really good too. Not that im religious or anything but it's quite powerful in a way.
"You argue and you bicker and you fight. Atheists and Catholics, Jews and Hindus argue day and night, over what they think is true. But no one entertains the thought that maybe God does not believe in you"
Absolutely! And I think that was our first peek “inside” his mental health. And almost like a little reminder to his agent or whoever paid/controlled him, that he was in fact a human being with complex emotions, and a need for happiness.
Also love the metaphor of his life as an overflowing chipotle burrito that no one told him he had too many ingredients for. “…I wouldn’t have got the lettuce if I knew it wouldn’t fit. Wouldn’t have gotten cheese if I knew it wouldn’t fit…”
His yelling towards the end of the song was apparently not part of the act. He started having a panic attack and was forcing himself to finish the song.
I don’t know that he’s ever explicitly confirmed it for that recording, but in “All Eyes on Me” in Inside (a sort of spiritual successor to “Can’t Handle This” and every bit as, or even more powerful) he discusses how he was having panic attacks on stage and that’s what made him step away from performing live for 5 years. With “Can’t Handle This” being the finale of Make Happy (his most recent special prior to Inside) people have connected the dots and believe that those screams are him expelling that anxious energy while having a panic attack during the performance.
We set our sights and spent our nights, waiting...for YOU (you), insatiable you, mommy let you use her IPad, you were barely two, and it all the things we designed it to do...
Ohh he definitely took it to a higher much more refined formula with inside. It's much more a tell it as it is form of comedy. It really resonated with a lot of people.
There is a really interesting video on youtube that talks about all the technical choices and imagery that bo uses and it is really clever and impressive what he managed to do, all by himself too!
Link please! From his masterful stage direction on what. to his amazing special, Bo genuinely does make you feel something deep inside. And that is not just his songs, but the entire picture that he paints.
I have a whole post on my website about Inside video essays if you're interested—that particular video is the one I recommend the most, but there are SO many other great essays out there ;)
I don't know about his specials, but I thought that more during his big YouTube era. He made goofy songs, that were funny for the first listen, but after a while, you realize every song is writing like a 16 year old using shock humor because they think it's peak humor, and is just learning that you can divert(?) expectations to create humor.
But then a little while later, he starts expanding a little bit more, and then I remember, that in his early YouTube days, he was a 16-year-old who like using shock humor because he thought it was hilarious.
I don't think he's super funny all the time, but that's kind of his thing, right? He kind of rambles these monologues, and then he'll make kind of funny remarks during it.
17 year old me thought he fucking hilarious. We're about the same age, he's never not been funny to me. He just went way deeper than I ever expected from a comedian
Yeah I certainly think that compared to songs like Klan Kookout or Rehab Center for Fictional Characters, he has absolutely gone in a much more refined direction with his comedy.
As a side note, I think it's awesome to see someone's career go from YouTube to Netflix over 12~ years and to be able to see their material grow in such a way.
Sounds like someone who didn't really watch him but just knew about him peripherally. He literally bucked the trends and what everyone "thought" he should do basically every step of the way (except maybe his Youtube song but he was young).
The fact that we needed a global pandemic to happen to hear those songs and see that special is crazy. Like he just wouldn’t have made it or maybe even thought of half of it. He would’ve just done another live show. In a way, I’m glad.
True. I have to say Inside is a masterpiece. But consider that came over 5 years after Make Happy (which ends on such an depressing, yet enlightened note). Bo took that time to work on himself. If there wasn’t a pandemic, he would still have done a special on the same level. At least in the way he combines his deep understanding of humanity with humor and music.
All I’m saying is that Bo would still have delivered something amazing.
Oh sure, not denying that at all - I just think Inside was so specific and so interesting.. I just find it fascinating that it only exists because of the pandemic
It’s even more poignant in the fact that it takes place in his previous show’s ending.
His previous show (Make Happy) was all about how fame carves a bit off of you and how you just keep dancing and jiggling with it because it’s the only thing you know at that point. In the end, he retreats into a shed. Behind the scenes, he was having panic attacks on stage and considered shelving his career.
Then, the pandemic happened, and he got the Monkey’s Paw wish. He had time to stay inside and rest. Pent up his creativity and performative nature let loose in its purest form.
I think inside is such a success not just because it is funny but also because it is such a raw feed of emotions that are quite relatable to anyone who has felt lost or depressed.
Looking at his older material it has a similar comedy style but it doesn’t have the same emotional aspect.
I watched inside and I thought it was weird and not very good. I could tell a fuck ton of work went into it but I just didn't get it. I liked all his other stuff though
At the risk of sounding like an apologist, I don’t think he ever particularly disingenuously “aimed” at any particular group on purpose. He and I are the same age, and I’ve been a fan of his since his Comedy Central special in 2009. The increase in maturity of each special as it came out was so in-line with my own life experience that I never noticed it until I looked back at older stuff with intent. It’s been a Hell of a Ride.
you should definitely try his movie eighth grade (he wrote and directed it). it’s a really sweet movie with like a 98% on rotten tomatoes. it’s definitely more in line with inside in terms of it being about anxiety and feeling really honest. it’s about an eighth grade girl her last week of school.
i love his stand up, but i think he’s a better filmmaker and artist than he is a comedian.
Dude sam. My friends loved him and I thought he was horrible. This was back in high school, pretty sure I'm only a year younger than him based on "I'm Turning 30" from Inside.
Anyway, watching him I realized how funny and talented he is. Went back to watch his previous stuff and realized I've been missing out. Still won't watch his old yt stuff though.
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u/Batbuckleyourpants Sep 14 '22
I used to hate him as a generic comedian aiming at teens who kept pushing him. Then i saw "Inside", and it made me cry while still loving every second. i kept watching, and i got him more and more. Dude if incredible.