Bo Burnham’s Pandemic Masterpiece
Written by Ellis Choi, Lonestar Writer
After years spent not performing, Bo Burnham released a Netflix special on May 30, 2021. It was created during the pandemic and filmed entirely on his own. Inside covered mental health, social issues, and his own personal problems. It was visually beautiful, had well-written music, and was an instant hit, even being shown in theatres months later.
The special purposefully enhances the fact of Burnham’s aloneness: he’s shown changing lights with his foot as he performs, setting up shots, and sitting on the floor of a cluttered room staring at his laptop. Although you, the viewer, know the footage has been pre-planned and pre-written, it feels so candid at times. The musical numbers are amazingly polished and visually stunning, but in between, there are shots of him outside of his musical performance. Burnham is disheveled, constantly working, and most importantly, alone. Of course, this is staged. He set up the shots, he knows what he’s doing. But you also know that these shots aren’t all faked, they are reenactments of what Burnham has really been doing the entire pandemic. In fact, they’re reenactments of what almost everyone has been doing the entire pandemic: alone, working.
Inside was a success because it was true. Its songs about social justice, feeling inadequate, deteriorating mental health, and so much more were relatable to so many people. The special is very depressing; it is talking about real life, after all, and real life isn’t doing so great right now. But people gravitated toward it. Inside is far from being escapist; Bo Burnham pours raw emotion and it is filled with moments that genuinely feel like watching a mental breakdown. Still, seeing it laid out like that, knowing you aren’t crazy, that the world has been terrible for everyone the past year, must have been something everyone needed.
Other than the message of the special, Inside was artistically amazing. The lighting and set of each song seemed to change the room entirely every time. The fact that everything was being set up by Burnham alone is very impressive. Of course, the songs themselves were so well-written and performed. It also includes quite a few different formats. For example, a bit in which Burnham acts like a video game livestreamer, playing a game in which he controls a character that looks like him and does nothing but stay in one room, crying. These formats and lighting changes from song to song makes it easy to forget that the special was filmed in one place. Technically and artistically, Inside deserves every accolade.
Of course, with the special came criticisms of Bo Burnham. He started his online presence young, posting on Youtube when he was a teenager. His content included some offensive bits, which he was vocally apologetic for. However, this is a reminder that Burnham is still a celebrity. He has privilege and influence and money. In that way, it isn’t possible for Burnham to be completely relatable. Nevertheless, he still managed to create a special that struck a chord with so many different people. In fact, he acknowledges his privilege and previous failings in the special itself multiple times. I think this improves the special and keeps it from being another unrelatable celebrity moment — the “Imagine” incident comes to mind. Many privileged celebrities refuse to acknowledge their privilege at all, and it’s refreshing when one does. It doesn’t mean he’s perfect, or that people are required to forgive him for his past mistakes, but I do think it’s a credit to him and to his special.
Inside has a near perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the initial buzz has died down by now, it is still appreciated completely by nearly everyone who’s watched it. The songs are still listened to on Spotify, and art is still being made inspired by them. Bo Burnham’s Inside is a beautiful piece of art that captures the general feel of the Covid-19 pandemic and everything that came with it. It encompasses a period of time that is very hard to encompass, and it records a little bit of human history in a beautiful way.
