Hello. I originally made this video soon after Inside released, but it got copyright claimed over and over again. I believe I re-edited the video 27 times and every single time it was made completely unable to be shown. I'm not making any money off of this video as it still has some claims, but I atleast can show it, and I'm rather proud of it. I apologize for any minor editing inconsistencies as this was the 28th iteration, and that purple border is unfortunately necessary. But, regardless, here it is, for however long it'll stay up. I hope you enjoy.
You know I just watched the cursed images video from whang and was curious to check you out and this isn’t what i was expecting but I’m glad I watched it, never knowing much about him this was an interesting video makes me feel bad for him in a way but knowing he still has people who love him makes me feel a little happy for him
I saw the Jeffrey song as not a filler -- but he was ordering all these new electronics off amazon and the Jeffrey song was about his dependence on someone who was profiting off his declining mental health and need to make content.
I saw it more as a critique of capitalism which would tie into the rest of the special, it's got heavy anti-capitalist overtones throughout the entire thing. "Look at where you came from, look at you know" seems to be poking fun at Bezos because he grew up rich, so the "look at where you came from" part is ironic because it makes it sound like a rags to riches story. The other part where he makes it sound like a "competition" between bezos, gates, buffet, and zuckerberg, when in reality they're all on the same team, that seems to be more so him making fun of the billionaire worship.
@@louisrobitaille5810 Yeah, it's just all the time he spends talking about the system and politics in general is clearly for nothing. Media literacy is dead holy shit lol
“Sorry that I look like a mess… I booked a haircut but it got rescheduled” That’s when I knew Inside was going to fuck me up. Third line in the special. And I was right.
Funny you should mention this. My horror movie podcast did an episode on Inside when our release day fell in April Fool’s. Seemed fitting and we really got into the horror aspect.
I’m only 7 weeks older than Bo Burnham. I was not someone who paid attention to his work prior to this special. I watched this one during the pandemic (like most people) and it felt so personal. “30,” “Comedy,” “Problematic,” and more feel like someone sharing my internal feelings. “Facetime with my Mom” made my partner at the time cry. Watching this video and learning more of the backstory of Bo, the room, etc makes me feel even more connected to it. This special helped me process my feelings and grief around what was going on in the world and how ironically isolated I felt. Going through a quarter life crisis during a pandemic in such a broken world. It felt weirdly comforting to see how even someone like him, who does have worldly comforts, was also overwhelmed by things. It helped me feel like I was connected to the world again in a new way.
I saw it kinda like he’s Shel Silverstein’s Giving Tree in that he’s given all of himself to a cause, a product, and now that he’s completely spent, he can take satisfaction in his full expenditure.
Out of every single analysis video I've seen about this special, this is the single most concise and easy to understand one I've seen. I sent it to a friend who isn't a very analytical guy and just thought it was funny, and he sent me back a message along the lines of, "I had no idea you could read this far into a single comedy movie, this was really interesting!" Just wanted to share this with you, seems like you've created another internet opinion-sharer. Bo would be proud.
Thank you for the emphasis that “The Ringmaster” was not Bo. I love the way it invokes the horrific realization that at least for the moment, he had checked out.
I think him leaving at the end and still being in the spotlight represents the spotlight on him even in his day to day life. When he's out and about, people recognize him, and he's still putting on a performance. To that end, his smile is either an acknowledgement that he's ready to go out and perform in front of people again or him making fun of that idea in his own head. Just a thought idk
I agree with the spotlight part, tho I think that him smiling at the end it's basically going back to Bo's perfectionist and controlling persona, basically the director of the special, not the actor, and he gives a last smile of approval in order for it be released
The cinematography in this special is batshit fucking insane too. The scenes of him just listening back to his songs where the song is his spotlight blowing him out, but the reflection on the left side in a black void is one of my favorite shots, then there's all the framing shots of the mess on the floor from down the hall with the arch forcing the focus into the room with all the recording stuff that's made his life hell and chaotic so all we can focus on is the process. Fucking nuts
I just really hope everyone can realize the true genius which is that Bo is very aware of this narrative and is intentionally telling the story this way.
yes (the infinite reaction video is, in part, about this) - but he clearly is talking about personal experience (no way could such a perfect and profound understanding of those emotional and intellectual states come from anything other than personal experience) and we can never know quite where reality ends and dramatisation begins - I suspect he doesn't even really know that himself.
@@adamweiner8580 I think that applies for all of us (more frequently or starkly for him though since he's a professional performer). I generally don't like the whole "does art imitate life or life imitate art" thing, but the idea that we don't really know when we're doing one or the other is interesting for sure. It's probably kinda common that we do something thinking we're dramatizing but that's actually just an authentic expression of what's inside.
I think this special is actually a very good thing to watch if you're not in a good place. It became my go-to whenever I'm not felling very well and it just helps me every single time... It put things through a different perspective, it's simply amazing
I've also felt like this since it came out. There's quite a few people I've seen describe it as existential horror or say it made them feel a lot of dread, but I was in a horrible place when it came out and it gave me so much comfort. I still watch it when I'm not doing well too.
Same here, actually just found out about this special and saw it last week, and I can't get enough of it, it actually helped me a lot to figure out myself and my feelings - this is a timeless masterpiece.
Bo smiling at the end, for me at least, meant he watched his own special and he's happy with what it is. Like he finally made something he's creatively happy with and he enjoys even though he knows he is stuck in that spotlight. Coming full circle with your analysis, after all the panic attacks and hardship he is actually content... with his content.... Wow, that last part was pure creative coincedence. Wait, am I overanalazing and putting my internal monologe in this comment? Yes, and I like it! Thanks Bo, for creating a piece of art :)
agree. i always saw it like that, because in a moment of the special he is watching his old youtube videos angry and with disgust in a very similar shot. so him smiling at the end while seeing his latest work its him showing that he is satisfied with INSIDE as a work of art
didn't expect to watch for longer than five minutes, i thought there can't be much new things to say about inside, but i had to stay through the whole thing. this video was very entertaining and well-made!
To be honest this special changed me A LOT. it had a reason bug impact on me and kinda helped me through that year. I love the lines "It's almost over; It's just begun" it shows change and how life will always come right at you with a new thing.
Yeah, I have to agree. This special was so emotionally visceral that it left an indelible mark on me. My mind has always resonated with the more brooding and macabre feelings of existence, but Bo putting all of his trials into words in Inside validates a lot of those feelings.
Hes been authentic from the start, and he has continued to be authentic. He dipped at the height of his fame, took a break, came back. No matter which piece of art hes presenting he makes sure that we know that hes a flawed human, and to make us question our relationship with media and artists. Its very easy to be 20, get fame and throw all your morals out the window, but he didnt. Which in media is the rarest thing. He actively protests being put onto a pedestal. Its not that he hasnt changed or made mistakes, but hes been honest. Sometimes way too honest. Uncomfortably honest. I respect artists who look us in the eye and make us question ourselves and our parasocial relationships. It makes people uneasy, and good art often does that ❤
I really liked what you said about Bo's perfectionism, and I think his obsession with being perfect is given more proof from the Inside Outtakes because you start to get a grasp for how many times he shot and reshot (and reshot and reshot) scenes, how he would play with the set and the tools he had over and over again until it "felt right". I wonder if it ever fully "felt right" to him though. I'm blown away by Bo's creativity and this raw work of art he constructed. Great video and great analysis. Made me laugh when you said "this thing is not Bo Burnham".
I love how when you played Content, despite having to play the version without the beat, you still incorporated it by playing just the beat immediately after. Very very clever
That "laugh" during All Eyes On Me gets me every time. It's chillingly similar to the exasperated laugh that would come out of me during the worst year of my life. When I was too overwhelmed by depression to cry, that laugh would be there. Borne of mania, that laugh would still be with me years later, 12 hours deep into a double shift. It was there after breakups and breakdowns. When I had so much built up energy but was too paralysed to do anything and when I was so exhausted that the third wave of adrenaline was kicking in. I haven't heard it in any other piece of media, and it is haunting to me. What a raw depiction from Bo that I can only love and respect.
My favourite moment of retrospective criticism of comedy in Inside comes in the song All Eyes On Me. My interpretation of these lyrics: _'Don't be shared, don't be shy, come on in. The water's fine'_ His producers of his show telling him to jump on stage, water being the metaphor for performing _'You say the ocean's rising'_ Bo being torn over his situation _'Like I give a shit'_ Those same people neglecting the star of the show. He's a cash cow. Why would they care what he has to say? _'You say the whole world's ending. Honey, it already did'_ The industry snapping back at Bo, telling him to ignore the real societal issues _'You're not gonna slow it?'_ Bo recognising the time, money and resources put into performance that could be used some place else. Why can't they slow down the real issues? _'Heaven knows you tried. Got it? Good. Now get inside'_ The industry using him, pushing away his needs and the needs of the world to make quick money. Shoving a sock in the mouth of anyone who questions them
I see a lot of climate change anxiety in the special also - and for me this is the side of activism where you physically run out of care to give. Climate change is such an enormous, unfaceable issue that pessimism easily creeps in because optimism is too hard to keep when the individual is so powerless - I think he literally means the ocean is rising and he no longer has the capacity to care. Continued in funny feeling where the “20,000 years of this, 7 more to go” talks about the age of man and the 2027 climate deadline
@@estermay4894 that’s exactly it - certainly there’s some more deeper analysis that’s valid, but at its core he’s coming to terms with what the new reality is going to be… ironically enough, I think that any conclusion of this special other than this “existential crisis” as someone else explored kind of proves his points
I don't think I ever got it. Not until this video. I always said "I liked the music, I didn't like watching it." I failed to see as fiction, as a scripted story. I more saw it as a collection of disconnected moments showing someone's declining mental health. And it was so sad and a bit reminiscent of how I viewed everything that was happening in the world when it came out that it just made me deeply uncomfortable and sad. Your video is very good and I think I like the special a lot more because of it! I understand it a lot better.
"it was so sad and a bit reminiscent of how I viewed everything that was happening in the world when it came out that it just made me deeply uncomfortable and sad." Yup, cause it is. I've returned to this special in the last 6 months or so after finally watching 8th Grade & have new appreciation for it, like you. But I'm replying to add that the newfound appreciation doesn't overwrite the original uncomfortable and sadness from watching when it came out -- it builds on it -- I think without those original emotions upfront, the artistic "script" falls a bit flat, because we're not returning to admire something we previously wanted to run away from feeling. It used to induce anxiety & now I put on tracks and anxiety is alleviated.
The fact that you don’t have at least 300000 subs just shows how incredibly flawed the UA-cam algorithm is. These videos are amazing and are definitely worthy of a subscription. Ok I wrote this comment when you had 30,000 subscribers and now you have 150,000. I’m glad to see such well made content be recognized. I’m glad that soon this comment will be obsolete.
The algorithm shouldn't exist in the 1st place. If you don't want to see something and willing to look, you shouldn't see it. Relisten to Welcome to the Internet.
@@whendarknessfalls6969 I wouldn’t know about this video if UA-cam didn’t have an algorithm for giving you videos to watch. You probably wouldn’t either. UA-cam wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for the algorithm.
5:21 Y’all I don’t think any singular shot has ever been as deeply unsettling as the shots of the fucking camera in Inside Jeezus Every time I see it I can’t help trying to squirm out of my skin
This special went to some dark places, to me the end is him sort of accepting that pain is a part of his process, but that he can find happiness in creating something he is proud of... Even if it's just him watching back the footage by himself.
The moment that hit me the most was googling Derealization and realizing my therapist had been treating me for it for two years. _I also first watched it just as I was turning 30._
@@dr.disappointment8400 "Derealization is an alteration in the perception of the external world, causing those with the condition to perceive it as unreal, distant, distorted or in other words falsified. Other symptoms include feeling as if one's environment is lacking in spontaneity, emotional coloring, and depth." Derealization is closer to feeling like you're in a dream or that the world isn't real. e
I was vaguely aware of Bo Burnham prior to Inside. "That guy who did the (left brain/right brain, lower your expectations/etc) song." "I could use a little pick me up in these extra bummery times!" I thought, as I clicked the play button. Hahaha, that was a good one. Devastation. Definitely an impact, but an immersion into reality, rather than an escape from it.
The special came out when my mental health was declined like bo. Different circumstances of course but the fact that his songs described the feeling of the pit fall of mental heath and how rapidly it can do down hill is absolutely amazing and is such a masterpiece
the funny thing about the "ring Master" as you put it. When I watched it my immediate thought was the Devil. Obviously I feel like that is what he was going with, the devil trying to make a deal. but it was so well done I didn't think anything else other than this is the devil trying to get my soul. so well done
I was obsessed with this special thru the worst year of my life and I found confort in knowing I wasnt the only one, I swear I have it memorized by now and Im so glad I found your video, I put into words what I couldnt articulate why I love this special sm
something about video essays makes me very very happy. something about the combination of a thought out essay(script) and a passionate voice really gets me
Ive watched Inside more times than I would like to admit and I never thought of all of this. absolutely amazing breakdown. I love Bo so much and appreciate Inside in such a bigger way than before.
10:48 **Maniacal laughter** YES IT DOES Does it ever… There’s actually a brilliant whole two hour long video essay that sums it all up as… succinctly as possible I think it’s just called Burnham vs Jeff Bezos and I can’t recommend it enough
Good art makes you think. Great art makes you grow. Like so many other Bo lyrics and performances, this special put dents in me, and it helped me heal dents I never knew were there. It made me think. It made me grow. Thank you, Bo.
When I first watched this special on my own on a whim I immediately watched it again with my wife. Inside: The Songs is one of a pretty short list of albums and playlists that we listen and sing along to on long journeys - to the point where my Wrapped 2021 was filled with it. The whole project means a lot to me, not just because of the songs that slap and make me feel things but because of Bo and his performance. And now I feel like a goddamn idiot because not _once_ before now have I spotted the "The Room is Bo's comedy career" metaphor. Obviously I felt his attitude towards comedy and stardom throughout the relevant songs but I completely missed the extended metaphor that encapsulates the whole thing. Thank you for a banger video and opening my eyes to a new dimension to this masterpiece.
I'm so glad I came across this. Best analysis of this special yet. I feel that many of the points you make go unappreciated by many, despite being consistent throughout Inside. Great video!
There are points in "inside" where I have to pause, leave the room, be on my own for 10 minutes. One example of this was the line "We're going to go where everybody knows". Something about the idea of *being known*, I found it deeply troubling. The special is full of moments like this, that then lurch the viewer back to the Disney Villain whimsy of "Welcome to the Internet". It's a work of art.
I love Inside so much, but part of that love is because it came out at just the right time in my life. When Make Happy first came out, it was around 1 AM when I had finished it and “are you happy?” Started playing. My now ex-girlfriend was on my lap asleep and I started absolutely weeping. I was a dumbass back then and definitely dealing with depression, and that song was a rare moment of lucidity for me. I wish I had listened to Bo and “made happy”. Cut to a few years later and I hear there’s a new Bo special. Most pf my friends thought it would be normal comedy, but I figured it’d be darker than that. Turns out that this put me in a crisis too, this time centered around my anxiety, the pandemic’s effects on all of us, and my new “doomer” mentality at the time. I’m not sure if Inside helped me, but I certainly appreciate it trying. “That funny feeling” never fails to get to me, and I always sing along.
When i sat down to watch Inside, i got ice cream, convinced I'd bawl my eyes out and feel more depressed than before afterwards. And i did cry. But afterwards, I actually felt thankful. Thankful for art. Thankful to have art as an outlet in moments of struggle. As a way to keep me grounded, self reflecting, and expressing myself. I absolutely related to it and i understood the fear of finishing an art piece holding together my mental health, fearing what comes after and how i will hold myself together afterwards, while also understanding that art pieces of all kind deserve to be finished. I just felt thankful for art. (Loved the analysis btw, it gave me even more insight into what Bo meant in the order of songs and evolution of his special)
i remember watching inside for the first time and balling my eyes out because it just felt so real nothing during quarantine felt real to me except this and man idk why but this video made me kind of nostalgic for that time again for doing school in the blanket fort and playing halo with my dad until the sun rose walking to the park with a mask and gloves on im gonna be graduating next year and just holy shit this brought it all back
Thank you for this video. Your type of content is what makes me feel alive and focussed instead of feeling like a lost mess in the middle of nowhere. ❤
i came to this video thinking it will be just another mid analysis that are so common on youtube. Can i just say that I have underestimated you. You uncovered the meaning to Bo's Inside that I had absolutely no idea about. Really well done
I find your insights write interesting. While you and I saw similar themes, the direction of your focus took me by surprise, because they differed from how I experienced the film. I noticed the sharp balance between vulnerability and curation. He deeply wanted to be truly seen, even in the dark and unflattering parts of his experience, and yet every shot was curated to the extreme. When he's messy, crying, or naked, the vulnerability is so incredibly intentional that it hurts. I saw many other themes that you didn't cover, but I'm tired now. I'm fascinated that for all the thinking I already did on this film, you offered a whole new perspective to me, and for that I thank you!
I was telling my friends that Bo was really one of the only people who could do a special like this and make you happily sad about it. He legit went back to his roots and let us watch as he did it. And as someone who struggles with their mental health this and the inside outtakes help show things that are just hard to express. When you're depressed nothing feels right so you sit and pick out all the imperfections like a scab its nature and to see that is needed to let us all know we're not alone and it's ok to not be ok.
I had being doing pretty well throughout the special my first watch through but I had to stop and take a long break from it in the middle of Welcome to the Internet because I almost had a panic attack so definitely agree you need to be in a good mental place for this one. It really is much more existential dread than comedy
13:45 I think a very interesting tidbit that makes me think of What and Make Happy's kind of nihilistic "nothing is real" talking points is that you can see the sun shining through the blinds during the midnight scene, when the scene is set up as happening at midnight. And you cannot tell me this wasn't deliberate. Almost a tether, a subconscious reminder for us that it's all an act.
This was in my recommended videos and I immediately had to go watch Inside again so thank you. Every single song in the special is absolutely incredible and I struggle to figure out its interaction with my own mental health and view of the world.
One thing I think is really important that im happy you mentioned, is that this special is directed, written and acted. Yes its an amazing piece of media that shows the struggles Bo has faced and continue to face but a lot of people also seem to forget, this isnt a year long vlog that just happens to film him at his lowest points, he has done an incredible job in making it seem that way to really hammer home his points. Amazing video and analysis!
14:00 The only way you can tell the passage of time in the special is by the length of Bo's hair/ beard and the general decpriedness of his surrounds/ attitude. I always thought the scene of him talking about not wanting to (you know) was shot a while before "turning 30" and the much older self rewatching it was showcasing the "naivety" of his earlier self who hadnt experienced the horror of quarantine and what his mental state would become.
you know what great video. i didnt agree with all of it but the part where welcome to the inrnet bo was referred to as "it" made up for it. recaptured the chills of watching it again
This special hit me very hard when it came out. Ive been isolated for about 4 years now due to ending an abusive relationship and becoming disabled within the same time frame. There was basically no part of this special i wasnt viscerally feeling on a personal level. Things have been getting better, but its not something thay changes in an instance. It takes time to get better, even if you want it to get better, even if your becoming more active in your own life. Its not easy to get your mind to leave the world of depression.
when i went through the lowest depression of my life, i would watch inside almost everyday. the way he spoke between songs and during skits it helped me feel better. relating helps me cope with my feelings and helps me to understand them better. every single thing he said in that EP, i understood it so personally and deeply. inside helped me get through my depression, because i realized im not the only person in the world who was going through this. bo is an absolute lyrical genius and a beautiful song writer. i cannot express how much this project has helped me.
best video essay on youtube, you are such a wise and intelligent person. your channel is filled to the brim with interesting content and variety. love you man
I used to really dig Bo Burnham, but when this special came out I was in a mad dash getting everything ready for my daughter to be born that I felt like I didn't have the time or right mindset to watch it properly. This year I'm in a much better place overall, having spent some time away from all the online stuff and instead building up a feeling of strong fulfillment from raising a family. Glad I saw this video to remind me to check out the special. The all-consuming void is an interesting thing. It can be a vacuum that sucks away happy thoughts and feelings that leaves you with nothing but the certainty that your experience will one day end. On the flip side it's a reminder to cherish life for the fleeting blip of consciousness that it is...all the joys and horrors included. The only thing you have the full privilege to control is your own mind.
I watched this special few days ago, and i was not well. Different but yet stills attention problem, The fear of continuing my life, to confront my responsabilities and problem and also internet and screens haunting me. This was my state when i watched it (its sounds like i was so down but it was okay i promise x)) and those just made me understand him more and putted me in his place a bit, it was really interesting and i loved it. So even if your not at your best watching "inside" will be amazing, thanks for that video that made me watch it in the first place. Good work
I absolutely have loved this special and Bo for the longest time. This is an amazing and detailed deep dive into it. I thouroughly enjoyed your analysis
The only video ive ever seen from your channel. Happened to stumble upon it while looking up some clasic bo burnham stuff. I watched the special once. When i did i admired bo for stepping out of the "norm". I was able to think of what the meaning of everything he was doing was, but i fell short. This video, this breakdown was amazing. Super easy to listen to, very captivating, but most importantly, very... explainy? Gave me the explainations i needed to truly appreciate bo's special. Subscribing now
This video is absolutely amazing, I already loved Inside when it came out, but you made the dots connect, thank you so much for your hard work on this, it's incredably fascinating
There is things I didn't catched when I watch it the first time but your video did a great job on helping me through with that. Bo was already my favorite artist/performer of all time when I found his Kayne rant parody song but this work leveled it up even further. In a lot of ways, I feel empathize with his unirionically ironic comedy and his self-hatred. I found him first through his "Make Happy" but when I dugged about his past works, there was always some hatred and questioning to himself there. I think that's one of the reason why he is my GOAT.
DUDE the piano music that played at 11:14 is from a bunch of Markiplier's stuff! So happy to see it appreciated here because NO ONE talks about it. That first piano chord always hits me so hard and hearing it in this video is so cool.
One of the best musicals I've ever seen. Will be rewatching it for many years to come. Definitely watch it while you are in a dark place, otherwise it will probably just go over your head.
Thank you!! So many people I have talked to about this special have analyzed it as this work of art & comedy special and honestly, yes I loved it, but it was also horrifying. I cried at the end of make happy, I cried during this. I had a panic attack watching his Kanye Rant and had one during All Eyes on Me for the first time. What he feels and how it comes across as someone who can be overwhelmed by these same things is very intense. His story of self growth in isolation and then reversing his progress in isolation made me hurt for him. He is incredible, but he made us feel what he felt and for those that have real chronic anxiety, panic attacks, self esteem issues, depression…this is a SURREAL and emotional experience.
Im doing my HL english essay on this guy and you have really opened my eyes to the masterpiece this special is! Hopefully my work is half as good as this analysis because your observations do this special justice!
I think the fact that I constantly have to remind myself of it being fully scripted is a testament to Bo’s writing. It always feels like it’s being made in real time like a vlog. Goodbye gives it that well rounded, “it’s all an act” statement and god do I love it
Inside was a masterpiece of art. One of those rare ones that was both unique and awesome and thematically resonate and hit the market at the perfect time
This special is art. No matter how many times I listen to the album I am constantly finding deeper meaning. I don’t know if he put as much thought into the lyrics but I have done so much analysis of every song. Your analysis of the entire special is fantastic. Bo is a genius and he is truly one of the greatest artists of our generation.
This special when i first saw it became one of my favorite pop culture content. It helped me understan myself better, don’t know if it was something good but.. it definetly was something amazing
Im glad this video is titled exactly what it is titled, and begins exactly the way it began. Because yeah, there are some _shallow_ takes floating around for Inside that honestly drop the ball.
Inside is still my favorite piece of media, ever. It hit so deeply and personally, and I don’t know if anything will ever resonate so deeply with me again.
I believe your interpretation of him stepping out of the house finally devoid of all electronics because of his personal rejection of electronics, only to still be in the spotlight of an older technology (the stage) is spot on regarding his personal options as an entertainer. but the man is something of a humanist prophet. He is making commentary on multiple levels at the same time. I hope to bring your attention to the level of society and watch that literal highlight again: He stepped out onto a theater stage. Selah: Story telling is the oldest device of governance (especially in its most earnest and hopeful interpretation of inspiring peoples to stand against the void and help create the world around them). The Story builds and informs the Peoples who build and inform the Story, back and forth in an iterative process. This process stabilizes around certain institutions of thought and identity. The stories whose truth transcends time (the truth that transcends all iteration) have spiritual and religious meaning and compose how we frame reality and tell us how to act in it. That Story, regardless of iteration or composition of identity is always at an arms race with the technology it enables to amalgamate all the new information and understanding into that story and into the institution the story informs so they are mutually consistent. The focus of his whole career has been commentary on the decentralization of this most precious and necessary function of civilization from the perspective of an artist who has accepted his role in an age where the technology behind the medium of transmission is destructive of the very purpose of the Work. Humanity is reeling as we try to digest, reorient, and integrate the technology and the information it avails to the individual into a sense of identity, and in doing so we are faced with the limitations of the old stories and localized identities which have carried us forward to this point. If we can no longer inform the institution or the story because technology is pouring in too much infinity, we lose our identity, direction, and how to act. So if we can't digest the new information and update our stories and our institutions in time to reorient and re-stabilize under new institutions, civilization is naturally buffeted back by Infinity (which is functionally the place God exists) and will lose the technology that makes that knowledge possible. The technology that made this decentralization possible. Many of us think that we have become so disconnected from what is important because of this technology and he shows us the moment of hope in the empty room in a supposed ideal where maybe we have indeed lost electronics as a technology, but the sun is shining in the slightly open door, an invitation to go outside and 'touch some grass' and reconnect with what's important…. But when he steps outside into the sun, he finds himself on the theater stage and the sun is a spotlight. The revelation that by and large, people don't know how to connect to deeper meaning by themselves during any age and rely on shaman, priests, artists, and story tellers at every stage of civilization to face that void for us and bring back a message of hope an inspiration that everything humanity suffers is worthwhile because life has meaning, or if not, entertain us for a little bit so we can ignore our perceived meaningless for a little while longer. And here we are at the end watching him watch himself exploring THE STORY of mankind because we're bored. And we're bored because we don't know how to act in a way that informs our story in the face of infinity... and in that irony... we laugh. No matter the age, the story, or the technology, this irony is the dragon of the deep hiding untold treasure. This is why the heroes slay dragons. Bo Burnham has exposed the dragon of our age. They say that properly stating a problem to be solved is half the work of solving it. The spear of destiny, the technology of the zeitgeist for ancient Israel under Roman rule formed around, confirmed the death of Jesus with the witness of the water and the blood separated out and with His death, the hopes of His followers in their idealized institution died also, even though He told them He must die for them. Because if He had not died, everything which followed would not have been possible. At the risk of and hopefully avoiding sounding too allegorical for Christians, I will state the next part within story of that institution: Jhn 14:1-4 NASB20 - "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father's house are many rooms; if [that] were not [so,] I would have told you, because I am going [there] to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, [there] you also will be. "And you know THE WAY where I am going." [Emphasis added]. The Way. How to act in the face of infinity given the disparate interests of human civilization. Independent of His historicity, this is why Jesus is the cornerstone of western civilization. Burnham may have chosen a bad ending for himself, but what he has done is the right thing at the right time for us.
I never could laugh at this special as talented as Bo Burnham is - I think it hit a little too close to home in regards to isolation eating away at you. It's a genuinely amazing piece of art and everything in it is done so well, I hope he's doing well (or better at least)
I remember the first time I listened to that funny feeling. I struggled with derealization a lot over the pandemic and it was so isolating and hearing that lyric about googling it gave me a chill and i think i cried
I've always thought of "That Funny Feeling" as this idea of seeing such conflicting things happening all over the world, only seeing them because of how documented everything on the internet is, and going through panic attacks because of it all. It all just overwhelming him cause he is talking about seeing everything. All the good, all the bad, all the crazy, all in one place. Tho i do really like your interpretation of it being about disassociation. Never thought of it that way because he mentions it directly in the song, but maybe I've just been thinking both too hard and not enough into it.
THIS IS ALREADY AWESOME, I LOVE inside and seeing thethirdbill on half opacity within the first minute surprises me bc I never see him mentioned at all. Very excited to watch through the video!!
This special came out at the perfect time for me. 2021 was the most depressing and darkest year for me so I related to a lot of the songs in this special. Even though I’m not in that dark depressing place anymore, I still love every song in this special. I’ve listened to a lot of amazing music and albums over the years, but Bo Burnham’s album “Inside” is a musical masterpiece and cracks my top 5 list of best albums in my opinion.
The "Welcome to the internet" song character is so deep . You have this circus music with the Poison green spots on the wall spinning hypnotically Talking to you and trying to sort of sell you something like you are a good friend even though he is not. Its a snakeoil salesman a man trying to get you to get something he knows is bad for you. Almost like a devil trying to make a deal.
Hello. I originally made this video soon after Inside released, but it got copyright claimed over and over again. I believe I re-edited the video 27 times and every single time it was made completely unable to be shown. I'm not making any money off of this video as it still has some claims, but I atleast can show it, and I'm rather proud of it.
I apologize for any minor editing inconsistencies as this was the 28th iteration, and that purple border is unfortunately necessary. But, regardless, here it is, for however long it'll stay up. I hope you enjoy.
copyright mfs getting up early for a long hard day of work at the circus🤡
I remember watching it on the discord a few months ago
You know I just watched the cursed images video from whang and was curious to check you out and this isn’t what i was expecting but I’m glad I watched it,
never knowing much about him this was an interesting video makes me feel bad for him in a way but knowing he still has people who love him makes me feel a little happy for him
The subtitles are a tease. It's a shame you had to edit it so much.
you can absolutely be proud of it, was very moving and instructive to watch!
I saw the Jeffrey song as not a filler -- but he was ordering all these new electronics off amazon and the Jeffrey song was about his dependence on someone who was profiting off his declining mental health and need to make content.
Ahit that's good analysis
Nailed it
I saw it more as a critique of capitalism which would tie into the rest of the special, it's got heavy anti-capitalist overtones throughout the entire thing. "Look at where you came from, look at you know" seems to be poking fun at Bezos because he grew up rich, so the "look at where you came from" part is ironic because it makes it sound like a rags to riches story. The other part where he makes it sound like a "competition" between bezos, gates, buffet, and zuckerberg, when in reality they're all on the same team, that seems to be more so him making fun of the billionaire worship.
@@ash3Dx You're seeing politics where there are none… The special is about himself, not the system.
@@louisrobitaille5810 Yeah, it's just all the time he spends talking about the system and politics in general is clearly for nothing. Media literacy is dead holy shit lol
“Sorry that I look like a mess… I booked a haircut but it got rescheduled” That’s when I knew Inside was going to fuck me up. Third line in the special. And I was right.
This special was a piece of existential horror to me. Not everyone will see it as that, but to me, it was the best piece of horror media that year
Funny you should mention this. My horror movie podcast did an episode on Inside when our release day fell in April Fool’s. Seemed fitting and we really got into the horror aspect.
I agree. He made a "comedy special" that doubles perfectly as a true *psychological* horror
Same that’s why I had to stop watching it because it was scaring me
I first watched this special after smoking weed for the very first time and I have never felt such existential pain
I’m only 7 weeks older than Bo Burnham. I was not someone who paid attention to his work prior to this special. I watched this one during the pandemic (like most people) and it felt so personal. “30,” “Comedy,” “Problematic,” and more feel like someone sharing my internal feelings. “Facetime with my Mom” made my partner at the time cry. Watching this video and learning more of the backstory of Bo, the room, etc makes me feel even more connected to it. This special helped me process my feelings and grief around what was going on in the world and how ironically isolated I felt. Going through a quarter life crisis during a pandemic in such a broken world. It felt weirdly comforting to see how even someone like him, who does have worldly comforts, was also overwhelmed by things. It helped me feel like I was connected to the world again in a new way.
I always took that little smile at the end to be him becoming a member of his own audience, to laugh at himself alongside us.
Like when he saw Phoebe Bridget's covering That Funny Feeling.
I saw it kinda like he’s Shel Silverstein’s Giving Tree in that he’s given all of himself to a cause, a product, and now that he’s completely spent, he can take satisfaction in his full expenditure.
Out of every single analysis video I've seen about this special, this is the single most concise and easy to understand one I've seen. I sent it to a friend who isn't a very analytical guy and just thought it was funny, and he sent me back a message along the lines of, "I had no idea you could read this far into a single comedy movie, this was really interesting!" Just wanted to share this with you, seems like you've created another internet opinion-sharer. Bo would be proud.
I appreciate the kind words
Why is there only one reply? This comment is amazing, I’m adding another.
Wow
Thank you for the emphasis that “The Ringmaster” was not Bo. I love the way it invokes the horrific realization that at least for the moment, he had checked out.
i love that 'the ringmaster' wears circular sunglasses too. two camera lenses looking right at us
loved this analysis!!
I think him leaving at the end and still being in the spotlight represents the spotlight on him even in his day to day life. When he's out and about, people recognize him, and he's still putting on a performance. To that end, his smile is either an acknowledgement that he's ready to go out and perform in front of people again or him making fun of that idea in his own head. Just a thought idk
i like this, I feel like the ending could be interpeted in so many different ways, but this one is the one fits best imo
I agree with the spotlight part, tho I think that him smiling at the end it's basically going back to Bo's perfectionist and controlling persona, basically the director of the special, not the actor, and he gives a last smile of approval in order for it be released
@@ruzco4873 i agree this is what i thought!
The cinematography in this special is batshit fucking insane too. The scenes of him just listening back to his songs where the song is his spotlight blowing him out, but the reflection on the left side in a black void is one of my favorite shots, then there's all the framing shots of the mess on the floor from down the hall with the arch forcing the focus into the room with all the recording stuff that's made his life hell and chaotic so all we can focus on is the process. Fucking nuts
The cut from white women’s instagram to the solitary boy on his computer in the dark was heavy as hell.
I just really hope everyone can realize the true genius which is that Bo is very aware of this narrative and is intentionally telling the story this way.
yes (the infinite reaction video is, in part, about this) - but he clearly is talking about personal experience (no way could such a perfect and profound understanding of those emotional and intellectual states come from anything other than personal experience) and we can never know quite where reality ends and dramatisation begins - I suspect he doesn't even really know that himself.
@@adamweiner8580 I think that applies for all of us (more frequently or starkly for him though since he's a professional performer).
I generally don't like the whole "does art imitate life or life imitate art" thing, but the idea that we don't really know when we're doing one or the other is interesting for sure. It's probably kinda common that we do something thinking we're dramatizing but that's actually just an authentic expression of what's inside.
Mf this is SO underated god damn. Great content keep it up.
Thank you
I think this special is actually a very good thing to watch if you're not in a good place.
It became my go-to whenever I'm not felling very well and it just helps me every single time... It put things through a different perspective, it's simply amazing
I've also felt like this since it came out. There's quite a few people I've seen describe it as existential horror or say it made them feel a lot of dread, but I was in a horrible place when it came out and it gave me so much comfort. I still watch it when I'm not doing well too.
Same here, actually just found out about this special and saw it last week, and I can't get enough of it, it actually helped me a lot to figure out myself and my feelings - this is a timeless masterpiece.
Bo smiling at the end, for me at least, meant he watched his own special and he's happy with what it is. Like he finally made something he's creatively happy with and he enjoys even though he knows he is stuck in that spotlight. Coming full circle with your analysis, after all the panic attacks and hardship he is actually content... with his content.... Wow, that last part was pure creative coincedence. Wait, am I overanalazing and putting my internal monologe in this comment? Yes, and I like it! Thanks Bo, for creating a piece of art :)
agree. i always saw it like that, because in a moment of the special he is watching his old youtube videos angry and with disgust in a very similar shot. so him smiling at the end while seeing his latest work its him showing that he is satisfied with INSIDE as a work of art
I never even noticed that the room was the same one from Make Happy. It makes a lot more sense now that I've seen the connection
didn't expect to watch for longer than five minutes, i thought there can't be much new things to say about inside, but i had to stay through the whole thing. this video was very entertaining and well-made!
same, and I haven't even seen Inside
@@neanda please do you wont regret it
@@neandait would have been better to watch it a couple times first but better late than never!
To be honest this special changed me A LOT. it had a reason bug impact on me and kinda helped me through that year. I love the lines "It's almost over; It's just begun" it shows change and how life will always come right at you with a new thing.
Yeah, I have to agree. This special was so emotionally visceral that it left an indelible mark on me. My mind has always resonated with the more brooding and macabre feelings of existence, but Bo putting all of his trials into words in Inside validates a lot of those feelings.
Honestly, this is the best analysis of this masterpiece I've seen. I felt like I experienced the special once again.
Thank you.
Hes been authentic from the start, and he has continued to be authentic. He dipped at the height of his fame, took a break, came back. No matter which piece of art hes presenting he makes sure that we know that hes a flawed human, and to make us question our relationship with media and artists.
Its very easy to be 20, get fame and throw all your morals out the window, but he didnt. Which in media is the rarest thing. He actively protests being put onto a pedestal. Its not that he hasnt changed or made mistakes, but hes been honest. Sometimes way too honest. Uncomfortably honest.
I respect artists who look us in the eye and make us question ourselves and our parasocial relationships. It makes people uneasy, and good art often does that ❤
I really liked what you said about Bo's perfectionism, and I think his obsession with being perfect is given more proof from the Inside Outtakes because you start to get a grasp for how many times he shot and reshot (and reshot and reshot) scenes, how he would play with the set and the tools he had over and over again until it "felt right". I wonder if it ever fully "felt right" to him though. I'm blown away by Bo's creativity and this raw work of art he constructed. Great video and great analysis. Made me laugh when you said "this thing is not Bo Burnham".
I love how when you played Content, despite having to play the version without the beat, you still incorporated it by playing just the beat immediately after. Very very clever
That "laugh" during All Eyes On Me gets me every time. It's chillingly similar to the exasperated laugh that would come out of me during the worst year of my life. When I was too overwhelmed by depression to cry, that laugh would be there. Borne of mania, that laugh would still be with me years later, 12 hours deep into a double shift. It was there after breakups and breakdowns. When I had so much built up energy but was too paralysed to do anything and when I was so exhausted that the third wave of adrenaline was kicking in.
I haven't heard it in any other piece of media, and it is haunting to me. What a raw depiction from Bo that I can only love and respect.
My favourite moment of retrospective criticism of comedy in Inside comes in the song All Eyes On Me. My interpretation of these lyrics:
_'Don't be shared, don't be shy, come on in. The water's fine'_ His producers of his show telling him to jump on stage, water being the metaphor for performing
_'You say the ocean's rising'_ Bo being torn over his situation
_'Like I give a shit'_ Those same people neglecting the star of the show. He's a cash cow. Why would they care what he has to say?
_'You say the whole world's ending. Honey, it already did'_ The industry snapping back at Bo, telling him to ignore the real societal issues
_'You're not gonna slow it?'_ Bo recognising the time, money and resources put into performance that could be used some place else. Why can't they slow down the real issues?
_'Heaven knows you tried. Got it? Good. Now get inside'_ The industry using him, pushing away his needs and the needs of the world to make quick money. Shoving a sock in the mouth of anyone who questions them
Don't be scared*
I see a lot of climate change anxiety in the special also - and for me this is the side of activism where you physically run out of care to give. Climate change is such an enormous, unfaceable issue that pessimism easily creeps in because optimism is too hard to keep when the individual is so powerless - I think he literally means the ocean is rising and he no longer has the capacity to care. Continued in funny feeling where the “20,000 years of this, 7 more to go” talks about the age of man and the 2027 climate deadline
@@estermay4894 that’s exactly it - certainly there’s some more deeper analysis that’s valid, but at its core he’s coming to terms with what the new reality is going to be… ironically enough, I think that any conclusion of this special other than this “existential crisis” as someone else explored kind of proves his points
I feel like you're ignoring the literal meaning.
@estermay4894 That Funny Feeling is a potent mix of climate grief and Capitalist Realism.
The single most relatable piece of art in the world for me. Nothing has ever caught me the way this one has
I don't think I ever got it. Not until this video. I always said "I liked the music, I didn't like watching it." I failed to see as fiction, as a scripted story. I more saw it as a collection of disconnected moments showing someone's declining mental health. And it was so sad and a bit reminiscent of how I viewed everything that was happening in the world when it came out that it just made me deeply uncomfortable and sad. Your video is very good and I think I like the special a lot more because of it! I understand it a lot better.
"it was so sad and a bit reminiscent of how I viewed everything that was happening in the world when it came out that it just made me deeply uncomfortable and sad."
Yup, cause it is. I've returned to this special in the last 6 months or so after finally watching 8th Grade & have new appreciation for it, like you. But I'm replying to add that the newfound appreciation doesn't overwrite the original uncomfortable and sadness from watching when it came out -- it builds on it -- I think without those original emotions upfront, the artistic "script" falls a bit flat, because we're not returning to admire something we previously wanted to run away from feeling. It used to induce anxiety & now I put on tracks and anxiety is alleviated.
now* returning
This review missed a LOT. Like most of the entire point.
The fact that you don’t have at least 300000 subs just shows how incredibly flawed the UA-cam algorithm is. These videos are amazing and are definitely worthy of a subscription.
Ok I wrote this comment when you had 30,000 subscribers and now you have 150,000. I’m glad to see such well made content be recognized. I’m glad that soon this comment will be obsolete.
I'm here, this was amazing, and I don't know either of these people. The algo's seem to be widening their recommendations
The algorithm shouldn't exist in the 1st place. If you don't want to see something and willing to look, you shouldn't see it.
Relisten to Welcome to the Internet.
@@whendarknessfalls6969 I wouldn’t know about this video if UA-cam didn’t have an algorithm for giving you videos to watch. You probably wouldn’t either. UA-cam wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for the algorithm.
5:21 Y’all I don’t think any singular shot has ever been as deeply unsettling as the shots of the fucking camera in Inside
Jeezus
Every time I see it I can’t help trying to squirm out of my skin
This special went to some dark places, to me the end is him sort of accepting that pain is a part of his process, but that he can find happiness in creating something he is proud of... Even if it's just him watching back the footage by himself.
The moment that hit me the most was googling Derealization and realizing my therapist had been treating me for it for two years.
_I also first watched it just as I was turning 30._
It’s weird cuz I think everyone can understand the idea of feeling like nothing makes sense
@@dr.disappointment8400 "Derealization is an alteration in the perception of the external world, causing those with the condition to perceive it as unreal, distant, distorted or in other words falsified. Other symptoms include feeling as if one's environment is lacking in spontaneity, emotional coloring, and depth."
Derealization is closer to feeling like you're in a dream or that the world isn't real. e
I was vaguely aware of Bo Burnham prior to Inside. "That guy who did the (left brain/right brain, lower your expectations/etc) song."
"I could use a little pick me up in these extra bummery times!" I thought, as I clicked the play button.
Hahaha, that was a good one.
Devastation.
Definitely an impact, but an immersion into reality, rather than an escape from it.
The special came out when my mental health was declined like bo. Different circumstances of course but the fact that his songs described the feeling of the pit fall of mental heath and how rapidly it can do down hill is absolutely amazing and is such a masterpiece
You can also interpret the smile in the end as the reaction of a broken man, knowing no matter what he does, he won't ever be safe again
the funny thing about the "ring Master" as you put it. When I watched it my immediate thought was the Devil. Obviously I feel like that is what he was going with, the devil trying to make a deal. but it was so well done I didn't think anything else other than this is the devil trying to get my soul. so well done
I was obsessed with this special thru the worst year of my life and I found confort in knowing I wasnt the only one, I swear I have it memorized by now and Im so glad I found your video, I put into words what I couldnt articulate why I love this special sm
Never has a piece of media made me feel so vulnerable and exposed.
It's so hurtful in a way that I can't properly display.
something about video essays makes me very very happy. something about the combination of a thought out essay(script) and a passionate voice really gets me
Ive watched Inside more times than I would like to admit and I never thought of all of this. absolutely amazing breakdown. I love Bo so much and appreciate Inside in such a bigger way than before.
10:48 **Maniacal laughter** YES IT DOES
Does it ever…
There’s actually a brilliant whole two hour long video essay that sums it all up as… succinctly as possible
I think it’s just called Burnham vs Jeff Bezos and I can’t recommend it enough
Good art makes you think. Great art makes you grow. Like so many other Bo lyrics and performances, this special put dents in me, and it helped me heal dents I never knew were there. It made me think. It made me grow. Thank you, Bo.
When I first watched this special on my own on a whim I immediately watched it again with my wife. Inside: The Songs is one of a pretty short list of albums and playlists that we listen and sing along to on long journeys - to the point where my Wrapped 2021 was filled with it. The whole project means a lot to me, not just because of the songs that slap and make me feel things but because of Bo and his performance.
And now I feel like a goddamn idiot because not _once_ before now have I spotted the "The Room is Bo's comedy career" metaphor. Obviously I felt his attitude towards comedy and stardom throughout the relevant songs but I completely missed the extended metaphor that encapsulates the whole thing.
Thank you for a banger video and opening my eyes to a new dimension to this masterpiece.
I'm so glad I came across this. Best analysis of this special yet. I feel that many of the points you make go unappreciated by many, despite being consistent throughout Inside. Great video!
Bro this is exquisite, you need more subs man. Top tier content
There are points in "inside" where I have to pause, leave the room, be on my own for 10 minutes. One example of this was the line "We're going to go where everybody knows". Something about the idea of *being known*, I found it deeply troubling. The special is full of moments like this, that then lurch the viewer back to the Disney Villain whimsy of "Welcome to the Internet". It's a work of art.
I love Inside so much, but part of that love is because it came out at just the right time in my life. When Make Happy first came out, it was around 1 AM when I had finished it and “are you happy?” Started playing. My now ex-girlfriend was on my lap asleep and I started absolutely weeping. I was a dumbass back then and definitely dealing with depression, and that song was a rare moment of lucidity for me. I wish I had listened to Bo and “made happy”.
Cut to a few years later and I hear there’s a new Bo special. Most pf my friends thought it would be normal comedy, but I figured it’d be darker than that. Turns out that this put me in a crisis too, this time centered around my anxiety, the pandemic’s effects on all of us, and my new “doomer” mentality at the time. I’m not sure if Inside helped me, but I certainly appreciate it trying. “That funny feeling” never fails to get to me, and I always sing along.
When i sat down to watch Inside, i got ice cream, convinced I'd bawl my eyes out and feel more depressed than before afterwards.
And i did cry.
But afterwards, I actually felt thankful. Thankful for art. Thankful to have art as an outlet in moments of struggle. As a way to keep me grounded, self reflecting, and expressing myself. I absolutely related to it and i understood the fear of finishing an art piece holding together my mental health, fearing what comes after and how i will hold myself together afterwards, while also understanding that art pieces of all kind deserve to be finished.
I just felt thankful for art.
(Loved the analysis btw, it gave me even more insight into what Bo meant in the order of songs and evolution of his special)
i remember watching inside for the first time and balling my eyes out because it just felt so real nothing during quarantine felt real to me except this and man idk why but this video made me kind of nostalgic for that time again for doing school in the blanket fort and playing halo with my dad until the sun rose walking to the park with a mask and gloves on im gonna be graduating next year and just holy shit this brought it all back
Thank you for this video. Your type of content is what makes me feel alive and focussed instead of feeling like a lost mess in the middle of nowhere. ❤
LETS GOOO love me a new cursed judge upload. Also I see you hit a great sub milestone... nice
i came to this video thinking it will be just another mid analysis that are so common on youtube. Can i just say that I have underestimated you. You uncovered the meaning to Bo's Inside that I had absolutely no idea about. Really well done
Thank you
I find your insights write interesting. While you and I saw similar themes, the direction of your focus took me by surprise, because they differed from how I experienced the film.
I noticed the sharp balance between vulnerability and curation. He deeply wanted to be truly seen, even in the dark and unflattering parts of his experience, and yet every shot was curated to the extreme. When he's messy, crying, or naked, the vulnerability is so incredibly intentional that it hurts.
I saw many other themes that you didn't cover, but I'm tired now.
I'm fascinated that for all the thinking I already did on this film, you offered a whole new perspective to me, and for that I thank you!
bravo sir, 10/10 this is the best analysis video I've seen.
Thanks for sticking it out on the copyright details!
I was telling my friends that Bo was really one of the only people who could do a special like this and make you happily sad about it. He legit went back to his roots and let us watch as he did it. And as someone who struggles with their mental health this and the inside outtakes help show things that are just hard to express. When you're depressed nothing feels right so you sit and pick out all the imperfections like a scab its nature and to see that is needed to let us all know we're not alone and it's ok to not be ok.
I had being doing pretty well throughout the special my first watch through but I had to stop and take a long break from it in the middle of Welcome to the Internet because I almost had a panic attack so definitely agree you need to be in a good mental place for this one. It really is much more existential dread than comedy
13:45 I think a very interesting tidbit that makes me think of What and Make Happy's kind of nihilistic "nothing is real" talking points is that you can see the sun shining through the blinds during the midnight scene, when the scene is set up as happening at midnight. And you cannot tell me this wasn't deliberate. Almost a tether, a subconscious reminder for us that it's all an act.
This was in my recommended videos and I immediately had to go watch Inside again so thank you. Every single song in the special is absolutely incredible and I struggle to figure out its interaction with my own mental health and view of the world.
Well done. This analysis confirmed for me some of my thoughts as well, it was put together well and I loved your insight!
One thing I think is really important that im happy you mentioned, is that this special is directed, written and acted. Yes its an amazing piece of media that shows the struggles Bo has faced and continue to face but a lot of people also seem to forget, this isnt a year long vlog that just happens to film him at his lowest points, he has done an incredible job in making it seem that way to really hammer home his points. Amazing video and analysis!
14:00 The only way you can tell the passage of time in the special is by the length of Bo's hair/ beard and the general decpriedness of his surrounds/ attitude. I always thought the scene of him talking about not wanting to (you know) was shot a while before "turning 30" and the much older self rewatching it was showcasing the "naivety" of his earlier self who hadnt experienced the horror of quarantine and what his mental state would become.
you know what great video. i didnt agree with all of it but the part where welcome to the inrnet bo was referred to as "it" made up for it. recaptured the chills of watching it again
This special hit me very hard when it came out. Ive been isolated for about 4 years now due to ending an abusive relationship and becoming disabled within the same time frame.
There was basically no part of this special i wasnt viscerally feeling on a personal level. Things have been getting better, but its not something thay changes in an instance.
It takes time to get better, even if you want it to get better, even if your becoming more active in your own life. Its not easy to get your mind to leave the world of depression.
when i went through the lowest depression of my life, i would watch inside almost everyday. the way he spoke between songs and during skits it helped me feel better. relating helps me cope with my feelings and helps me to understand them better. every single thing he said in that EP, i understood it so personally and deeply. inside helped me get through my depression, because i realized im not the only person in the world who was going through this. bo is an absolute lyrical genius and a beautiful song writer. i cannot express how much this project has helped me.
I low-key forgot this guy even existed. HI JUDEG WELCOME BACK YOU SEXY BEAST!!!
Aleks you used too be pretty prominent in the discord no?
Still am
That room, man. I didn’t know it was the same room he left at the end of Make Happy. “Well, well….look who’s inside again.”
best video essay on youtube, you are such a wise and intelligent person. your channel is filled to the brim with interesting content and variety. love you man
I used to really dig Bo Burnham, but when this special came out I was in a mad dash getting everything ready for my daughter to be born that I felt like I didn't have the time or right mindset to watch it properly. This year I'm in a much better place overall, having spent some time away from all the online stuff and instead building up a feeling of strong fulfillment from raising a family. Glad I saw this video to remind me to check out the special.
The all-consuming void is an interesting thing. It can be a vacuum that sucks away happy thoughts and feelings that leaves you with nothing but the certainty that your experience will one day end. On the flip side it's a reminder to cherish life for the fleeting blip of consciousness that it is...all the joys and horrors included. The only thing you have the full privilege to control is your own mind.
17:33 this is really showb in the outtakes version of all eyes on me woth lines like its only a problem if you go outside
I watched this special few days ago, and i was not well. Different but yet stills attention problem, The fear of continuing my life, to confront my responsabilities and problem and also internet and screens haunting me. This was my state when i watched it (its sounds like i was so down but it was okay i promise x)) and those just made me understand him more and putted me in his place a bit, it was really interesting and i loved it. So even if your not at your best watching "inside" will be amazing, thanks for that video that made me watch it in the first place. Good work
I absolutely have loved this special and Bo for the longest time. This is an amazing and detailed deep dive into it. I thouroughly enjoyed your analysis
The only video ive ever seen from your channel. Happened to stumble upon it while looking up some clasic bo burnham stuff.
I watched the special once. When i did i admired bo for stepping out of the "norm". I was able to think of what the meaning of everything he was doing was, but i fell short. This video, this breakdown was amazing. Super easy to listen to, very captivating, but most importantly, very... explainy? Gave me the explainations i needed to truly appreciate bo's special.
Subscribing now
This video is absolutely amazing, I already loved Inside when it came out, but you made the dots connect, thank you so much for your hard work on this, it's incredably fascinating
There is things I didn't catched when I watch it the first time but your video did a great job on helping me through with that.
Bo was already my favorite artist/performer of all time when I found his Kayne rant parody song but this work leveled it up even further.
In a lot of ways, I feel empathize with his unirionically ironic comedy and his self-hatred. I found him first through his "Make Happy" but when I dugged about his past works, there was always some hatred and questioning to himself there. I think that's one of the reason why he is my GOAT.
I think 'that funny feeling' is how Sisyphus feels. When you are aware of the absurdity of it all but have to continue with living your life anyway.
DUDE the piano music that played at 11:14 is from a bunch of Markiplier's stuff! So happy to see it appreciated here because NO ONE talks about it. That first piano chord always hits me so hard and hearing it in this video is so cool.
“If you didn’t watch the special when I asked you to, please do it now”
“I already have”
“And if you have already, do it again”
lol
One of the best musicals I've ever seen. Will be rewatching it for many years to come.
Definitely watch it while you are in a dark place, otherwise it will probably just go over your head.
Thank you!! So many people I have talked to about this special have analyzed it as this work of art & comedy special and honestly, yes I loved it, but it was also horrifying. I cried at the end of make happy, I cried during this. I had a panic attack watching his Kanye Rant and had one during All Eyes on Me for the first time. What he feels and how it comes across as someone who can be overwhelmed by these same things is very intense. His story of self growth in isolation and then reversing his progress in isolation made me hurt for him. He is incredible, but he made us feel what he felt and for those that have real chronic anxiety, panic attacks, self esteem issues, depression…this is a SURREAL and emotional experience.
that special helps me through my depresive state and when i feel alone . it makes me feel not alone in that dark hole of not feeling my self
Im doing my HL english essay on this guy and you have really opened my eyes to the masterpiece this special is! Hopefully my work is half as good as this analysis because your observations do this special justice!
I do not subscribe channels from one video but this masterpiece made me to your channel.
i can't believe i never noticed it's the same room from the end of make happy it honestly recontextualized all of inside for me
I think the fact that I constantly have to remind myself of it being fully scripted is a testament to Bo’s writing. It always feels like it’s being made in real time like a vlog. Goodbye gives it that well rounded, “it’s all an act” statement and god do I love it
Inside was a masterpiece of art. One of those rare ones that was both unique and awesome and thematically resonate and hit the market at the perfect time
The cinematography in Inside is some of the best I've ever seen. It can convey so much meaning and look beautiful in every shot
This special is art. No matter how many times I listen to the album I am constantly finding deeper meaning. I don’t know if he put as much thought into the lyrics but I have done so much analysis of every song.
Your analysis of the entire special is fantastic.
Bo is a genius and he is truly one of the greatest artists of our generation.
This special when i first saw it became one of my favorite pop culture content. It helped me understan myself better, don’t know if it was something good but.. it definetly was something amazing
Im glad this video is titled exactly what it is titled, and begins exactly the way it began.
Because yeah, there are some _shallow_ takes floating around for Inside that honestly drop the ball.
This special made me laugh and then feel super depressed at the same time and only bo burnham could ever achieve that
Inside is still my favorite piece of media, ever. It hit so deeply and personally, and I don’t know if anything will ever resonate so deeply with me again.
I believe your interpretation of him stepping out of the house finally devoid of all electronics because of his personal rejection of electronics, only to still be in the spotlight of an older technology (the stage) is spot on regarding his personal options as an entertainer. but the man is something of a humanist prophet. He is making commentary on multiple levels at the same time. I hope to bring your attention to the level of society and watch that literal highlight again: He stepped out onto a theater stage. Selah: Story telling is the oldest device of governance (especially in its most earnest and hopeful interpretation of inspiring peoples to stand against the void and help create the world around them). The Story builds and informs the Peoples who build and inform the Story, back and forth in an iterative process. This process stabilizes around certain institutions of thought and identity. The stories whose truth transcends time (the truth that transcends all iteration) have spiritual and religious meaning and compose how we frame reality and tell us how to act in it. That Story, regardless of iteration or composition of identity is always at an arms race with the technology it enables to amalgamate all the new information and understanding into that story and into the institution the story informs so they are mutually consistent. The focus of his whole career has been commentary on the decentralization of this most precious and necessary function of civilization from the perspective of an artist who has accepted his role in an age where the technology behind the medium of transmission is destructive of the very purpose of the Work. Humanity is reeling as we try to digest, reorient, and integrate the technology and the information it avails to the individual into a sense of identity, and in doing so we are faced with the limitations of the old stories and localized identities which have carried us forward to this point. If we can no longer inform the institution or the story because technology is pouring in too much infinity, we lose our identity, direction, and how to act. So if we can't digest the new information and update our stories and our institutions in time to reorient and re-stabilize under new institutions, civilization is naturally buffeted back by Infinity (which is functionally the place God exists) and will lose the technology that makes that knowledge possible. The technology that made this decentralization possible. Many of us think that we have become so disconnected from what is important because of this technology and he shows us the moment of hope in the empty room in a supposed ideal where maybe we have indeed lost electronics as a technology, but the sun is shining in the slightly open door, an invitation to go outside and 'touch some grass' and reconnect with what's important…. But when he steps outside into the sun, he finds himself on the theater stage and the sun is a spotlight. The revelation that by and large, people don't know how to connect to deeper meaning by themselves during any age and rely on shaman, priests, artists, and story tellers at every stage of civilization to face that void for us and bring back a message of hope an inspiration that everything humanity suffers is worthwhile because life has meaning, or if not, entertain us for a little bit so we can ignore our perceived meaningless for a little while longer. And here we are at the end watching him watch himself exploring THE STORY of mankind because we're bored. And we're bored because we don't know how to act in a way that informs our story in the face of infinity... and in that irony... we laugh. No matter the age, the story, or the technology, this irony is the dragon of the deep hiding untold treasure. This is why the heroes slay dragons. Bo Burnham has exposed the dragon of our age. They say that properly stating a problem to be solved is half the work of solving it. The spear of destiny, the technology of the zeitgeist for ancient Israel under Roman rule formed around, confirmed the death of Jesus with the witness of the water and the blood separated out and with His death, the hopes of His followers in their idealized institution died also, even though He told them He must die for them. Because if He had not died, everything which followed would not have been possible. At the risk of and hopefully avoiding sounding too allegorical for Christians, I will state the next part within story of that institution: Jhn 14:1-4 NASB20 - "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father's house are many rooms; if [that] were not [so,] I would have told you, because I am going [there] to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, [there] you also will be. "And you know THE WAY where I am going." [Emphasis added]. The Way. How to act in the face of infinity given the disparate interests of human civilization. Independent of His historicity, this is why Jesus is the cornerstone of western civilization. Burnham may have chosen a bad ending for himself, but what he has done is the right thing at the right time for us.
This is the most cohesive analysis of Inside. Well fucking done.
I never could laugh at this special as talented as Bo Burnham is - I think it hit a little too close to home in regards to isolation eating away at you. It's a genuinely amazing piece of art and everything in it is done so well, I hope he's doing well (or better at least)
Somthing I didn’t get too say on the server is that this is one of my favorite videos of yours haha
Idk why but the fact that inside comforts me so much now scares me (btw amazing video it so detailed)
my favorite detail of Welcome to the Internet is the reflective shades giving the visage of 2 camera lenses.
I remember the first time I listened to that funny feeling. I struggled with derealization a lot over the pandemic and it was so isolating and hearing that lyric about googling it gave me a chill and i think i cried
I've always thought of "That Funny Feeling" as this idea of seeing such conflicting things happening all over the world, only seeing them because of how documented everything on the internet is, and going through panic attacks because of it all.
It all just overwhelming him cause he is talking about seeing everything. All the good, all the bad, all the crazy, all in one place.
Tho i do really like your interpretation of it being about disassociation. Never thought of it that way because he mentions it directly in the song, but maybe I've just been thinking both too hard and not enough into it.
THIS IS ALREADY AWESOME, I LOVE inside and seeing thethirdbill on half opacity within the first minute surprises me bc I never see him mentioned at all. Very excited to watch through the video!!
Knowing that Bo’s significant other is Lorene Scafria, the director of “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” makes so much sense it’s insnae
This special came out at the perfect time for me. 2021 was the most depressing and darkest year for me so I related to a lot of the songs in this special. Even though I’m not in that dark depressing place anymore, I still love every song in this special. I’ve listened to a lot of amazing music and albums over the years, but Bo Burnham’s album “Inside” is a musical masterpiece and cracks my top 5 list of best albums in my opinion.
The "Welcome to the internet" song character is so deep .
You have this circus music with the Poison green spots on the wall spinning hypnotically Talking to you and trying to sort of sell you something like you are a good friend even though he is not.
Its a snakeoil salesman a man trying to get you to get something he knows is bad for you. Almost like a devil trying to make a deal.