Inside: Bo Burnham’s Masterpiece

Netflix

“Why do you rich fucking white people insist on seeing every sociopolitical conflict through the myopic lens of your own self-actualization? This isn't about you - so either get with it, or get out of the fucking way.”

Those words are uttered by a sock puppet to Bo Burnham, after his upbeat children’s song takes a hard left turn - and I mean “left” quite literally, with the same puppet espousing communist talking points to Burnham, who’s playing the role of a blissfully ignorant, out-of-touch white man clumsily vying to become an ally. 

That’s just one of the many absurdities to occur within the claustrophobic confines of both Burnham’s physical and mental space.

Inside, the latest Netflix special from the prodigious talent and Carlin-esque wordsmith features the comedian locked away in a small room, with nothing but his thoughts (and instruments, lights, cameras, and recording equipment). Needless to say, those thoughts make for quite an entertaining and surprisingly emotional ride.

Filmed during quarantine, the timing of its release is interesting. With vaccines bringing us closer to normalcy with each passing day, and a summer that looks to be a referendum on the hell we suffered through collectively for the past year - Inside brings us back to lockdown’s darkest moments. The feelings of self-doubt, depression, anxiety, angst, and even horniness, with Burnham using electro-pop as a vehicle to describe the nuanced act of sexting.

It’s one of several harmless bits that also include mocking Twitch streamers, Youtubers who make reaction videos, and the stereotypical Instagram habits of white women.

But those jovial moments are often separated by moments of real, emotional depth. Whether it’s Burnham’s vulnerability in discussing the panic attacks he used to get while performing onstage, or his personalized PSA on suicide (His take? “Just don’t do it”), Inside has a double meaning. We’re literally inside Burnham’s room, but we also get a peak into the inner workings of his mind.

From the dangers of social media and the internet at large, to the harsh realities of capitalism, to Burnham’s privileged place at the intersection of both, being a white male who gained both fortune and fame thanks in large part to the internet - he’s in on the act, and he uses his platform to acknowledge as much.

It’s not just Inside’s material that’s brilliant, but also the way that it’s packaged. Random, bite-sized clips for a generation that loses focus almost immediately, incorporating a dizzying array of lighting techniques to artistic effect, all set to catchy tunes that would rival the work of serious musicians in their respective genres.

Not enough can be said about the herculean effort it must have taken to write, direct, edit, and produce this work all by himself, and while it’s well documented that Burnham is a generational talent in part because of his ability to be a one man show - we should never take it for granted. 

Inside is a magnum opus, a wild ride start to finish, and not only did it effectively capture the range of emotions many of us felt during quarantine - it explored mental illness in subtle but effective ways, stunned visually, and oh yeah, made you laugh along the way. A more entertaining spectacle tailor fit for these depressingly erratic times exists none.

And while the special takes you on a journey through some of the darker aspects of society and the human psyche, perhaps most frightening was the scene of Burnham apathetically celebrating his 30th birthday. At such a young age, he may not even be at the height of his powers. And the thought of that is scary in and of itself.