Q

I recently discovered Bo Burnham, and within the span of a week have watched all of his works (much to my chagrin) — several times over.

There’s not one aspect of him I can’t gush about. How his acts are a mix of theatre, lights, soundscape, song. How he isn’t just funny, but he’s funny with a point. Like actual, important and relevant human issues. And most of all what I love love love about Bo is how genuine he is. He is the most truthful artist I’ve seen. He’s just the most artist I’ve seen. I love him.

Guys, I’ve re-watched each of his numbers at least three times. Maybe four. I can sing-along to all his acts by now, and I know where his best jokes are dropped. But each time I watch it there’s still something new to be gained. Wtf!!!

I tried to sieve through all his numbers to find my favorite, but I couldn’t because everything is good. Wtf.

We Think We Know You

This shit blew my mind. When it transited into a soundscape, I felt all my brain synapses light up in utter joy. It just sounded … good. Stuck in my mind for DAYS on end, this shite.

More than that I related to this in a very personal way. Confession: I teared up. There was a time I grew up from crazed loudmouth to a crazed slightly-quieter-in-public. And I’ve had people telling me how much I’ve changed. How they miss the old me. It was always said with a tinge of disappointment, a wary or nostalgic look in their eyes. I’ve had friends (okay, friend) cry over how I’ve changed.

It made me feel so insecure, like I was a lesser version of myself. Or worse — that I wasn’t myself. You have no idea how the fear plagued me then. That I lost some part of me essential to my identity.

It took me years to realize that the only real me is how I choose to define it. It doesn’t matter what they want to see, or how they want me to be. I can change anyway I want to. Even if it means some friends find this alienating, even if they love me less.

Anyway, back to Bo. The format is gimmicky, but his message is far from it. I like that it was the last segment of the show, as he usually places the songs that are most real to him. I can feel his frustration, his indignation, his insecurities at being told how he should be, and what he’s not. By people who simply don’t know him but presume to. I don’t think, in crafting this song, he’s simply criticizing those who claim to know him. I think he also grapples with caring about what they think.

Oh yes and, speaking of little Easter eggs you catch after a second or third watch: where he points downwards and Satan chimes in? YEAH when he points upwards and cricket sounds punctuating silence rang out. THAT MOMENT. Took me a couple of watches to catch it.

Every moment of his show is tight, tightly packed with references, layers, meaning.

Sad

The world’s so sad, Madison
Pain, war, genocide, racism, sexism
But I gotta remember there’s good things about it too
Like the fact that none of that’s happening to me, score!

That’s it, laughter, it’s the key to everything
It’s the way to solve all the sadness in the world
I mean, not for the people that are actually sad, but for the people like us who’ve gotta fucking deal with ’em all the time

I saw a woman at her daughter’s funeral. Ha ha ha! Classic comedy!
Everything that once was sad is somehow funny now
The Holocaust and 9/11
That shit’s funny 24/7
‘Cause tragedy will be exclusively joked about,
Because my empathy is bumming me out

He’s not afraid to call people out where it really cuts. Not just idiots, Trump, racists, sexists. Those are low hanging fruit. He calls all of us out. The ones who think we’re doing okay. We recycle and believe in gender equality. But there’s more we can do and be, and Bo reminds us of that.

That we need to care more. Not just believe in broad beliefs and rights, but truly feel and have empathy. The way the entertainment industry has turned Trump being President into the biggest inside joke of the liberals, a running gag we can all participate in. But beyond that we need to truly feel the fear right? We need to laugh – and then pay attention and realize how much of a tragedy this actually is.

God’s Perspective

And yet for all his cynicism, at the heart of all his work Bo is hopeful. I truly think the reason why he cuts all the crap and dives straight into the real problems is because he knows we can do better. Why address problems if you don’t believe they can be solved, right?

You pray so badly for heaven
Knowing any day might be the day that you die
But maybe life on earth could be heaven
Doesn’t just the thought of it make it worth the try?

Bo can spend 80% of the song telling you you’re not going to heaven. Bleak? But then he brings in a message that makes him a greater romantic than any of us are. Life on Earth, for him, can be heaven. He believes in love, and he has such hope for our time here. And he wants us to try, guys!!! When Bo asks, how can I say no.

I Can’t Handle This Right Now

This act made me sob like a bitch.

One of the hardest things about performing is putting your real self – along with your vulnerabilities – up on stage. Here he so frankly talks about his relationship with his audience! About the very fear he has right now. Onstage. Addressing them all.

This was personally inspirational, as a performer myself. How do I be truthful with my audience the way he is? How do I let go of my self when onstage, and put the objective of my performance first?

Bo is truly my performer goals.