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Bo Burnham‘s first comedy special, in five years, Inside (2021), was incredibly well-received, garnering six Emmy nominations since its debut in May. While the talent Burnham displays is undeniably big, this special has done so well because of its relatability factor. Inside (2021) was written, shot, and performed by Bo Burnham in the midst of quarantine, isolated. This special feels like a sort of 2020 quarantine time capsule. It displays throes with mental health, efforts to distract oneself, disappointment with the state of the world, lighthearted moments, and a relationship with the internet. If you saw Bo Burnham’s Inside (2021), if you are reading this now, you have some relationship with the internet, which means you’ve probably engaged in plenty of parasocial interactions.
Parasocial interactions are one-sided interactions that we engage in when we do something like watch Burnham’s special or when we scroll through someone’s Instagram account. This creator-viewer interaction only offers information from one side; it is often framed as people tend to put out the best version of their lives and themselves. So, the viewer enjoys the content, maybe follows the person on social media, or keeps an eye out for their next special; this continues the parasocial interaction.
More and more of this interaction can lead to a parasocial relationship where “the media user [develops] illusions of intimacy, friendship, and identification.” (( Chung, S; Cho, H. 2017. “Parasocial Interaction.” Wikipedia. 2017. )). Bo Burnham’s Inside (2021) dissects and gives a new perspective to this phenomenon (parasocial relationships), posing the idea that with the internet we are all creators and viewers alike. Burnham also breaks down the current understanding of the parasocial relationship and how contrived online personalities can be.
Bo Burnham Emphasises The Duality Of Creators
One of the biggest contributing factors to the parasocial relationship is that the creator’s image is framed in a positive light. This makes them appealing, although you truly don’t know much about them. In other words, what makes parasocial relationships so appealing is the reliability provided by these perceived characters. Creators have stage names, some wear costumes, and most importantly, they perform an act. Do you have a comfort show or movie? What makes that content so comfortable? You go back to something you know will elicit a positive reaction, and it’s reliable because it has made you happy before. So, do you have a comfort musician, actor, or comedian? It’s easy to get comfortable with a certain comedic style or repetitive theme; it becomes a reliable source of relief. Nevertheless, that reliable content is an act, and there is a real person underneath every alias.
Inside (2021) opens with Bo Burnham sitting alone in a room singing what will be the first of many musical comedy numbers, “Content.” In the song, Burnham expresses, “Robert’s been a little depressed…” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )). For those who are unaware, Bo’s real name is Robert Burnham. Accordingly, when Burnham references Robert in the special, he is referring to himself; however, the differentiation between Robert and Bo is intentional. Bo is representative of the performer or the perceived version fans and casual viewers may have of Burnham. At the same time, Robert gives us a deeper look into Burnham’s life when he isn’t on stage and the cameras are off (even though they aren’t).
Robert Burnham
Born on August 21, 1990, Robert Burnham is a comedian, musician, writer, actor, film director, and poet. Robert has been dating Lorene Scafaria since 2013; today, they live together with a dog named Bruce. Ever since his debut on youtube, Robert has performed under the name Bo, one of his middle names. Bo’s first performance was when he was 15, so while viewers are familiar with him, they don’t really know Robert. As previously established, Bo may have subtly added sociopolitical topics into his art, but Inside (2021) feels more personal. Bo seems to have taken reoccurring themes in his work and expanded on them; in a way that makes you feel like you’ve had a personal conversation with him when you’ve finished watching. In this special, Bo Burnham introduces his audience to a portrayal of Robert that they haven’t seen before.
Bo warns the viewer at the beginning of this experience, in a very casual introduction, that “[He] can already, sort of, tell that this special is going to be…a little all over the place, so don’t expect incredibly smooth trans…” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )). He is then cut off by a transition, of course. Inside (2021) does have choppy transitions, bouncing between beautifully put-together musical comedy performances and portrayals of Robert. Unlike Bo, he is usually seen editing, emotionally breaking down, and giving us his two cents on the state of the world. In a scene where Robert is lying on the floor, he prompts the viewer:
…maybe the… flattening of the entire subjective human expirience into a… lifeless exchange of value that benifits nobody, except for, um, you know, a handful of bug-eyed salamanders in Silicon Valley. Maybe that as a… as a way of life forever… maybe that’s, um, not good.
Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021.
He continues on the repercussions of the internet, a common theme in Inside (2021), but there’s no following punchline. Though this is a comedy special, it’s painfully obvious that Robert is not joking in this scene. Instead, he displays a hyperawareness towards parasocial interactions and society’s interconnection to the internet, in general. This emerges through his comedy in the familiar, meta, and satirical fashion that Bo’s fans come back for. Yet, simultaneously, it’s a sincere projection of Robert’s true anxieties.
Five-Year Hiatus
Burnham has expressed to the public that his five-year break from live performances was due to improving his mental health. There are plenty of articles on the parasocial relationship and its effects on the viewer, but what about its influence on creators? In Bo Burnham’s Make Happy (2016), he, quite, literally tells the audience, “The truth is my biggest problem is you… A part of me loves you, a part of me hates you, a part of me needs you, a part of me fears you…” (( Burnham, Bo & Storer, Christopher, directors. Make Happy. Netflix Entertainment. 2016. )). Introducing Robert’s character into the special intensifies contrast between performer and human being; while giving viewers a peek into the effects of the parasocial relationship in relation to artists.
Perhaps the best example of the juxtaposition between Bo and Robert is in the number “All Time Low,” where Burnham displays portrayals of both. It begins with Robert speaking to the camera in a dimly lit room. He uses this scene to talk to the audience about his mental health, which is at an all-time low, according to Robert. His body language suggests an uneasy state, little eye contact, and lots of fidgeting. Then he starts to describe, “I feel okay when I’m asleep. Like when I’m asleep, I feel alright, but it’s basically from the moment I wake up I, uh, I just get this…” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )). He is then cut off by Bo.
Adorned with colorful lighting and a bright smile, Bo Sings, “Feeling in my body, way down deep inside me, I try not to fight it. Describe it. All right, a few things start to happen; my vision starts to flatten, my heart, it gets to tappin’, and I think I’m gonna die.” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )). The scene, then, quickly cuts back to Robert. While the subject matter is serious, Bo’s upbeat and lighthearted delivery help to soften topics that may otherwise feel uncomfortable or melancholic to address. Watching Inside (2021) feels like a deep parasocial interaction; with the addition of Robert, Burnham has granted viewers the illusion of intimacy.
What many audience members fail to realize is that despite the abrupt editing and lived in mise-en-scene, Burnham does nothing by accident. Who knows how many times scenes as Robert was filmed to get the perfect take? After all, Burnham definitely has the acting chops to pull of the emotions Robert portrays. Even if it is said that all of Burnham’s seemingly candid scenes are genuine, he is left with the power to put in as little or as much as he wants to share. The picture that is painted of Robert, in this special, is nothing but an interpretation. Feelings of empathy, relation, and even identification are all reasonable responses to Inside (2021). Regardless, audience members need to keep in mind that the parasocial relationship their taking part in is with a character (or two).
Bo Burnham
Fans are no stranger to Bo Burnham, whether through his early youtube videos or his past comedy specials like, What. (2013) and Make Happy (2016). Bo, the performer, has been at our disposal for years. Bo has always incorporated music into his comedy; this works to his advantage in two ways: digestibility and the likelihood that viewers will rewatch his content. As for digestibility, this was less of a factor in previous specials, but it is definitely prominent in Inside (2021). It can justifiably be said that Bo Burnham has implemented more sociopolitical ideology into this special, possibly due to his age? Early in his career, Burnham once said:
I never talk about what I think about on stage directly because I just don’t think…I don’t value what I think at this point about those issues…like I really don’t think anyone wants to get up and hear a twenty year old like tell them what they think about how the world works.
The Green Room with Paul Provenza. “The Young Gun”. Showtime. 14:20. July 14, 2011.
Ten years later, Bo Burnham presents, musical comedy number “How the World Works” with the help of the sock puppet named Socko. The song has many layers, and Burnham appears to have opened up and even decreased the gap between Bo and Robert. The song is reminiscent of a children’s song at first, but the subject matter quickly changes the tone. Namely, Socko may represent Burnham’s inner conflict (profiting off of an exploitative system that he disagrees with). Socko may also represent individuals who other individuals and the system oppress. Bo’s performance in this number optimizes individuals that benefit from and reinforce systems of oppression (whether they realize it or not). (( NoShameSocko; Max202020. 2021. “How the World Works.” Genius. 2021. )). Perhaps it could be setting a tone for this special; Maybe Bo Burnham is more inclined to share his opinions on a large-scale platform now. However, it’s surely no coincidence that this song, with arguably the most controversial subject matter, was set to the cheeriest instrumental in the lineup.
Burnham is the performer. He notes in his comedy special Make Happy (2016) that “[He] is not honest for a second [when he’s on stage]” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )), because when Bo Burnham gets on stage, it is an act. An act that Burnham, himself, put together so there are traces of his real thoughts and opinions, but it’s framed in a way that makes it digestible. As aforementioned, the musical aspect of Burnham’s comedy increases its digestibility. Even with Bo’s growing level of sociopolitical commentary, the songs are catchy and labeled as a comedy special. This means that even if you don’t agree with what Bo’s saying, it’s easy to laugh it off as a joke, but if you do agree, you can hold on to it as something profound.
Bo Burnham made a special when everyone was going through a collective struggle; he captured what quarantine felt like for so many of his viewers, all while Robert was creating and struggling as well. Hence, Bo Burnham made you a special that you could relate to. Whether it is through “FaceTime with my Mom (Tonight)” or “That Funny Feeling,” the viewer’s identification with Bo Burnham is the basis for a parasocial relationship. Bo says at the beginning of the special, “I hope you…uh…enjoy it, I hope this special can maybe do for you what it’s done for me for this last couple months; which is distract me from wanting to…” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. ))…he alludes to offing himself. There is no question that Bo Burnham wants to give you an experience, a break, a time to laugh, and a time to cry with him. This special evokes a personal perception of Bo, but alas, he is a character, and Robert is beneath this alias.
Bo Burnham Displays The Depths Of The Parasocial Relationship
Inside (2021) explores themes including Burnham’s relationship with the viewer and a general relationship with the internet. Bo Burnham proposes that, with the internet, the parasocial relationship is expanded. Creator and viewer are melded together, as the majority of society posts along with their consumption. It may not be a comedy special, but a Youtube video, a Facebook post, even a Yelp review, they’re all forms of content.
Thanks to the internet interactions as small as Yelp reviews, as seemingly safe as private messaging, nothing you post is ‘just for you.’ The internet is a vast and sometimes unforgiving place, whether through screenshots, mass circulation, or small targeted groups. Burnham explores aspects of this notion and its corresponding extreme, cancel culture in the song “Problematic.” Still, the best illustration of the parasocial relationship expanding and correspondingly subjecting us all to the creator’s position is in “Welcome to the Internet.”
Welcome To The Internet
This song is going to be broken down into three parts, as the tempo changes three times, signifying a change in lighting, the performer’s demeanor, and a progression in the story being told. Part one opens with Bo Burnham sitting at a keyboard. The lighting, at this point, is dark, with small specs illuminated resembling space or the night sky. This imagery of space is representative of the internet and its boundlessness. Next, Bo begins singing “Welcome to the Internet” at a moderate pace, and he almost resembles a salesman. Finally, he invites you to take a seat as he briefs you on all the internet’s capabilities.
At first, it gives an intriguing, funny, and even charming impression. As Bo continues, he gradually increases the tempo and succedingly shoves mass amounts of options and avenues down your throat. The result is an overstimulated response. This feeling is reminiscent of the overstimulating effects the internet can have and foreshadows one of the song’s main themes. Part one is a perfect example of the pre-conceived ideas regarding parasocial interaction; one-sided, tailored to the consumer, and sometimes overwhelming.
In part two, the lighting shifts to a softer blue tint, and Bo slows his words. Part two is representative of the internet in its simpler stages, circa’ 99. After hearing part one, the juxtaposition is almost jarring, but the pace picks up again with the lyrics, “We set our sights and spent our nights waiting… for you…” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )). The light changes soon after adding a color-changing cloud-like projection to the former blue background. This additional lighting signifies an addiction to the internet. The song continues, “You, unstoppable, watchable, your time is now, your insides out, honey how you grew and if we stick together who knows what we’ll do. It was always the plan to put the world in your hand…” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )). Part two indoctrinates a new aspect of the parasocial relationship. The world is in your hand; social media and the internet give people the ability to create and experience the other side of a parasocial relationship.
You may be saying to yourself — if the parasocial relationship is one-sided, how would there be another side? That’s where part three comes in. Seemingly interrupting part two, part three begins with a menacing evil laugh, and, appropriately, we have another lighting change. This time keeping the color-changing projection, representing addiction, and reverting back to the space-esque representation of the internet. Bo continues at a rapid pace, “Could I interest you in everything all of the time, a little bit of everything all of the time? Apathy’s a tragedy and boredom is a crime…” (( Burnham, Bo, director. Inside. Netflix Entertainment. 2021. )). Part three accurately assesses the overwhelming feelings parasocial relationships can produce for viewers and creators. Part three also captures the sense of reliance so many people feel on technology today. Insinuating that regardless of the overwhelm and possible detriment to our mental health, we still engage.
Goodbye
Bo Burnham’s Inside (2021) feels like a deep parasocial interaction, but there is no such thing. Inside (2021) can be perceived as deep and personal, and it will be, but without having real social interaction with Burnham, the viewer can’t go past perception. Nevertheless, even if this version of Bo is framed, it still elicits personal and profound feelings from the viewer.
So, Bo Burnham calls to attention the pre-existing parameters of parasocial relations, but he also turns it on its head. Bo is a good actor and even the glimpses into his ‘real life’ seem true and relatable, but what about the breakdowns fans don’t see? Fans love him, empathize with him, and think they understand him, but fans don’t know Bo Burnham; he surely doesn’t know most of us. So, Burnham leaves his audience asking themselves, who truly knows them and if it matters to have anything and everything all of the time if so much of it is fabricated?
