Bo Burnham: Make Happy

I'm a long time fan of Bo Burnham (started seeing his stuff on YouTube back when he was in his bedroom) and every special he's put out has left me feeling different.

Words Words Words made me see art differently, especially performance art.

What made me question how I think and perceived my identity.

But Make Happy made me realize how shitty being a creative can be and how ageist the society at large can be surrounding ideas of love and acceptance.

This show explores the system surrounding commercialism of the music industry, how the rich shape the minds of the poor, how being down to earth can be an act, and how looking okay is a mask.

I loved the show. I felt awkward and uncomfortable when facing the realness of depression and working through it because life must go on. I laughed at the impressions, at the face value jokes, at the wordplay, and the interesting lyrics. I teared up at the end because it's hard to put into words how fleeting happiness is...

And Bo captured it.

Bo Burnham does it again... I've only been following Bo for about a year so I was excited to see that he was going to make another comedy special! I really enjoyed "what." and I couldn't wait to see his new innovative material. What I got was very unexpected.

This special is not comedy, it is art. From the deep lyricism in the last act to the cinematic camera-work throughout, this show took my breath away. I never thought that a comedy special could be so... well... special! It's truly not you everyday stand-up comedian.

When compared to "what.", the jokes are realistically not as strong. I was going to give this a 9 at first, but then I realized that I was comparing apples to oranges. I think "what." is a 10/10, but I wouldn't lower the score because it's as not deep as "Make Happy"!

In conclusion, don't watch "Make Happy" expecting a full on comedy show. The comedy is pretty good for about 3/4's of the special, but the last quarter is not a happy fun time. If you want some really good comedy, go watch Bo Burnham's other special, "what.".

I know I said I wasn't posting another review for a while, but I have a couple days free so here you are.

I've been following Bo Burnham since "words words words" and ever since 2010 his work has only improved (I'll have to rewatch "what"). It's clear to me that he is an extremely intelligent person who understands humanity.

He injects personal more "serious" elements into his act which actually resonate with me a lot. He touches on mental health/illness which is something that has affected me for a long time, he touches upon this among other things.

All the songs are great, I especially enjoyed the country song, it's perfect satire and commentary on modern music as a whole, not just country music.

I could talk about Bo Burnham for ages but I'm not going to. He's one of the most intelligent celebrities working today, I feel this way about a few comedians funnily enough.

Before you go, if you don't mind answering I have a genuine question... Are you happy?

It's not really my type of humor, but the guy is genuinely talented and passionate about delivering something with substance, and that should be valued.

It's rare that a comedy show makes you think hard about the world, about your relationships, and gives you concern for the happiness of the performer. Make Happy does all this at once, wrapped up like a burrito that's too full.

I watched on Netflix, then a second time that same night with a group of friends. Then a third time with a new group of friends a week later. And honestly, I'd gladly watch it again this week.

There were plenty of burst out laughing moments. There were plenty of clever classic Bo songs that mocked the state of "mainstream" problems and the way the public thinks. There were tons of jokes, then there were some very serious mentions of mental health, depression, and trying to appease the crowd (all of us.) All-in-all it was an incredible performance, unique, hilarious, and deep. A refreshing new dip into your standard stand-up comedy routine.

At only an hour, it's not too long that you'll feel like you wasted your time even if you hated it, and will leave you satisfied, yet begging for more if you love it. If you're reading this, give it a try.