By Lindsay Grippo
My love for existential, awkward humor began at a very young age. It’s been cultivated over the years by various platforms such as Tumblr, Twitter and Vine. So, when I came across Bo Burnham’s comedy special “Make Happy” online last year, Netflix and I both believed that it would be the perfect match for me.
The show is incoherently organized into what Burnham describes as a “series of discrete bits.” The witty performer uses a blend of original music and eccentric jokes to express his views on the world, culminating in a performance unique from any other comedians’. Burnham’s special is honest, entertaining and frankly, hysterical.
The most striking aspect of Burnham’s performance is his socially conscious comedy. He sees what is wrong with the world and exposes these issues in a way that listeners are receptive to and can identify with: humor. His satirical songs and ironic statements successfully highlight the flaws in our society without dragging down the mood of the show.
In one of my favorite bits of the special, Burnham tackles the subject of white, heterosexual privilege through his original song, “Straight White Male.” The ballad comments on the struggle for rights, acceptance and respect that women, LGBT persons and people of color routinely endure.
He ends with the facetious statement, “We used to have all the money and land, and we still do but it’s not as fun now,” in order to draw attention to the continued structural inequality of our society and the modern movements that have risen around it.
At the end of his special, Burnham reflects on what it means to be a performer and his experience as an entertainer. His most striking commentary comes in the final moments of the show. Burnham proposes this idea: we are all performers.
I would argue that this phenomenon continues to this day. We are all raised to perform. Social media is so popular for this very reason; it allows us to perform all the time, wherever and however we want to.
Burnham calls social media “the market’s answer to a generation that demanded to perform.” He warns us of sitting back and watching our lives as satisfied audience members and leaves us with this piece of advice: if we can live without an audience, then we should do it.
Burnham uses his platform as a comedian and artist for humility and self-expression in an incredibly powerful way. Unlike most other comedians, Burnham’s performance leaves its viewers introspective, entertained and questioning the world around them.
In an extremely original way, Bo Burnham tackles important social issues, showcases his talent and wit and most importantly, makes you, the viewer, happy.
