It's finally here! The finale to Make Happy. I really tried to get this one through without any text on the video hoping it wouldn't get blocked, but I just couldn't get around it. Must just be because I included the bit before and the ending song as well. I hope you're happy 🙂 Reaction starts at 0:27
I like how you said pitching the vocals up and down at that one part made them sound more vulnerable vs darker (rather than just positive vs negative as most people say). I’ve heard in interviews that the final line definitely has both meanings behind it: I genuinely hope you’re happy, and also, I hope you’re fucking happy.
You're right. Just as he alluded to during All Eyes On Me, he was having a panic attack during Can't Handle This. Hence the last scream and his facial expressions. Supposedly he cried for two hours after he went backstage.
I think the idea behind the happiness scale in Are You Happy is that it changes. It starts at 1-0, that's the scale. 1 is the happiest you can be and 0 is the lowest. Then he gets a bit happier and reaches 1, but rather than being happy the scale just changes from 1-2. I like the idea that everything you reach the goal you thought would make you happy, you realise you're not fully happy yet. It's a never-ending cycle.
Hearing this for the first time *wrecked* me. Now I live vicariously through other people being absolutely wrecked by "Come and watch the skinny kid with the steadily declining mental health and laugh as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself".
@@Black-Swan-007 Honestly, the most heartbreaking part of the song for me is the couple lines he has where he says shit straight to their faces and it goes over their heads, the "look at them staring at me", "I should just shut up and do my job" or "tell them anything make it funny make it rhyme, and if they don't get it then run it back one more time"
The fact that he has spoken to how he cried for hours after this performance, gave up standup for 5 years, and all the other enlightened conversations he’s had about fame and mental health make Bo distinctly one of a kind. Great reactions!
Yeah, that mic drop was literally a mic drop. It was the last performance live. And he just leaves the stage and never came back. That's rough. Makes "I swore I'd never be back but now I'm back on my feet" even deeper. And the bit before where he says "do not stick with me if I stop entraining you" knowing full well he was quitting after this show.
@@janelle9753 If I remember correctly, the special is a mix of two performances. He said he had a panic attack performing the song at the first of the two performances, but felt calmer during the second, which is the one we see here. I'm pretty sure he said that in his interview with Vulture from 2018.
The "I hope you're happy" at the end always gives me chills and hits so hard. The double meaning of a genuine wishing the audience is happy and the sarcastic "I hope you're happy." Man, so sadly beautiful.
And it's a scale from 1 to 0, or a scale from 1 to 2. That's either yes or no. There's no degrees. It's so bleak. But at the same time, hits the point that happiness is a fleeting, temperamental thing. You can be happy one moment, unhappy the next. "This too shall pass."
@@AllTheArtsy I also take it as if you're happy you're at a 1 but later when he asks he says "If you know or ever knew how to be happy" and then asks from a scale from 1 to 2,meaning 1-0 isn't enough. How if you're always happy you need more and more to notice that you're happy. Otherwise you feel unsatisfied.
I watched him do this live and I fucking lost my composure when he hit the "What he cannot give himself" line, and every time I see someone else react to it for the first time, I'm taken right back to that moment. One of the most gut-punching lines I've ever heard a person speak.
The line about his steadily declining mental health has always felt like a knife to the heart. It remains to this day one of the most unexpectedly brutal song lyrics I've heard. And seeing the tears in your eyes as it hit you? One of the best most honest and empathic reactions I've seen to this masterpiece of a song.
That last line gives me chills every time. The beautiful double meaning of "I hope you're happy even if I can't be" but also "look what you've done to me, I hope you're happy"
I love the "on a scale from 1 to 0" that changes to a "1 to 2 now" part at the end. No one is ever happy. Because once you get out of complete despair, the 0, suddenly the scale shifts and you see 2 as happiness, and the 1 is no longer good enough.
I’ve always really loved how that line has two possible, disparate implications which are ostensibly incompatible: the more “pessimistic” version that you mention, where the relative nature of happiness is invoked to illustrate that it will always be transient & fleeting; and the more “optimistic” version, where that same relative nature is invoked to illustrate the effect of adopting a positive mindset (i.e. the “glass half full” effect). In reality, both are true - which I think does a wonderful job of demonstrating the overall absurdity of life.
The best thing about your reactions is how much you obviously **get it** I hope you continue with Bo’s stuff. It’s not any less intelligent and amazing the further back you go☺️ PS. Our boy won 3 Emmy’s this week🙌🏻♥️😭
I didn’t mean that every song he’s ever done is equally deep and intelligent. I meant that a lot of his older stuff is still very intelligent and good (although in a different way than Inside, of course).
@@Blarglesnarfe the thing about his old old stuff (think: New Math, I’m Bo Yo, etc) is that, despite being obviously not ‘deep’, the wordplay is top-notch and his intelligence is still very much apparent.
@@victoriac4317 right but that’s not the magic of bo really. The LAST song of What then going forward is where Bo hit his stride, which isn’t surprising bc that’s when he was a real adult (over 25, that’s when your brain stops developing.) He started making art that he appreciates and dislikes his work from that time! Any reaction to older work would really need to be a call out alongside a reaction
A simple "thumb up" doesn't seem enough to convey how good your reaction was and how above other reaction channels your fairly recent one already is. I've only been listening to the rant when watching reactions to it but only yours has made me cry again. It's so refreshing to see a combination of insightfulness and emotion knowing how to appreciate an uncommon performance. I don't have that much relevant to add so a "thank you" will have to do. I know that reaction channels can have a bad rep, being seen as the low-hanging fruit, an effortless way of putting content out there but it's not what you're doing and I hope you keep at it because you're too good to waste that ability. 😉 I've been watching you since the very beginning and I intend to continue supporting the channel for as long as you keep reacting to meaningful content.
I was going to comment, but you echoed pretty much everything I was going to say. Entirely agree. There are so many "reaction" channels now, and most, as far as I can tell appear to be just jumping on a popular bandwagon as an easy money-making option, which reflects on their "reactions". This reaction was a breath of fresh air in that respect. So beautifully honest.
Everytime someone brings up "shut up Bo said it was just a joke," I have to think: "do you seriously not know that 2 things can be both true at once?" Of course it's a joke. It's a comedy special. But of course it also means something deeper. It's a comedy special. If someone asks you point-blank and tells you that they "changed how they saw comedy" based on your work, will you not be tempted to deflect? To self-deprecate? To brush it off and laugh it off? It's too much. It's too sincere. Too self-serving. Too earnest. Of course he said it was just a joke. Of course it also means something deeper.
@@idkhbtfmandnowimsad994 exactly! That's why it's not just comedy, it's a performance, it's art. He created art and we get to see ourselves in it and to analyze it and to find meaning in it besides the obvious or the intended. And I don't understand people that don't like to see others do that... Like why does it upset you that I find meaning in stuff. If you just wanna laugh go for it that's cool
People downplaying it’s meaning are also just willfully ignorant too. Bo literally says in the song “you can tell them anything if you just make it funny and make it rhyme, and if they still don’t understand then you run it one more time.” He’s too insecure and humble as a person to accept such ridiculous amounts of credit for his genius. Of course he’s gonna say they were “just jokes.” Doesn’t mean they were. Everything in Bo’s sets are meticulously set up a specific way for a specific reason. Everything plays an important part.
The other part of always saying it's just a joke or that it is never a metaphor means he doesn't have to talk about it. He can say what he wants to say on stage. It's on his terms only.
The part you cry made me cry too man, as much as I tried to keep my shit together that part hits me hard asf that I just couldn't hold it. "Attempts to give you something he cannot give himself" is by far the saddest line I've ever heard. That's where I truly lost it. He is a rare gem this earth doesn't deserve.
A month in the making waiting for this moment. I thought with starting at Inside it was gunna hit at All Eyes On Me, but this is what I realize I was truly here for. Can't Handle This blew me away years ago and it still hits the same. Glad to see someone watch through these specials in this order. Something about knowing what comes of him and coming back to this hits on a whole different level. Been here since day 1 of your Bo journey and look forward to everything else you set out to do here. Been one of the few people to absolutely hit Bo's content nail on the head.
I openly bawled when I saw Can't Handle This. My family got tired of hearing me play it and sing it idly throughout the day. This one HITS. (The after song is just a twist of the knife and I have no dignity to retain by that point so more tears, obvi)
Bo himself has said none of the metaphors were intended, but he also hates talking about his deepest messages in interview, so I tend to think he wouldn't admit it even if they were intended. But art is all about how it speaks to others. And the fact you got the exact same metaphorical meaning that I did makes me think it's intended.
It may not be intended, but these examples definitely are too connected to be totally random. If not intended consciously, then definitely subliminally.
"Oh god, this is gonna be rough, isn't it?" Mhm, yes it is. When you realise this was his last performance before he walked away for 5 years, it has way more impact. He's not lying when he's singing about himself. Bo uses voice effects when he wants to hide his true feelings and almost adds childishness to it, and All eyes on me is the same in that respect. It's the screams at the end of this performance of this that nail me hard every time.
The moment a lot of people have been waiting for, this is going to be a tough one to go through all over again. Thanks for upping the volume on your vids btw, much better! Edit: Yup, still hits right in the feels like a truck. I'm glad you also noticed the screams he made didn't seem very scripted, I haven't dug deep in the special to find out if they were but towards the end it did actually feel like he may have been having a panic attack, even if just a small one.
I’ve seen bootleg versions of this tour and this song. In the other version the screams are more melodic with the music. He got there with the first scream but the last two were just guttural actual screams.
This tour was the year following Robin Williams death. This gives the feeling of watching someone fight the same demons. I have suffered from depression most of my adult life, and the loneliness is one of the hardest parts. This feels like he is combating that by sharing it with his audience. I still cry every time I watch this, partially due to it hitting too close to home, partially out of pure empathy. It's hard watching another human suffer like this
I’ve seen some really good analyses about “Can’t Handle This” which are very similar to what you said. It does work kind of perfectly because he starts singing about burritos again after the emotional part. You would think that it’s organized that way to make the audience realize the metaphor in the lyrics. But in an interview, Bo said that he saw a lot of people trying to analyze that bit and that maybe subconsciously it means something, but he just meant for it to be silly and can’t give himself THAT much credit lol
The addition to that is that if the burrito is really a profound and deep metaphor, then it lessens the meaning of the “I’m just going to shut up and do my job, and sing about trivial nonsense, so you can all feel good and get your 'wooo's in; you probably weren't even paying attention to this thing I just said here, anyway” moment. The content of the following section needs to be trivial in order to make that point (and boy does it work... with the cheering over the backlight and the refrain).
@@amy_grace I think this song would be better if the burrito and pringles can had meaning because to me it goes on way to long with no real payoff. Still a good song and the ending is amazing but if the beginning had meaning or was shorter it would be better
I don't think it contradicts the meaning at all. At one point, he says "you can tell them anything if you make it funny, make it rhyme," so I think the interpretation that he's using comedy and silly metaphors as a vehicle for his more serious ideas still works.
When I first watched this special (the week it came out), I took "Are You Happy" as a "goodbye" kinda message. Not like the dong Goodbye, but like bo literally saying goodbye to us. I remember telling my dad that I thought he might be done with comedy. The message of the song, him walking out to reveal his home, wife, kid - his life. It was like he was asking us to just let him live it. I was sad at the time to see him go, but I was genuinely happy for him. I felt like he was letting us in on something he didn't have to and was doing somethign really good....... Then INSIDE came out....
He controlled EVERYTHING on stage.... Story telling, Scene placement, Script, Song writing, Auto-tune, I believe he is even controlling the lighting... Dude is amazing.... Edit: I've seen this maybe 20 times... I tear up every time knowing what I know about Bo. You got a new sub brother, Great GENUINE reaction!
23:45 as a guy who's always told how funny he is by family and coworkers, i believe that to be very true. I deal with depression and anxiety as well so i know what it feels like to be so down and feel so hopeless. I wouldn't wish depression or such heavy sadness on anyone. So I personally strive to make others smile and laugh every day i'm here. So they can enjoy something. I love to share laughs with others. Comedy really helps to laugh through it all
He does have foot pedals for the autotune and any other audio tricks he usually has the pedals. He used them in Inside as well. Edit: I always start crying at the same exact point that you did when I listen to this song. It's haunting every time.
I got CHILLS when he walked into that room at the end, I instantly recognized it from Inside and I gasped! I watched the first minute of inside after this scene and it made me cry, like he ended Make Happy going out of the room being seemingly happy but started Inside going back into the room and we watch him spiral into depression. Also i'm glad i'm not the only person who had an emotional reaction to this song, i'm sure those of us who suffer from panic attacks and anxiety relate heavily to Bo's work. Side note your reaction videos are awesome!
Finally someone who gets it. I can't describe how relieving it is to watch a bo burnham reaction without 90% of it going over the rector's head. I love that you emotionally got it too - f**kin kudos, man ❤️
Honestly, as someone who's been writing for over half their life, I can say for absolute certainty that there are artists out there who sincerely believe that if they're happy or content in their personal lives that they can't be properly creative. Whether they consciously realized it or not, they'd go out of their way to make bad choices that they knew would only wind up hurting them. I remember watching this show when it originally came out and I could feel that those last two songs were a goodbye, even though he didn't come out and say at the time 'hey, I can't take this shit anymore, I fucking quit' to the press or anything - and watching it now, after Inside, it *especially* feels like a goodbye. "On a scale from one to zero, are you happy? 'Cause you're on your own from here, so - are you happy?" Basically saying - you're on your own now, because I'm done, I'm leaving, so I hope this did everything you needed it to, because this is all I've got left. The thing that kills me about Bo is that I think he honestly feels like he could have done more with his life than what he's doing. He's a very brilliant guy and could have gotten a full ride to Stanford or some other Ivy League school if he wanted it, but he did the music thing instead and I get the feeling that he thinks he could have helped more people by doing something more 'respectable' like a doctor or a lawyer or something, but - fuckin', everybody needs to laugh. And he's got such a gift for it - like, writing a good song is *hard* and writing a good comedy song is even harder but writing a good comedy song that's catchy as fuck but also very emotionally vulnerable and raw while *still being funny* is... well, let's just say there's a reason why Bo is such a standout - because basically nobody else can do exactly what he does. There's actually even deeper lore you can find in his special that came before Make Happy, called what. Definitely a good next stop on the Burnham Express! Awesome reaction as always, Chris! :D
Fun fact on the Ivy League point! He got into Harvard and was committed to go to an experimental theater program at NYU before he decided to go into comedy full time instead of college!
I love that line, "One a scale from one to zero, are you happy? because for me, happiness is almost always binary. I am either happy or not so it's zero or one. The struggle for me is realizing that happiness and every other emotion can be felt at different levels and simultaneously. It's not binary.
There’s an interview he did where he talks about for this tour he wanted all of the shows on it to be this level of a production and that was kind of the benefit of being this level of famous because it meant he could book venues that had the equipment to run the show. Iirc he said this was like a year worth of planning
I regularly come back to re-watch this video. Your reaction is so pure. In a weird way I find it cathartic to share it with you. Those same feelings we both, we all have.
Great reaction, I remember the first time I saw this it felt like such a gut punch. There’s interviews (search Bo Burnham anxiety there’s a few) where he talks about his panic attacks and how well he was able to hide them and how he would have an out of body experience. I’m not sure if he was having one during this performance (but there are live videos where you can clearly see him having one) but he did say in an interview that he walked offstage after this and broke down sobbing. I think his strength is his ability to convey honesty through his *performance* of honesty. He’s able to I think be MORE vulnerable because he’s being deliberate about what he shows. With all of his stuff I think it’s not that he’s not being honest I just think there’s a level of performance to it that is important. And this was the last time we saw him perform until Inside.
My panic attacks are like his, where you dissociate and feel like you're separated from your body. For something this rehearsed it was probably easier for him to perform it while seemingly holding it together and fall apart when he got backstage. With the dissociative panic attacks they can be hard to clock unless you know the persons tells
In my opinion, there are two kinds of good reactions. Some reactors are just generally really good at the genre because they are both fairly expressive and analytical. Additionally, some reactors, regardless of whether they’re generally good or bad at reacting, pair especially well with certain artists simply because that artist resonates with them in a way that organically and perfectly captures the beauty the artist’s fans experience with that artist. Both of these descriptions apply to you, and that’s what makes this the absolute best reaction to this song for me. And I’m ashamed to admit: I’ve seen countless. Thank you for sharing.
The silhouette dance always reminds me of a line from another of Bo's songs where he's like "DANCE MONKEY DANCE" and it just makes it that much sadder. That that's how he thinks the audience sees him as this dancing monkey and his being vulnerable isn't what they really want, they just want him to dance.
Your reactions to Bo’s content are, by absolutely no small margin, the best on the platform. Your skills of perception and genuine interest in the subject matter keeps me coming back. Thanks for all of your work and I look forward to seeing more from your channel.
The way I've always seen the whole "On a scale from one to zero, are you happy?" question is that at first he's asking it like it's a binary choice; you're either completely happy or you're not. You can't possibly be happy if you are at all unhappy. The second time, with "On a scale from one to two now, are you happy?" being asked, you acknowledge that there is a baseline of happiness. It's not always happy-happy, but it's something. If you were truly un-happy with *everything* in your life, you wouldn't be here, or you'd need serious, professional help. So are you happy (the happy you are when nothing is really happening), or are you happier (a little better than how you normally are)? It's a small change, but just from being able to go from "on or off" to "something or something more" is all people need sometimes to keep from ending it all. Because yeah, there'll be times where you're not going to be happy about things. There'll be times where you are going through your own hell, and nothing will seem right, and everything will seem like it's shit because the world is falling apart and your life sucks. *But* is there at least *ONE* thing in your life you can still find joy in? Can still find meaning in? And can you build off of that? That's what the difference between "On a scale from one to zero, are you happy?" and "On a scale from one to two now, are you happy?" is for me. It's being able to go from "a sense that happiness is either completely on or completely off" to "there's always something to be happy for, and maybe you can work with that and make a little more happiness while you're here".
Interesting take with the binary scale. I've always heard it as a regressive scale instead. He's balancing between barely happy and not happy at all. And through the song there was an improvement, where at the top he is twice as happy, and his lows had increased from not happy to somewhat happy. But even at the top, it still scored only a 2, its better, but nowhere near satisfactory. I like your interpretation too! Going to have to listen to it again now with that in mind, there always seems to be more to hear and more to consider with his songs.
I've been a Bo fan for years so I've seen this special a long time ago, but I recently just started watching these reacts and it's incredible how quickly he can make people go from laughing to crying. In my opinion that's what "art" is supposed to do and he is a genius.
Chris, I appreciate you crying. I thought I was the only guy this brought to tears. I've never watched this without crying. I can't even think about it without choking up. So thanks.
Emotions aren't gender coded.... I'm sorry you got hurt, I'm sorry anyone got hurt.... But, it's a connection. I wish it was okay to just hold hands, to commiserate, to offer a small squeeze of comfort... I hope you're better. I hope you found a way to cope. I hope we can someday.... Be happy
When he says "needs" he turns towards the crowed, and when he says "Hates you" he turns away from the crowed. That os what realy got me. The positive thing he turn to the crowed, and the negative he turn away from them.
Dude, you didn't say a word at the end there but that was, without a doubt, the single most visceral reaction to this song I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them, earned my sub and respect ten fold man...whoa...
Holy shit man. You pointed out a lot of small details I never even noticed about Can’t Handle This, and I really try to pay attention to his music. Like the silhouette thing. I just really appreciate how much you really think about his music, and the other aspects of his show. I relate to it, I guess. His music means a lot to me and I wish more people would be as introspective and thoughtful and well-meaning as he is. The world would be a better place.
I’m in class doing research on Bo Burnham and I’m on the edge of crying when he said “come and watch the skinny kid with a steadily declining mental health and laugh as he attempts to give you what he can’t give himself” BROOOO HE’S SO AMAZING
i love how easily you show your emotion on camera, makes me feel like i’m not alone, one of the best reaction channels out there for sure, take my word on it🖤
The silhouette shot could also look like he's giving the audience his POV of nothing but a dark crowd in front of him. The empty feeling was a great point as well. "I hope you're happy" was almost his way of saying "at least YOU'RE happy. Maybe then, the suffering was worth it."
Whenever I start to feel that I'm absolutely alone in this world, I find myself gravitating back to Bo Burnham content. Specifically the Can't Handle This rant video and the All Eyes on Me video. I've always been a notorious song-repeater, but these two songs are the record holder for most played in my 31 years of life. About a year ago, I scrolled though the comments underneath Can't Handle This for the first time ever. Let's just say, I suddenly didn't feel so absolutely alone anymore. This was my first time watching a reaction video of any of Bo's content. Thank you for being comfortable enough and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. So much respect for you and this community of like minded human beans ♡
Fuck. I'm so surprisingly pleased with your reactions, mate. Out of all the reactions I've seen of Bo's performances, you've been the one who gets him the most, the one who really understands what he's saying.
18:37 This is the visual representation of me watching this for so many times but still readying myself cause I know I'll still cry throughout the performance. This is the most genuine reaction I've seen for this song. ✨
I watched this as I discovered myself and I want to thank you for clearly explaining this Chris. Your videos really explain the meaning behind these videos. And if it wasn't for you being this explainer a lot of people would have this over their heads. I discovered myself as being a performer recently for 15 years. I was performer in my life. And it was hard for me to get out of performance mode
ah man I miss the channel. some of the best reactions out there, very consice, respectful and thorough. really enjoyed all the videos, keep getting back to them
Thank you for this. I watch so many reactions of this to see if anyone got hit as hard as I did, and it was always difficult seeing people laughing through it.
The fact that this got you got me too. It's heartbreaking that he went through this and it's genius that he took us along for the ride. Man or woman, you can't help but fall in love with the human inside Bo Burnham. That's his legacy. He reminded us that we are human.
Awesome bro, this video single handedly redeemed the reaction genre for me, which I thought was too far gone but having just found your content its so great to see someone who actually discussed the art and the emotions, and isn’t afraid to show their own. Earnt a new subscriber 👊
Seriously another great reaction. Make Happy is something my friend always wanted me to watch but I put it off for like 3 years and I became obsessed with Bo. I didn't realize he had taken his hiatus during this time and so I was really disappointed that there wasn't anything new from him. Inside sparked a new desire for Bo's content and I've been insatiably watching anything I can with him in it. I've probably watched like 30 reactions to this song alone and I gotta say yours is easily one of the best. You've got something, I think a level of understanding and empathy that most people don't. Maybe those other people don't know the context like you do going into it but you're personality is so relatable and I'm glad youtube randomly recommended your channel several weeks ago. Anyways thanks for being you and I look forward to your next series.
Man watching you react to Bo is so raw and beautiful. You reacted the same way I think a lot of us did when hearing this for the first time (and many times after). Appreciate you being this candid and open with your reactions because these songs definitely make us vulnerable and hit a note inside us we knew was there but maybe couldn’t put into words. It’s nice to see and know others who struggle with their anxieties and issues get the same feelings from Bo’s music. Keep up the great work buddy.
As someone that suffers from severe anxiety and depression this is a song I come back to often. It reminds me, through all the silliness, that I'm not alone. Other people have these issues and if they can survive, so can I.
That last bit of the Kanye Rant always hits so close to home for me. I have been severly depressed for years to the point of a Hospital Stay but in my Friend Group but in my Friend Group i am the one that makes everyone laugh and I instantlly connect with people thru Humor. He just stabbed a fucking Knife in my Heart the first time i heard that song
i appreciate you watching the finale in context with the rest of the show. the impact is much harder when you get the monologue before and then followed by the closing song. it's a perfect medley
When I watched INSIDE for the 1st time it had been a while since I’d seen Make Happy and now that I put the 2 endings together INSIDES ending is so much deeper. Both specials end with Bo in this room with sunlight coming through the door. In Make Happy he walks out into the sunshine to be with the people he loves and it even seems he’s becomes happy. With INSIDE however he exits the room likely hoping for the same result he got 5 years ago, for things to get better maybe even have a happy ending, until the sun goes out and the stage light comes on. He may be out, but he is not happy.
WOW, dude, this was your best reaction by far, I have seen "Can't Handle This" a billion times before and yet still I cried right along with you, that was Epic man. I love this act so much, it's truly one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. it's pure magical genius... he worked on this show for 3 years, if that's not dedication for his craft, I don't know what is, it's epic You were absolutely spot on with your analyses as watched this, Bo is obviously a great entertainer, performer, singer piano player, artist, but even beyond all that, he is a great educator as well, yes I am sure his performances go over the heads of many people in this world for various reasons, but what Bo does is makes everyone think on much deeper level than what humanity is largely lacking of these days for many reasons as well. but that's another story for another day, I could literally go on for days on some of the reason why this is but for now, I'll spare ya of all that. What Bo is experiencing here and what he is expressing so well is also known as Duality, Bo touch's on this a bit in his Act "Right Brain Left Brain" it's the war within, the thing is, we all experience this, however, on Bo's level as a performer, this duality war is magnified 1000 fold and this can be quite destructive to ones health. there is another word that describe describe this human condition, it's a Hopi Indian word (Koyaanisqatsi) which means "Life out of Balance" There is a lot to unpack with all this and I could go on and on and on for days, weeks even months about all this and what are some of the major social constructs that both build us up and at the same time, keep us down, their are many forces all around us, some known and some that remain invisible to some people that direct or dictate how humanity behaves. Anyway, thank you so much for this reaction, awesome job, really heart felt and real and we can't ask any more than that. You have a very kind soul and kinder heart. Peace.
I think the "Thank you, good night, I hope you're happy" line is a throwback to "And watch as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself", he was talking about happiness
Thanks for this bud, with the amount of react videos I've watched on this song, you are the only one to actually let the emotional weight of it sink into them on camera, like we all did when we watched it the first time. Also something I only just noticed on your watching, at 27:11 of your video, when Bo drops the book onto his piano at home, all of the applause and cheering cuts off. I never noticed it before but that seems to indicate once he puts down his book (i presume of notes/queues for the performance) the show is done and he's out of that moment. and then " Oh good, it's just us". Him then leaving the room "going towards the light" as it were, out to his partner and their dogs, that's where he gets his happy from.
This is the appropriate reaction to Bo. Not just laugh, not just intelligent and/or abstract analysis, but all the above plus deep emotional introspection. He's more than a comedian or entertainer. He's unmatched. Adoring Bo is to crave more content from him but simultaneously to not want him to create any because of what it takes out of him. He's the performer of our generation.
Edit: I wrote the comment below before he broke it down. Now I'm watching you sit there with tears down your face. Thank you for being vulnerable and expressing empathy. It makes your reaction very sincere. Love the attention to detail. Your reactions to Bo's work have been by far the best on the internet. Look forward to where you go next. - There are still a bunch of good songs on the What special too that are kind of like prequels to how Bo feels about fame, celebrity and his own anxiety (Art is Dead, Left Brain Right Brain, We Think we Know You) - You could go onto something like Tim Minchin, who is also a musical comedian. Tim's stuff is less more funny and less introspective or open to interpretation, but it is funny and does spark debate, especially his stuff about the Church
I feel like bo feels like everyone hears him without ever actually hearing what hes saying. I’m glad that people after inside are finally taking the time to dig a bit deeper into him and not just the surface shit. Thanks for crying. Bc i cry and idk if i could put that online.. idk. This shit hurts me. When i watched it years ago on Netflix when it was first released i had been a bo fan for YEARS and when i saw this perfomance. Kanye rant. I was in shock ready to cry and when he did that last yell i could tell he was likely having a panic attack ( i have them i get it) and when he yelled that last time i just started SOBBING! And it didnt stop till credits ran after are you happy? Which i cried during too well was already crying.. anyway thanks for putting your emotions out there. Great reaction and also thank you for actually watching the special. Theyre a special for a reason.. its a set, its his act… not just singles
This is the best reaction to this piece I’ve seen. So many other reactors just don’t get it, or they say “oh dang that’s deep, I heard he had panic attacks or something” and move on. But you actually heard him, heard what he was trying to say- and it clearly impacted you. The fact that you actually showed emotion and vulnerability on camera already set you apart from other reactors, but the way you really dig in and dissect and speculate and “get” it is just beautiful. I’m gonna go binge your other reactions now, brb ❤️
3 time Emmy award winner Bo Burnham and he is up for more in the primetime awards when they air :) - If Burnham wins just one more award on Sept. 19, he will join a very small group of people who have received four Emmys in one year. Only three other people have reached this impressive achievement before. He also could be nominated for a Grammy because of how well his music did from Inside.
I was so angry Hamilton won. Bo made the definitive piece of pandemic art, and did it by himself, and look…I like Hamilton. But apparently the 2021 Emmy for best variety special should be given to a stage musical from 2015.
@@hopsonkim4952 Yep, it makes me mad that the original content is the same as 2015's release, but the re-recorded it for tv/movie/streaming service on Disney+ for a 2020/2021 release. It makes me really mad as well. When they read the names on the Emmys, people only really truly cheered for Bo's nomination reading ... O_O
I have watched dozens of reactions to cant handle this, and this is hands down the realest most genuine i have seen. Super intelligent break down. Subbed
"Now we're all the same" while the stage lights are turned off and the common lights are turned on to show everyone. One of the lines that stuck to me ever since watching Make Happy. It's a very humanizing moment.
It's finally here! The finale to Make Happy.
I really tried to get this one through without any text on the video hoping it wouldn't get blocked, but I just couldn't get around it. Must just be because I included the bit before and the ending song as well. I hope you're happy 🙂
Reaction starts at 0:27
I like how you said pitching the vocals up and down at that one part made them sound more vulnerable vs darker (rather than just positive vs negative as most people say).
I’ve heard in interviews that the final line definitely has both meanings behind it: I genuinely hope you’re happy, and also, I hope you’re fucking happy.
You're right. Just as he alluded to during All Eyes On Me, he was having a panic attack during Can't Handle This. Hence the last scream and his facial expressions. Supposedly he cried for two hours after he went backstage.
It was great watching this with ya. It’s powerful stuff
At least if you decide to do What you won't need to avoid copyright (I think so)
I think the idea behind the happiness scale in Are You Happy is that it changes. It starts at 1-0, that's the scale. 1 is the happiest you can be and 0 is the lowest. Then he gets a bit happier and reaches 1, but rather than being happy the scale just changes from 1-2. I like the idea that everything you reach the goal you thought would make you happy, you realise you're not fully happy yet. It's a never-ending cycle.
"I can sit here and pretend that my biggest problems are pringle cans..."
Me who's watched dozens of people react to this: Ah shit here we go again
Right?!? Like why am I doing this to myself???
Lmao ikr. Just craving people’s reaction to the shift in the lyrics here and the deep stuff in general.
Hearing this for the first time *wrecked* me. Now I live vicariously through other people being absolutely wrecked by "Come and watch the skinny kid with the steadily declining mental health and laugh as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself".
@@Black-Swan-007 Honestly, the most heartbreaking part of the song for me is the couple lines he has where he says shit straight to their faces and it goes over their heads, the "look at them staring at me", "I should just shut up and do my job" or "tell them anything make it funny make it rhyme, and if they don't get it then run it back one more time"
@@niero4201 and then they do exactly as he says and laugh at the funny shit right after
The fact that he has spoken to how he cried for hours after this performance, gave up standup for 5 years, and all the other enlightened conversations he’s had about fame and mental health make Bo distinctly one of a kind. Great reactions!
I believe this was (one of) the performance he was going through a panic attack. An absolutely beautiful soul
@@janelle9753 Well... it was the last thing he did before he went on a break for 5 years sooo
Yeah, that mic drop was literally a mic drop. It was the last performance live. And he just leaves the stage and never came back. That's rough. Makes "I swore I'd never be back but now I'm back on my feet" even deeper. And the bit before where he says "do not stick with me if I stop entraining you" knowing full well he was quitting after this show.
"Because my empathy is bumming me out"
@@janelle9753 If I remember correctly, the special is a mix of two performances. He said he had a panic attack performing the song at the first of the two performances, but felt calmer during the second, which is the one we see here. I'm pretty sure he said that in his interview with Vulture from 2018.
The "I hope you're happy" at the end always gives me chills and hits so hard. The double meaning of a genuine wishing the audience is happy and the sarcastic "I hope you're happy." Man, so sadly beautiful.
There's also a bit of an echo to what.'s Left Brain/Right Brain: "I hope you're happy, because he's sure not." It just makes it hurt all the harder.
And it's a scale from 1 to 0, or a scale from 1 to 2. That's either yes or no. There's no degrees. It's so bleak. But at the same time, hits the point that happiness is a fleeting, temperamental thing. You can be happy one moment, unhappy the next. "This too shall pass."
@@AllTheArtsy I also take it as if you're happy you're at a 1 but later when he asks he says "If you know or ever knew how to be happy" and then asks from a scale from 1 to 2,meaning 1-0 isn't enough. How if you're always happy you need more and more to notice that you're happy. Otherwise you feel unsatisfied.
@@ikanami like a drug.
I know, right?
I watched him do this live and I fucking lost my composure when he hit the "What he cannot give himself" line, and every time I see someone else react to it for the first time, I'm taken right back to that moment. One of the most gut-punching lines I've ever heard a person speak.
Holy shit I can’t imagine watching this live
I can’t even imagine what that experience was like.
+pats the vague area around you without contact+ I understand.... And I'm sorry.
I know how much that line broke me just watching the video… I can’t imagine how utterly ruined I would be experiencing that live.
Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to actually show your emotions and upload a video of you getting emotional. I have mad respect for that
I was about to say the same thing, but probably worded much worse.
So real, you are a real stand up guy Ted Bundy
Rick and Morty, rick and morty. Rick and Morty. Rick rick rick rick rick rick rick rick
Exactly!!
@@ian-kr8kc thats such a funny sentence lol
The line about his steadily declining mental health has always felt like a knife to the heart. It remains to this day one of the most unexpectedly brutal song lyrics I've heard. And seeing the tears in your eyes as it hit you? One of the best most honest and empathic reactions I've seen to this masterpiece of a song.
I was in awe of this finale, and then he dropped the line about trying to give the people what he can't give himself. My heart absolutely broke.
That last line gives me chills every time. The beautiful double meaning of "I hope you're happy even if I can't be" but also "look what you've done to me, I hope you're happy"
After Inside, I can't watch this without becoming emotional
Word! I always got a bit emotional hearing this song, but now with the added context of Inside it hits the same but also differently, like, oof man...
Exactly
I love the "on a scale from 1 to 0" that changes to a "1 to 2 now" part at the end. No one is ever happy. Because once you get out of complete despair, the 0, suddenly the scale shifts and you see 2 as happiness, and the 1 is no longer good enough.
Bro...
I’ve always really loved how that line has two possible, disparate implications which are ostensibly incompatible: the more “pessimistic” version that you mention, where the relative nature of happiness is invoked to illustrate that it will always be transient & fleeting; and the more “optimistic” version, where that same relative nature is invoked to illustrate the effect of adopting a positive mindset (i.e. the “glass half full” effect). In reality, both are true - which I think does a wonderful job of demonstrating the overall absurdity of life.
inner peace and contentment is what I seek because happiness is a luxury, just being able to live content is enough for me
The best thing about your reactions is how much you obviously **get it** I hope you continue with Bo’s stuff. It’s not any less intelligent and amazing the further back you go☺️
PS. Our boy won 3 Emmy’s this week🙌🏻♥️😭
Eh some of his earlier stuff is kinda bad what is mostly good tho
It... kinda can be tho. I love him, but "I'm Bo Yo" doesn't really have the depth of really any of INSIDE's songs.
I didn’t mean that every song he’s ever done is equally deep and intelligent. I meant that a lot of his older stuff is still very intelligent and good (although in a different way than Inside, of course).
@@Blarglesnarfe the thing about his old old stuff (think: New Math, I’m Bo Yo, etc) is that, despite being obviously not ‘deep’, the wordplay is top-notch and his intelligence is still very much apparent.
@@victoriac4317 right but that’s not the magic of bo really. The LAST song of What then going forward is where Bo hit his stride, which isn’t surprising bc that’s when he was a real adult (over 25, that’s when your brain stops developing.) He started making art that he appreciates and dislikes his work from that time! Any reaction to older work would really need to be a call out alongside a reaction
I really just appreciate that you can show emotion on camera.
A simple "thumb up" doesn't seem enough to convey how good your reaction was and how above other reaction channels your fairly recent one already is. I've only been listening to the rant when watching reactions to it but only yours has made me cry again. It's so refreshing to see a combination of insightfulness and emotion knowing how to appreciate an uncommon performance. I don't have that much relevant to add so a "thank you" will have to do.
I know that reaction channels can have a bad rep, being seen as the low-hanging fruit, an effortless way of putting content out there but it's not what you're doing and I hope you keep at it because you're too good to waste that ability. 😉 I've been watching you since the very beginning and I intend to continue supporting the channel for as long as you keep reacting to meaningful content.
Aww. Totally agree. Very well put.
@@gunjin4145 ☺️
100% agree
I was going to comment, but you echoed pretty much everything I was going to say. Entirely agree.
There are so many "reaction" channels now, and most, as far as I can tell appear to be just jumping on a popular bandwagon as an easy money-making option, which reflects on their "reactions". This reaction was a breath of fresh air in that respect. So beautifully honest.
@@stupidiocy Indeed! Chris's channel is the reaction content that was missing. 🙂
The "weird jarring shot" is intentional to demonstrate what it's like having an audience
Yes. Everything about Bo is intentional during his shows. He puts so much effort into every nuance.
Cant Handle This is literally my favorite Bo song, and that's saying a lot because he has so many amazing songs.
Everytime someone brings up "shut up Bo said it was just a joke," I have to think: "do you seriously not know that 2 things can be both true at once?"
Of course it's a joke. It's a comedy special. But of course it also means something deeper. It's a comedy special.
If someone asks you point-blank and tells you that they "changed how they saw comedy" based on your work, will you not be tempted to deflect? To self-deprecate? To brush it off and laugh it off? It's too much. It's too sincere. Too self-serving. Too earnest.
Of course he said it was just a joke. Of course it also means something deeper.
And just because the creator did not perhaps intent their work to mean something deeper, doesn’t mean the audience can find new meanings in it.
@@idkhbtfmandnowimsad994 exactly! That's why it's not just comedy, it's a performance, it's art. He created art and we get to see ourselves in it and to analyze it and to find meaning in it besides the obvious or the intended. And I don't understand people that don't like to see others do that... Like why does it upset you that I find meaning in stuff. If you just wanna laugh go for it that's cool
People downplaying it’s meaning are also just willfully ignorant too. Bo literally says in the song “you can tell them anything if you just make it funny and make it rhyme, and if they still don’t understand then you run it one more time.”
He’s too insecure and humble as a person to accept such ridiculous amounts of credit for his genius. Of course he’s gonna say they were “just jokes.” Doesn’t mean they were. Everything in Bo’s sets are meticulously set up a specific way for a specific reason. Everything plays an important part.
@@idkhbtfmandnowimsad994 You can find meaning in it, but to assert that THAT is the meaning is false.
The other part of always saying it's just a joke or that it is never a metaphor means he doesn't have to talk about it. He can say what he wants to say on stage.
It's on his terms only.
The part you cry made me cry too man, as much as I tried to keep my shit together that part hits me hard asf that I just couldn't hold it. "Attempts to give you something he cannot give himself" is by far the saddest line I've ever heard. That's where I truly lost it. He is a rare gem this earth doesn't deserve.
A month in the making waiting for this moment. I thought with starting at Inside it was gunna hit at All Eyes On Me, but this is what I realize I was truly here for. Can't Handle This blew me away years ago and it still hits the same.
Glad to see someone watch through these specials in this order. Something about knowing what comes of him and coming back to this hits on a whole different level.
Been here since day 1 of your Bo journey and look forward to everything else you set out to do here. Been one of the few people to absolutely hit Bo's content nail on the head.
I openly bawled when I saw Can't Handle This. My family got tired of hearing me play it and sing it idly throughout the day. This one HITS. (The after song is just a twist of the knife and I have no dignity to retain by that point so more tears, obvi)
"Diane, he's singing about burritos while wearing Pringles cans as gloves again."
My husband called me today on his way home from work. I greeted him with a, "Pringles, just make 'em wider."
Me, EVERY time I watch this, openly weeping: WHY ARE THEY LAUGHING?!
Bo himself has said none of the metaphors were intended, but he also hates talking about his deepest messages in interview, so I tend to think he wouldn't admit it even if they were intended. But art is all about how it speaks to others. And the fact you got the exact same metaphorical meaning that I did makes me think it's intended.
It may not be intended, but these examples definitely are too connected to be totally random. If not intended consciously, then definitely subliminally.
@@henrytawnn8694 god you sound so pretentious
@@fofnifolar It's about a burrito.
Its hard to say they were not intentional when he specially picked those things cause he wanted to use those lyrics in the second part of the song
@@henrytawnn8694 Man he's just talking about a burrito
"Oh god, this is gonna be rough, isn't it?"
Mhm, yes it is. When you realise this was his last performance before he walked away for 5 years, it has way more impact. He's not lying when he's singing about himself.
Bo uses voice effects when he wants to hide his true feelings and almost adds childishness to it, and All eyes on me is the same in that respect. It's the screams at the end of this performance of this that nail me hard every time.
18:57 oh yeah, that's the emotional oof we were waiting for
this.
For once.... I got my wish to see someone GET it, and I've never felt more miserable
The moment a lot of people have been waiting for, this is going to be a tough one to go through all over again. Thanks for upping the volume on your vids btw, much better!
Edit: Yup, still hits right in the feels like a truck. I'm glad you also noticed the screams he made didn't seem very scripted, I haven't dug deep in the special to find out if they were but towards the end it did actually feel like he may have been having a panic attack, even if just a small one.
Not sure where I read it, but Bo himself said that he was having a panic attack during this song.. Makes it even that much harder to watch this.
I’ve seen bootleg versions of this tour and this song. In the other version the screams are more melodic with the music. He got there with the first scream but the last two were just guttural actual screams.
Brian Huckee, I came here to say exactly that.
This tour was the year following Robin Williams death. This gives the feeling of watching someone fight the same demons. I have suffered from depression most of my adult life, and the loneliness is one of the hardest parts. This feels like he is combating that by sharing it with his audience. I still cry every time I watch this, partially due to it hitting too close to home, partially out of pure empathy. It's hard watching another human suffer like this
Same. You're understood and seen, love. We get it.
I’ve seen some really good analyses about “Can’t Handle This” which are very similar to what you said. It does work kind of perfectly because he starts singing about burritos again after the emotional part. You would think that it’s organized that way to make the audience realize the metaphor in the lyrics. But in an interview, Bo said that he saw a lot of people trying to analyze that bit and that maybe subconsciously it means something, but he just meant for it to be silly and can’t give himself THAT much credit lol
The addition to that is that if the burrito is really a profound and deep metaphor, then it lessens the meaning of the “I’m just going to shut up and do my job, and sing about trivial nonsense, so you can all feel good and get your 'wooo's in; you probably weren't even paying attention to this thing I just said here, anyway” moment.
The content of the following section needs to be trivial in order to make that point (and boy does it work... with the cheering over the backlight and the refrain).
He may have not planned for it, it just fits too perfectly for it not to mean anything, you know?
@@GodKnowsWhatIsInHere It doesn’t “fit perfectly,” though; it directly conflicts with the themes of the song, for the reasons explained above.
@@amy_grace I think this song would be better if the burrito and pringles can had meaning because to me it goes on way to long with no real payoff. Still a good song and the ending is amazing but if the beginning had meaning or was shorter it would be better
I don't think it contradicts the meaning at all. At one point, he says "you can tell them anything if you make it funny, make it rhyme," so I think the interpretation that he's using comedy and silly metaphors as a vehicle for his more serious ideas still works.
When I first watched this special (the week it came out), I took "Are You Happy" as a "goodbye" kinda message. Not like the dong Goodbye, but like bo literally saying goodbye to us. I remember telling my dad that I thought he might be done with comedy.
The message of the song, him walking out to reveal his home, wife, kid - his life. It was like he was asking us to just let him live it. I was sad at the time to see him go, but I was genuinely happy for him. I felt like he was letting us in on something he didn't have to and was doing somethign really good.......
Then INSIDE came out....
Bo: Metaphors are just part of the theatrics.
People who disagree: We think we know you.
I need to see chris react to we think we know you. what a banger
He controlled EVERYTHING on stage.... Story telling, Scene placement, Script, Song writing, Auto-tune, I believe he is even controlling the lighting... Dude is amazing....
Edit: I've seen this maybe 20 times... I tear up every time knowing what I know about Bo. You got a new sub brother, Great GENUINE reaction!
23:45 as a guy who's always told how funny he is by family and coworkers, i believe that to be very true. I deal with depression and anxiety as well so i know what it feels like to be so down and feel so hopeless.
I wouldn't wish depression or such heavy sadness on anyone. So I personally strive to make others smile and laugh every day i'm here. So they can enjoy something. I love to share laughs with others.
Comedy really helps to laugh through it all
He does have foot pedals for the autotune and any other audio tricks he usually has the pedals. He used them in Inside as well.
Edit: I always start crying at the same exact point that you did when I listen to this song. It's haunting every time.
I got CHILLS when he walked into that room at the end, I instantly recognized it from Inside and I gasped! I watched the first minute of inside after this scene and it made me cry, like he ended Make Happy going out of the room being seemingly happy but started Inside going back into the room and we watch him spiral into depression. Also i'm glad i'm not the only person who had an emotional reaction to this song, i'm sure those of us who suffer from panic attacks and anxiety relate heavily to Bo's work. Side note your reaction videos are awesome!
Finally someone who gets it. I can't describe how relieving it is to watch a bo burnham reaction without 90% of it going over the rector's head. I love that you emotionally got it too - f**kin kudos, man ❤️
So weird seeing someone who actually gets it, yeah?
Honestly, as someone who's been writing for over half their life, I can say for absolute certainty that there are artists out there who sincerely believe that if they're happy or content in their personal lives that they can't be properly creative. Whether they consciously realized it or not, they'd go out of their way to make bad choices that they knew would only wind up hurting them.
I remember watching this show when it originally came out and I could feel that those last two songs were a goodbye, even though he didn't come out and say at the time 'hey, I can't take this shit anymore, I fucking quit' to the press or anything - and watching it now, after Inside, it *especially* feels like a goodbye. "On a scale from one to zero, are you happy? 'Cause you're on your own from here, so - are you happy?" Basically saying - you're on your own now, because I'm done, I'm leaving, so I hope this did everything you needed it to, because this is all I've got left.
The thing that kills me about Bo is that I think he honestly feels like he could have done more with his life than what he's doing. He's a very brilliant guy and could have gotten a full ride to Stanford or some other Ivy League school if he wanted it, but he did the music thing instead and I get the feeling that he thinks he could have helped more people by doing something more 'respectable' like a doctor or a lawyer or something, but - fuckin', everybody needs to laugh. And he's got such a gift for it - like, writing a good song is *hard* and writing a good comedy song is even harder but writing a good comedy song that's catchy as fuck but also very emotionally vulnerable and raw while *still being funny* is... well, let's just say there's a reason why Bo is such a standout - because basically nobody else can do exactly what he does.
There's actually even deeper lore you can find in his special that came before Make Happy, called what. Definitely a good next stop on the Burnham Express! Awesome reaction as always, Chris! :D
Fun fact on the Ivy League point! He got into Harvard and was committed to go to an experimental theater program at NYU before he decided to go into comedy full time instead of college!
I love that line, "One a scale from one to zero, are you happy? because for me, happiness is almost always binary. I am either happy or not so it's zero or one. The struggle for me is realizing that happiness and every other emotion can be felt at different levels and simultaneously. It's not binary.
I love your dissection of this
There’s an interview he did where he talks about for this tour he wanted all of the shows on it to be this level of a production and that was kind of the benefit of being this level of famous because it meant he could book venues that had the equipment to run the show.
Iirc he said this was like a year worth of planning
It definitely shows! Appreciate that bit of info :)
I regularly come back to re-watch this video. Your reaction is so pure. In a weird way I find it cathartic to share it with you. Those same feelings we both, we all have.
100% same
Great reaction, I remember the first time I saw this it felt like such a gut punch. There’s interviews (search Bo Burnham anxiety there’s a few) where he talks about his panic attacks and how well he was able to hide them and how he would have an out of body experience. I’m not sure if he was having one during this performance (but there are live videos where you can clearly see him having one) but he did say in an interview that he walked offstage after this and broke down sobbing.
I think his strength is his ability to convey honesty through his *performance* of honesty. He’s able to I think be MORE vulnerable because he’s being deliberate about what he shows. With all of his stuff I think it’s not that he’s not being honest I just think there’s a level of performance to it that is important.
And this was the last time we saw him perform until Inside.
My panic attacks are like his, where you dissociate and feel like you're separated from your body. For something this rehearsed it was probably easier for him to perform it while seemingly holding it together and fall apart when he got backstage. With the dissociative panic attacks they can be hard to clock unless you know the persons tells
Im so glad we can understand this song after watching Inside and not after him killing himself.
In my opinion, there are two kinds of good reactions. Some reactors are just generally really good at the genre because they are both fairly expressive and analytical. Additionally, some reactors, regardless of whether they’re generally good or bad at reacting, pair especially well with certain artists simply because that artist resonates with them in a way that organically and perfectly captures the beauty the artist’s fans experience with that artist. Both of these descriptions apply to you, and that’s what makes this the absolute best reaction to this song for me. And I’m ashamed to admit: I’ve seen countless. Thank you for sharing.
The silhouette dance always reminds me of a line from another of Bo's songs where he's like "DANCE MONKEY DANCE" and it just makes it that much sadder. That that's how he thinks the audience sees him as this dancing monkey and his being vulnerable isn't what they really want, they just want him to dance.
That moment when Inside opens everyone's eyes to how incredible Bo is... when you've been crying to this song for 5 years...
The little "oh no" at 18:07 is so relatable. The moment in a bo burnham song where you realise you're about to get your heart squeezed
You killed this reaction. Been waiting for someone to hear it the way I did. Thank you
Your reactions to Bo’s content are, by absolutely no small margin, the best on the platform. Your skills of perception and genuine interest in the subject matter keeps me coming back. Thanks for all of your work and I look forward to seeing more from your channel.
The way I've always seen the whole "On a scale from one to zero, are you happy?" question is that at first he's asking it like it's a binary choice; you're either completely happy or you're not. You can't possibly be happy if you are at all unhappy.
The second time, with "On a scale from one to two now, are you happy?" being asked, you acknowledge that there is a baseline of happiness. It's not always happy-happy, but it's something. If you were truly un-happy with *everything* in your life, you wouldn't be here, or you'd need serious, professional help. So are you happy (the happy you are when nothing is really happening), or are you happier (a little better than how you normally are)?
It's a small change, but just from being able to go from "on or off" to "something or something more" is all people need sometimes to keep from ending it all. Because yeah, there'll be times where you're not going to be happy about things. There'll be times where you are going through your own hell, and nothing will seem right, and everything will seem like it's shit because the world is falling apart and your life sucks. *But* is there at least *ONE* thing in your life you can still find joy in? Can still find meaning in? And can you build off of that?
That's what the difference between "On a scale from one to zero, are you happy?" and "On a scale from one to two now, are you happy?" is for me. It's being able to go from "a sense that happiness is either completely on or completely off" to "there's always something to be happy for, and maybe you can work with that and make a little more happiness while you're here".
Interesting take with the binary scale. I've always heard it as a regressive scale instead. He's balancing between barely happy and not happy at all. And through the song there was an improvement, where at the top he is twice as happy, and his lows had increased from not happy to somewhat happy. But even at the top, it still scored only a 2, its better, but nowhere near satisfactory. I like your interpretation too! Going to have to listen to it again now with that in mind, there always seems to be more to hear and more to consider with his songs.
I've been a Bo fan for years so I've seen this special a long time ago, but I recently just started watching these reacts and it's incredible how quickly he can make people go from laughing to crying. In my opinion that's what "art" is supposed to do and he is a genius.
You saying “….I’m happy, I enjoyed it” was very pure
Chris, I appreciate you crying. I thought I was the only guy this brought to tears. I've never watched this without crying. I can't even think about it without choking up. So thanks.
Emotions aren't gender coded.... I'm sorry you got hurt, I'm sorry anyone got hurt.... But, it's a connection. I wish it was okay to just hold hands, to commiserate, to offer a small squeeze of comfort... I hope you're better. I hope you found a way to cope. I hope we can someday.... Be happy
On a scale of 1 to 0, this reaction was a 10 for me. Interpret that as you will. Thanks for giving me something extra to look forward too every day!
When he says "needs" he turns towards the crowed, and when he says "Hates you" he turns away from the crowed. That os what realy got me. The positive thing he turn to the crowed, and the negative he turn away from them.
"This is gonna be tough isn't it?"
Me: he he he he buckle up buddy
Dude, you didn't say a word at the end there but that was, without a doubt, the single most visceral reaction to this song I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them, earned my sub and respect ten fold man...whoa...
My thoughts exactly! The purity of your response is on a different level from others. I said it out loud "wow he gets it!". I am now a fan.
You are definitely better at interpreting metaphors than pretty much anyone else I've seen. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Holy shit man. You pointed out a lot of small details I never even noticed about Can’t Handle This, and I really try to pay attention to his music. Like the silhouette thing. I just really appreciate how much you really think about his music, and the other aspects of his show. I relate to it, I guess. His music means a lot to me and I wish more people would be as introspective and thoughtful and well-meaning as he is. The world would be a better place.
I’m in class doing research on Bo Burnham and I’m on the edge of crying when he said “come and watch the skinny kid with a steadily declining mental health and laugh as he attempts to give you what he can’t give himself” BROOOO HE’S SO AMAZING
We're here for ya, love
I totally get teared up during parts of this too. Reminds me of another great line from Bo - “My empathy is really bumming me out”
i love how easily you show your emotion on camera, makes me feel like i’m not alone, one of the best reaction channels out there for sure, take my word on it🖤
The fact that you immediately connected this to all eyes on me is wild.
The silhouette shot could also look like he's giving the audience his POV of nothing but a dark crowd in front of him. The empty feeling was a great point as well.
"I hope you're happy" was almost his way of saying "at least YOU'RE happy. Maybe then, the suffering was worth it."
Whenever I start to feel that I'm absolutely alone in this world, I find myself gravitating back to Bo Burnham content. Specifically the Can't Handle This rant video and the All Eyes on Me video. I've always been a notorious song-repeater, but these two songs are the record holder for most played in my 31 years of life.
About a year ago, I scrolled though the comments underneath Can't Handle This for the first time ever.
Let's just say, I suddenly didn't feel so absolutely alone anymore.
This was my first time watching a reaction video of any of Bo's content. Thank you for being comfortable enough and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. So much respect for you and this community of like minded human beans ♡
If I ever meet Bo Burnham, I want to hug him. Not just to praise his work, not to get a hug from him, but to give him one.
Fuck. I'm so surprisingly pleased with your reactions, mate. Out of all the reactions I've seen of Bo's performances, you've been the one who gets him the most, the one who really understands what he's saying.
18:37 This is the visual representation of me watching this for so many times but still readying myself cause I know I'll still cry throughout the performance. This is the most genuine reaction I've seen for this song. ✨
I’ve showed so many friends this performance and none of them understood it the way you did. Thank you for this reaction.
I watched this as I discovered myself and I want to thank you for clearly explaining this Chris. Your videos really explain the meaning behind these videos. And if it wasn't for you being this explainer a lot of people would have this over their heads. I discovered myself as being a performer recently for 15 years. I was performer in my life. And it was hard for me to get out of performance mode
ah man I miss the channel. some of the best reactions out there, very consice, respectful and thorough. really enjoyed all the videos, keep getting back to them
Thank you for this. I watch so many reactions of this to see if anyone got hit as hard as I did, and it was always difficult seeing people laughing through it.
I always thought of "tilting the Pringles can" part was a metaphor for you try your hardest and "Life" hits you in the face.
The fact that this got you got me too. It's heartbreaking that he went through this and it's genius that he took us along for the ride. Man or woman, you can't help but fall in love with the human inside Bo Burnham. That's his legacy. He reminded us that we are human.
I think you're the first person ive seen to get emotional at 'the part' like me. Subbed. Most of that goes over reactors heads, but you, you get it.
Awesome bro, this video single handedly redeemed the reaction genre for me, which I thought was too far gone but having just found your content its so great to see someone who actually discussed the art and the emotions, and isn’t afraid to show their own. Earnt a new subscriber 👊
plot twist: how he walked at the end is how he normally walks, everything else is all an act hahaha
With the burrito metaphor, you could say he just wanted a little bit of everything all of the time.
It's not a metaphor 😡
@@ThrillhoWiggum you're probably right.
@@Itxturmom He actually said in an interview. It's on TH-cam if you actually care to hear it. It's probably not worth watching though. Or is it🤔
@@ThrillhoWiggum i gotcha. I might look it up later.
@@Itxturmom Please don't. I don't want you to waste your time.
Seriously another great reaction. Make Happy is something my friend always wanted me to watch but I put it off for like 3 years and I became obsessed with Bo. I didn't realize he had taken his hiatus during this time and so I was really disappointed that there wasn't anything new from him. Inside sparked a new desire for Bo's content and I've been insatiably watching anything I can with him in it. I've probably watched like 30 reactions to this song alone and I gotta say yours is easily one of the best. You've got something, I think a level of understanding and empathy that most people don't. Maybe those other people don't know the context like you do going into it but you're personality is so relatable and I'm glad youtube randomly recommended your channel several weeks ago. Anyways thanks for being you and I look forward to your next series.
"hey look ma I made it, are you happy" is such a gut punching line
Man watching you react to Bo is so raw and beautiful. You reacted the same way I think a lot of us did when hearing this for the first time (and many times after). Appreciate you being this candid and open with your reactions because these songs definitely make us vulnerable and hit a note inside us we knew was there but maybe couldn’t put into words. It’s nice to see and know others who struggle with their anxieties and issues get the same feelings from Bo’s music. Keep up the great work buddy.
Yeah man... right there with you as well.
Truly appreciate how genuine and understanding you are.
As someone that suffers from severe anxiety and depression this is a song I come back to often. It reminds me, through all the silliness, that I'm not alone. Other people have these issues and if they can survive, so can I.
I can't be the only one that was like "just let it play, you'll understand in a minute"
Subscribed. You made yourself vulnerable, I cried with you. Thank you for a beautiful reaction
That last bit of the Kanye Rant always hits so close to home for me. I have been severly depressed for years to the point of a Hospital Stay but in my Friend Group but in my Friend Group i am the one that makes everyone laugh and I instantlly connect with people thru Humor. He just stabbed a fucking Knife in my Heart the first time i heard that song
i appreciate you watching the finale in context with the rest of the show. the impact is much harder when you get the monologue before and then followed by the closing song. it's a perfect medley
When I watched INSIDE for the 1st time it had been a while since I’d seen Make Happy and now that I put the 2 endings together INSIDES ending is so much deeper. Both specials end with Bo in this room with sunlight coming through the door. In Make Happy he walks out into the sunshine to be with the people he loves and it even seems he’s becomes happy. With INSIDE however he exits the room likely hoping for the same result he got 5 years ago, for things to get better maybe even have a happy ending, until the sun goes out and the stage light comes on. He may be out, but he is not happy.
WOW, dude, this was your best reaction by far, I have seen "Can't Handle This" a billion times before and yet still I cried right along with you, that was Epic man. I love this act so much, it's truly one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. it's pure magical genius... he worked on this show for 3 years, if that's not dedication for his craft, I don't know what is, it's epic
You were absolutely spot on with your analyses as watched this, Bo is obviously a great entertainer, performer, singer piano player, artist, but even beyond all that, he is a great educator as well, yes I am sure his performances go over the heads of many people in this world for various reasons, but what Bo does is makes everyone think on much deeper level than what humanity is largely lacking of these days for many reasons as well. but that's another story for another day, I could literally go on for days on some of the reason why this is but for now, I'll spare ya of all that.
What Bo is experiencing here and what he is expressing so well is also known as Duality, Bo touch's on this a bit in his Act "Right Brain Left Brain" it's the war within, the thing is, we all experience this, however, on Bo's level as a performer, this duality war is magnified 1000 fold and this can be quite destructive to ones health. there is another word that describe describe this human condition, it's a Hopi Indian word (Koyaanisqatsi) which means "Life out of Balance"
There is a lot to unpack with all this and I could go on and on and on for days, weeks even months about all this and what are some of the major social constructs that both build us up and at the same time, keep us down, their are many forces all around us, some known and some that remain invisible to some people that direct or dictate how humanity behaves.
Anyway, thank you so much for this reaction, awesome job, really heart felt and real and we can't ask any more than that. You have a very kind soul and kinder heart. Peace.
18:07 “oh no” was so real 😭
Been waiting for this!!! Really enjoying your reactions!
Easily one of the most poignant and sincere reactions to this piece. I appreciated how authentic you were with your responses to his work. Subbed 💪🏽
I think the "Thank you, good night, I hope you're happy" line is a throwback to "And watch as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself", he was talking about happiness
Thanks for this bud, with the amount of react videos I've watched on this song, you are the only one to actually let the emotional weight of it sink into them on camera, like we all did when we watched it the first time.
Also something I only just noticed on your watching, at 27:11 of your video, when Bo drops the book onto his piano at home, all of the applause and cheering cuts off. I never noticed it before but that seems to indicate once he puts down his book (i presume of notes/queues for the performance) the show is done and he's out of that moment. and then " Oh good, it's just us".
Him then leaving the room "going towards the light" as it were, out to his partner and their dogs, that's where he gets his happy from.
This is the appropriate reaction to Bo. Not just laugh, not just intelligent and/or abstract analysis, but all the above plus deep emotional introspection. He's more than a comedian or entertainer. He's unmatched. Adoring Bo is to crave more content from him but simultaneously to not want him to create any because of what it takes out of him. He's the performer of our generation.
Hey man, im not used to making comments on TH-cam, but your reaction kinda made me feel this song again, great video man. Cheers from spain
Maybe the Pringle cans is actually a metaphor for how he has the fame and money but is unhappy. Like he has it all but can't quite reach happiness.
Edit: I wrote the comment below before he broke it down. Now I'm watching you sit there with tears down your face. Thank you for being vulnerable and expressing empathy. It makes your reaction very sincere.
Love the attention to detail. Your reactions to Bo's work have been by far the best on the internet. Look forward to where you go next.
- There are still a bunch of good songs on the What special too that are kind of like prequels to how Bo feels about fame, celebrity and his own anxiety (Art is Dead, Left Brain Right Brain, We Think we Know You)
- You could go onto something like Tim Minchin, who is also a musical comedian. Tim's stuff is less more funny and less introspective or open to interpretation, but it is funny and does spark debate, especially his stuff about the Church
I feel like bo feels like everyone hears him without ever actually hearing what hes saying. I’m glad that people after inside are finally taking the time to dig a bit deeper into him and not just the surface shit. Thanks for crying. Bc i cry and idk if i could put that online.. idk. This shit hurts me. When i watched it years ago on Netflix when it was first released i had been a bo fan for YEARS and when i saw this perfomance. Kanye rant. I was in shock ready to cry and when he did that last yell i could tell he was likely having a panic attack ( i have them i get it) and when he yelled that last time i just started SOBBING! And it didnt stop till credits ran after are you happy? Which i cried during too well was already crying.. anyway thanks for putting your emotions out there. Great reaction and also thank you for actually watching the special. Theyre a special for a reason.. its a set, its his act… not just singles
This is the best reaction to this piece I’ve seen. So many other reactors just don’t get it, or they say “oh dang that’s deep, I heard he had panic attacks or something” and move on. But you actually heard him, heard what he was trying to say- and it clearly impacted you. The fact that you actually showed emotion and vulnerability on camera already set you apart from other reactors, but the way you really dig in and dissect and speculate and “get” it is just beautiful. I’m gonna go binge your other reactions now, brb ❤️
18:07 "oh no..."
Me: Ohh yes... you know what's coming
That climax of the Kanye Rant is absolutely perfect. Definitely hits you in the gut for sure.
3 time Emmy award winner Bo Burnham and he is up for more in the primetime awards when they air :) - If Burnham wins just one more award on Sept. 19, he will join a very small group of people who have received four Emmys in one year. Only three other people have reached this impressive achievement before.
He also could be nominated for a Grammy because of how well his music did from Inside.
I was so angry Hamilton won. Bo made the definitive piece of pandemic art, and did it by himself, and look…I like Hamilton.
But apparently the 2021 Emmy for best variety special should be given to a stage musical from 2015.
@@hopsonkim4952 Yep, it makes me mad that the original content is the same as 2015's release, but the re-recorded it for tv/movie/streaming service on Disney+ for a 2020/2021 release. It makes me really mad as well. When they read the names on the Emmys, people only really truly cheered for Bo's nomination reading ... O_O
Man I don't even know how many times I've rewatched these. I really hope you're happy man. Love your work!
I have watched dozens of reactions to cant handle this, and this is hands down the realest most genuine i have seen. Super intelligent break down. Subbed
"Now we're all the same" while the stage lights are turned off and the common lights are turned on to show everyone.
One of the lines that stuck to me ever since watching Make Happy. It's a very humanizing moment.