You know I just watched that new Disney+ short where Loki (voiced by Tom Hiddleston) meets The Simpsons. In the background one of the characters is holding up a sign that says "this is what happens when you let Disney buy both Marvel and Fox." It's poking fun at the corporate giant the way The Simpsons always has, and yet the corporate giant allows it. They're aware of it. They know the public likes to see it. It's like they've monetized our subversion.
Oh fuck, you're right. If they're willingly playing into our collective view of them as the corporate giant, as you put it, because there's really no downside in continuing to do it, since they know we'll eat it up... God help us.
@@FanboyFilms The Matrix was a commentary on society in many ways, and what they depicted has basically just intensified. Matrix 4 coming soon! Tickets please...
@@h4x3l another example is the show The Boys. A show about how if Marvel-esque superheroes actually existed in our world they would be corrupted by profit-driven corporations to the point of them becoming depraved and image-obsessed celebrities. Presented by Amazon
Conan was always great, but at least it was up for debate about 20-25 years ago. Now all the other hosts suck so horribly that Conan just kept doing his thing without a decline and he became the king by default.
@@pigebarn His awkwardness is his charm, for me. What's an example of him being rude? I am sure it's happened, being on the air for thirty years, but I don't think of that as his defining trait.
Well wouldn't it actually be "hammer, meet nail", since we say you hit the nail on the head (meaning the nail's head)? But yours is catchier and I agree. Sorry to be that guy
I'm pretty sure I could listen to Bo Burnham scream and rant passionately about actual, literal cornbread, and I would be MORE than content with my life.
@@BentKneefan I don't know if it's fair to say he hated it, he was incredible at doing the "non-monolouge" or just rambling to Jeff and the audience. I think he had the same disdain for vapid celebrity culture as letterman and he knew that theres much more important things in life to be a part of . I will forever miss Craig, but his intelligence that set him apart is the reason he didn't stick around
Oh my Jesus Christ. I have never heard anyone say this about Stephen Colbert and it is exactly how I feel. I have been so afraid to say it because everyone's like "How can you hate Stephen?" It's not hate, but I thought he was too good to sell out. Disappointed.
Exactly. Admittedly, this was in 2016, before Colbert went 100% overboard with the every-news-story-is-Trump, but Burnham's line about him rings true now more than ever. It's incredibly sad.
I think this is sort of a "who you hang with" thing. Most of my family and some friends loved Colbert and we were all pretty disappointed in the Late Show. It also doesn't help that he and Seth Meyers basically have the same 8-to-13 minute political bits each night for the last however-many years. There were some good TH-cam videos a couple of years back basically examining how, at least early into the Trump days, all of these late night hosts were all basically the same show (other than Conan). I don't remember the details but you can probably find them if you do some digging.
Steven was quite funny the first few months of the Late Show. It was kind of a hybrid of the late night format, and his old sense of humor. But his ratings weren't that great, so he just got more bland and safe until anything that was funny and charming about him got snuffed out. It's tragic how far his comedy has fallen, his show is unwatchable nowadays.
I think Burnham is one of those rare highly intelligent comedians who makes us think just as much as he makes us laugh; a bona fide talented musician and writer first, who does thinking man's comedy better than nearly everyone on Earth. He could lecture at a university. I would pay to hear him drop science on pop culture like this.
He’s so right about the press tours. It’s just manufactured authenticity - every single press tour has at least one “quirky” moment that goes viral, and we’re all told how relatable the celebrity is, then the movie comes out and it’s mediocre at best. Rinse and repeat. I’m so fucking exhausted by it all, especially how insincere it is.
I feel like he said something more important at the beginning: Our culture is all about deconstructing and tearing things down but not replacing them with anything new. It's starting to change but even when someone tries something new and different but it's not PERFECT right away, then people want to tear it down immediately.
I used to thrive on TH-cam and he's right. Viral shit, it's not really homegrown. Used to be random videos of people - now it's corporate sponsored videos backed by production companies, clips from Fallon... It's true. As far as talk shows go - we need another Craig Ferguson-type who can get a fun interview without the formula, or the pandering to tropes.
That's where I feel a bit ambivalent about what he's saying about Colbert here. If you're comparing Colbert now to the biting satire of Colbert Report, then yeah that comes off as flaccid and sad. And his political jokes (even when I'm agreeing with his message, which I often am) have become dull and more rant-y. As an interviewer, I'm a bit more ambivalent. Colbert at his best is incredibly smart (more so than anyone else at their best, even Conan), is probably only topped by Ferguson in terms of being thought-provoking, and is clever/witty enough to rival (but probably not overtake) Conan and Ferguson. But give him a guest that isn't at the right caliber, and he can be VERY flat.
@@ExileOnDaytonStreet But Conan and Ferguson elevate their guests to that level. I have literally never seen an interview fall flat on their shows. Its not the guests job to play to the host and give them material to work with, its the host's job to take what the guest gives them and find the way to turn it into a good interview. Colbert is definitely smart, but his range is also very narrow. He has a few guests that click with him, but for most of them he's just going through the motions. Even worse, occasionally he gets guests that are also REALLY smart, but because he can't expand his attitude and style to accommodate them the interview ends up squandered.
Did he say he and/or Andy would possibly be doing other stuff? Maybe a podcast or something at least. Time will tell. I'll miss them both if they're out of the spotlight for good.
The Colbert Report was a miracle. Best television show and best television performance ever. Given the rate of creativity on that show, it shouldnt have been possible to sustain for ten shows much less the years he kept it going. So as for Colbert, I'd suggest we should all be thankful that show even happened and we got to witness it. Now he does a talk show, just a talk show. He is just himself, and he talks to people who are just themselves. It's exactly what you are doing on this video right now: being interviewed and being yourself.
I agree. Colbert has been doing A+ comedy since even before Strangers With Candy started up in 1999. He was bound to change in some way. We got a solid 15 years of awesome, edgy comedy out of the guy. In the year 2000, there was nobody on television funnier than Colbert on Strangers With Candy, that's my opinion and I'm standing by it. The guy probably wants to play with his kids now and relax and enjoy the finer things. Can't stay edgy forever.
@@slightlycynical1335 want to make yourself sad? Imagine five years ago, what either Stewart or Colbert would have to say if they showed that lab leak clip on their old shows.
@@thegoatchild3545 that made me feel disappointed . Seeing Stewart go for a conspiracy . He used to be the guy that called out all the conspiracy nut jobs . I guess old age truly makes us more conservative and apt to be seduced by conspiracies .
@@TheEvilCheesecake you should live by your user name, theres more evidence of the "conspiracy theory" being true then the fucking lies that the chinese goverment have spun to the world. Jon Stewart just used common sense, you should try it, instead of following the media as if they only speak the truth - like a fucking sheep.
This made me realize that Colbert sold out. Every night he would tear conservatives a new one with excellent satire and now he’s a happy dancing clown who crowd sources insults to use instead of Trump’s name. And I eat it up. He’s unironically interviewing the billionaire who went to space. I’m disappointed.
It's great that people are realizing it. I have a lot of admiration for Jon Stewart for just walking away from the beast. Colbert was so relevant, a key part of comedic political commentary, and decided to get lazy and become a hack with nothing beyond a Trump joke. Seth Meyers is the exact same way. With Trump out of office people are beginning to see these guys don't offer anything of substance any night they are on.
@@BlakeWR81 it's not the host that's the problem; it's the format. I'm not disagreeing with you, hear me out. The "late night show" is antiquated to the days of Johnny Carson, when a celebrity could walk in the room and everyone was automatically enchanted. Our entire culture of entertainment was different, yet we still have the same old show 50 years later because it's safe. I shouldn't be bothered by what Stephen Colbert does with his career, that's his business. However, I do resent that he is so talented, clever, and brilliant, and then chose to do such pigeon-holed, formatted, safe, mainstream CRAP. "Here's a monologue, there's the band, here's the same old lame bit or 'man on the street' gag, here's a comedian, here's a celebrity to shill their latest project, here's a more popular band. Goodnight.". Even Conan O'Brien cannot make that entertaining for me, and I like the guy.
@@EastboundAndDowns I think that when guys like Colbert are "discovered" by the major networks as "the next big thing", the networks have to pay a "pretty penny" to hire them. Because of that, TOO MUCH is at stake! In other words: Because of how much he "costs", he has to, DELIVER in order to make many "mid-demographic people" watch (the most boring people on EARTH!) and he has to feed the celebrity feedback loop to generate money for his "owners" Result: safe, repetitive uncontroversial stuff ... One positive thing though: I liked how he got Evie (his wife) to laugh when it was just the two of them, during the pandemic... it seemed to accidentally make the whole thing more genuine and a bit more original ... for a moment there .. !
@@TheEvilCheesecake i think conan is funnier and has better writing. the celeb interviews seem almost the same, they're a little more personable because i feel like conan lets his guests have some more room to breathe compared to fallon.
What he said about not being able to be discovered in today's landscape hits close. Like we can all agree how much of a genius and genuinely talented Bo is but we probably wouldn't have him if he started a few years later. Makes you wonder how many more incredible amazing geniuses that could make the world a more awesome place will remain undiscovered because of the system.
To be honest, Bo is just a regular guy. A great regular guy, but he's an overachiever. He should not have been world famous under normal circumstances. The bar has to be incredily low to see Bo as a genius.
Strolled through the comments just to find someone pointing out this mega cringe worthy, yes-man host. He sounds just like the people Bo is ranting about.
I love hearing Bo Burnham talk about anything, he's always so insightful and smart, and maybe it's because he's more of an "internet person" than other comedians that are usually more oldschool and whose main habitat is in network television and etc, but he never shies away from certain topics that you barely hear being discussed other than on a surface level. I really admire him for that. (Sorry if my English is bad, it's not my first language)
Yeah he is incredibly clever and insightful, but he’s kind of uses it to be a cynical asshole. He’s just so vitriolic and extreme with the stuff he says
damn Bo has been on YMIW 3x??? I think I only listened to the first one, and that was sort of life changing for me lol. gotta check these other two out. thanks for sharing.
Therein lies the issue with today's society. Anything marketed loses its inherent value. Our own people have marketed themselves! Many without any inherant value to begin with. The world is now run on PR zero substance.
He's absolutely right to "tear down" the Colbert "barn", but I think he's wrong about the "barn" that should have been built instead. I don't think Colbert needed to be a character the rest of his career. The Late Show needed something different than what he's giving it now, but the "caricature of a sycophantic talk show host" schtick would have been a far too limiting. But, like Bo and Pete said, it's harder to build a barn, and it's not like I have any better ideas, so I'm not trying to criticize Bo for the suggestion.
i personally think the sycophantic character would be an example of tearing rather than building. to me a late show that offered some good/interesting commentary was craig ferguson's talkshow. instead of being intimidating and pasive aggresive in the way letterman could be, ferguson was nice and empathetic to the guests, acknowledging their nerves or sometimes the fact that it was /work/ for everyone involved. he often wouldn't allow aguest to casually advertise stuff, he would draw attention to the fact it was an advert. he showed seething contempt toward the advertisors and the production company. idk this probably isnt the barn either. but my main point i think is that often if you parody the dominant culture in a resentful way, the most likely result is the dominant culture more prominenty expressing resentment. ... something along those lines
A different target set of guests would have been his wheelhouse. He's so broadly intelligent that he could translate any expert - author, scientist, politician, etc. - to the popular audience. He has the potential to revive the Cavett style interview.
@@doug12345doug No joke, before I clicked "read more" on your comment, I thought, "Oh yeah. He could have been like the new Cavett." I think you're right on the money.
He's absolutely right. Letterman was great, Fallon is a joke, Colbert on the Colbert Show was fantastic---but his transition to late night host leaves everything to be desired. Such a comedic loss. Conan was and is the best. Conan was smart enough to revamp his show, start a very popular podcast, and continue to innovate and adapt. Kimmel/Colbert/Fallon/Corden are living in the past.
I totally understand what he means with Colbert. I would much rather have him doing the character than on a late show. But the status of the country presently does not allow for that kind of character. The Republicans are already a parody of themselves. What more could he do, ya know? I also enjoy the way he puts a lighter spin a some really heavy stuff that is happening recently. Again, prefer the character, it's just not what at least I need right now, can't speak for others
Colbert sucks and has sucked ever since the character stopped. I don’t blame him for being done with it, but he’s somehow just completely uninteresting otherwise.
@@frostychickenprods yeah but even that sucked. Trump being trump was a joke. And his trump jokes were so goddamn bad too. He got bigger hits bc people are idiots, but its still a part of that pig pile
He's been on you made it weird 3 times, and each of them are probably my favourite Bo conversations. I'm glad he says what he says about colbert being a fall from grace.
i think one thing peter does that goes against the "talk show format" is that he treats his "interviews" as evenhanded conversastions where he does talk about equally as much as his guest and he interrupts them etc.
@@gigi3843 Pete’s show had potential, you have to be a fan of his comedic style and sensibility to finally enjoy it, but not once did I ever see him as the Colbert level hypocrite Bo is talking about here.
Totally understand why Conan is the best. Not only because he is an incredible comedian/host and writer, but also he can find diverse materials for his show in all around, anywhere. From those cultural appropriate remotes, to sketches/ interviews shedding lights on celebrities, animals, his employees, tributes/ promotes people done good work (I almost cried when he tributed Letterman). I find some other talk show hosts funny witty, engaging with audience and rather proper than others (that are turning to the "amusement parks/circuses"), i.e Craig F., Graham Norton, the new face Trevor Noah,... But they have not gotten a range as diverse and consistently entertaining. Also, if you know the fued between him and Jay Leno, his work ethics and how he treats colleagues and staffs in the bussiness are admirable. Yeah, and Colbert, I thought I was the only one to think that. And sometimes he comes out a bit of "cocky" with his guests, idk, to bring some rivalry to the table? Like flex them with knowledge but not really focus with what the guest thinking and bringing to his show.
I think part of the problem's just that celebrities are functionally marketing tools. One of the first things people say when there's a movie is "oh Matt Damon's in it" you know? Like famous actors think people care about them because they're interesting or something, but they're really just a dressed up Mcdonalds hamburger.
Colbert actually did a little bit of what Bo is describing with "Covetton House", but then ended up involving Goop in the bit, the very thing it was meant to satire.
I remember listening to the whole interview years ago. Pete had a like riff about Seinfeld at a vegan restaurant that offered steak and the tag was “You can’t escape the steak!” or something.
You also have to remember that Colbert was lost with the show in 2016. It took him a while to find a better way to make it work. Not as good as Colbert Report, but better.
@@mikko.jokipii no....his show is horrible. I would rather watch Kimmel or Fallon and I'm not watching that crap either. Conan and Ferguson were the best and now we all we have is sterile crap.
@@alphatrion4365 you can have that opinion and you are entitled to that. But my point was the fact that Colbert's "formula" wasn't at all finished back in 2016. What I was trying to say was how he flipped it after the election. He had Donald Trump as the first guest in 2016. Or maybe it was 2015? Can't recall.
The problem with America is that you'll get a whole angry mob together to protect slop merchants like Mcdonald but you won't lift a finger to make sure your burger chefs can stay healthy enough to show up for work for twelve hours.
Craig ruled, his interviews didn’t always feel like interviews and the bits he’d do with his bisexual robot skeleton Geoff Peterson were legit funny (mainly because they’d never rehearse).
Norm, on Letterman, said it best: Letterman is in on the joke The studio audience is in on the joke The audience at home is in on the joke The guest IS the joke
Bo makes a lot of points that are definitely still true. However, unlike 2016, the main trending videos are not late night shows. It was just a very ‘of its time’ comment
@@jfdd43 Tiktok wasn't around yet. But it's kind of the equivalent of the thing he talked about with celebrities. "Oh look someone gorgeous is doing something I do, that's so relatable omg"
Is Pete Homes the guy who won't let his really interesting guest talk for more than 30 seconds without trying to steal the mic back? Because I don't want to hear him interview anyone ever again after this clip.
@@TheEvilCheesecake I’m sorry I thought podcasts were supposed to be conversations, not monologues. I live both of these comedians but Bo has just as much trouble letting Pete talk as Pete has listening quietly.
Totally agree with bo and also love Conan. My only devils advocate response however would be, how do you create something so meaningful and fill an hours worth of content five days a week? Using Bo's food example, you know what you're getting with fast food, you don't go to McDonald's and complain its not 5 star quality. These shows all feel the same way to me. There's a reason John Oliver wins more awards and he only does a fraction of the shows. Time, effort and quality can all go up when you don't have to just pump out 10000 sandwiches a day.
Can totally do it daily with a room full of writers. Its what they arent allowed to say. Anything truly funny is subversive/offensive. NBC is having none of that.
@@donganger4936 it was already done. he had the grace to recognize that no one should have to play the same character their whole career, but then proceeds to say he should have remained a one trick pony playing a slightly different character in a barely altered context? uncharacteristically weak take from Bo. he's right that Colbert Report Stephen was the best Stephen, and he's right that late show Stephen isn't very funny very often, but the reason has nothing to do with his decision to treat his guests like human beings. he could have been funny while practicing civility by and large, and occasionally sincerity, instead of making the show anothet extended exercise in irony like our civilization is lacking for those.
@@jedinxf7 the Colbert report was wildly entertaining and some of the smartest political satire ever, his late night show is just.. another boring late night show.
@@donganger4936 yup. and we didn't need another one of those. probably what Stephen should have done is more like John Oliver's show. but that exists now
The problem is we're too sensitive now, and network talk shows have to appeal to the biggest audience possible. So they appeal to no one. Still love me some Conan though.
He's so right about Colbert. So, so right.. he was one of the comedic geniuses of the Colbert Report era and no one could crack him. He just destroyed. Then he switched networks, dropped the whole schtick and now occupies some... hum drum talking head? Idk
Not the rant I expected. I just think late night talk shows are inherently dull and irritating, always have. I thought most people felt that way, honestly. and that people just occasionally tuned in for a few minutes if a guest they were particularly interested in was going on (and maybe not even then). I guess enough people must watch it for them to continue to be a thing though. But “we remember Jennifer Lawrence singing karaoke in that show more than The Hunger Games” (paraphrasing) - what? If he’s citing an actual media moment, I was never aware of it. But it’s like cable news. It’s just there. This whole world of bright-teethed people in suits making forced banter in front of couches and green screens. The people who watch it just don’t know what else is out there so they let it play. I suspect that maybe Bo as a comedian was more preoccupied with talk show hosts than most people and that he assumed American audiences actually cared about it as much as him? Or maybe I’m the one who’s been out of touch. I think some of my Gen-x coworkers watch this stuff. But have millenials ever cared about any of this? Since like 2006? And Letterman? As an example of an admirable host, who’s doing something good with comedy? Lol what? From what Bo sajd here and from what I can remember from occasionally watching, he was just self important and snide. You really wish Colbert was more like that? Come on. Colbert as nice-dad-host is a letdown after The Colbert Report, obviously, but it’s the best I can ask for from a position like that. Being snide and belittling to the celebrities in your show doesn’t actually send a “hey stop focusing so much on celebrity” message; it just shifts the flavor of the focus from reverence to disproportionate (obsessive) mocking, when really, we should just not give a shit about these people beyond what we’d think about other human beings. I like Bo, this just didn’t resonate with me.
I was not raise in north American pop culture and TV etc, but I agreed completely with Bo is saying here, these late shows are dominating YT and 90% of theme are this empty circus that bo describe.
Oh my god I didn't notice the entire time that he was conversing with Pete Holmes here - until I read it in the description. I know Pete Holmes and his charmingly obnoxious laugh - nothing.
@@scorpiusdiamond yeah i used to like him a lot but i find him so cringe now. It's crazy how unaware he is of the power dynamics at play on his own show (especially interviewing young actors/actresses). Conan is way better, much more respectful and less arrogant.
@@alizee6722 yeah cause Conan would never make a long cringey unfunny bit out of his mere proximity to a conventionally attractive woman where he simulates perverted behavior by just actually being a creep. never seen that bit like ten thousand fucking times on Conan. he's a good host but it's the least funny bit he has and committing to it doesn't improve it with repetition.
i agree 1000% which is precisely why i will rally behind the most popular podcasts on earth to fight institutionalized corruption and social engineering
You know I just watched that new Disney+ short where Loki (voiced by Tom Hiddleston) meets The Simpsons. In the background one of the characters is holding up a sign that says "this is what happens when you let Disney buy both Marvel and Fox." It's poking fun at the corporate giant the way The Simpsons always has, and yet the corporate giant allows it. They're aware of it. They know the public likes to see it. It's like they've monetized our subversion.
Oh fuck, you're right.
If they're willingly playing into our collective view of them as the corporate giant, as you put it, because there's really no downside in continuing to do it, since they know we'll eat it up...
God help us.
@@the.real.mose.milburn I mean some days I just can't be sure this isn't the Matrix. Rebellion is just part of the system of control.
@@FanboyFilms The Matrix was a commentary on society in many ways, and what they depicted has basically just intensified. Matrix 4 coming soon! Tickets please...
@@h4x3l another example is the show The Boys. A show about how if Marvel-esque superheroes actually existed in our world they would be corrupted by profit-driven corporations to the point of them becoming depraved and image-obsessed celebrities. Presented by Amazon
Loki’s not actually voiced by Tom Hiddleston in the simpsons short, he’s voiced by Peter Lontzek which is kinda annoying bc I rly wanted it to be him
"Conan's the best"
Truest thing I've ever heard.
Shridhar Ambady I love Conan dude he’s great
Fuck yes. Conan IS the best. Bo never lets me down.
I'm so fucking happy
Pretty much the only thing all of humanity can agree on.
So sad that almost nobody mentions Craig Ferguson. He is incomparable.
So this is why Bo sang the lyrics "carpool karaoke" in That Funny Feeling
It’s a shame that Craig Ferguson never had any real popularity. He was a genius in the late night space. Self aware and hilarious.
@Long Legged Larry the late night host version of Norm Macdonald
Craig Ferguson’s interviews with Robin Williams are legendary.
@@juvedoo99 Chlamydia, your father's home!
@@Oblitherator28 Haha that bit is hilarious . It’s even funnier that at first it goes over Craig’s head but then he catches on and busts out laughing.
Yep Conan, Craig, and sometimes Letterman were absolute giants!
Jimmy Fallon is the human equivalent of a laugh track.
If a laugh track and a chameleon got together
I love that it’s universally agreed on that Conan is the best
Conan was always great, but at least it was up for debate about 20-25 years ago. Now all the other hosts suck so horribly that Conan just kept doing his thing without a decline and he became the king by default.
Conan is awkward and sometimes quite rude.
@@pigebarn His awkwardness is his charm, for me.
What's an example of him being rude? I am sure it's happened, being on the air for thirty years, but I don't think of that as his defining trait.
Once Letterman retired that was it - Conan became the best by default
Universally agreed.....not really.
"The press tour is more memorable than the show or movie they're promoting."
Nail, meet head.
Well wouldn't it actually be "hammer, meet nail", since we say you hit the nail on the head (meaning the nail's head)? But yours is catchier and I agree. Sorry to be that guy
That is the issue with modern capitalism. The promotion now outweighs the actual product. Its all PR. Words lies bullshit fuck
I'm pretty sure I could listen to Bo Burnham scream and rant passionately about actual, literal cornbread, and I would be MORE than content with my life.
Disney Dumby same
Sooooo true
Thats a sad life then
wouldn't have got the lettuce if i knew it wouldn't fit
@@issasecretbuddy wouldnt got half of it
Conan was great, but I miss Craig Ferguson.
Absolutely
He knew what was up, that is why he hated the job. It is also amazing how good he was given that he hated it.
Totally agree.
@@BentKneefan I don't know if it's fair to say he hated it, he was incredible at doing the "non-monolouge" or just rambling to Jeff and the audience. I think he had the same disdain for vapid celebrity culture as letterman and he knew that theres much more important things in life to be a part of . I will forever miss Craig, but his intelligence that set him apart is the reason he didn't stick around
This has aged insanely well
Oh my Jesus Christ. I have never heard anyone say this about Stephen Colbert and it is exactly how I feel. I have been so afraid to say it because everyone's like "How can you hate Stephen?" It's not hate, but I thought he was too good to sell out. Disappointed.
Exactly. Admittedly, this was in 2016, before Colbert went 100% overboard with the every-news-story-is-Trump, but Burnham's line about him rings true now more than ever. It's incredibly sad.
I think this is sort of a "who you hang with" thing. Most of my family and some friends loved Colbert and we were all pretty disappointed in the Late Show. It also doesn't help that he and Seth Meyers basically have the same 8-to-13 minute political bits each night for the last however-many years.
There were some good TH-cam videos a couple of years back basically examining how, at least early into the Trump days, all of these late night hosts were all basically the same show (other than Conan). I don't remember the details but you can probably find them if you do some digging.
Steven was quite funny the first few months of the Late Show. It was kind of a hybrid of the late night format, and his old sense of humor. But his ratings weren't that great, so he just got more bland and safe until anything that was funny and charming about him got snuffed out. It's tragic how far his comedy has fallen, his show is unwatchable nowadays.
Facts
It might be comedy centrals fault for not allowing him to be the Colbert Report character too. Just sucks
I think Burnham is one of those rare highly intelligent comedians who makes us think just as much as he makes us laugh; a bona fide talented musician and writer first, who does thinking man's comedy better than nearly everyone on Earth. He could lecture at a university. I would pay to hear him drop science on pop culture like this.
He’s so right about the press tours. It’s just manufactured authenticity - every single press tour has at least one “quirky” moment that goes viral, and we’re all told how relatable the celebrity is, then the movie comes out and it’s mediocre at best. Rinse and repeat.
I’m so fucking exhausted by it all, especially how insincere it is.
I feel like he said something more important at the beginning: Our culture is all about deconstructing and tearing things down but not replacing them with anything new. It's starting to change but even when someone tries something new and different but it's not PERFECT right away, then people want to tear it down immediately.
He said they should give us something better and this summer, Bo Burnham gave us something SO much better.
Meh
I used to thrive on TH-cam and he's right. Viral shit, it's not really homegrown. Used to be random videos of people - now it's corporate sponsored videos backed by production companies, clips from Fallon... It's true. As far as talk shows go - we need another Craig Ferguson-type who can get a fun interview without the formula, or the pandering to tropes.
aye
the profit motive sucks all the life out of life
That's where I feel a bit ambivalent about what he's saying about Colbert here. If you're comparing Colbert now to the biting satire of Colbert Report, then yeah that comes off as flaccid and sad. And his political jokes (even when I'm agreeing with his message, which I often am) have become dull and more rant-y.
As an interviewer, I'm a bit more ambivalent. Colbert at his best is incredibly smart (more so than anyone else at their best, even Conan), is probably only topped by Ferguson in terms of being thought-provoking, and is clever/witty enough to rival (but probably not overtake) Conan and Ferguson. But give him a guest that isn't at the right caliber, and he can be VERY flat.
@@ExileOnDaytonStreet Colbert was braver on Harvey Birdman than he is on late night.
@@ExileOnDaytonStreet But Conan and Ferguson elevate their guests to that level. I have literally never seen an interview fall flat on their shows. Its not the guests job to play to the host and give them material to work with, its the host's job to take what the guest gives them and find the way to turn it into a good interview.
Colbert is definitely smart, but his range is also very narrow. He has a few guests that click with him, but for most of them he's just going through the motions. Even worse, occasionally he gets guests that are also REALLY smart, but because he can't expand his attitude and style to accommodate them the interview ends up squandered.
Conan is the best, nothing beats conan.
Sad he is gone
Only Graham Norton now, the rest is boring as hell, thank goodness for Podcasts.
Yes, also the people uploading Craig Ferguson. 👍
Conan died?
Did he say he and/or Andy would possibly be doing other stuff? Maybe a podcast or something at least. Time will tell. I'll miss them both if they're out of the spotlight for good.
He is moving to hbo max
I couldn’t agree more about Colbert.
The Colbert Report was a miracle. Best television show and best television performance ever. Given the rate of creativity on that show, it shouldnt have been possible to sustain for ten shows much less the years he kept it going. So as for Colbert, I'd suggest we should all be thankful that show even happened and we got to witness it. Now he does a talk show, just a talk show. He is just himself, and he talks to people who are just themselves. It's exactly what you are doing on this video right now: being interviewed and being yourself.
I agree. Colbert has been doing A+ comedy since even before Strangers With Candy started up in 1999. He was bound to change in some way. We got a solid 15 years of awesome, edgy comedy out of the guy. In the year 2000, there was nobody on television funnier than Colbert on Strangers With Candy, that's my opinion and I'm standing by it. The guy probably wants to play with his kids now and relax and enjoy the finer things. Can't stay edgy forever.
He's so right about Colbert...
Sad but true...his reaction to Jon Stewart endorsing the lab leak hypothesis was one of the saddest things ever.
@@thegoatchild3545 he was playing the straight man in that bit.
@@slightlycynical1335 want to make yourself sad? Imagine five years ago, what either Stewart or Colbert would have to say if they showed that lab leak clip on their old shows.
@@thegoatchild3545 that made me feel disappointed . Seeing Stewart go for a conspiracy . He used to be the guy that called out all the conspiracy nut jobs . I guess old age truly makes us more conservative and apt to be seduced by conspiracies .
@@TheEvilCheesecake you should live by your user name, theres more evidence of the "conspiracy theory" being true then the fucking lies that the chinese goverment have spun to the world. Jon Stewart just used common sense, you should try it, instead of following the media as if they only speak the truth - like a fucking sheep.
Sounds to me like Bo Burnham needs to watch the Eric Andre show. lol.
season 1 was the best. it got watered down after that
@@wandcamilo3989 wtf you talking about
@@wandcamilo3989 Lol, watered down?
@@wandcamilo3989 dude literally can’t be watered down. He’s so off the wall nothing compares to him
@@Gsmoovie420 so why does he make the same show every episode
This made me realize that Colbert sold out. Every night he would tear conservatives a new one with excellent satire and now he’s a happy dancing clown who crowd sources insults to use instead of Trump’s name. And I eat it up. He’s unironically interviewing the billionaire who went to space. I’m disappointed.
It's great that people are realizing it. I have a lot of admiration for Jon Stewart for just walking away from the beast. Colbert was so relevant, a key part of comedic political commentary, and decided to get lazy and become a hack with nothing beyond a Trump joke. Seth Meyers is the exact same way. With Trump out of office people are beginning to see these guys don't offer anything of substance any night they are on.
Yeah, his reaction to Jon Stewart just pointing out the obvious about the origins of covid was so sad to see. He used to be so brave and edgy.
@@BlakeWR81 it's not the host that's the problem; it's the format. I'm not disagreeing with you, hear me out. The "late night show" is antiquated to the days of Johnny Carson, when a celebrity could walk in the room and everyone was automatically enchanted. Our entire culture of entertainment was different, yet we still have the same old show 50 years later because it's safe.
I shouldn't be bothered by what Stephen Colbert does with his career, that's his business. However, I do resent that he is so talented, clever, and brilliant, and then chose to do such pigeon-holed, formatted, safe, mainstream CRAP.
"Here's a monologue, there's the band, here's the same old lame bit or 'man on the street' gag, here's a comedian, here's a celebrity to shill their latest project, here's a more popular band. Goodnight.". Even Conan O'Brien cannot make that entertaining for me, and I like the guy.
@@EastboundAndDowns I think that when guys like Colbert are "discovered" by the major networks as "the next big thing", the networks have to pay a "pretty penny" to hire them. Because of that, TOO MUCH is at stake!
In other words:
Because of how much he "costs", he has to, DELIVER in order to make many "mid-demographic people" watch (the most boring people on EARTH!) and he has to feed the celebrity feedback loop to generate money for his "owners"
Result: safe, repetitive uncontroversial stuff ...
One positive thing though:
I liked how he got Evie (his wife) to laugh when it was just the two of them, during the pandemic... it seemed to accidentally make the whole thing more genuine and a bit more original ... for a moment there .. !
I love the props he gives to Conan. Never was a fan of the fake, lukewarm, spoon-fed stuff from Kimmel, Leno, or Fallon.
But you'll take the same slop when it has the name you like on it?
@@TheEvilCheesecake i think conan is funnier and has better writing. the celeb interviews seem almost the same, they're a little more personable because i feel like conan lets his guests have some more room to breathe compared to fallon.
What he said about not being able to be discovered in today's landscape hits close. Like we can all agree how much of a genius and genuinely talented Bo is but we probably wouldn't have him if he started a few years later. Makes you wonder how many more incredible amazing geniuses that could make the world a more awesome place will remain undiscovered because of the system.
To be honest, Bo is just a regular guy. A great regular guy, but he's an overachiever. He should not have been world famous under normal circumstances. The bar has to be incredily low to see Bo as a genius.
Christ Pete needed a local mute on his mic.
It's a conversation
Strolled through the comments just to find someone pointing out this mega cringe worthy, yes-man host.
He sounds just like the people Bo is ranting about.
The greatest talk show host of all was Dick Cavett
Amen, he actually made interesting conversations
One of the greatest things on TH-cam is clips from his old show.
Jack Parr, though
I love hearing Bo Burnham talk about anything, he's always so insightful and smart, and maybe it's because he's more of an "internet person" than other comedians that are usually more oldschool and whose main habitat is in network television and etc, but he never shies away from certain topics that you barely hear being discussed other than on a surface level. I really admire him for that.
(Sorry if my English is bad, it's not my first language)
HEY UR ENGLISH IS GREAT!
@@blibdish hey thanks!!
Yeah he is incredibly clever and insightful, but he’s kind of uses it to be a cynical asshole. He’s just so vitriolic and extreme with the stuff he says
Love Bo dropping some Hicks in here! Both my favorite comedians
damn Bo has been on YMIW 3x??? I think I only listened to the first one, and that was sort of life changing for me lol. gotta check these other two out. thanks for sharing.
Colber became what he was doing as a parody
The way he talked about TH-cam hit hard
The 1970s SCTV had a magnificent caricature of talk show hosts in the character "Sammy Maudlin", although it's less and less a satire...
This is such a good thought process
Colbert has been reduced, but Fallon is the criminal here.
This was so real. Nice to hear someone telling it like it is. My respect for Bo is growing all the time.
Craig Ferguson
What he said about how his YT videos would never go viral now is so painfully true and sad.
Everything cool gets capitalized. I think that's how every generation feels, or what every generation realizes.
Therein lies the issue with today's society. Anything marketed loses its inherent value. Our own people have marketed themselves! Many without any inherant value to begin with. The world is now run on PR zero substance.
"Stupid TV. BE MORE FUNNY!!" -- Homer Simpson
He's absolutely right to "tear down" the Colbert "barn", but I think he's wrong about the "barn" that should have been built instead. I don't think Colbert needed to be a character the rest of his career. The Late Show needed something different than what he's giving it now, but the "caricature of a sycophantic talk show host" schtick would have been a far too limiting.
But, like Bo and Pete said, it's harder to build a barn, and it's not like I have any better ideas, so I'm not trying to criticize Bo for the suggestion.
i personally think the sycophantic character would be an example of tearing rather than building. to me a late show that offered some good/interesting commentary was craig ferguson's talkshow. instead of being intimidating and pasive aggresive in the way letterman could be, ferguson was nice and empathetic to the guests, acknowledging their nerves or sometimes the fact that it was /work/ for everyone involved. he often wouldn't allow aguest to casually advertise stuff, he would draw attention to the fact it was an advert. he showed seething contempt toward the advertisors and the production company.
idk this probably isnt the barn either. but my main point i think is that often if you parody the dominant culture in a resentful way, the most likely result is the dominant culture more prominenty expressing resentment. ... something along those lines
@@gigi3843 Ferguson gets overlooked so much. Coincidentally, the only late night host to actually have a barn on set.
@@lukeothedukeo Haha. nice.
A different target set of guests would have been his wheelhouse. He's so broadly intelligent that he could translate any expert - author, scientist, politician, etc. - to the popular audience. He has the potential to revive the Cavett style interview.
@@doug12345doug No joke, before I clicked "read more" on your comment, I thought, "Oh yeah. He could have been like the new Cavett." I think you're right on the money.
bo burnham is so unbelievably intelligent.
He's absolutely right. Letterman was great, Fallon is a joke, Colbert on the Colbert Show was fantastic---but his transition to late night host leaves everything to be desired. Such a comedic loss. Conan was and is the best. Conan was smart enough to revamp his show, start a very popular podcast, and continue to innovate and adapt. Kimmel/Colbert/Fallon/Corden are living in the past.
God I miss Letterman. Look up Charles Grodin with his attorney. So simple. Silly.
Craig Ferguson GOAT
I totally understand what he means with Colbert. I would much rather have him doing the character than on a late show. But the status of the country presently does not allow for that kind of character. The Republicans are already a parody of themselves. What more could he do, ya know? I also enjoy the way he puts a lighter spin a some really heavy stuff that is happening recently. Again, prefer the character, it's just not what at least I need right now, can't speak for others
Colbert sucks and has sucked ever since the character stopped. I don’t blame him for being done with it, but he’s somehow just completely uninteresting otherwise.
MYbe this episode aired before colbett hit his stride mocking Trump when he was finding his voice
@@frostychickenprods yeah but even that sucked. Trump being trump was a joke. And his trump jokes were so goddamn bad too. He got bigger hits bc people are idiots, but its still a part of that pig pile
He's been on you made it weird 3 times, and each of them are probably my favourite Bo conversations. I'm glad he says what he says about colbert being a fall from grace.
So ironic that this interview is with Pete Holmes. He's exactly the type of host that Bo is talking about.
i think one thing peter does that goes against the "talk show format" is that he treats his "interviews" as evenhanded conversastions where he does talk about equally as much as his guest and he interrupts them etc.
@@gigi3843 Pete’s show had potential, you have to be a fan of his comedic style and sensibility to finally enjoy it, but not once did I ever see him as the Colbert level hypocrite Bo is talking about here.
Totally understand why Conan is the best. Not only because he is an incredible comedian/host and writer, but also he can find diverse materials for his show in all around, anywhere. From those cultural appropriate remotes, to sketches/ interviews shedding lights on celebrities, animals, his employees, tributes/ promotes people done good work (I almost cried when he tributed Letterman). I find some other talk show hosts funny witty, engaging with audience and rather proper than others (that are turning to the "amusement parks/circuses"), i.e Craig F., Graham Norton, the new face Trevor Noah,... But they have not gotten a range as diverse and consistently entertaining. Also, if you know the fued between him and Jay Leno, his work ethics and how he treats colleagues and staffs in the bussiness are admirable.
Yeah, and Colbert, I thought I was the only one to think that. And sometimes he comes out a bit of "cocky" with his guests, idk, to bring some rivalry to the table? Like flex them with knowledge but not really focus with what the guest thinking and bringing to his show.
I think part of the problem's just that celebrities are functionally marketing tools. One of the first things people say when there's a movie is "oh Matt Damon's in it" you know? Like famous actors think people care about them because they're interesting or something, but they're really just a dressed up Mcdonalds hamburger.
Colbert actually did a little bit of what Bo is describing with "Covetton House", but then ended up involving Goop in the bit, the very thing it was meant to satire.
Huge sigh of relief when he gave Conan a pass. I first saw Bo doing stand-up on Conan’s TBS show. I’m gonna miss it 😢
I remember listening to the whole interview years ago. Pete had a like riff about Seinfeld at a vegan restaurant that offered steak and the tag was “You can’t escape the steak!” or something.
I hope Colbert has seen this or will see this. I like Colbert a lot, but Bo is right.
It sucks when talented people go mainstream and leave behind what made them unique in the first place.
You also have to remember that Colbert was lost with the show in 2016. It took him a while to find a better way to make it work. Not as good as Colbert Report, but better.
@@mikko.jokipii no....his show is horrible. I would rather watch Kimmel or Fallon and I'm not watching that crap either. Conan and Ferguson were the best and now we all we have is sterile crap.
@@alphatrion4365 you can have that opinion and you are entitled to that. But my point was the fact that Colbert's "formula" wasn't at all finished back in 2016.
What I was trying to say was how he flipped it after the election. He had Donald Trump as the first guest in 2016. Or maybe it was 2015? Can't recall.
I love listening to Bo Run his mouth. Seriously. I could listen to him talk About anything all of the time.
why’s there so many pictures of bo looking out a car
This is a Craig Ferguson stan comment.
'It's McDonald's job to make better food'. That's where you lost me, Bo.
The problem with America is that you'll get a whole angry mob together to protect slop merchants like Mcdonald but you won't lift a finger to make sure your burger chefs can stay healthy enough to show up for work for twelve hours.
Channelling David Foster Wallace
I wonder what he thinks of Craig Ferguson.
Craig ruled, his interviews didn’t always feel like interviews and the bits he’d do with his bisexual robot skeleton Geoff Peterson were legit funny (mainly because they’d never rehearse).
@@MarcAquino1095 gay robot skeleton. Not bisexual
Craigy Ferg rules 4ever and ever!
Im sure he loves him. Craig was authentic.
@@Hamlet92100 A gay robot skeleton who hit on every hot female guest on the show.😁
Norm, on Letterman, said it best:
Letterman is in on the joke
The studio audience is in on the joke
The audience at home is in on the joke
The guest IS the joke
This has both aged badly, and stood the test of time.
How has it aged badly?
Bo makes a lot of points that are definitely still true. However, unlike 2016, the main trending videos are not late night shows. It was just a very ‘of its time’ comment
@@jfdd43 Tiktok wasn't around yet. But it's kind of the equivalent of the thing he talked about with celebrities. "Oh look someone gorgeous is doing something I do, that's so relatable omg"
The podcast is You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes if anyone wants to hear more of Bo’s wisdom, #getintoit !!!!
Is Pete Homes the guy who won't let his really interesting guest talk for more than 30 seconds without trying to steal the mic back? Because I don't want to hear him interview anyone ever again after this clip.
@@TheEvilCheesecake I’m sorry I thought podcasts were supposed to be conversations, not monologues. I live both of these comedians but Bo has just as much trouble letting Pete talk as Pete has listening quietly.
hallelujah!
I was waiting for Craig Ferguson to come up
The Colbert Report WAS truly SO good! And now it's gone - so sad. All for the money I guess?!
More Bo!
“Based Bo”
based on what?
Totally agree with bo and also love Conan. My only devils advocate response however would be, how do you create something so meaningful and fill an hours worth of content five days a week? Using Bo's food example, you know what you're getting with fast food, you don't go to McDonald's and complain its not 5 star quality. These shows all feel the same way to me. There's a reason John Oliver wins more awards and he only does a fraction of the shows. Time, effort and quality can all go up when you don't have to just pump out 10000 sandwiches a day.
Can totally do it daily with a room full of writers. Its what they arent allowed to say. Anything truly funny is subversive/offensive. NBC is having none of that.
let bo speak hahha damn
Craig Ferguson > all the rest.
I put this on to hope to hear conan would get a good shout 🥰
So Bo Burnham wanted the late show with Stephen Colbert to be Primetime with Jimminy Glick?
I’d watch that
@@donganger4936 it was already done. he had the grace to recognize that no one should have to play the same character their whole career, but then proceeds to say he should have remained a one trick pony playing a slightly different character in a barely altered context?
uncharacteristically weak take from Bo. he's right that Colbert Report Stephen was the best Stephen, and he's right that late show Stephen isn't very funny very often, but the reason has nothing to do with his decision to treat his guests like human beings. he could have been funny while practicing civility by and large, and occasionally sincerity, instead of making the show anothet extended exercise in irony like our civilization is lacking for those.
@@donganger4936 and yes, I'd watch that too lol
@@jedinxf7 the Colbert report was wildly entertaining and some of the smartest political satire ever, his late night show is just.. another boring late night show.
@@donganger4936 yup. and we didn't need another one of those. probably what Stephen should have done is more like John Oliver's show. but that exists now
I miss ferguson man...
I'm so happy right now!!!
Sometimes I feel ashamed to be named Jimmy
Eric Andre
Love this. It’s so true.
The problem is we're too sensitive now, and network talk shows have to appeal to the biggest audience possible. So they appeal to no one. Still love me some Conan though.
"When someone tells me to stop being so sensitive, I feel a little bit like a nose being lectured to by a fart."
I hate it all! Actually, i love it, but i hate myself for loving it.
Therapy helps
He's so right about Colbert. So, so right.. he was one of the comedic geniuses of the Colbert Report era and no one could crack him. He just destroyed. Then he switched networks, dropped the whole schtick and now occupies some... hum drum talking head? Idk
I miss Craig Ferguson…
why the interviewer keep interrupt while he's talking
It's called conversation.
Not the rant I expected. I just think late night talk shows are inherently dull and irritating, always have. I thought most people felt that way, honestly. and that people just occasionally tuned in for a few minutes if a guest they were particularly interested in was going on (and maybe not even then). I guess enough people must watch it for them to continue to be a thing though.
But “we remember Jennifer Lawrence singing karaoke in that show more than The Hunger Games” (paraphrasing) - what? If he’s citing an actual media moment, I was never aware of it.
But it’s like cable news. It’s just there. This whole world of bright-teethed people in suits making forced banter in front of couches and green screens. The people who watch it just don’t know what else is out there so they let it play.
I suspect that maybe Bo as a comedian was more preoccupied with talk show hosts than most people and that he assumed American audiences actually cared about it as much as him? Or maybe I’m the one who’s been out of touch. I think some of my Gen-x coworkers watch this stuff. But have millenials ever cared about any of this? Since like 2006?
And Letterman? As an example of an admirable host, who’s doing something good with comedy? Lol what? From what Bo sajd here and from what I can remember from occasionally watching, he was just self important and snide. You really wish Colbert was more like that? Come on. Colbert as nice-dad-host is a letdown after The Colbert Report, obviously, but it’s the best I can ask for from a position like that. Being snide and belittling to the celebrities in your show doesn’t actually send a “hey stop focusing so much on celebrity” message; it just shifts the flavor of the focus from reverence to disproportionate (obsessive) mocking, when really, we should just not give a shit about these people beyond what we’d think about other human beings.
I like Bo, this just didn’t resonate with me.
Totally agree
I was not raise in north American pop culture and TV etc, but I agreed completely with Bo is saying here, these late shows are dominating YT and 90% of theme are this empty circus that bo describe.
Oh my god I didn't notice the entire time that he was conversing with Pete Holmes here - until I read it in the description. I know Pete Holmes and his charmingly obnoxious laugh - nothing.
Yes about Colbert
Bo called it 4 years ago
lmao he really went off
So so true
Burnham speaks the truth!
The stuff he's saying about Letterman is so true. Watch any letterman interview. It's great television
What about when he sexually harassed and shamed all those women on live television?
@@scorpiusdiamond yeah i used to like him a lot but i find him so cringe now. It's crazy how unaware he is of the power dynamics at play on his own show (especially interviewing young actors/actresses). Conan is way better, much more respectful and less arrogant.
@@alizee6722 yeah cause Conan would never make a long cringey unfunny bit out of his mere proximity to a conventionally attractive woman where he simulates perverted behavior by just actually being a creep.
never seen that bit like ten thousand fucking times on Conan.
he's a good host but it's the least funny bit he has and committing to it doesn't improve it with repetition.
Stop giving McDonalds money.
So true.
"Jimmy's great" :|
i immedietly want to defend colbert.... but bo hit the nail on the head.... man im bad at spelling
Bo put all of my thoughts and feelings about late night (including Conan and Letterman being the best) into words. This was so damn cathartic
i agree 1000% which is precisely why i will rally behind the most popular podcasts on earth to fight institutionalized corruption and social engineering
2:30
There's this satire channel named reactor who did the same shit with viral videos to make the point and it's nuts
Wrong the post office better and cheaper than FedEx
I don't feel like Stephen Colbert can redeem himself. He used to be sooo hilarious. Its a shame.
Colbert parodied sensationalism and then sort became the thing he made fun of in a lot of ways
where these images come from-