Grade: A
Bo Burnham came blazing on to the comedy scene with his provocative debut special “Words Words Words” in 2010.
Two specials later, the 25-year-old has gained a loyal following with his catchy comedy tunes and taboo material.
Burnham’s most recent special, “Make Happy,” debuted on Netflix June 3.
Much like his first special, “Make Happy” disregards the traditional mechanisms of comedy. There are no prolonged anecdotes or epic punch lines. Instead, Burnham gives his satirical outlooks on the mechanics of modern society that will make you squirm and laugh at the same time.
“Make Happy” shows a definite progression in Burnham’s signature comedic style. His cynical wisdom makes for unorthodox material, but it’s a dazzling one-man performance with introspective and provocative underlying themes.
The show opens with disembodied voices announcing to the audience “The world is not funny” and “Entertainers are not here to help you. They are here to control you.” This is just the first look at Burnham’s dark comedic tone.
His opening song “Straight White Man” is an ironic look at the “problems” Burnham faces as the leader of the social food chain. As with most of his material, Burnham mixes the profound with the absurd. He manages to shine a spotlight on white supremacy while still getting a laugh.
He later turns toward the music industry, calling out the “beat fetishism” of modern hip-hop, the pandering nature of stadium country music and the cookie cutter inspirational messages of pop tunes.
It’s an unsurprisingly meta, classically Burnham look into the world of modern entertainment. He targets mainstream sensations like "The Tonight Show" and Katy Perry by calling to the audience, “You deserve better. I’m not saying I’m it, but I’m the guy that says you deserve better.”
He closes with a 10-minute auto tuned rant a-la Kanye West on the "Yeezus" tour. Amid complaints of insufficient Pringles can diameters and messy Chipotle burritos, Burnham takes an introspective look at his life as a performer.
As he bends over the mixing board he sings to the audience, “Come and watch the skinny kid with a steadily declining mental health and laugh as he attempts to give you what he cannot give himself.”
It’s a strangely unsettling ending to a comedy show, but it’s an existential summary of everything that makes his performance so profound.
Despite how much his fan base has grown, Burnham seems insecure about the trivialness of his work, which is a shame considering how brilliant he is. In "Make Happy" Burnham has established his name as a comedic innovator and probably the smartest guy in the room.
He’s come a long way since posting catchy, pubescent comedy songs on YouTube.
After he leaves the stage to a standing ovation he ends the show with a solo, intimate closer in the form of a single question, “Are you happy?”
Whether he’s asking the question to the audience or to himself, I’m not sure.
svanderv@indiana.edu | @the_whimsical
