Camera test.
That's it.
The world is so fucked up.
Systematic oppression.
Income inequality.
The other stuff.
And there's only one thing that I can do about it,
while... while being paid, and being the center of attention.
I'm bored.
Hi.
Welcome to, uh, whatever this is.
Um, I've been working for the last couple months,
um, testing this camera, and testing lights, and writing,
and I've decided to, uh, try to make a new special.
For real.
Um, it's not gonna be a normal special
because there's no audience, and there's no crew.
It's just me and my camera,
and you and your screen.
Uh, the way that... that our Lord intended.
Um...
And the whole special will be... will be filmed in this, uh, room.
And instead of being filmed
in a single night, it will be filmed in
uh, however long it takes to finish.
I hope you, uh, enjoy it.
I... I hope this special can maybe do for you
what it's done for me these last couple months,
which is, uh, to distract me from wanting
to put a bullet into my head with a gun.
So...
Yeah, thank you.
And a warning.
Um, I can already sort of tell that this special is going to be
a little all over the place,
so don't expect incredibly smooth transiti...
Hey, kids.
Today, we're gonna learn about the world.
Hey, everyone. Look who stopped by to say hello.
It's Socko.
Hey!
Where you been, Socko?
I've been where I always am when you're not wearing me on your hand.
In a frightening, liminal space between states of being.
Not quite dead, not quite alive.
It's similar to a constant state of sleep paralysis.
Socko, we were just talking about the world and how it works.
Boy, that sounds complicated.
Do you have anything you'd want to teach us about the world?
I wouldn't say anything that you probably haven't already said yourself.
I don't know about that, Socko.
How about you give it a try?
All right.
Really?
That's pretty intense.
No shit.
What can I do to help?
Read a book or something. I don't know.
Just don't burden me with the responsibility of educating you.
It's incredibly exhausting.
I'm sorry, Socko.
I was just trying to become a better person.
Why do you rich fucking white people
insist on seeing every socio-political conflict
through the myopic lens of your own self-actualization?
This isn't about you.
So either get with it, or get out of the fucking way.
Watch your mouth, buddy. Remember who's on whose hand here.
But that's what I... Have you not been fucking listening?
- We are entrenched in... - All right.
Wait! No, please! I don't want to go back.
I can't go... I can't go back.
Please. Please.
I'm sorry.
Are you gonna behave yourself?
Yes.
Yes, what?
- Yes, sir. - Look at me.
Yes, sir.
That's better.
No!
Hello, my name is Bo Burnham.
And I am a former comedian,
turned social brand consultant.
It's a very exciting time to be a, uh, brand.
It's also a bit of a scary time because customers expect a lot more
from their brands than they did in the past.
During this incredibly necessary
and overdue social reckoning that we're having in our culture,
it is no longer acceptable for brands to stay out of the conversation.
Consumers want to know, "Are you willing to use your brand awareness
to effect positive social change?"
Which will create more brand awareness.
The question I ask the brands I work with is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is...
"Are you gonna be on the right side of history?"
The question isn't, "What are you selling?"
Or... or "What service are you providing?"
The question is, "What do you stand for?"
Who are you, Bagel Bites?
All these big companies, they're so scared
of all this social change, and I come in and I put their fears to rest.
You know, I tell them, "Just be honest."
"Tell your customers that... that JPMorgan is against racism."
In theory.
The question is no longer,
"Do you want to buy Wheat Thins?" For example.
The question is now,
"Will you support Wheat Thins in the fight against Lyme disease?"
There's no sugarcoating it. The world is...
fucked up.
And you've got a choice as a brand. You can...
hide and bury your head in the sand and hope it fixes itself,
or you can roll up your sleeves and get to work,
and sell Butterfingers.
Here's a question for you guys. Um...
Is it... is it necessary?
Is it necessary that every single person on this planet
um, expresses every single opinion that they have
on every single thing that occurs
all at the same time?
Is that... is that necessary?
Um...
Or to ask in a slightly different way,
um, can... can anyone
shut the fuck up?
Can... can anyone,
any... any...
any one, any single one,
can any one...
shut the fuck up about anything...
About any... any single thing?
Can any single person
shut the fuck up about any single thing
for an hour?
You know, is that... is that possible?
And I know you're thinking,
"You're not shutting the fuck up right now,"
and that's true, but...
Hey, everybody.
Um, I thought I'd do a reaction video to the song that you just saw me perform.
Thought that might be fun.
Um, so I got my laptop all set up. So I'm ready to go, and let's go.
I like this song.
Um, so the idea with this song was basically that there's so many songs
in the past about... about working-class jobs,
but not a lot about the labor exploitation of the modern world,
so that was the idea here.
My beard is a little shorter in this video 'cause I filmed it a couple weeks ago.
I think it holds up. The song, not the beard.
And then you cut. I think it's funny to cut right on...
do a reaction video to the song that you just saw me perform.
- Thought that might be fun. - What...
Um, so I got my...
Because this video played after that.
Right. So, and now... Right.
Okay, so I'll just keep reacting.
So, this is me reacting to the song.
Um...
What I'm doing is I'm explaining what the song means.
Um, and what it's about. I'm being a little pretentious.
It's, uh... it's an instinct I have where I need everything that I write
to have some deeper meaning or something.
But it's a stupid song, and, uh, it doesn't really mean anything,
and, uh, it's... it's pretty unlikable that I... that I feel this need,
this desperate need, to be seen as intelligent.
And the video's ending here, as you can see,
and look, I'm very confused. See, I'm very, very confused.
'Cause I'm staring at myself, I don't know what I'm looking at,
and I'm starting to catch up now, and realizing what's going on.
And, uh, yeah, now I'm deciding to react
to the reaction to the video.
So here, um, I'm reacting to my own reacting,
and I'm criticizing my initial reaction for... for being pretentious,
which is... which is honestly, it's a... it's a defense mechanism.
I'm... I'm so worried that criticism will be levied against me
that I levy it against myself before anyone else can.
And I think that, "Oh, if I'm self-aware about being a douchebag,
it'll somehow make me less of a douchebag." But it... but it doesn't.
Um, self-awareness does not absolve anybody of anything.
Am I balding? This is really, really disturbing.
I don't like looking at myself like this, and I want... I want this to stop.
Okay, I want this to stop. I'm... I'm stopping this.
So, yeah, that was, uh, my reaction to the song,
and I hope you enjoyed it.
I don't know about you guys,
but, um, you know, I've been thinking recently that...
that you know, maybe, um, allowing
giant digital media corporations to
exploit the neurochemical drama
of our children for profit...
You know, maybe that was, uh...
a bad call
by us.
Maybe...
maybe the... the flattening of the entire subjective human experience
into a... lifeless exchange of value
that benefits nobody,
except for, um, you know,
a handful of bug-eyed salamanders in Silicon Valley...
Maybe that as a... as a way of life forever...
maybe that's, um, not good.
I'm...
horny.
Sexting
Hey, everybody.
Um, I just wanted to make a really quick video to say thank you.
Thank you for watching my content.
As you guys know,
I work really hard to try to bring you guys
high-quality content that I think you'll enjoy.
So the fact that you are enjoying it, means everything to me.
So thank you, and also keep watching,
'cause there's a lot more content where that came from.
All right, guys, see you later.
I took a big fucking breath.
One more.
Or not burn it. Is burning it bad? What should I do with it?
Sh...
So, um...
I've been working on this special now for six months.
And... the whole time I've had a... a goal in mind,
which is I wanted to finish this thing
before I turned 30.
Um, because the idea of... of turning 30,
while still in this fucking room,
working on this thing alone,
um, that just seemed...
I just... I just wanted to avoid that.
So...
And you might be thinking, "Well, that's fine. You know, look at you."
"You radiate such youth."
"You must not be turning 30 for years."
And that's very, uh, nice of you to say.
But the truth is
um, I turn 30
in less than a minute.
So I'm just gonna sit here and enjoy
uh, my twenties,
and then get back to work.
Yay.
Ah.
Yeah, I was born in 1990.
God... God damn it.
Oh fuck.
Oh yeah? Well, your fucking phones are poisoning your minds. Okay?
So when you develop a dissociative mental disorder
in your late twenties, don't come crawling back to me.
Okay.
Check that one.
We'll do one more.
I just wanna say for the record, um, that I do not want to kill myself, okay?
I don't wanna kill myself, and I'm not going to kill myself.
Um, and if you're out there and you're struggling with suicidal thoughts
and you want to kill yourself,
I just want to tell you don't.
Okay? Can you not, please?
Just don't. All right?
Fucking quit it with the...
But really, don't kill yourself. You don't want to, because...
There are people that love you...
That's not true necessarily,
but there could be people that love you in the future,
and just don't.
I've had people close to me kill themselves,
and I'll be honest with you, didn't love it.
Didn't love that.
So just don't.
But if I could kill myself for a year...
If I can... I'd do it today.
If I could kill myself today and be dead
until like 18 months from now,
um, I would do it, but alas...
when you kill yourself, you're dead forever,
and we shouldn't be dead forever yet.
So let's not. Right?
Come on, guys.
What's up, boys. Welcome to the stream.
Um, I'm gonna be doing some live play today
for the first time in a while.
Uh, you guys have been wanting that, so we're gonna do...
This is the title, Inside.
I've got a lot of requests for this game in chat.
It's some indie developer. I'm not really sure.
I'm going in totally cold on this.
Um, JB, thank you for the three months. My dude, much appreciated.
Um... Okay.
That looks pretty good, graphics-wise. I mean, I know it's a cinematic, but...
So we're gonna be trying to do live plays every day this week,
so tune in for that.
I would be gifting 30 subs at the end of the week.
Um, day 50, 250... All right, so this dude's been in here for a while.
So is this like an escape the room?
Or...
Okay.
So I can cry.
So he's... he's not happy about being in this room.
I like the music. The music is actually nice on this.
Controls are actually pretty smooth. So you're in this like 2D set up, right?
Like, I can't control the camera.
Um...
I'll give it... I guess I'll cry again.
He's...
So is the dude big, or is the room small?
That's what I'm confused about.
Chat's saying, try the door. Yeah, well, okay.
I mean, I don't think it's gonna be that simple, but I will.
Yeah, there ya go.
Um, okay, Well, I think he'll probably cry again.
It's tough, dude.
It's tough. He's been in here a while.
Um, see, I don't like that.
I don't know why they feel the need to give the hint so quick.
I just wish they'd let me... let me explore a little bit.
Wha... I'm holding the flashlight like a... like a cop.
Why is he doing that?
Ah.
All right. Okay. So...
All right.
Okay, he seems a little happier now. That's nice.
I don't know.
I'll cry, I guess, again.
Okay, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be do...
Oh! Nice.
Okay, yeah.
Yeah, great. Um...
All right, I'm into this.
Yeah, it's giving me sort of like Death Stranding vibes,
you know, 'cause it's, like, it's fucking boring,
but that's, like, the point, I think.
Dante, thank you for the four months. Appreciate it.
How we feeling out there tonight?
Yeah.
I am not feeling good.
So, um, my...
uh, my current mental health is... is...
rapidly approaching, um, an ATL,
which is, um, that's an "all-time low,"
not... not Atlanta.
And...
You know, I feel okay when I'm asleep. Like when I'm asleep, I feel all right,
but it's basically from the moment I wake up,
I, uh, I just get this...
Yeah, so, um...
Yeah. Not...
Not doing great.
You know,
it wasn't always like this.
Oh.
I've been freaking out for a long time,
thinking I'm never gonna finish this special and be working on it forever.
And recently, I've been feeling like,
"Oh, man, maybe I am getting close to done with this."
"Maybe I'm gonna finish it after all." And that has made me completely freak out
because if I finish this special,
that means that I have to, um, not work on it anymore.
And that means I have to just live my life,
and so I'm not gonna do that, and I'm gonna not finish the special.
I'm gonna work on it forever, I think.
So, yeah, I'm gonna work on this forever,
and I'm never gonna release it. I'm not talking to anybody now.
I'm just talking to myself.
So, yeah, who fucking cares?
Fuck you, and goodbye, and let's keep going.
Man, you guys are a great crowd.
Give it up for yourselves for coming out, by the way, tonight. Give it up.
Supporting live comedy in these weird times.
Um, it's crazy. Um...
These are some pretty crazy times, but it's nice during these crazy times
that we can get together. We can laugh.
You know? Um...
I've learned something over this last year,
which is pretty funny.
Um, I've learned that
real-world human-to-human tactile contact will kill you,
and that all human interaction,
whether it be social, political, spiritual, sexual, or interpersonal
should be contained in the much more safe, much more real
interior digital space.
That the outside world,
the non-digital world,
is merely a theatrical space in which one stages and records content
for the much more real, much more vital digital space.
One should only engage with the outside world
as one engages with a coal mine.
Suit up, gather what is needed, and return to the surface.
Um...
And is it just me, or do pirates need to take a little bit better care
of their fuckin' maps?
You know, when I find a pirate's map,
it's... it's always tea-stained, and the edges are burnt,
and it's like if you're a pirate, all right, and you're gonna
make this map and expect me to carry it around the globe
as I search for your treasure,
then laminate it.
I can't really, uh, play the guitar very well,
um, or sing, so...
You know, apologies.
So, I...
Jesus.
So I've been working on this, uh, special for...
a year now.
It...
Fucking...
So I've been working on this special for, um, a year now,
which is, um, a lot longer
than I anticipated working on it.
When I started...
So I've been working on...
I fucking...
I can't. I fucking...
Fucking...
I am...
not...
um, well.
Thank you, guys. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
You guys have been incredible. Thank you.
I couldn't have done this without you guys.
I couldn't, really. I...
This last year has been...
You know, there have been times that, um...
But just knowing you're here,
you know, feeling you here with me.
Um...
Yeah, thank you.
You know, I hate to ask because, uh,
you've given me so much.
But...
I need you to do one more thing for me.
Can you do that?
You want to hear a funny story?
So, uh,
five years ago, I quit
performing live comedy,
because I was beginning to have, uh, severe panic attacks while on stage,
which is not a great place to have them.
So, I... I quit.
And I didn't perform for five years, and I spent that time...
trying to improve myself mentally.
And you know what?
I did!
I got better.
I got so much better, in fact,
that in January of
2020,
I thought, "You know what, I should...
start performing again."
"I've been hiding from the world,
and I need to...
reenter."
And then...
the funniest thing happened.
Get up. Get up.
I'm talking to you, get the fuck up!
Hi.
Welcome to, uh, whatever this is, um...
I think...
I think I'm... I'm done.
Um, possible... uh, ending song
that is not finished yet.
Test.
Take one.