Bo Burnham tackles life, death, sexuality, hypocrisy, mental illness and Pringles cans in his dazzling new stand-up special.Bo Burnham tackles life, death, sexuality, hypocrisy, mental illness and Pringles cans in his dazzling new stand-up special.Bo Burnham tackles life, death, sexuality, hypocrisy, mental illness and Pringles cans in his dazzling new stand-up special.
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It's rare that a comedy show makes you think hard about the world, about your relationships, and gives you concern for the happiness of the performer. Make Happy does all this at once, wrapped up like a burrito that's too full.
I watched on Netflix, then a second time that same night with a group of friends. Then a third time with a new group of friends a week later. And honestly, I'd gladly watch it again this week.
There were plenty of burst out laughing moments. There were plenty of clever classic Bo songs that mocked the state of "mainstream" problems and the way the public thinks. There were tons of jokes, then there were some very serious mentions of mental health, depression, and trying to appease the crowd (all of us.) All-in-all it was an incredible performance, unique, hilarious, and deep. A refreshing new dip into your standard stand-up comedy routine.
At only an hour, it's not too long that you'll feel like you wasted your time even if you hated it, and will leave you satisfied, yet begging for more if you love it. If you're reading this, give it a try.
I watched on Netflix, then a second time that same night with a group of friends. Then a third time with a new group of friends a week later. And honestly, I'd gladly watch it again this week.
There were plenty of burst out laughing moments. There were plenty of clever classic Bo songs that mocked the state of "mainstream" problems and the way the public thinks. There were tons of jokes, then there were some very serious mentions of mental health, depression, and trying to appease the crowd (all of us.) All-in-all it was an incredible performance, unique, hilarious, and deep. A refreshing new dip into your standard stand-up comedy routine.
At only an hour, it's not too long that you'll feel like you wasted your time even if you hated it, and will leave you satisfied, yet begging for more if you love it. If you're reading this, give it a try.
I have fell in love with this man's mind. If you think you know what true comedy is and you don't know Burnham, you really don't know what true comedy is.
Bo Burnham does it again... I've only been following Bo for about a year so I was excited to see that he was going to make another comedy special! I really enjoyed "what." and I couldn't wait to see his new innovative material. What I got was very unexpected.
This special is not comedy, it is art. From the deep lyricism in the last act to the cinematic camera-work throughout, this show took my breath away. I never thought that a comedy special could be so... well... special! It's truly not you everyday stand-up comedian.
When compared to "what.", the jokes are realistically not as strong. I was going to give this a 9 at first, but then I realized that I was comparing apples to oranges. I think "what." is a 10/10, but I wouldn't lower the score because it's as not deep as "Make Happy"!
In conclusion, don't watch "Make Happy" expecting a full on comedy show. The comedy is pretty good for about 3/4's of the special, but the last quarter is not a happy fun time. If you want some really good comedy, go watch Bo Burnham's other special, "what.".
This special is not comedy, it is art. From the deep lyricism in the last act to the cinematic camera-work throughout, this show took my breath away. I never thought that a comedy special could be so... well... special! It's truly not you everyday stand-up comedian.
When compared to "what.", the jokes are realistically not as strong. I was going to give this a 9 at first, but then I realized that I was comparing apples to oranges. I think "what." is a 10/10, but I wouldn't lower the score because it's as not deep as "Make Happy"!
In conclusion, don't watch "Make Happy" expecting a full on comedy show. The comedy is pretty good for about 3/4's of the special, but the last quarter is not a happy fun time. If you want some really good comedy, go watch Bo Burnham's other special, "what.".
I'm a long time fan of Bo Burnham (started seeing his stuff on YouTube back when he was in his bedroom) and every special he's put out has left me feeling different.
Words Words Words made me see art differently, especially performance art.
What made me question how I think and perceived my identity.
But Make Happy made me realize how shitty being a creative can be and how ageist the society at large can be surrounding ideas of love and acceptance.
This show explores the system surrounding commercialism of the music industry, how the rich shape the minds of the poor, how being down to earth can be an act, and how looking okay is a mask.
I loved the show. I felt awkward and uncomfortable when facing the realness of depression and working through it because life must go on. I laughed at the impressions, at the face value jokes, at the wordplay, and the interesting lyrics. I teared up at the end because it's hard to put into words how fleeting happiness is...
And Bo captured it.
Words Words Words made me see art differently, especially performance art.
What made me question how I think and perceived my identity.
But Make Happy made me realize how shitty being a creative can be and how ageist the society at large can be surrounding ideas of love and acceptance.
This show explores the system surrounding commercialism of the music industry, how the rich shape the minds of the poor, how being down to earth can be an act, and how looking okay is a mask.
I loved the show. I felt awkward and uncomfortable when facing the realness of depression and working through it because life must go on. I laughed at the impressions, at the face value jokes, at the wordplay, and the interesting lyrics. I teared up at the end because it's hard to put into words how fleeting happiness is...
And Bo captured it.
It is scary or even frightening to see a ground-breaking, innovating performer like Burnham be this unhappy. Fighting his fans who see in him the role model he doesn't want to be. Terrified of today's commercial based entertainment industry which he ridicules over and over again to convince his audience stop looking for answers in the words of performers. Seeing the irony of his own fans blindly following the young comic this one hour special consist of a constant fight between Burnham and his audience with a goal to make them really listen. Where his previous shows 'What' and 'Words,words words' showed a generally happy kid making fun of everything about performing, 'Make happy' shows an angry, depressed soul begging for answers. This dark, mind-bending moving one-hour piece which elevates from being a stand-up piece to being existential monologue makes you wonder. What does it take to be satisfied?
Did you know
- TriviaBo has stated in an interview that during this tour he received backlash from the audience for his song "Kill Yourself" when he was performing on a college campus for it handling a sensitive subject. Bo has gone on the record saying that because of this incident he no longer performs the song at college campuses.
- Quotes
Bo Burnham: 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.
- ConnectionsFollowed by Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000 (estimated)
- Runtime
- 1h(60 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
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