Milling around the entrance of the San Jose Cultural Center, waiting for the beginning of Bo Burnham’s show “Make Happy”, shifting around in the cold and regretting showing up two hours early, the first thing I noticed about the people surrounding me was how young they were.
The only people I could spot above the age of maybe 35 were all accompanied by one or more eager kids, presumably their children. Standing there, shivering and clinging to my friend for warmth, wishing I had worn something other than my most colorful (and thinnest) pair of shorts, it struck me that this really was Bo Burnham’s central demographic.
When I got inside, finally able to breathe through my nose without my boogers freezing, and the show started, it became easy to see why his brand of comedy speaks to our generation. For starters, Bo is only 25. He had his first televised comedy special at the very ripe age of 18, the youngest in Comedy Central’s history. But there is more to it than just his age. At one point in the show, in between the expected dick jokes and the self-deprecating humor, he talked about how comedians generally make jokes having to deal with their personal lives and experiences. However, Bo explained, he grew up performing, and so that is what he makes jokes about. He doesn’t make fun of traffic or food, he uses his show as a conduit to comment on the pattern of other performer’s shows. And this is what makes his show so unique.
The theme that was repeated over and over again (the very fact that his comedy show has a theme makes it incredible) was that performers are lying to their audience for their own selfish gain, making very it clear that he is no exception. Whenever he would use one of the four smoke cannons that were nestled among the incredibly bright pillars of fluorescent lights, he would emphasize the fact that they cost $50 per usage. Over and over again he defiantly yelled at the audience that every morning, he decided that this expensive but expendable bit was more worthy of $50 than charity is. I mean, he literally yelled this at us, as if desperately wanting us to yell back at him in anger, in defiance, to say Bo, stop it, use your money to help others rather than cheap entertainment. But the audience just laughed. Shit, I laughed harder than most, because I understood that he was trying to make a point. His entire show was a self-aware portrayal of how superficial and self-interested modern performers are.
His main songs were making fun of different kinds of performances, debunking love songs, then “country” singers, and then finally making a stab directly at Kanye West. And I think this is the core of what makes Bo Burnham such an incredible comedian, and why he appeals to our generation. He’s not going to make you see the funny things in your average life, in the things that you take for granted. He is on a lonely mission to make his audience think critically about their world, about their idols, himself included. His show is not just a haphazard collection of riffs, it is a wonderfully and hilariously orchestrated performance with a message. And even if you’re not looking for a lesson or a deeper meaning, his dick jokes are hands down the funniest I’ve ever heard.
