If you've never heard of Bo Burnham before, you're missing out. Bo is a 25-year-old comedian who made a name for himself by writing comedic songs on a variety of topics and posting them on YouTube. On his channel, boburnham, his most viewed video is a rap song titled "i'm bo yo".
His older songs were meant to be strictly comedic, but his style has progressed and transformed into a cross between comedy and current events. He is trying to open his audiences' eyes to the world they live in as well as convey some of the pros and cons of life. For example, Burnham's song "God's Perspective," from his special "what.," spreads a message of acceptance despite the Bible proclaiming otherwise in certain situations.
Through his sarcasm and highly inappropriate sense of humor, Burnham opens the eyes of his audience to more serious situations while still attempting to put a smile on their faces.
In his new special on Netflix, "Make Happy," Bo Burnham shows a different side of himself. It's ok that he changed in the time between "what." and "Make Happy" because performers are allowed to grow. In "Make Happy," it seems as though he became aware of the younger audience he has, and chose to create this show to speak directly to them. What he says does apply to an older generation too, though. It's a message that everyone deserves to hear: you are allowed to be sad and depressed, even if you're doing what you love or living a good life.
In today's society, depression is treated better than it has been in the past, but it is still not taken as seriously as it should be. People automatically brush it off as something a few pills could fix or something that can be remedied by just talking about it.
According to the World Health Organization, depression is a legitimate illness that over 350 million people suffer from worldwide. Lack of understanding and compassion towards those with depression can worsen their condition because not only are they not supported by those close to them, but it makes them feel as though there is something wrong with them. People need to understand that depression, though not necessarily a "normal" thing, is a condition that is treatable, and is more than just feeling sad sometimes.
Depression is defined by the National Institute for Mental Health as "a common but serious mood disorder" that "causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities." In the beginning of his show, Bo states that he knows most people in the audience are there to escape their own problems and laugh for an hour with him. This is true for some people. A person with depression can still laugh and enjoy themselves at times, but it is more draining for them than a person without depression.
At the end of his show, he sings a song asking if the audience is happy once he has finished the show and they are left on their own. He himself admits to not being happy because it is hard to achieve sometimes, especially with a mental illness. Though he has not officially stated that he has a mental illness, one of the lines in his closing song in "Make Happy" hints that he might: "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." He really does a great job trying to make his audience feel better, despite struggling himself.
For those who have never heard of Bo, now is the best time to hop on the train. Go watch "Make Happy" on Netflix. Let yourself be inspired by his attempts to change the world, one joke at a time.
