It always strikes me when I rewatch this song that Bo's character and Socko presumably have a history of incidents like this. And even if Socko, an oppressed voice, were to happily do everything Bo wanted, he would still get taken off at the end of the day once he played his part. Put in that liminal space unable to act or have a platform while Bo goes about his day. Only to reappear when someone in a position of privilege needs a literal sock puppet through which to affirm their worldview to a wider audience so the have the support of this other group outside of themselves. Even when Socko does get to say his piece Bo gives this sort of "aw isn't that cute" or "haha look at him go" wink and nod to the audience as he indulges Socko while ultimately having the power to silence him whenever Socko steps out of the acceptable range of discourse. Which he does when he attacks Bo directly rather than wide systemic issues which Bo, as sort of a semi-progressive or leftist(?) privileged person can verbally pay lip service to. Bo is happy to bring up marxist ideas like everyone giving what they can and getting what they need, because it's beautiful and poetic when put to nature. But as soon as the ugliness rears its head he indulges and "supports" Socko in bringing up these complexities. Just like rich white progressives might happily smile and nod while inviting a minority person to use their platform to speak. But as soon as criticism is levied at him directly it is met with angry resentment, the thorough degredation of Socko, and then his ultimate silencing after he's "made amends" and finished the song for the sake of the audience.
@@AllTheArtsy There was a good video by F.D Signifier which brought up that point in general when it comes to white people who are just now "waking up" within the past 5-10 years. Can't remember if it's his Bo video or not, but I agree it hits different based on your personal experience with race and other minority statuses.
It is very strange to see comments like this, you have a lot of good points but once you brought up white people and minorities it changed, becoming less of about those in power like the song was actually talking about and more about race, it may have seemed like it was illustrating something along the lines of white people in high points of power looking down on minorities and not listening to them but it wasn’t, it was about those in power as a whole looking down on those who they see as lesser and only helping them when it can be used to their advantage, it isn’t about race all though people would care less if a black politician did stuff like this it is about what I just said before, people in power treating people who aren’t as powerful as them as lesser and not caring about what they were saying, the whole white thing in the song was in place to point out Bo in the situation and those who could be like him roping all rich or powerful white people into one single category
A lot of reacters get visibly uncomfortable when he brings up stuff like the means of production. Which is pretty illustrative of that good ol' pedagogic classism.
which is funny cuz the first part of the song mentions in nature how everything "gives what they can, and gets what they need" which is a major tenet of communism as well.
@@babassoonist557 great point. If you ask most people what their ideal world would be, it almost always ends up something similar to socialism. But then in the same breath they'll say how socialism is evil
I think this is the darkest song Bo has ever written by far. The more I watch it the more powerful it gets. And to back it with Sesame Street adjacent music makes it just plain terrifying. He’s a genius.
Funny enough, to a certain subset of people, probably his most offensive song ever also. And that includes a song making fun of Helen Keller from back in his OG RUclips days.
@Shinius really?? How come? Is it like, them finding it insulting and reductive or sth? I could see people being uncomfortable listening to it, but I'd never thought of it at possibly being so offensive!
Yeah the way things end for socko is really upsetting, especially when it's so relatable. I've seen this sort of oppression in real life and Bo really captures the powerlessness through Socko. Great reaction as always! Welcome back!
And then made all more poignantly by Bo then turning back to the camera, smiling, and resuming "That's how the world works!" Chilling because it's so true!
Anyone who has dealt with suspicious police (which is kind of they're natural state) probably knows exactly how Socko feels while being put "in his place"... anndddddd if a person happens to be a person of color (or simply crosses the podophilic corporate elite) , they may very well come to know how Socko felt at THE END of the song. For, like Socko, not staying in line. Or even nothing at all... Because unfortunately, that IS how it "works".
I remember finding out that Eminem donates millions and is very involved in bettering Detroit, involved in a ton of charities. I've always been a fan and thought it was weird I never heard about it before. Turns out that one of his stipulations was for people to not talk about it and it took someone really diving in to find out all he did. That's the difference from someone who truly cares and someone just out for the recognition. It's fascinating looking at his approach and the lengths he goes to keep it low key.
I am a year late to the comment, but pulling up another artist Taylor is also widely known among her biggest fans to do good things under the radar, you might know about her singles and her boyfriend track record by the media but you don't know about the millions she donates to fans and people and fighting for causes she believes in. I don't think most people know how much she donates under the radar just the ones that are published through fan articles or are public
The “gives what they can and gets what they need” thing in the rosy half of the song is a rephrasing of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need”, which was Marx’s characterization of communism.
Seeing Bo's happy side of this song makes me understand why they hired him to write the songs for the Sesame Street movie coming out later this year. Well it's set for early 2022 now. Also the sock is most likely an homage to a Dutch comedian named Hans Teeuwen and his sock skit with Little Ronnie. He is one of the many comedians he looks up to. He also plays piano and writes songs.
@@Death_By_Media I'm pretty sure the sock is a reference to the time he said he was twenty and is too young to explain how the world works while also mentioning a sock puppet comedian
the socko voice over could be timing based, especially if you have seen bo burnham's "we think we know you" from his finale of "what" then you know his timing is really impressive. both acts would take big memorization and practice
@@AnxietyRat Watch his live shows. Some of the jokes are timed to a second, because they involve props, lights or sounds. Practice, practice, practice.
@@jackalski I'm aware. But even still all of that including his live shows takes an insane amount of memorization. It's amazing he is able to do it. I know I couldn't do it! Lmao.
To touch on the political themes. Socko is blatantly a leftist in what he says. Yet, even when Bo is giving the overly simplistic and base level explanation of how the world works he includes that every animal “gives what they can and gets what they need” which is a fundamental Marxist idea of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs”. Very interesting that the character that is directly opposed to the leftist uses the same language and idea in the simpler explanation. Maybe that’s showing that those ideas are a fundamental part of nature or maybe it’s just stealing the idea to use it against socko. Great reaction, great song
So I think this is also in conjunction with the greater message. Bo is a liberal in the skit versus Socko being a leftist. Liberals use the atheistic of being a leftist a lot of times (like faux radicalism) but don’t do much or understand how to actual change the system or what the underlying problems are in the first place. “Remember who’s on who’s hand” I.e, leftism is being brought more to the mainstream consciousness but largely while being profited off of liberals/neo -liberals cause ultimately, truly leftist policies/ideology (not liberalism) have a very small voice within our current system.
@@CalamityBoomPants I love your interpretation. That is an interesting take that reminds me of F. D. Signifier’s video on “White Liberal Performative Art” but with a more leftist bend to it.
the only problem I see with the song is that it specifically mentions the word "left", because it starts to appear people crazy about politics that only focus on that (it would be the same with the word "right"), the world is so polarized that you have to be careful when mentioning those words.
i feel like the "not quite dead, not quite alive part" is about oppression. bo takes socko out when he needs socko to help him but shoves him aside once he is done using socko, putting socko back into the sleep paralysis state, or oppressing him again.
This was a great reaction! You really caught everything. Just subscribed. The ending is such a gut punch. It used to be fun debating ‘issues’ when I was younger, but the shine of debating your own right to existence, respect and dignity wears off pretty quickly. I’m so tired. This song says it all.
may i also add that this man is the *song writer* (although stated as “composer” on google) for the upcoming Sesame Street movie - i think he jus got a lil carried away on this one…
Per IMDb, his credit is "songwriter", not "composer". In terms of movie credits, those are different jobs, and the latter might not even have been filled yet, as the score is often done in post-production.
@@livvi67 Given that he was alone in a room and still managed to make something more than a monologue of this short segment, that seems unlikely. And again, he's credited as songwriter, not screenwriter, so if anyone's writing monologues, it won't be him.
Was hoping you'd be back to reacting! I've been on a binge watching a bunch of Bo Burnham reactions from various people and yours have definitely stuck out more than most. Keep it up man, you're doing awesome!
I remember when I was sitting in history class in 5th grade thinking specifically that the UNITED STATES was and is always the good guys and that’s why we won all our wars etc. Good vs evil. Obviously growing up I learned the truth and the various gray areas.
Man, I was genuinely shocked to see you're a new channel after watching your first couple videos. Your setup looks/sounds great and you seem like a natural on camera. You've been catching so much more in these videos than any other Bo reactions I see, just wanted to shout out that you're killin' it :)
Just wanted to add that the cool detachment Bo is exuding while listening to Socko and representing "rich white people" could be taken at face value as apathy towards the hardships of others which have no direct impact on their own lives (unfortunately true of most people I think) or, if you wait til the oppression of Socko at the end, as a total lack of concern that those not in a position of power (i.e. without wealth) can do little to nothing to affect any lasting change that would even apply pressure to their status quo.
The one thing that always blows my mind in this one (and a couple others) is how he makes the whole thing look like one take. But it’s not - he’s only got one camera.
@@AllTheArtsy Because a lot of people just assume there's another camera to the left that he's turning to look at. And I would argue that he doesn't change positions, only angle.
@@AllTheArtsy Yes, I know. But many people don't realize that because the transition in the edit is very smooth. Many don't realize there isn't a camera there. That was my original point.
Of all of the reactions to this video I have seen, you are the only one that was as devistated at that end interaction as I was. Somehow he gave me empathy for that sock. Great reaction
I watch a lot of reactions to content I enjoy and don't usually comment but mad respect to you for your in depth responses to Inside. For a lot of people the deeper narratives presented in these songs are lost on them, they react to it as a quirky comedy and miss what Bo's actually trying to say. Not trying to shit on other content creators at all, I know it's probably different when you're watching something for a recording with more to worry about. But you're obviously well spoken, and I appreciate that you do such a great job of catching and talking about these things. It's sad watching reactions to this song and others like All Eyes On Me when the viewer just isn't getting it or taking it seriously.
This makes me wonder if you've ever seen Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (to potentially react to after Bo if not?), can hyperanalyze the hell out of those episodes
You looked truly shaken at the end of the song. I've seen this too many times to mention and it never loses its effect. It's truly genius. Loved your thoughtful and on point reaction.
Bo is obsessed with timing. I think i read something or watched something about how he would obsess over his stage cues and lighting for his live shows.
Super late to this party, but been watching these vids of all of Bo's stuff and I just want to say you are so spot on with a lot of your commentary. Super insightful and the way you put words to the things I've felt from Inside especially is just refreshing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I just realised in the ideal version of the world everything "Gives what they can and gets what they need", sounds a lot like "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" of socialism. Then you get the truth which is more dystopian, exploitative, harmful, and capitalist. "The secret is the world can only work when everything works together" - Cooperative companies?
That's how it works. Brilliant on every level. Good to see a rich white guy talking about it. And a rich white guy reacting to him talking about it. And a rich white guy watching the reaction.
I can't believe you started just a month ago with Bo reactions! Your production quality is great and you seem to be very good at the "reaction style" videos. You're not just watching the vids and laughing from time to time and just end it like that. Keep that up, I'm really enjoying it personally!!
Without a doubt the best reaction to this video in RUclips,in my opinion this song is the best one in the special,Bo has created something to treasure,great work man,cheers
Yeah, it's really hard to pick one, I keep flipflopping between this, Welcome To The Internet, and Problematic. Although if I'm being honest with myself, All Eyes On Me makes me feel so many things that it might secretly be on a while higher tier.
I know I already said it but you're the best at reacting to Bo's material. You seem to always hit the nail on the head when it comes to his messages. Thank you for all of your thoughtful reactions!
Fwiw I don’t mind at all when you pause a lot. If I just wanted to hear the song, I’d listen to the normal song. I watch reaction channels to hear people dissect the content. Great reaction!
As a former puppeteer - amateur, yes, but it was a ministry so we were all volunteers by default, being non-profit, I was involved for almost a decade and we attended professional conventions - I can assure you that with practice and (typically auditory) cues, it's simple enough to puppet to a tape. So for instance, Bo would have his song planned out, he'd know where to hit his musical cues. It'd be the same for the Socko bits. I'm assuming he VA'd Socko and then altered his music track to fit in those moments by just repeating that recurring melody. I would need to go back and check but I'd bet Socko talks on either the first beat or follows the first beat, giving Bo his auditory cue. We'd have to could measures all the time to hit cues and it's sooooooo much easier with music like he had than with silent cuts. In one production I puppeted a camel reporter and there was the news opening then almost 5 seconds of silence before the tape played her voice. Omg 5 seconds is forever when you're waiting for a cue and missing it just messes with your head (you get this idea that for some reason the puppet has to catch up instead of just going with the recording so you overcompensate, it's ridiculous) For anyone who wonders what amateur puppeteering is like, we had a "stage" that was (until we finally got a donation that let us by wing extensions) 8ft wide, maybe 6ft deep, with 6-10 people in there, downstage you couldn't lift your head above 4ft and upstage was originally 7 but we had to lower it to 6 because half of us were short. Raise your dominant arm so your shoulder is comfortable but your arm is straight up. Now hold that for 5 minutes. If you feel daring, make your hand talk. Move it like a person would with a slight sway but don't lift your fingers, drop your thumb. Because that's how you talk. Not tossing your forehead back but lowering your jaw. Now let's get you ready for puppeting a real show, take your other arm and use chopsticks or pencils and see if you can keep them pointed at your raised hand while moving them, up, out, general hand motions. 5 min is just for a single song production. Full stage is used for like 30 minute variety shows and we'd need to switch puppets and spots and set props, all without being seen or heard. But gosh we had awesome biceps 💪
Love to see you back! I love your video style and hope you keep it up👍 also don’t stop watching bo burnham after inside, his two specials (what. and make happy) have very impactful endings and some songs. And he even raps if you want a less philosophical song (I’m bo yo, oh bo, and words words words)
I remeber watching"the green room with with Paul Provenza".Bo was on one episode and said one of his inspirations was a Dutch comedian Hans Teeuwen who performed with a black sock, it's an nice homage to him.
Yknow i genuinley never understood why when we learn about history they tell us about how these people found America and stuff like that the founders or whatever but then also say there were natives on the land that pretty much accepted them it just never made sense to me how are there going to be natives already there so it's already found it there's people there but you tell us that these other people just so happen to sail there and now all of a sudden they're the founders even though it wasn't something to be found
@@whyareyoureadingthis5227 yes it was sarcasm. That's good that you listen to opposing view points. Not sure how someone can agree with communism when it's led to the deaths of over 100 million people.
@@gingermlg That's the common American agenda. Its the after affects of the red scare in our education man. It wasnt communism that led to that but rather how dictators and authoritarians used the tool of communism to cause harm. As a concept communism isn't all bad but it's completely out of date and not applicable to current society. But i advocate for a socialist democracy which is similar in some ways but is a good middle ground between our fucked capitalist system and the old ways of communism.
@@whyareyoureadingthis5227 Yeah, no to pretty much every thing you just said. That's specifically the problem with Communism. There's ALWAYS a dictator. How do people not realize that? Please explain to me how "Social Democracy" works. Because pretty much every socialist program we adopt drives us further in to debt and sucks for just about everyone.
Socko could be seen as any "representative" of a minority or other oppressed/marginalized group of people given a platform by Bo's hand. Consider a trans person invited to a talkshow, or a coal miner brought up to a politician's podium, or a nurse being handed the keys to the city in a ceremony. They don't have any platform of their own, but they're *allowed* a moment to speak their bit, as long as it's something that serves the platform holder's choice of narrative. "Trans people deserve rights, and you can help by wearing this flag." "Coal miners need jobs, so vote for this guy and they'll keep our mine open." "We're really stretched for resources right now, so please wear a mask and wash your hands." But the moment they start criticizing the underlying problems... "Society is inherently sexist and gender norms are enshrined in our laws written by old white men..." "Our only choice of employment was the coal mine after education was made for-profit and the well paid factory jobs were outsourced..." "Our medical system is failing from lack of funding and sensible political control..." They all get silenced and thrown back into the void.
Lately I've noticed that at the end bo says "that's how... it works!" the pause really makes me focus on the fact that Bo is telling us that all of this does work against us. it works.
I was rewatching the Netflix version yesterday on my phone and I swear there is a mustached face below Bo's chair at 1:11 LOL whether intentional or not, I don't know, but it's not visible if it's full screen LOL
As for the ending, it just shows how power dynamics work in the real world. "I make you deal, do you accept or do I throw you into the trash?" "I-I accept, sir." "Good, now do your part." "I will do my part." "Well done, now in the trash you go." You cannot negotiate without power. When the dynamic is so skewed to one side, there's no "negotiation". There's only one side dictating what the other must accept, and it's entirely up to their whims whether they uphold their end of the bargain or not. When we let the rich decide how much they want to pay tax, we put a price on conscience. When we let the police police themselves, we put a penalty on justice. When we let the corporations make their own rules on conduct, we leave the goat guarding the cabbage field.
yess! that ending. thank you for actually talking about how powerful it was. all i've seen people say about it is that it's hot, and like yea bo is really hot imo, but that's not hot, it's real and sad as fuck.
Worth noting this isn't calling for hopelessness, but putting forward that one "sock" (worker) alone can't resist capitalist rule. We need to organize, as that is the one thing common is all successful working-class revolutions so far.
a lot of the people doing reactions are pretty uneducated or right wing, fans of Tom macdonald yaknow lmao, so they dont really get this song, but I love you having more lefty perspective and getting issues in songs like this.
I feel a connection between this song and Noam Chomsky's book "How the World Works". A lot of the fundamental ideas are there. It seems that Bo's earlier works were more of a reflection of the problems occurring in the culture, and as time goes on, and people continue to not take what he's saying seriously, he's putting greater emphasis on what we as a society need to address in order to simply survive as a species. He, and countless others, are growing tired of this blissful ignorance that many people live in.
Reaction starts at 0:52
It always strikes me when I rewatch this song that Bo's character and Socko presumably have a history of incidents like this. And even if Socko, an oppressed voice, were to happily do everything Bo wanted, he would still get taken off at the end of the day once he played his part. Put in that liminal space unable to act or have a platform while Bo goes about his day. Only to reappear when someone in a position of privilege needs a literal sock puppet through which to affirm their worldview to a wider audience so the have the support of this other group outside of themselves.
Even when Socko does get to say his piece Bo gives this sort of "aw isn't that cute" or "haha look at him go" wink and nod to the audience as he indulges Socko while ultimately having the power to silence him whenever Socko steps out of the acceptable range of discourse. Which he does when he attacks Bo directly rather than wide systemic issues which Bo, as sort of a semi-progressive or leftist(?) privileged person can verbally pay lip service to.
Bo is happy to bring up marxist ideas like everyone giving what they can and getting what they need, because it's beautiful and poetic when put to nature. But as soon as the ugliness rears its head he indulges and "supports" Socko in bringing up these complexities. Just like rich white progressives might happily smile and nod while inviting a minority person to use their platform to speak. But as soon as criticism is levied at him directly it is met with angry resentment, the thorough degredation of Socko, and then his ultimate silencing after he's "made amends" and finished the song for the sake of the audience.
Great summary 👍
White people at the end of this song: shocked, horrified, existential dread
POC at the end of this song: yeah duh
@@AllTheArtsy There was a good video by F.D Signifier which brought up that point in general when it comes to white people who are just now "waking up" within the past 5-10 years. Can't remember if it's his Bo video or not, but I agree it hits different based on your personal experience with race and other minority statuses.
@@AllTheArtsy i fucking love it lmao
It is very strange to see comments like this, you have a lot of good points but once you brought up white people and minorities it changed, becoming less of about those in power like the song was actually talking about and more about race, it may have seemed like it was illustrating something along the lines of white people in high points of power looking down on minorities and not listening to them but it wasn’t, it was about those in power as a whole looking down on those who they see as lesser and only helping them when it can be used to their advantage, it isn’t about race all though people would care less if a black politician did stuff like this it is about what I just said before, people in power treating people who aren’t as powerful as them as lesser and not caring about what they were saying, the whole white thing in the song was in place to point out Bo in the situation and those who could be like him roping all rich or powerful white people into one single category
A lot of reacters get visibly uncomfortable when he brings up stuff like the means of production. Which is pretty illustrative of that good ol' pedagogic classism.
which is funny cuz the first part of the song mentions in nature how everything "gives what they can, and gets what they need" which is a major tenet of communism as well.
I think it comes as a shock to a majority of Americans how much we agree with socialism when we’ve been taught that socialism is the enemy yes.
@@babassoonist557 great point. If you ask most people what their ideal world would be, it almost always ends up something similar to socialism. But then in the same breath they'll say how socialism is evil
White people at the end of this song: shocked, horrified, existential dread
POC at the end of this song: yeah duh
@@saphcal That gets overlooked 99% of the time lol
I think this is the darkest song Bo has ever written by far. The more I watch it the more powerful it gets. And to back it with Sesame Street adjacent music makes it just plain terrifying. He’s a genius.
Funny enough, to a certain subset of people, probably his most offensive song ever also. And that includes a song making fun of Helen Keller from back in his OG RUclips days.
And he's writing the music for the Sesame Street film. 😮🤯
Can't wait to see it.
it's definitely the one I have the most difficulty to listen to until the end.
@Shinius really?? How come? Is it like, them finding it insulting and reductive or sth? I could see people being uncomfortable listening to it, but I'd never thought of it at possibly being so offensive!
It reminds me of Trevor Moore's "Kitty History" and basically all of Wonder Showzen, and I love Bo for it.
Yeah the way things end for socko is really upsetting, especially when it's so relatable. I've seen this sort of oppression in real life and Bo really captures the powerlessness through Socko. Great reaction as always! Welcome back!
socko was violently deplatformed.
And then made all more poignantly by Bo then turning back to the camera, smiling, and resuming "That's how the world works!" Chilling because it's so true!
Yep. We are useful until we are not
Anyone who has dealt with suspicious police (which is kind of they're natural state) probably knows exactly how Socko feels while being put "in his place"... anndddddd if a person happens to be a person of color (or simply crosses the podophilic corporate elite) , they may very well come to know how Socko felt at THE END of the song. For, like Socko, not staying in line. Or even nothing at all... Because unfortunately, that IS how it "works".
"remember whos on whos hand here" is such a chilling line
bo plays the villain AMAZINGLY and it scares me every time
I remember finding out that Eminem donates millions and is very involved in bettering Detroit, involved in a ton of charities. I've always been a fan and thought it was weird I never heard about it before. Turns out that one of his stipulations was for people to not talk about it and it took someone really diving in to find out all he did. That's the difference from someone who truly cares and someone just out for the recognition. It's fascinating looking at his approach and the lengths he goes to keep it low key.
I didn't know that! Got a lot of respect for Em
I am a year late to the comment, but pulling up another artist Taylor is also widely known among her biggest fans to do good things under the radar, you might know about her singles and her boyfriend track record by the media but you don't know about the millions she donates to fans and people and fighting for causes she believes in. I don't think most people know how much she donates under the radar just the ones that are published through fan articles or are public
Yet he can’t control himself from still saying slurs
@@cayde7293you donate
The “gives what they can and gets what they need” thing in the rosy half of the song is a rephrasing of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need”, which was Marx’s characterization of communism.
Yeah, and funnily enought is alot of the message in kids movies, but its also not anticapitalist at the same timem which is weird
@@-piras It is anticapitalist; capitalism doesn’t care about meeting people’s needs. It only cares about profit.
@@Holobrine yeah exactly, Im saying that kids movie have that message and then expect to not create a generation of people that are anticapitalist lol
@@-piras Almost as though the writers of kids movies know what’s up
@@Holobrine It's mostly the writers. Writers are many times exploited by the corporations they work at so they slip in a few based messages.
Seeing Bo's happy side of this song makes me understand why they hired him to write the songs for the Sesame Street movie coming out later this year. Well it's set for early 2022 now. Also the sock is most likely an homage to a Dutch comedian named Hans Teeuwen and his sock skit with Little Ronnie. He is one of the many comedians he looks up to. He also plays piano and writes songs.
yes finally someone remembers...:0
But he made him a white sock to not offend Marc Maron lolz
Also looking forward to "Socko" helping Elmo and the gang survive gentrification .
@@Death_By_Media LOL too funny
@@Death_By_Media I'm pretty sure the sock is a reference to the time he said he was twenty and is too young to explain how the world works while also mentioning a sock puppet comedian
Socko is so based. A true icon
depends on your definition of "based" I guess 😂
Fr
the socko voice over could be timing based, especially if you have seen bo burnham's "we think we know you" from his finale of "what" then you know his timing is really impressive. both acts would take big memorization and practice
This.... He is AMAZING at that. Don't know how he does it! It's baffling to me.
@@AnxietyRat Watch his live shows. Some of the jokes are timed to a second, because they involve props, lights or sounds. Practice, practice, practice.
@@jackalski I'm aware. But even still all of that including his live shows takes an insane amount of memorization. It's amazing he is able to do it. I know I couldn't do it! Lmao.
To touch on the political themes. Socko is blatantly a leftist in what he says. Yet, even when Bo is giving the overly simplistic and base level explanation of how the world works he includes that every animal “gives what they can and gets what they need” which is a fundamental Marxist idea of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs”. Very interesting that the character that is directly opposed to the leftist uses the same language and idea in the simpler explanation.
Maybe that’s showing that those ideas are a fundamental part of nature or maybe it’s just stealing the idea to use it against socko.
Great reaction, great song
So I think this is also in conjunction with the greater message. Bo is a liberal in the skit versus Socko being a leftist. Liberals use the atheistic of being a leftist a lot of times (like faux radicalism) but don’t do much or understand how to actual change the system or what the underlying problems are in the first place. “Remember who’s on who’s hand” I.e, leftism is being brought more to the mainstream consciousness but largely while being profited off of liberals/neo -liberals cause ultimately, truly leftist policies/ideology (not liberalism) have a very small voice within our current system.
@@CalamityBoomPants I love your interpretation. That is an interesting take that reminds me of F. D. Signifier’s video on “White Liberal Performative Art” but with a more leftist bend to it.
the only problem I see with the song is that it specifically mentions the word "left", because it starts to appear people crazy about politics that only focus on that (it would be the same with the word "right"), the world is so polarized that you have to be careful when mentioning those words.
It's more or less showing how corporations, use progressive movements, like blm, lgbt, to gain greater reputation and maximize profits.
@@jessicaguarin3897 it would not
i feel like the "not quite dead, not quite alive part" is about oppression. bo takes socko out when he needs socko to help him but shoves him aside once he is done using socko, putting socko back into the sleep paralysis state, or oppressing him again.
I think Bo was just setting up context. This way we can understand that he was punishing socko
This was a great reaction! You really caught everything. Just subscribed. The ending is such a gut punch. It used to be fun debating ‘issues’ when I was younger, but the shine of debating your own right to existence, respect and dignity wears off pretty quickly. I’m so tired. This song says it all.
pause as much as you need to, pal! hahaha there's a lot to unpack in these songs and scenes haha
I’ll stop worrying about it and just go with how I want to do things!
@@ChrisReactsToThings yeah! (also i'm glad your housing situation is *hopefully* better! mold is no fun 😬)
may i also add that this man is the *song writer* (although stated as “composer” on google) for the upcoming Sesame Street movie - i think he jus got a lil carried away on this one…
I think we are all in for a wild ride if that’s the case 😜
Per IMDb, his credit is "songwriter", not "composer". In terms of movie credits, those are different jobs, and the latter might not even have been filled yet, as the score is often done in post-production.
Lol looking forward to the next Sesame Street being a 3 hour Marxist monologue
@@livvi67 Given that he was alone in a room and still managed to make something more than a monologue of this short segment, that seems unlikely. And again, he's credited as songwriter, not screenwriter, so if anyone's writing monologues, it won't be him.
@@Swenglish I was saying it in hope!
Was hoping you'd be back to reacting! I've been on a binge watching a bunch of Bo Burnham reactions from various people and yours have definitely stuck out more than most. Keep it up man, you're doing awesome!
Completely agree. By far the best
I remember when I was sitting in history class in 5th grade thinking specifically that the UNITED STATES was and is always the good guys and that’s why we won all our wars etc. Good vs evil. Obviously growing up I learned the truth and the various gray areas.
Ah, I see. So that's a problem in every country then. Good (?) to know.
So it’s not just me, thank god.
Man, I was genuinely shocked to see you're a new channel after watching your first couple videos. Your setup looks/sounds great and you seem like a natural on camera. You've been catching so much more in these videos than any other Bo reactions I see, just wanted to shout out that you're killin' it :)
Just wanted to add that the cool detachment Bo is exuding while listening to Socko and representing "rich white people" could be taken at face value as apathy towards the hardships of others which have no direct impact on their own lives (unfortunately true of most people I think) or, if you wait til the oppression of Socko at the end, as a total lack of concern that those not in a position of power (i.e. without wealth) can do little to nothing to affect any lasting change that would even apply pressure to their status quo.
The one thing that always blows my mind in this one (and a couple others) is how he makes the whole thing look like one take. But it’s not - he’s only got one camera.
How does it look like one take he literally abruptly changes angles and positions lol
@@AllTheArtsy Because a lot of people just assume there's another camera to the left that he's turning to look at. And I would argue that he doesn't change positions, only angle.
@@monodescarado no, the camera definitely moves
@@AllTheArtsy Yes, I know. But many people don't realize that because the transition in the edit is very smooth. Many don't realize there isn't a camera there. That was my original point.
Of all of the reactions to this video I have seen, you are the only one that was as devistated at that end interaction as I was. Somehow he gave me empathy for that sock. Great reaction
I watch a lot of reactions to content I enjoy and don't usually comment but mad respect to you for your in depth responses to Inside. For a lot of people the deeper narratives presented in these songs are lost on them, they react to it as a quirky comedy and miss what Bo's actually trying to say. Not trying to shit on other content creators at all, I know it's probably different when you're watching something for a recording with more to worry about. But you're obviously well spoken, and I appreciate that you do such a great job of catching and talking about these things. It's sad watching reactions to this song and others like All Eyes On Me when the viewer just isn't getting it or taking it seriously.
Spot on analysis, glad you got your mold issue dealt with.
This makes me wonder if you've ever seen Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (to potentially react to after Bo if not?), can hyperanalyze the hell out of those episodes
You looked truly shaken at the end of the song. I've seen this too many times to mention and it never loses its effect. It's truly genius. Loved your thoughtful and on point reaction.
Yessir, I like your reactions. Congrats on the following you’re gaining, it’s well deserved
Comrade burnham
Glad you're back mate. Love the reactions 👊🏻
👊🏻
Bo is obsessed with timing. I think i read something or watched something about how he would obsess over his stage cues and lighting for his live shows.
Fun fact one of bos inspirations is the Dutch absurdist Hans Teeuwen who has a sock character named Little Ronnie
Super late to this party, but been watching these vids of all of Bo's stuff and I just want to say you are so spot on with a lot of your commentary. Super insightful and the way you put words to the things I've felt from Inside especially is just refreshing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I love your reactions so much, you’re so thoughtful and intelligent. It’s very refreshing to see. Keep it up!!
I just realised in the ideal version of the world everything "Gives what they can and gets what they need", sounds a lot like "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" of socialism.
Then you get the truth which is more dystopian, exploitative, harmful, and capitalist.
"The secret is the world can only work when everything works together" - Cooperative companies?
That's how it works. Brilliant on every level. Good to see a rich white guy talking about it. And a rich white guy reacting to him talking about it. And a rich white guy watching the reaction.
Wait... You guys are rich?
I work at a gas station my guy, I'm fucking loaded obviously
yours is the first take on this song I've heard like this, and its the first one that instantly clicked with me. You really hit the nail on the head.
I can't believe you started just a month ago with Bo reactions! Your production quality is great and you seem to be very good at the "reaction style" videos. You're not just watching the vids and laughing from time to time and just end it like that. Keep that up, I'm really enjoying it personally!!
I’m a newbie to your channel but I’m impressed at how quickly you pick up on Bo’s themes!
Without a doubt the best reaction to this video in RUclips,in my opinion this song is the best one in the special,Bo has created something to treasure,great work man,cheers
Friendly reminder to go with this song, Bo was hired on to write the music for the sesame street film. :)
One of the best reactors on youtube...hands down.. and I genuinely mean that.
This might be my favorite song in the special. its so hard to pick a favorite but this one is so catchy. Love Comrade Socko
Yeah, it's really hard to pick one, I keep flipflopping between this, Welcome To The Internet, and Problematic. Although if I'm being honest with myself, All Eyes On Me makes me feel so many things that it might secretly be on a while higher tier.
@@RagnarokB right? lol
@@saphcal I think we can all agree though, the only bad song on the whole special is a sentence I cannot finish. :P
@@RagnarokB i dont know what you mean. theres no bad songs :O
Your actually the first reaction/review that paid enough time on the ending of the song. Most just skim through it and think it's straight comedy.
Most people have shitty breakdowns, reactions, and quality. So I appreciate this.
I know I already said it but you're the best at reacting to Bo's material. You seem to always hit the nail on the head when it comes to his messages. Thank you for all of your thoughtful reactions!
Fwiw I don’t mind at all when you pause a lot. If I just wanted to hear the song, I’d listen to the normal song. I watch reaction channels to hear people dissect the content.
Great reaction!
As a former puppeteer - amateur, yes, but it was a ministry so we were all volunteers by default, being non-profit, I was involved for almost a decade and we attended professional conventions - I can assure you that with practice and (typically auditory) cues, it's simple enough to puppet to a tape. So for instance, Bo would have his song planned out, he'd know where to hit his musical cues. It'd be the same for the Socko bits. I'm assuming he VA'd Socko and then altered his music track to fit in those moments by just repeating that recurring melody. I would need to go back and check but I'd bet Socko talks on either the first beat or follows the first beat, giving Bo his auditory cue. We'd have to could measures all the time to hit cues and it's sooooooo much easier with music like he had than with silent cuts. In one production I puppeted a camel reporter and there was the news opening then almost 5 seconds of silence before the tape played her voice. Omg 5 seconds is forever when you're waiting for a cue and missing it just messes with your head (you get this idea that for some reason the puppet has to catch up instead of just going with the recording so you overcompensate, it's ridiculous)
For anyone who wonders what amateur puppeteering is like, we had a "stage" that was (until we finally got a donation that let us by wing extensions) 8ft wide, maybe 6ft deep, with 6-10 people in there, downstage you couldn't lift your head above 4ft and upstage was originally 7 but we had to lower it to 6 because half of us were short. Raise your dominant arm so your shoulder is comfortable but your arm is straight up. Now hold that for 5 minutes. If you feel daring, make your hand talk. Move it like a person would with a slight sway but don't lift your fingers, drop your thumb. Because that's how you talk. Not tossing your forehead back but lowering your jaw. Now let's get you ready for puppeting a real show, take your other arm and use chopsticks or pencils and see if you can keep them pointed at your raised hand while moving them, up, out, general hand motions. 5 min is just for a single song production. Full stage is used for like 30 minute variety shows and we'd need to switch puppets and spots and set props, all without being seen or heard.
But gosh we had awesome biceps 💪
I just subscribed today but binged your videos because your reactions are soooo great! You dissect the songs and the production so perfectly
Bro your takes are always the best, keep reacting dude
Really glad you're back. Hope all is well now and moving forward
Unusually thoughtful reaction. Good work.
the end of this song always bums me out because it's so true 😔
Happy to see you're back! A based sock puppet was not something I thought I would enjoy before watching this.
Socko is an homage fo a Finnish (or maybe just Dutch) absurdist he loves.
Love to see you back! I love your video style and hope you keep it up👍 also don’t stop watching bo burnham after inside, his two specials (what. and make happy) have very impactful endings and some songs. And he even raps if you want a less philosophical song (I’m bo yo, oh bo, and words words words)
Great reactions man, really looking forward to more content. Been following you since 2009 with Tyler playing NSMBW
you are the first person i’ve seen to actually understand everything in the song! great reaction
He's definitely wearing ears, you can see them in a few different shots in the special.
I didn't know you'd made this channel but youtube randomly reccommended it to me. It was a nice surprise
This is my favorite song from Inside alongside with "Welcome to the Internet." Socko is great.
You should watch the immediately following bit where he satires about "brand awareness" which you (rightly so) mentioned here
I remeber watching"the green room with with Paul Provenza".Bo was on one episode and said one of his inspirations was a Dutch comedian Hans Teeuwen who performed with a black sock, it's an nice homage to him.
and as DeathbyMediaMusic replied to someone else's similar comment:
"But he made him a white sock to not offend Marc Maron lolz
"
One of the best reaction/breakdown of this amazing piece. Good job. :) I haven't seen any vids of yours, but ai may be starting after this one. Heh
Yknow i genuinley never understood why when we learn about history they tell us about how these people found America and stuff like that the founders or whatever but then also say there were natives on the land that pretty much accepted them it just never made sense to me how are there going to be natives already there so it's already found it there's people there but you tell us that these other people just so happen to sail there and now all of a sudden they're the founders even though it wasn't something to be found
I love how the things that socko said is something Bo would 100% say so I love how socko said he wouldn’t say anything Bo wouldn’t have said already
genocide the natives say you got to it first, thats how it works. love that line maybe because i'm australian lol
Comrade Socko and his generally socialist leaning left views has me happy. I love me a good political statement that i generally agree with
Why listen to political views you disagree with, am I right?
@@gingermlg cant tell if you're being sarcastic lol bit i do like listening to opposite views. Debates are fun
@@whyareyoureadingthis5227 yes it was sarcasm. That's good that you listen to opposing view points. Not sure how someone can agree with communism when it's led to the deaths of over 100 million people.
@@gingermlg That's the common American agenda. Its the after affects of the red scare in our education man. It wasnt communism that led to that but rather how dictators and authoritarians used the tool of communism to cause harm. As a concept communism isn't all bad but it's completely out of date and not applicable to current society. But i advocate for a socialist democracy which is similar in some ways but is a good middle ground between our fucked capitalist system and the old ways of communism.
@@whyareyoureadingthis5227 Yeah, no to pretty much every thing you just said.
That's specifically the problem with Communism. There's ALWAYS a dictator.
How do people not realize that?
Please explain to me how "Social Democracy" works. Because pretty much every socialist program we adopt drives us further in to debt and sucks for just about everyone.
Glad you're back dude🔥
"Socko is the working class" has gotta be one of the best things I've ever heard
Socko could be seen as any "representative" of a minority or other oppressed/marginalized group of people given a platform by Bo's hand.
Consider a trans person invited to a talkshow, or a coal miner brought up to a politician's podium, or a nurse being handed the keys to the city in a ceremony.
They don't have any platform of their own, but they're *allowed* a moment to speak their bit, as long as it's something that serves the platform holder's choice of narrative.
"Trans people deserve rights, and you can help by wearing this flag."
"Coal miners need jobs, so vote for this guy and they'll keep our mine open."
"We're really stretched for resources right now, so please wear a mask and wash your hands."
But the moment they start criticizing the underlying problems...
"Society is inherently sexist and gender norms are enshrined in our laws written by old white men..."
"Our only choice of employment was the coal mine after education was made for-profit and the well paid factory jobs were outsourced..."
"Our medical system is failing from lack of funding and sensible political control..."
They all get silenced and thrown back into the void.
well masks and hand-washing aren't ONLY for resource management, that's just how germs work
Lately I've noticed that at the end bo says "that's how... it works!" the pause really makes me focus on the fact that Bo is telling us that all of this does work against us. it works.
How The World Works is mine and my girlfriend's favorite song to listen to together.
Omg that was actually intense even for a veteran conspiracy professor like me! YIKES!!!!😬 Great reaction!👌
I was rewatching the Netflix version yesterday on my phone and I swear there is a mustached face below Bo's chair at 1:11 LOL whether intentional or not, I don't know, but it's not visible if it's full screen LOL
I think you got it all! Nice reactions! ♥️
As for the ending, it just shows how power dynamics work in the real world.
"I make you deal, do you accept or do I throw you into the trash?"
"I-I accept, sir."
"Good, now do your part."
"I will do my part."
"Well done, now in the trash you go."
You cannot negotiate without power. When the dynamic is so skewed to one side, there's no "negotiation". There's only one side dictating what the other must accept, and it's entirely up to their whims whether they uphold their end of the bargain or not.
When we let the rich decide how much they want to pay tax, we put a price on conscience. When we let the police police themselves, we put a penalty on justice. When we let the corporations make their own rules on conduct, we leave the goat guarding the cabbage field.
Every time the guy stops the video and stunned, my brain goes " sameee, bro" even though I know Bo's musics by heart
Awesome reactions man!
HEY! Hey! Look at me! . . . and thaaat is how the world works =D
Man, such a great song, and a great reaction. Thanks = )
Nothing in this special makes me laugh harder than the stupid faces Bo makes while Socko is talking about stuff like assassinations and pedophiles.
yess! that ending. thank you for actually talking about how powerful it was. all i've seen people say about it is that it's hot, and like yea bo is really hot imo, but that's not hot, it's real and sad as fuck.
lmao your face in the beginning of the song. you knew it was gonna take a turn at some point
Worth noting this isn't calling for hopelessness, but putting forward that one "sock" (worker) alone can't resist capitalist rule. We need to organize, as that is the one thing common is all successful working-class revolutions so far.
glad you're back, keep it up!
a lot of the people doing reactions are pretty uneducated or right wing, fans of Tom macdonald yaknow lmao, so they dont really get this song, but I love you having more lefty perspective and getting issues in songs like this.
I wonder if he shot himself doing the puppet and reacting, and then added the puppet voice as v/o.
11:08 it is interesting to see his face of nervousness and discomfort.
Sock-O is a Marxist 🤘🏽😂
If Bo doesn't win every Emmy he's nominated for we know it's rigged!
Socko: The working class. Bo: The owner class. I love how this short song not only teaches political education, but even demonstrates it.
Remember. Be good little boys and girls and do what your masters tell you.
Power rules the World.
i watched more tahn 5 reactiosn to this music, urs was the best and most accurate
Best reaction to this I've seen 🌟
Socko didn't off himself💥
What are you planning to react to next? Classic movies maybe?
I’m honestly not sure yet! I’m open to anything though.
White people at the end of this song: shocked, horrified, existential dread
POC at the end of this song: yeah duh
I like the communism reference in the beginning of the song
excellent and well informed review. earned my sub dude. the part about the means of production is a marxist teaching.
btw we think we know you is definitely something id like to see your reaction to. thanks for the video!
bo is an american public education system
I feel a connection between this song and Noam Chomsky's book "How the World Works". A lot of the fundamental ideas are there. It seems that Bo's earlier works were more of a reflection of the problems occurring in the culture, and as time goes on, and people continue to not take what he's saying seriously, he's putting greater emphasis on what we as a society need to address in order to simply survive as a species. He, and countless others, are growing tired of this blissful ignorance that many people live in.
lion king start) like in the beginning of nature) then somebody catch others on his hand. and its where we now) can be cancelled any second oO