Look at the frame ratio....it expands when it get real showing that "this is the truth in my life" and then swaps back once it goes but to the "fakeness"
I love how the line "Is this heaven?" is ironic the first time, but comes across a lot more genuine at the end when it's just going through this woman's happiest moments, like hearing "I love you" and getting proposed to, and you realize it was always that. It was always just a collection of the things that make this woman happy.
I always felt it was more mocking the pretentiousness of ppl on IG and the thirst for validation due to peer pressure thus making ppl more disconnected and mentally unhealthy in the long run when you find out no one cares about you really
I always thought of it as the happy times that she wished she could share with her mother instead of the internet. Like, that she doesn't actually care about the people who follow her on instagram, it's just her little fantasy of sharing these moments with her mom. That the public participation with her moments is almost an intrusion instead of the point.
One thing I haven't seen anyone mention is the few lines near the end: "three little words, a couple of doves, and a ring on her finger from the person that she loves" plus the wedding bells in the background. That part really stands out as kind of a nice little epilogue to the mom part. Her boyfriend that she's crazy about obviously proposed and she's moving on with her life and finding happiness. People could easily see an instagram post like that and think "oh someone posting about their wedding again, boring" but because we know a little more about this woman and her struggle we're happy for her instead. It really paints a contrast between our feelings about her before the mom segment (mocking, critical) and after (sympathetic).
definitely didn't see it that way... bo burnham has always been a comedian who laces his seemingly face level act with sarcasm and satire. i think the overall theme of this one is that he's making fun of a ridiculous stereotype because most of these influencers have become caricatures of themselves... just my opinion though and i might be wrong. that's the value of art is that it provokes thought from people with all kinds of different views/lenses.
Those parts are what makes it seem so weird to me that this song is getting labeled as an attack on people. He never actually says anything negative. It's just a list. It's a mirror held up to part of our society. If someone feels uncomfortable after hearing this, it should trigger some introspection.
My own interpretation of the song is that it's mostly parodying the performative nature of instagram influencers and the stereotypical fashion through which they try to convey the perfect life. The aspect ratio opens up when the song becomes a less filtered message to the subjects dead mother, then starts to close in again as the message becomes more performative and "show offy". It feels as though the three little words a couple of doves etc is imagery you might associate with a typical show-off influencer wedding post, as many people online will feature their relationship in their content to deepen the depiction of a perfect life. There are a lot of layers to this special though and the meaning is somewhat supplemental given how the pandemic and our online lives are a very shared experience.
Bo is a genius. Without the personal part in the middle, this bit would be almost hack. But with it in, it’s a masterpiece and I can’t get though it without tearing up.
behind every personal attack theres someone who felt personal attacked by a cliche :D this song is fuckin amazing, only hurts when youre this white woman xD
I've noticed the the camera shot widens (opens up) when the lyrics get serious and the "white woman" opens up. And then it closes back up as the lyrics become more closed off again. Not sure if that's anything but...I noticed it
@@daveduncan518 Same. Maybe its really what He Said, showing that they are persons and that those Things do hurt them, allthough that might not bei visible If you Just read those Things over and over again
I think it's even more than that. I think another part of the message is this need I think most of us feel to project a perfect, unfailing version of our lives, if we are going to share them. I think it's a commentary on the performative nature of social media and how it ultimately is used to mask how we feel from on and another.
I feel like it also speaks to those people who do like really long, super personal posts. You know the posts that seem to go on for a bit longer than they should. I guess I related it to people that overshare on Facebook about their lives.
eh, i saw it as making fun of how ridiculous it is to feel that internal need for everybody to see your woes in life because you can't just live through them and/or want a bunch of people you don't know to sympathize with you. but, probably projecting my own bias into it a ton!
@@fletcherhunt4374 Yeah the reason I don't think it is this is the nifty way he widened the shot out of that Instagram-style framing when talking about the parents and then back into the Instagram frame when he goes back to the shallow post descriptions. Widing it out there shows that we are seeing this person through a different lens than just the Instagram page. We're seeing the real person, even if it's just for a single post, before going back to the latte foam art and tiny pumpkins.
Bo: let me tell you something funny! Us: hahaha! Funny man! Bo: now let me show you how much you suck for enjoying that joke! Us: oh... That was... Sorry. Bo: you look sad. Wanna hear another? Us having learned nothing: hahaha!
Yeah, same. I remember the first time I watched this song it didn't feel nice at first, like "ok, some white dude makes fun of women again - what's new here, that's not fun", and then this part about mom started and I realized that it's actually a much deeper song than it seems at first. Love this song now actually.
It makes us feel ashamed for making fun of this woman's coping mechanism and outlet for positivity. We take our lives on the internet too seriously and think it's okay to ridicule people when usually you'd pass them by and let them live their life irl.
@@danaknight647 The song is about how people are fake on the internet and are only "genuine" when other people see. Thats why the whole song is filmed in portrait mode until she talks about her mom. Then she starts being genuine. As soon as she talks about her boyfriend it goes back.
Ive seen maybe 10-12 reactions to this song.. everyone missed the fucking point of the song except you. I love the fact that you are able to read between the lines instead of doing a stupid over-acting reaction to everything he writes. My appreciation for you reached new heights. I was just checking your channel, but now you earned a loyal follower.
It is very important to note on the scene where the "white woman" talks about her mom, is the only time the aspect ratio opens up away from the Instagram size. The only time she isn't "filtered". You are correct that is is the only time we see the real woman. It is there to remind us they are human, remind us that life is not perfect, not "heaven", that things are happening to real people, regardless of what they post. It goes into the great topic of how we compare ourselves to other lives that have been curated to make things look like "heaven". And a small reminder, that we are not alone, we are all people. Maybe we should spend a bit more time with the wider aspect ratio, nothing against the curated posts. Both the authors and the consumers need to remember we are all people.
Yes but it also starts to pan back in again when "she" becomes narcissistic again making the post about her instead of about her mom. It started as a tribute to "her mom", then ended up becoming all about what "shes" doing instead.
@@ryanking8246 I didn't take it that way, it was more posed, but not necessarily narcissistic. This of course is open to interpretation. I interpreted as a perfect world, a.k.a "heaven", and for that glimpse when it is about her mom, it is real. I never considered the others narcissistic, just staged. But I can for sure see how it would be interpreted as narcissist. Though, I would think, if that was what Bo was going after he would have included likes in some aspect, or the character looking at their own Instagram. We see the character Bo looking at the song after it is done, but I think that speaks to something different, but of course, I can be COMPLETELY wrong.
@@ryanking8246 is it really narcissistic to talk about yourself to your dead mom using an instagram caption as your medium? i get what youre saying but i think youre being too negative at this point. what is this character supposed to do, just post a sad ass caption saying 'i miss you, my life is so hard with you gone' and leave it at that? is that what our loved ones want for us when they die, for us to not move on? I interpreted it as the character speaking directly to her mother about how she's overcoming the loss of both her parents, and I really don't think that's narcissistic
@@ryanking8246 I would say rather than narcissistic it is more performative. It's the sort of grief that you show because you are expected to grieve in certain ways publicly. It comes across as less sincere than the more real pain of the first part, but it is still grief.
@@bee4590 i find it narcissistic to turn a post about missing your dead mother, into how well you're doing. Yes. Lol its a comedy reflective song. Why would you think in ANY way that hes being sincere? Hes making fun of "creative and thoughtful" white chicks.. In other words generic basic broads. The whole thing is making fun of them
I'm glad I first heard this song while watching the special. Part of the "joke" of this song is ruined when you already know the title before you start listening. The first verse functions as the setup where you're wondering where all of these seemingly unrelated topics are going, then the chorus comes in and lands like a punch line. By the way, I completely agree with your interpretation of the middle section where the woman is opening up about missing her mom. I was feeling kind of crazy watching so many people react to this song and not really have that part phase them at all, like "well that was weird, let's get back to the jokes."
Agreed. As excited as I am that the songs are up on RUclips for my existential pleasures, watching it in the special with the element of surprised made this and Unpaid Intern land so well. Plus theres more Bo time which is always a plus.
Agreed. And one super unfortunate thing that happened when the audio album came out is now the subtitles say [White Woman's Instagram by Bo Burnham plays] as soon as the song starts.
I love his little touches like how he changes the aspect ratio when the “woman” is opening up about her mom passing displaying real emotions, but then back to like the narrow view for the rest
Yes! Be did this throughout the entire special. How he uses camera angles, zoom, framing, lighting, all of it, is so we'll thought out. It makes the entire show so much more engaging and detailed without you even noticing while you're watching it. Then when you look back and start to think of everything he did and the fact that he did all of it himself in his room. The whole this is just so good. It still felt like Bo but so much more intimate and awesome!
Your breakdowns are great. So many others just laugh at the pictures with a quick “aw” to the mom post. The mom post is the key to the whole song. “Give a hug and kiss to dad” In the video we see him (as her) celebrating a 27th birthday. It’s been 10 years since her mom died so we’re seeing someone who lost both her parents right as she entered adulthood. With that in mind, the rest of the video comes off as a person who is trying to project happiness so that some of it can enter her life. The cinematography was perfect. So many great shots and the aspect ratio changing from IG’s 1:1 to a widescreen while real talk was happening helped emphasis the break between your Internet life and the real world. What a genius Bo is.
Also, when the aspect ratio changes, the “picture” is no longer perfect, and you see some of the mess on the sidelines, which again plays into both the message of “What you’re seeing is curated” and “these are real people behind these posts, and their lives aren’t perfect.”
Oooh, I had never considered the age part either, had just thought of these as random, but if all of the "photos" are implied to be the same "woman" / person / account, then losing her parents by age 17 puts everything else into a much different light.
The "favorite photo of her mom" segment in the middle of this song absolutely knocked me back on my heels the first time I heard it. I think your interpretation is exactly correct, and I think Bo Burnham is a genius for doing it like that.
One thing I love is at the begining it starts with alot of "haha this is silly" but then you hit the middle about her mom and all the following content feels less of silly and more of a coping method. The content is "just as silly" as the earlier lyrics but all of a sudden it has a whole new meaning when you know about the person just a little.
I think the middle section has a dual meaning. It’s a reminder that they’re still real people, but it’s also a criticism of how all the silly, frivolous, content (IG performance) drowns out real moments where we can truly connect with one another represented by the change in aspect ratio.
It's the same person. She's 27 and lost her parents at 17. She has a post of holding hands. Then she tells her mom she has a boyfriend she loves. Then she has a post with a wedding ring. It's called a White Woman's Instagram. That titling was specific. The song is scrolling through her feed and viewing her as a real person during that middle part. The rest of the posts are her trying to cope with life. The joke is that is the viewers are judgemental about them. Watch it again.
@@spannycat2 that’s an interesting perspective that it’s all one white woman’s Instagram rather than an amalgamation of basic tropes. That said, Bo has been quite vocal on his opinions on perfectly curated posts vaingloriously grasping for other’s approval. He values authenticity over a desperate ploy to get more money, likes, fame, etc. Even the engagement post is back to the perfect lie that we represent our lives as to our respective audiences. That’s why the aspect ratio only changes when she’s talking about losing her parents because it’s the one part of the song where she’s not trying to pretend that her life is perfect. We’re all human and should be more willing to let people see that we’re humans and not just a collection of perfect moments. Then people will be more likely to treat each other like humans and be less judgmental. But what do I know? I’m just a random guy on the internet
@@Schmidhead516 I agree. I think the song has multiple meanings. I also think the posts are racially tone deaf. For example the derivative political street art, the LOTR quote actually by MLK, the dreamcatcher from Urban Outfitters, and the feather headdress. I'm trying to look for more meanings in the song.
The tone deafness could also be deliberate, because as a supposedly-stereotypical white woman, she would not care about racism seriously, and while she is still humanized she is probably just as prone to racism as any other white person is. It is indeed a complex pictures of a supposedly stereotypical Instagram user who is a white woman. It would also tie into the more overtly depressing songs, in that while she is trying to live her life she also contributed to the problems that led up to the wild year of 2020. We are not just being mocked for mocking a person just being, but in context we also are being mocked for thinking just living our life has no consequence, and how both culminate in laughing at a stereotypical Instagram user.
I love how all the perfect poses are followed by another shot of Bo in the same pose and the area around him is showing a dirty or clutered area. Showing that people try to make their lives look perfect, but when you see behind the veil you see how messy all of our lives really are when no one is around to judge.
I think you nailed it. He drops the heavy stuff on you in this song as a way of letting you know that this person we're all mocking here is a real human being, and maybe her white-girl insta shit is her way of bringing a little beauty into a world full of horror and grief. Sh*t on her all you want, you have to admit that while you were staring at the carefully posed kittens you weren't thinking about the end of the world for a minute
At the end of thr mom part, he casually throws in "Tell dad I love him." Both of her parents are dead. (And it was prolly her mom who helped her get through her dad's death)
What this song does so beautifully is disarmingly humanize someone that you were making fun of. It's actually really powerful stuff in a fluffy comfy shell.
One thing I love is how lovingly he seems to have recreated those “cliche” images, really knocked it out of the park. And I agree with your assessment. Primarily I think it fits in with the general thesis of most of his work, that everything we see on the internet is a performance, that you can’t take anything you see at face value.
Thank you so freaking much for actually acknowledging that part of the song and focusing on it. Waaaaaay too many reactions with ZERO attention paid to anything but laughing at the silly poses. *existential rage intensifying*
this is the first analysis of this song ive seen that hits it so well!! great video :] (also a note: the bit about the mom is the only part of the song where the video widens from the Instagram format, which i just think is a neat attention to detail on Bo Burnham’s part)
I think this song is like a mirror to the previous song, "Comedy" In that one, he is making fun of himself for his desire to change the world, but through a medium where he gets a lot of attention and praise. In this song, he makes fun of people on Instagram that convert their lives into a self important show for the audience...but isn't that also what Bo is doing? That's why he literally puts himself in their place for this video. He knows that he can make fun of white women instagram, but he isn't better then them. He has the exact same psychological needs, he just fills them with a keyboard and jokes instead of tiny pumpkins and food photos. Him talking about this white woman's dead mother shows that there is also a real person underneath the Instagram show, worthy of empathy. And Bo knows that he needs the same.
The photo of her mom part has a few bits. First, the aspect ratio opens up as the comment is being vulnerable and it starts closing as soon as the comment becomes more about "her". Second, it's immediately followed by "a goat cheese salad" to mimic what it's like scrolling through someone's Instagram feed. You get these deeply vulnerable moments ("your inside's out") that also double as humble brags and then it's on to another random picture. Finally, the whole "is this heaven?" gets juxtaposed with the sadness of the dead parents part because all you see are great things and even in a moment where they're TRYING to show sadness, they can't help but let everyone know their life is still great.
The change in aspect ratio from Instagram portrait to full screen, then back to Instagram portrait is a reflection of humanity and pain behind every photo, post, action done online. That when you look past the screen, then there's a real life.
Yes the part about her mother & the “ring on her finger from the her person that she loves” I think he is just bringing back down to remind you we are all HUMAN.
Can't believe I caught this basically right as you uploaded it! The visuals are so good cause we've seen it all but that little middle part kind of reminds me that not only is it a real person behind that account, but this is kind of like an escape for them. Sure it's silly or it feels like everyone has the same 'aesthetic' but, for the people doing that, it's like therapy. Posing and setting up those little photos, the filters, and all that, it's like a real life happy place. All of the pictures are harmless and they all feel airy and light. The smiles and the bright colours, it feels like he's calling out people who mock people for having that 'happy place' or something. There's no harm coming from the White Woman's Instagram, it's her escape, but people sure still do laugh about it.
I think that bridge is very hard, for lack of a better term. It's setup in advance with one on the poses, the birthday with with the balloons. Saying 27, and when the bridge hits, in the caption it says "been a decade since you've been gone". Which then means her mom died when she was 17, and then at the end of this emotional bridge we get the "I love you, give a hug and kiss to dad" implying both her parents are gone before she herself is 30. Which hits hard man..
6:11 notice how the screen expands from instagram’s aspect ratio to a full screen, implying that she’s trapping herself in a frame and there’s genuinely more going on on the INSIDE. Then it shrinks back to the original aspect ratio, showing us that she fell back into the cycle of cliches.
OR it's reminding us that there's always more going on just off frame. She's not trapped herself in anything, she's just another person on instagram. We're the ones that are being judgemental. We're the one's that make fun of a "basic" white woman instead of taking the time to consider that she's making choices based on what's happened to her. And maybe we shouldn't. Maybe instead of being judgmental, we at least accept that there's a legitimate, wholesome reason a person does a thing.
Could you please react to the song "Problematic" by Bo? It would be the very first reaction on yt and i'd like to hear someone professional speaking about it.
It's one of my favorites for sure, and no one is talking about it!! I feel like it gets me more than most people because I actually watched Bo from the beginning, whereas people that I've shown this special to haven't even heard of him. Problematic is such an important song to show his own personal growth, and I'm actually kind of mad that no one is talking about it, lol fuck
Fucking thank you for reacting how ya did to the interlude. He seamlessly transports your to a fun world of generalizations, pretty spot on and harmless ones so it's fun then BAM! Just throws that empathic anvil right on top of ya by reminding us that every pic no matter how basic comes from a real person with hopes and dreams and fear and loss. He carefully threads that needle and drops you right back into the song. Your head should be spinning, and he designed it that way. I've seen that interlude go over a lot of react peoples heads. It's genius in it's simplicity.
Can't wait to see your reactions to the rest of the songs from this special! Your takes and interpretations are definitely my favourite on RUclips right now
I looked it up and Instagram is officially more then ten years old so it is technically possible that her mother followed her on Instagram and the idea of her addressing her mother’s ghost account directly in that post breaks my heart.
Your takes on this special so far have all been on point. Would love to see you react to the rest of the songs, I think you’ll have plenty to say about them.
Anyone else think when he said, "and I am back today with Mr. Bo Burnham," That he sounded like the talent agent in Bo's 'We Think We Know You' from What?
Definitely agree with a lot of the other commenters that the “Mom” portion is showing the realness of people behind social media posts in contrast to the utopian life that is normally depicted. but I think Bo’s main goal is trying to simulate the real feeling of scrolling through Instagram on any given day. You see all these happy and harmless posts and then bam! You’re hit with a real downer of a post.
I think one of the things Bo has always tried to convey is that social media is a performance art and usually it's about the dangers and harm of that, but here I think it's about those rare moments where you see a glimpse of a real person behind the performance and how sometimes we forget there is a real person there.
I love how the aspect ratio changes from instagram vertical photos to a wide screen as the woman opens up about her mom and we see the view into her life open up too as the screen expands, and as soon as she opens up, the screen shrinks back down to instagram ratio and continues on into the third verse. Epic and subtle
TAKEAWAY FROM A WHITE WOMAN I think it’s also so important to note that he made an incredible point *visually when the serious part came along. This was something he did intentionally to show us the humanity behind the post. When the screen widens (to me) it shows that there is a full(screen) person behind the little cropped image you see on social media ❤️ I loved your interpretation so much!! Keep reacting to Bo! I love that you go into detail on his intentions 💕
i love that the instagram aspect ratio changes to a movie aspect ratio when the character in the song talks about her real life.. we're seeing the real her beyond the cliches and jokes.. behind making us laugh at her stereotypes.. she's a real person with a really difficult life. she's projecting joy through her instagram and we make fun of her.. and at the end - she's engaged! building her own family..! she's "figuring out how to keep living without her.."
In the middle-8 the aspect ratio changes from 1:1 (Instagram) to normal ratio when the lyrics become real - about missing a mother and the genuine loss. But then, when all the humble brags start up; I got a job, my own apartment, a boyfriend etc it becomes superficial again and drifts back to 1:1.
That one section is layered; listen again. Her mom isn't dead. "Give a hug and kiss to Dad". She is opening up to mom on Instagram instead of in person? Or going for some emotional touch for more engagement rather than actually relating to her in real life?
In his art and even in his interviews, Bo finds a way to take a poignant place on both sides of an argument, in the same way the depressive lyrics are balanced with comedy and the comedy jabs with irony. It's really incredible.
I'm honestly really happy you talked about the "real moment" part of this song. I feel like so many just write this song off as just purely comedic like "FaceTime with my Mom" or "Jeff Bezos I&II" from Inside as well (I still like these songs, but they are definitely more shallow then his others). Really underrated song that so many ignore the actual meaning of just to go for the surface level meaning of "Ha ha, White Woman".
I don't think Bo meant anyone to take that section about the the girl missing her dead parents as funny. I think he meant it to be a statement about how people in this age of the Internet feel compelled to make a public display of grief which can feel disingenuous and superficial. Why post your grief in combination with all of these manufactured gifs of lattes and sweater poses(?) Also, i think the song makes a statement about we can't distinguish what is authentic or what is real. We've all heard these news stories about people creating these online narratives about themselves which were never real. Plus the way he describes the girl and her narratives about her dead parents and her life, "mama you're girl is not doing g so bad", "mama say hi to dad". Her grieving sounds like a hallmark card or clichéd song lyric.
The first time seeing this song in the special was such a rollercoaster for me. I've never gone from almost crying laughing to crying so fast. Bo has the incredible ability to make you feel so many different emotions throughout his specials, especially Inside.
During the mom part when the screen gets wider it signifies that we see more about her and that nobody can be themselves on the internet. Also as the scene shrinks back into picture mode she starts talking about better things. So secretly she’s dying on the inside wow that was a mouthful
You'd be surprised how many people didn't get the "there are real people behind cheesy posts" part. I've seen a lot of dudebros who behaved like they got a green light to mock women throughout the song, I've seen women feeling attacked...so thank you for being observant 😊 you interpreted it well!
I love how Bo was able to surprise even you, who is very aware of his ability to mix comedy with reality and write in some kind of twist, with this song. The first time I heard this, I wasn't particularly touched in the beginning. I thought it was a nice message, but it didn't really speak to me until I saw another person react to it and start crying, because it made him think of his little toddler daughter and everything he hopes for her and her future. Now I cry whenever it gets to that. Bo is a creative genius, and he has a very good understanding of people.
You got it spot on. It may be all generic and easy to make fun of, but behind that are real people. It's emphasised through the camera ratio expanding to show the characters actual struggles, then the ratio regressed straight back to generic because they gotta keep posting that to keep the likes and shares coming in
If you base your life off what people post on the internet it’s impossible to compete because life isn’t always perfect poses and vacations. We never see the every day struggles because people don’t typically post that but when they do it’s a small glimpse of the emotions of the real human behind the post.
When you started singing near the end of the song, i was like "woah this guy has an amazing voice" 👏Thanks for breaking down the video, it actually opened my eyes up a bit
Appreciate the take, man. I really think that while he's skewering this and poking fun of it - he also has a lot of empathy for the sincerity and heart that people put themselves out on the internet with
Bo's ability to bring out the honest heart and sad beauty of topics that he clearly finds comedic and silly is incredible. This is probably my favorite comedic song in the special, but the part about this concepted woman's mom is incredible and probably my favorite part of the song. And his ability to slide seamlessly back into the comedy is just phenomenal. Bo's a genius 💛
(Response to 7:47 ) If you look back YEARS on RUclips, and back on Vine and now Tiktok, a REALLY popular "joke" among young men is making fun of literally everything women do, from "girls on their period be like" to "how (white/other description) girls (action/activity/ etc)". These jokes are mostly funny and approved by other men, but very few women find these jokes funny. There's a very popular quote going around now from Wilbur Soot (I think) that's like "name one thing a teenage girl can do/like without being made fun of". What I'm trying to say is that women are very often the butt of the joke on the internet.
With White Woman's Instagram, I think that's kind of the point to pick on every single trend and type of post, but then showing there's a real person behind the account. I personally don't count this song among the jokes in the previous comment, because it's made tastefully and isn't mocking white women. I personally find the song funny.
I think another awesome thing with the Mom section is the videography choice he makes. For the rest of the video, it’s in instagram’s square aspect ratio, but when she makes a much more personal, real post, the video opens up to show the entire shot. It’s as if the rest of the posts are just her instagram persona, but for just one post she really opened up and let everyone see the “behind the scenes” and see how she really feels
the section when he does the part about the white woman talking to her mom, the screen starts in a mobile phone format with the screen being narrow and expands while "she" is speaking truth and letting people into the reality of her life, then it fades back to the social media screen where it's going back to an alternate reality.
I'm so grateful that you talked about that middle part with her mom! I lost my mom a few months ago, so when I listened to this song, I just started sobbing when it came to that portion. And all the folks I see ranking or reacting to these songs may mention that part in passing, but in general just kind of skip past it and mention that the rest of it was a fun song. And yeah, it was, but fuck, that middle part is so important to the song and so important to me, so thank you for giving it adequate time to discuss!
As a white woman I laughed so hard at this 😋 but I absolutely love how Bo always points out the other side. This whole special (Inside) is just genius and it really hits you in the feels.
What a bonus that you naturally sang along with Bo at the end of the song. Re: the oddly specific thing regarding the lady who lost her mom, I think Bo was reminding us that not just white women - overshare on the Internet. Kinda strange, that section for me was a message I personally felt I could have shared, losing my mom exactly 10 years before this song was released. Just finding your page (again?) today. Love it!! I’ll be back to go Stan a lil. 😂🎉
That middle section feels like a comment on how people aren't able to process pain and real life issues how we should, and that people go to the Internet for validation or a sort of reaffirmation that what they're feeling is okay? How many people post on social media a photo of their parent for mothers day or fathers day first before ringing them to wish it in person? This special is an incredible social commentary! It handles real issues and farce with Grace and decorum and creates thought provoking debates! Great reaction 🙌
I personally love how the bars on the sides of the video start going away when the lyrics get personal about the girl and her mom, stopping the joke of the instagram photo style for a few moments to talk about the serious part and then slowly bring them back to smoothly cut the serious moment and keep up with the whole joke
To me one of the most telling pieces of the song is the aspect ratio change during the mom post. The whole song we're confined to the square crop of the post. It's superficial, until we hear about her mom and it widens. It opens her up to us in a less controlled space. It's vulnerable. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Love this song and Bo's creativity and genius in expressing ideas, stereotypes, life, self, and so much more. He really gives you something to think about and to bring reality into view. Loved this special so much. Thanks for this!!
I have never seen you before, but I subscribed just on the basis of this video. That was a really good reaction and interpretation. One note,normally it would annoy me when someone sings over a reaction video, but that was a spot on harmony. As an old guy, appreciate your voice and take care of it. I could have hit those notes 20 years ago, but, like with all things, that isn't forever.
This song always bring me to the brink of tears, and then it goes "A GOAT CHEESE SALAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD"
Lmao that is so true
So true 😂
🤣
Look at the frame ratio....it expands when it get real showing that "this is the truth in my life" and then swaps back once it goes but to the "fakeness"
@@aaronhartley9309 where did i say i was confused?
"One does not simply walk into Mordor"
- Martin Luther King
I’m dead
Lmaoooo
"Fly you fools!" ~ Martin Luther King
@@saphcal “I am a servant of the secret fire, weilder of the flame of Anor…” MLK
"Meat is back on the menu boys"
-Martin Luther King
I love how the line "Is this heaven?" is ironic the first time, but comes across a lot more genuine at the end when it's just going through this woman's happiest moments, like hearing "I love you" and getting proposed to, and you realize it was always that. It was always just a collection of the things that make this woman happy.
this
Oh great, now I'm emotional
I always felt it was more mocking the pretentiousness of ppl on IG and the thirst for validation due to peer pressure thus making ppl more disconnected and mentally unhealthy in the long run when you find out no one cares about you really
I always thought of it as the happy times that she wished she could share with her mother instead of the internet. Like, that she doesn't actually care about the people who follow her on instagram, it's just her little fantasy of sharing these moments with her mom. That the public participation with her moments is almost an intrusion instead of the point.
Omg this comment made me cry. 🥲
One thing I haven't seen anyone mention is the few lines near the end: "three little words, a couple of doves, and a ring on her finger from the person that she loves" plus the wedding bells in the background. That part really stands out as kind of a nice little epilogue to the mom part. Her boyfriend that she's crazy about obviously proposed and she's moving on with her life and finding happiness. People could easily see an instagram post like that and think "oh someone posting about their wedding again, boring" but because we know a little more about this woman and her struggle we're happy for her instead. It really paints a contrast between our feelings about her before the mom segment (mocking, critical) and after (sympathetic).
definitely didn't see it that way... bo burnham has always been a comedian who laces his seemingly face level act with sarcasm and satire. i think the overall theme of this one is that he's making fun of a ridiculous stereotype because most of these influencers have become caricatures of themselves... just my opinion though and i might be wrong. that's the value of art is that it provokes thought from people with all kinds of different views/lenses.
Holy shit i have goosebumps
I feel ashamed for not being aware of that after listening to this song for 50-ish Times. Thanks, dear random stranger on the internet
Those parts are what makes it seem so weird to me that this song is getting labeled as an attack on people. He never actually says anything negative. It's just a list. It's a mirror held up to part of our society. If someone feels uncomfortable after hearing this, it should trigger some introspection.
My own interpretation of the song is that it's mostly parodying the performative nature of instagram influencers and the stereotypical fashion through which they try to convey the perfect life. The aspect ratio opens up when the song becomes a less filtered message to the subjects dead mother, then starts to close in again as the message becomes more performative and "show offy". It feels as though the three little words a couple of doves etc is imagery you might associate with a typical show-off influencer wedding post, as many people online will feature their relationship in their content to deepen the depiction of a perfect life. There are a lot of layers to this special though and the meaning is somewhat supplemental given how the pandemic and our online lives are a very shared experience.
I think very simply it’s: behind every cliche is a real person with real life issues
Bo is a genius. Without the personal part in the middle, this bit would be almost hack. But with it in, it’s a masterpiece and I can’t get though it without tearing up.
behind every personal attack theres someone who felt personal attacked by a cliche :D this song is fuckin amazing, only hurts when youre this white woman xD
I've noticed the the camera shot widens (opens up) when the lyrics get serious and the "white woman" opens up. And then it closes back up as the lyrics become more closed off again. Not sure if that's anything but...I noticed it
@@daveduncan518 Same. Maybe its really what He Said, showing that they are persons and that those Things do hurt them, allthough that might not bei visible If you Just read those Things over and over again
Exactly this
I agree, the middle section is just a reminder that people on social media are real people even if they are incredibly shallow on their social media
I think it's even more than that.
I think another part of the message is this need I think most of us feel to project a perfect, unfailing version of our lives, if we are going to share them.
I think it's a commentary on the performative nature of social media and how it ultimately is used to mask how we feel from on and another.
I feel like it also speaks to those people who do like really long, super personal posts. You know the posts that seem to go on for a bit longer than they should. I guess I related it to people that overshare on Facebook about their lives.
eh, i saw it as making fun of how ridiculous it is to feel that internal need for everybody to see your woes in life because you can't just live through them and/or want a bunch of people you don't know to sympathize with you. but, probably projecting my own bias into it a ton!
@@fletcherhunt4374 dude that's a bit of how I feel. I'm more of a private person though.
@@fletcherhunt4374 Yeah the reason I don't think it is this is the nifty way he widened the shot out of that Instagram-style framing when talking about the parents and then back into the Instagram frame when he goes back to the shallow post descriptions.
Widing it out there shows that we are seeing this person through a different lens than just the Instagram page. We're seeing the real person, even if it's just for a single post, before going back to the latte foam art and tiny pumpkins.
I like how Bo is all like "I'm gonna make you laugh at this person" and 2 seconds later is all like "now, I'm gonna make you cry for them.......bitch"
Bo: let me tell you something funny!
Us: hahaha! Funny man!
Bo: now let me show you how much you suck for enjoying that joke!
Us: oh... That was... Sorry.
Bo: you look sad. Wanna hear another?
Us having learned nothing: hahaha!
@@connienoland8400 i love that bo's comedy style is just making you laugh at something and then making you feel bad for laughing at it lmao
The section dedicated to the mom always makes me cry. I don’t know why, because both of my parents are alive, but still…
Because deep down we all know that one day it'll be us. I wonder how I would I cope.
Amazing how Bo was able to wedge that little part in there and have it be so powerful. Just so talented. I also cry every time.
Yeah, same. I remember the first time I watched this song it didn't feel nice at first, like "ok, some white dude makes fun of women again - what's new here, that's not fun", and then this part about mom started and I realized that it's actually a much deeper song than it seems at first. Love this song now actually.
same
Absolutely me too.
"We make people feel bad for enjoying things." Thank you for saying that.
It makes us feel ashamed for making fun of this woman's coping mechanism and outlet for positivity. We take our lives on the internet too seriously and think it's okay to ridicule people when usually you'd pass them by and let them live their life irl.
Please, shut up
@@oscair8468 no hbu
@@oscair8468 no u
Yes! We pretend we are so much better than basic and forget that no one is basic. Maybe predictable....but not basic.
@@danaknight647 The song is about how people are fake on the internet and are only "genuine" when other people see. Thats why the whole song is filmed in portrait mode until she talks about her mom. Then she starts being genuine. As soon as she talks about her boyfriend it goes back.
“You know how this was gonna be comedic and we were gonna laugh? Okay so what was that?” Bo in a nutshell
Literally laughed out loud. Exactly!
Nailed it.
The part hits a little harder too when you catch the end of that part where he says "Mama I love you, give a hug and kiss to dad".
Ive seen maybe 10-12 reactions to this song.. everyone missed the fucking point of the song except you.
I love the fact that you are able to read between the lines instead of doing a stupid over-acting reaction to everything he writes.
My appreciation for you reached new heights.
I was just checking your channel, but now you earned a loyal follower.
It is very important to note on the scene where the "white woman" talks about her mom, is the only time the aspect ratio opens up away from the Instagram size. The only time she isn't "filtered". You are correct that is is the only time we see the real woman. It is there to remind us they are human, remind us that life is not perfect, not "heaven", that things are happening to real people, regardless of what they post.
It goes into the great topic of how we compare ourselves to other lives that have been curated to make things look like "heaven". And a small reminder, that we are not alone, we are all people.
Maybe we should spend a bit more time with the wider aspect ratio, nothing against the curated posts. Both the authors and the consumers need to remember we are all people.
Yes but it also starts to pan back in again when "she" becomes narcissistic again making the post about her instead of about her mom. It started as a tribute to "her mom", then ended up becoming all about what "shes" doing instead.
@@ryanking8246 I didn't take it that way, it was more posed, but not necessarily narcissistic.
This of course is open to interpretation. I interpreted as a perfect world, a.k.a "heaven", and for that glimpse when it is about her mom, it is real. I never considered the others narcissistic, just staged.
But I can for sure see how it would be interpreted as narcissist. Though, I would think, if that was what Bo was going after he would have included likes in some aspect, or the character looking at their own Instagram. We see the character Bo looking at the song after it is done, but I think that speaks to something different, but of course, I can be COMPLETELY wrong.
@@ryanking8246 is it really narcissistic to talk about yourself to your dead mom using an instagram caption as your medium? i get what youre saying but i think youre being too negative at this point. what is this character supposed to do, just post a sad ass caption saying 'i miss you, my life is so hard with you gone' and leave it at that? is that what our loved ones want for us when they die, for us to not move on? I interpreted it as the character speaking directly to her mother about how she's overcoming the loss of both her parents, and I really don't think that's narcissistic
@@ryanking8246 I would say rather than narcissistic it is more performative. It's the sort of grief that you show because you are expected to grieve in certain ways publicly. It comes across as less sincere than the more real pain of the first part, but it is still grief.
@@bee4590 i find it narcissistic to turn a post about missing your dead mother, into how well you're doing. Yes. Lol its a comedy reflective song. Why would you think in ANY way that hes being sincere? Hes making fun of "creative and thoughtful" white chicks.. In other words generic basic broads. The whole thing is making fun of them
I'm glad I first heard this song while watching the special. Part of the "joke" of this song is ruined when you already know the title before you start listening. The first verse functions as the setup where you're wondering where all of these seemingly unrelated topics are going, then the chorus comes in and lands like a punch line.
By the way, I completely agree with your interpretation of the middle section where the woman is opening up about missing her mom. I was feeling kind of crazy watching so many people react to this song and not really have that part phase them at all, like "well that was weird, let's get back to the jokes."
Agreed. As excited as I am that the songs are up on RUclips for my existential pleasures, watching it in the special with the element of surprised made this and Unpaid Intern land so well.
Plus theres more Bo time which is always a plus.
Agreed. And one super unfortunate thing that happened when the audio album came out is now the subtitles say [White Woman's Instagram by Bo Burnham plays] as soon as the song starts.
But thats how bo wants it to be, laugh, hopefully get it, and move on.
I saw everything with close captioning. So I already knew the titles.
I love his little touches like how he changes the aspect ratio when the “woman” is opening up about her mom passing displaying real emotions, but then back to like the narrow view for the rest
These details are constant throughout the whole special, it's incredible. He put his heart into this, so talented
The aspects during the poses are accurate to IG post, the narrow view is online persona, then goes to reality, then back again for a coping mechanism.
Yes! Be did this throughout the entire special. How he uses camera angles, zoom, framing, lighting, all of it, is so we'll thought out. It makes the entire show so much more engaging and detailed without you even noticing while you're watching it. Then when you look back and start to think of everything he did and the fact that he did all of it himself in his room. The whole this is just so good. It still felt like Bo but so much more intimate and awesome!
Your breakdowns are great. So many others just laugh at the pictures with a quick “aw” to the mom post. The mom post is the key to the whole song.
“Give a hug and kiss to dad” In the video we see him (as her) celebrating a 27th birthday. It’s been 10 years since her mom died so we’re seeing someone who lost both her parents right as she entered adulthood. With that in mind, the rest of the video comes off as a person who is trying to project happiness so that some of it can enter her life. The cinematography was perfect. So many great shots and the aspect ratio changing from IG’s 1:1 to a widescreen while real talk was happening helped emphasis the break between your Internet life and the real world. What a genius Bo is.
Also, when the aspect ratio changes, the “picture” is no longer perfect, and you see some of the mess on the sidelines, which again plays into both the message of “What you’re seeing is curated” and “these are real people behind these posts, and their lives aren’t perfect.”
The age part is really good I had never thought about it that way.
Oooh, I had never considered the age part either, had just thought of these as random, but if all of the "photos" are implied to be the same "woman" / person / account, then losing her parents by age 17 puts everything else into a much different light.
It makes the rest so much sadder, because it seems like a toxic coping mechanism to seek the short term empty happiness and validation of others.
Great point!
Bo's forte is getting us to laugh at something and then immediately making us feel guilty for laughing.
The "favorite photo of her mom" segment in the middle of this song absolutely knocked me back on my heels the first time I heard it. I think your interpretation is exactly correct, and I think Bo Burnham is a genius for doing it like that.
One thing I love is at the begining it starts with alot of "haha this is silly" but then you hit the middle about her mom and all the following content feels less of silly and more of a coping method.
The content is "just as silly" as the earlier lyrics but all of a sudden it has a whole new meaning when you know about the person just a little.
Yes, kind of like the White Woman really is looking for Heaven. Is this Heaven? Yep, it's her way of finding Heaven and coping.
Can I just say that your harmonizing was just a gift. Beautiful voice brother.
Except his thirds were kinda flat. But otherwise v. nice. His voice blends really well with Bo's.
I think the middle section has a dual meaning. It’s a reminder that they’re still real people, but it’s also a criticism of how all the silly, frivolous, content (IG performance) drowns out real moments where we can truly connect with one another represented by the change in aspect ratio.
It's the same person. She's 27 and lost her parents at 17. She has a post of holding hands. Then she tells her mom she has a boyfriend she loves. Then she has a post with a wedding ring. It's called a White Woman's Instagram. That titling was specific. The song is scrolling through her feed and viewing her as a real person during that middle part. The rest of the posts are her trying to cope with life. The joke is that is the viewers are judgemental about them. Watch it again.
@@spannycat2 that’s an interesting perspective that it’s all one white woman’s Instagram rather than an amalgamation of basic tropes.
That said, Bo has been quite vocal on his opinions on perfectly curated posts vaingloriously grasping for other’s approval. He values authenticity over a desperate ploy to get more money, likes, fame, etc. Even the engagement post is back to the perfect lie that we represent our lives as to our respective audiences. That’s why the aspect ratio only changes when she’s talking about losing her parents because it’s the one part of the song where she’s not trying to pretend that her life is perfect. We’re all human and should be more willing to let people see that we’re humans and not just a collection of perfect moments. Then people will be more likely to treat each other like humans and be less judgmental. But what do I know? I’m just a random guy on the internet
@@Schmidhead516 I agree. I think the song has multiple meanings. I also think the posts are racially tone deaf. For example the derivative political street art, the LOTR quote actually by MLK, the dreamcatcher from Urban Outfitters, and the feather headdress. I'm trying to look for more meanings in the song.
The tone deafness could also be deliberate, because as a supposedly-stereotypical white woman, she would not care about racism seriously, and while she is still humanized she is probably just as prone to racism as any other white person is. It is indeed a complex pictures of a supposedly stereotypical Instagram user who is a white woman.
It would also tie into the more overtly depressing songs, in that while she is trying to live her life she also contributed to the problems that led up to the wild year of 2020. We are not just being mocked for mocking a person just being, but in context we also are being mocked for thinking just living our life has no consequence, and how both culminate in laughing at a stereotypical Instagram user.
I love how all the perfect poses are followed by another shot of Bo in the same pose and the area around him is showing a dirty or clutered area. Showing that people try to make their lives look perfect, but when you see behind the veil you see how messy all of our lives really are when no one is around to judge.
Note the middle part where he is singing about momma, the camera pans out to show some clutter then pans back in.
Nobody mentions that during that mum-section the picture is expanding to the side, giving us A BIGGER PICTURE of the person. Thats my favourite detail
Yep, and right when we were back at the instagram cliches, the aspect ratio returns to what it was.
I think you nailed it. He drops the heavy stuff on you in this song as a way of letting you know that this person we're all mocking here is a real human being, and maybe her white-girl insta shit is her way of bringing a little beauty into a world full of horror and grief. Sh*t on her all you want, you have to admit that while you were staring at the carefully posed kittens you weren't thinking about the end of the world for a minute
At the end of thr mom part, he casually throws in "Tell dad I love him." Both of her parents are dead. (And it was prolly her mom who helped her get through her dad's death)
yeah, cause men are first to go. even to the dates.
What this song does so beautifully is disarmingly humanize someone that you were making fun of. It's actually really powerful stuff in a fluffy comfy shell.
9:56 ok but putting analysis aside, THAT HARMONY WAS SO GOOD
just hit that part and oh my god you are very correct
One thing I love is how lovingly he seems to have recreated those “cliche” images, really knocked it out of the park. And I agree with your assessment. Primarily I think it fits in with the general thesis of most of his work, that everything we see on the internet is a performance, that you can’t take anything you see at face value.
Thank you so freaking much for actually acknowledging that part of the song and focusing on it. Waaaaaay too many reactions with ZERO attention paid to anything but laughing at the silly poses. *existential rage intensifying*
It's amazing how Bo pulls off those outfits and poses so WELL. I suppose a lot of it can be attributed to his skill in lighting and framing.
this is the first analysis of this song ive seen that hits it so well!! great video :]
(also a note: the bit about the mom is the only part of the song where the video widens from the Instagram format, which i just think is a neat attention to detail on Bo Burnham’s part)
Very nice touch!
I think this song is like a mirror to the previous song, "Comedy"
In that one, he is making fun of himself for his desire to change the world, but through a medium where he gets a lot of attention and praise.
In this song, he makes fun of people on Instagram that convert their lives into a self important show for the audience...but isn't that also what Bo is doing?
That's why he literally puts himself in their place for this video. He knows that he can make fun of white women instagram, but he isn't better then them. He has the exact same psychological needs, he just fills them with a keyboard and jokes instead of tiny pumpkins and food photos. Him talking about this white woman's dead mother shows that there is also a real person underneath the Instagram show, worthy of empathy. And Bo knows that he needs the same.
You captured this beautifully, thank you.
The photo of her mom part has a few bits.
First, the aspect ratio opens up as the comment is being vulnerable and it starts closing as soon as the comment becomes more about "her". Second, it's immediately followed by "a goat cheese salad" to mimic what it's like scrolling through someone's Instagram feed. You get these deeply vulnerable moments ("your inside's out") that also double as humble brags and then it's on to another random picture. Finally, the whole "is this heaven?" gets juxtaposed with the sadness of the dead parents part because all you see are great things and even in a moment where they're TRYING to show sadness, they can't help but let everyone know their life is still great.
The change in aspect ratio from Instagram portrait to full screen, then back to Instagram portrait is a reflection of humanity and pain behind every photo, post, action done online. That when you look past the screen, then there's a real life.
Yes the part about her mother & the “ring on her finger from the her person that she loves” I think he is just bringing back down to remind you we are all HUMAN.
"Remember when I said this song was going to be comedic, and we were all going to laugh... So what happened to that?" 😂
Can't believe I caught this basically right as you uploaded it! The visuals are so good cause we've seen it all but that little middle part kind of reminds me that not only is it a real person behind that account, but this is kind of like an escape for them. Sure it's silly or it feels like everyone has the same 'aesthetic' but, for the people doing that, it's like therapy. Posing and setting up those little photos, the filters, and all that, it's like a real life happy place. All of the pictures are harmless and they all feel airy and light. The smiles and the bright colours, it feels like he's calling out people who mock people for having that 'happy place' or something. There's no harm coming from the White Woman's Instagram, it's her escape, but people sure still do laugh about it.
Very Well said!
A lot of people don’t see the deeper message of this song on the first listen, kudos for catching it!!
A woman cultivating a heavenly image of her life, and then speaking to her parents in heaven.
I think that bridge is very hard, for lack of a better term. It's setup in advance with one on the poses, the birthday with with the balloons. Saying 27, and when the bridge hits, in the caption it says "been a decade since you've been gone". Which then means her mom died when she was 17, and then at the end of this emotional bridge we get the "I love you, give a hug and kiss to dad" implying both her parents are gone before she herself is 30. Which hits hard man..
6:11 notice how the screen expands from instagram’s aspect ratio to a full screen, implying that she’s trapping herself in a frame and there’s genuinely more going on on the INSIDE. Then it shrinks back to the original aspect ratio, showing us that she fell back into the cycle of cliches.
OR it's reminding us that there's always more going on just off frame. She's not trapped herself in anything, she's just another person on instagram. We're the ones that are being judgemental. We're the one's that make fun of a "basic" white woman instead of taking the time to consider that she's making choices based on what's happened to her.
And maybe we shouldn't. Maybe instead of being judgmental, we at least accept that there's a legitimate, wholesome reason a person does a thing.
Could you please react to the song "Problematic" by Bo? It would be the very first reaction on yt and i'd like to hear someone professional speaking about it.
It's one of my favorites for sure, and no one is talking about it!!
I feel like it gets me more than most people because I actually watched Bo from the beginning, whereas people that I've shown this special to haven't even heard of him.
Problematic is such an important song to show his own personal growth, and I'm actually kind of mad that no one is talking about it, lol fuck
I haven't even found a video of that song! Maybe thats why no ones reacting??
@@JeanineFollette Theres not a real Video on yt, just the sound. But idk, i think nobody reacts because Netflix wouldn't allow this too.
What always breaks me is at the end of the mom post he says”give a hug and kiss to dad” making the poster effectively an orphan😢
I've never felt so attacked and honored at the same time 🥲
Fucking thank you for reacting how ya did to the interlude. He seamlessly transports your to a fun world of generalizations, pretty spot on and harmless ones so it's fun then BAM! Just throws that empathic anvil right on top of ya by reminding us that every pic no matter how basic comes from a real person with hopes and dreams and fear and loss. He carefully threads that needle and drops you right back into the song. Your head should be spinning, and he designed it that way. I've seen that interlude go over a lot of react peoples heads. It's genius in it's simplicity.
Can't wait to see your reactions to the rest of the songs from this special! Your takes and interpretations are definitely my favourite on RUclips right now
The mom section hits hard...it hits even harder when he says to give a hug and kiss to dad at the end. Loss of both parents.
I looked it up and Instagram is officially more then ten years old so it is technically possible that her mother followed her on Instagram and the idea of her addressing her mother’s ghost account directly in that post breaks my heart.
Your takes on this special so far have all been on point. Would love to see you react to the rest of the songs, I think you’ll have plenty to say about them.
Anyone else think when he said, "and I am back today with Mr. Bo Burnham," That he sounded like the talent agent in Bo's 'We Think We Know You' from What?
Definitely agree with a lot of the other commenters that the “Mom” portion is showing the realness of people behind social media posts in contrast to the utopian life that is normally depicted. but I think Bo’s main goal is trying to simulate the real feeling of scrolling through Instagram on any given day. You see all these happy and harmless posts and then bam! You’re hit with a real downer of a post.
Just wanna point out that the harmony you nailed at the end was impressive
I think one of the things Bo has always tried to convey is that social media is a performance art and usually it's about the dangers and harm of that, but here I think it's about those rare moments where you see a glimpse of a real person behind the performance and how sometimes we forget there is a real person there.
I love how the aspect ratio changes from instagram vertical photos to a wide screen as the woman opens up about her mom and we see the view into her life open up too as the screen expands, and as soon as she opens up, the screen shrinks back down to instagram ratio and continues on into the third verse. Epic and subtle
TAKEAWAY FROM A WHITE WOMAN
I think it’s also so important to note that he made an incredible point *visually when the serious part came along.
This was something he did intentionally to show us the humanity behind the post. When the screen widens (to me) it shows that there is a full(screen) person behind the little cropped image you see on social media ❤️
I loved your interpretation so much!! Keep reacting to Bo! I love that you go into detail on his intentions 💕
i love that the instagram aspect ratio changes to a movie aspect ratio when the character in the song talks about her real life.. we're seeing the real her beyond the cliches and jokes.. behind making us laugh at her stereotypes.. she's a real person with a really difficult life.
she's projecting joy through her instagram and we make fun of her.. and at the end - she's engaged! building her own family..! she's "figuring out how to keep living without her.."
In the middle-8 the aspect ratio changes from 1:1 (Instagram) to normal ratio when the lyrics become real - about missing a mother and the genuine loss.
But then, when all the humble brags start up; I got a job, my own apartment, a boyfriend etc it becomes superficial again and drifts back to 1:1.
That one section is layered; listen again. Her mom isn't dead. "Give a hug and kiss to Dad". She is opening up to mom on Instagram instead of in person? Or going for some emotional touch for more engagement rather than actually relating to her in real life?
I took it as the dad being dead as well
In his art and even in his interviews, Bo finds a way to take a poignant place on both sides of an argument, in the same way the depressive lyrics are balanced with comedy and the comedy jabs with irony. It's really incredible.
"You Shall Not Pass" -Martin Luther King Jr.
I'm honestly really happy you talked about the "real moment" part of this song. I feel like so many just write this song off as just purely comedic like "FaceTime with my Mom" or "Jeff Bezos I&II" from Inside as well (I still like these songs, but they are definitely more shallow then his others). Really underrated song that so many ignore the actual meaning of just to go for the surface level meaning of "Ha ha, White Woman".
I don't think Bo meant anyone to take that section about the the girl missing her dead parents as funny. I think he meant it to be a statement about how people in this age of the Internet feel compelled to make a public display of grief which can feel disingenuous and superficial. Why post your grief in combination with all of these manufactured gifs of lattes and sweater poses(?) Also, i think the song makes a statement about we can't distinguish what is authentic or what is real. We've all heard these news stories about people creating these online narratives about themselves which were never real.
Plus the way he describes the girl and her narratives about her dead parents and her life, "mama you're girl is not doing g so bad", "mama say hi to dad". Her grieving sounds like a hallmark card or clichéd song lyric.
The first time seeing this song in the special was such a rollercoaster for me. I've never gone from almost crying laughing to crying so fast. Bo has the incredible ability to make you feel so many different emotions throughout his specials, especially Inside.
The thing I love about this is he put real work into recreating all these posts.
During the mom part when the screen gets wider it signifies that we see more about her and that nobody can be themselves on the internet. Also as the scene shrinks back into picture mode she starts talking about better things. So secretly she’s dying on the inside wow that was a mouthful
You'd be surprised how many people didn't get the "there are real people behind cheesy posts" part. I've seen a lot of dudebros who behaved like they got a green light to mock women throughout the song, I've seen women feeling attacked...so thank you for being observant 😊 you interpreted it well!
Bo is a musical/comedic/photographic/philosophical genius
I love how Bo was able to surprise even you, who is very aware of his ability to mix comedy with reality and write in some kind of twist, with this song.
The first time I heard this, I wasn't particularly touched in the beginning. I thought it was a nice message, but it didn't really speak to me until I saw another person react to it and start crying, because it made him think of his little toddler daughter and everything he hopes for her and her future. Now I cry whenever it gets to that. Bo is a creative genius, and he has a very good understanding of people.
Your harmony at the end is a gem! Thank you for your video 💖
You got it spot on. It may be all generic and easy to make fun of, but behind that are real people. It's emphasised through the camera ratio expanding to show the characters actual struggles, then the ratio regressed straight back to generic because they gotta keep posting that to keep the likes and shares coming in
If you base your life off what people post on the internet it’s impossible to compete because life isn’t always perfect poses and vacations. We never see the every day struggles because people don’t typically post that but when they do it’s a small glimpse of the emotions of the real human behind the post.
You’re the first reactor I’ve seen actually analyse this and add something to it !
When you started singing near the end of the song, i was like "woah this guy has an amazing voice" 👏Thanks for breaking down the video, it actually opened my eyes up a bit
Appreciate the take, man. I really think that while he's skewering this and poking fun of it - he also has a lot of empathy for the sincerity and heart that people put themselves out on the internet with
i always fall into tears after that middle part
people could be sad inside even if they show a happy face
so relatable
Bo leaves this wide open for anyone to interpret it however they want and it's amazing. I love this man
Bo's ability to bring out the honest heart and sad beauty of topics that he clearly finds comedic and silly is incredible. This is probably my favorite comedic song in the special, but the part about this concepted woman's mom is incredible and probably my favorite part of the song. And his ability to slide seamlessly back into the comedy is just phenomenal. Bo's a genius 💛
Your reactions to Bo’s videos are the only ones that get it and I enjoy.
Beautiful harmonization. 🥺 loved it, and love you bro.
(Response to 7:47 ) If you look back YEARS on RUclips, and back on Vine and now Tiktok, a REALLY popular "joke" among young men is making fun of literally everything women do, from "girls on their period be like" to "how (white/other description) girls (action/activity/ etc)". These jokes are mostly funny and approved by other men, but very few women find these jokes funny. There's a very popular quote going around now from Wilbur Soot (I think) that's like "name one thing a teenage girl can do/like without being made fun of". What I'm trying to say is that women are very often the butt of the joke on the internet.
With White Woman's Instagram, I think that's kind of the point to pick on every single trend and type of post, but then showing there's a real person behind the account. I personally don't count this song among the jokes in the previous comment, because it's made tastefully and isn't mocking white women. I personally find the song funny.
The part about the mum always makes me tear up
You got that spot on, that's why he switches from the Instagram picture size to a wide angle for that section. It was to humanise the posters.
I think another awesome thing with the Mom section is the videography choice he makes. For the rest of the video, it’s in instagram’s square aspect ratio, but when she makes a much more personal, real post, the video opens up to show the entire shot. It’s as if the rest of the posts are just her instagram persona, but for just one post she really opened up and let everyone see the “behind the scenes” and see how she really feels
the section when he does the part about the white woman talking to her mom, the screen starts in a mobile phone format with the screen being narrow and expands while "she" is speaking truth and letting people into the reality of her life, then it fades back to the social media screen where it's going back to an alternate reality.
Me: Starts to weep
Bo: "A GOOOOAT CHEEESE SAAALAAAD!!"
I'm so grateful that you talked about that middle part with her mom! I lost my mom a few months ago, so when I listened to this song, I just started sobbing when it came to that portion. And all the folks I see ranking or reacting to these songs may mention that part in passing, but in general just kind of skip past it and mention that the rest of it was a fun song. And yeah, it was, but fuck, that middle part is so important to the song and so important to me, so thank you for giving it adequate time to discuss!
As a white woman I laughed so hard at this 😋 but I absolutely love how Bo always points out the other side. This whole special (Inside) is just genius and it really hits you in the feels.
Your thumbnail for this video is very brave! 😂. I'm glad you got the actual meaningful message of the song.
Could you please react to Can't Handle This by Bo? It's amazing. It starts out as just a funny song but then it gets pretty deep and sad
yes!! he def should react to this
What a bonus that you naturally sang along with Bo at the end of the song. Re: the oddly specific thing regarding the lady who lost her mom, I think Bo was reminding us that not just white women - overshare on the Internet. Kinda strange, that section for me was a message I personally felt I could have shared, losing my mom exactly 10 years before this song was released. Just finding your page (again?) today. Love it!! I’ll be back to go Stan a lil. 😂🎉
When the screen pans out from the iPhone aspect ratio during the section about her mom really shows how we may not be seeing the "whole picture"
That middle section feels like a comment on how people aren't able to process pain and real life issues how we should, and that people go to the Internet for validation or a sort of reaffirmation that what they're feeling is okay? How many people post on social media a photo of their parent for mothers day or fathers day first before ringing them to wish it in person? This special is an incredible social commentary! It handles real issues and farce with Grace and decorum and creates thought provoking debates! Great reaction 🙌
I personally love how the bars on the sides of the video start going away when the lyrics get personal about the girl and her mom, stopping the joke of the instagram photo style for a few moments to talk about the serious part and then slowly bring them back to smoothly cut the serious moment and keep up with the whole joke
To me one of the most telling pieces of the song is the aspect ratio change during the mom post. The whole song we're confined to the square crop of the post. It's superficial, until we hear about her mom and it widens. It opens her up to us in a less controlled space. It's vulnerable. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Damn, you really nailed this one for me, 2 years after I saw it…brilliant, well done sir
Love this song and Bo's creativity and genius in expressing ideas, stereotypes, life, self, and so much more. He really gives you something to think about and to bring reality into view. Loved this special so much. Thanks for this!!
"Someone always has to be the butt of the joke on the internet" is such a great line. I resonate with that.
I have never seen you before, but I subscribed just on the basis of this video. That was a really good reaction and interpretation. One note,normally it would annoy me when someone sings over a reaction video, but that was a spot on harmony. As an old guy, appreciate your voice and take care of it. I could have hit those notes 20 years ago, but, like with all things, that isn't forever.
I think you are spot on with your interpretation of that emotional part. Great work!
The "so what was that" got me