I love when a reactor is switched on. You nailed it man. Some people miss the fact that we're following ONE particular white woman and her Instagram posts. Yeah, he's poking fun at the cliches but the white woman is not the butt of the joke. If anything, he's highlighting problematic format of social media and how we post these curated snapshots of great moments, which simply aren't an accurate depiction of our lives. Another thing I noticed is that a lot of reactors praise Bo for the shots and how long it must have taken to create each one - but that just proves that these type of Instagram photos do take a lot of work. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a valid creative outlet.
I hate to break it to you, but a lot of channels do a lot of pre-studying about the things they react to beforehand to make it seem like they’re super “switched on”. Knox Hill is the absolute WORST about that. I don’t understand how anyone takes him seriously. I don’t know whether or not this guy does that, but his “first time” interpretations are a little too conveniently accurate.
@@Hey_Jamie Fascinating thought. I'm just going to say, this guy's almost unbelievably good, but he would also be a top tier actor if he did that, because he has legitimate reactions to surprises and jokes.
Granted, I may be a bit of a cynical asshole, but bear with me here. Now, theres 2 main segments to White Woman's Instagram. The "posts" and the "story". The posts are the curated snippets, the set up staged shots. But I interpret them as someone being fake. It wasnt spontaneous, by posting stuff like that, you're essentially bragging and going "Look at how great my life is. Dont you wish you had your shit together as well as I do?". But then we have the story, where its finally something real and personal. Then for the first time since the opening shot, it widens back out to show something not staged for instagram. And then the honesty passes, and goes right back into the fake stuff.
@@kaojinn instagram has not been instant in a long, long time. Why does being curated automatically mean 'fake?' There are assumptions you are making and intentions you are projecting if you think the sole reason people post anything is to 'brag.' Also, just because a story is vulnerable does not make it 'real.' To me, Bo strikes the perfect balance in this song because he hits all those points. Her IG feed is at once fake and earnest. It's curated and vulnerable. It's private but public. It's personal but generic. Bo makes her the butt of the joke, but also understands her very well. He showcases how much thought, effort and skill actually goes into her feed. But he also skewers her for how much of a basic bitch she is. He can draw back the curtain so to speak, to show us a personal, earnest, vulnerable side to her, but we can't necessarily trust it because she's sharing it with us on Instagram. It's everything good and bad about the condensation of human interaction into the digital space, which is majority of what Bo talks about and explores in this special.
I'm currently 19 years old, and my mum died about 4 months before my 16th birthday. I miss her every single day, and that small segment of this song came out of left field and punched me right in the gut, because I've been exactly there. I'm starting to get my life together, I have a job and a girlfriend, I'm working on saving up for an actual car instead of my garbage can on wheels, but I can't tell her that. I'm looking at going into journalism as a career, but I can't tell her that. I feel that section of the song so personally it chokes me up every single time I hear it. I can guarantee you that when I'm 26 I'll feel the exact same way, the knowledge that no matter what I do in life I can't share it with her is reflected so perfectly here it hurts. I hope she'd be proud of what I'm becoming, but I have no way of knowing. Thanks for the video man, your reaction and analysis really was impeccable.
Congrats on getting your life together. Proud of you! Hope things go well it can be hard out there and just going through it everyday is an accomplishment.
My mom died when I was 17 and it has profoundly impacted my life. You seem with it and together but don't try to save your mom through other women. I did that for years and ended up losing 2 more important people to addiction. Peace.
You are, how she is still with us, her living legacy. She was proud of you in life, and she is proud of you now whenever you can bring to feel happiness and a smile crosses your face. That's her smiling proud too.
As a father of two my parents never got to meet because i lost my dad at 25 and mum at 28 and has now been over a decade it hit me hard too. I still barely feel like I'm getting shit together.
You're the first reacter I've seen who caught the bit about her being 17 when her mom died. That and her dad being dead too ("give a hug and kiss to dad") chokes me up every time I hear it. 27 is so young to lose both parents.
To me, it sounds even more as if her father died even before her mother. Doesn't have to be that way, but she only talks to her mother and how her (her mother's) death affects her. This may be since she's simply talking to her mother at that moment and mainly thinking of her, but to me, it felt much more like a "you joined dad in Heaven, mom" than anything else. So she would have been a full orphan at 17.
Yeah its a fucking gut punch. When he said give a hug and kiss to dad and it sank in that she lost both her parents so young I started crying. He like perfectly encapsulated the idea of sonder. That other people have a deep inner life that we can never see. And that people are more than their social media posts. It was a perfectly aimed gut punch
the fact that he clearly took a huge amount of time on constructing those shots kinda makes me wonder about all the people who genuinely think he's making fun of women with this song. like this is an homage, not a piss-take. also just in case you missed it from the monologue, but both "her" parents are dead, not just her mom.
I don't think making fun is really the focus... It's more like he is coming from a place of deep, deep hatred for the depressing effect the faked perfection has on people who follow accounts like these, but the anger at that seems to be disconnected from the people making the content, and more directed to what the site has become. The "real aspect ratio" part is so sympathetic, it clashes so hard with the hard tone against Instagram that it's crazy.
The switch the song takes from just being a silly song to talking about something much deeper is something Bo has done a few times and it always works well. It can really change how you think of the song
I love how the first half of the song and the second half are essentially the same (mock Instagram posts and silly lyrics), but we as the viewer are forced to see the second half through a different lens because of the power of the middle segment. It’s like we’re being called out for being judgemental and superficial. On the surface the song feels like it’s suppose to be a dig about white women on Instagram, but because of that one scene in the middle, the song becomes more about us and how we interact with people on the internet. We think we’re going to laugh at white women, but end up having to take a look at ourselves. And all that is perfectly achieved by just a few lines and shifting frame.
It also gets perfectly paid off with the later lines. "Momma I have a Boyfriend, and I am crazy about him" -> "Three little words, a couple of doves, and a ring on her finger from the person that she loves. Is this heaven?" It has moved back into the instagram frame, but that is an additional glimpse into a moment of joy that she wishes she could share with her mom. It is a *real* part of her in the constructed heaven she has created for herself. It is her finding happiness despite it all. Freaking brilliant song. Bo never ceases to amaze me with how deeply empathetic his work is. (Three little words = "I love you.")
That part where the characters sings about her mom made me sob horribly, I lost my mom last year and it still hits every time I listen to that specific part. You nailed it, because idk why many people think that's part of making fun of the "white woman" character, but I think it does show the vulnerability of people that seem to have a "perfect" life
You’ll get comments saying they think the middle section is still making fun of the post and saying they’re using family issues and emotional trauma for a vapid grab for sympathy points. Ignore them. You got it right. He’s definitely illustrating that even though these accounts might be silly and derivative, and maybe even a carefully curated persona to present life as perfect, there are real people behind these accounts.
I think both opinions hold water. I think it is a comment on how Social Media can make an honest moment to look fake, The thought occurred to me when someone commented that the video returned to a "natural" perspective. Like 16:9 is natural and the "Instagram Square" is not.
@@plexus I didn't want to disagree with you. Just saying that both interpretations can exist in the same space. I 100% agree that the break shows the real person coming in. I however, could not fault someone for seeing something different.
Easily the best reaction I’ve ever seen of this. This aesthetic is my aesthetic and I never felt like I was the butt of a joke, it’s actually watching white guys react to this that makes me feel like the butt of a joke (but not you
I've seen a few instances of guys showing it to their (white woman, instagram using) partners seemingly expecting them to react - not necessarily badly as if being attacked, but they keep watching the woman's face like they are waiting to see the reaction to a prank. Meanwhile the women keep watching raptly and saying things like "oh he did such a good job with that lighting" or "I took a photo like that last year! I have five photos like that!" (with delight)
You actually brought a new view about this clip that I haven't thought of before, the girl having her Instagram as her personal heaven where she can show her mom and dad how she's growing and all, thank you so much for that, your takes were amazing
*Side note Bo was 27 when he wrote and directed his first feature film called "8th Grade" It's a film about a young girl navigating her way through a world which is so focused on appearances and online presence. The age balloons might be a nod to that film and the subject matter is most probably also a reflection of it as well.
The next one "Unpaid Intern" should be reacted to along with the skit that comes right afterwards, just letting you know! i know you arent doing the skits but trust me on this one, the song is only 30s anyway.
I think the crux of this song is that Burnham is making fun of, but is also empathetic for, these women who take their lives and turn it into a performance for an audience on the internet, because it's no different from what he is doing. This very special could be seen as just as self indulgent on the part of a privledged white person as anything on Instagram. I think Bo knows that he isn't any different from these women, and shares common humanity with them. Which is why it doesn't come across as mean spirited.
That's a really great interpretation of it, I hadn't really thought of it that way but you're totally right. I know a lot of people say that he was "poking fun" at these women, even if only at the start and then it kind of shifts slightly for the second half after the middle segment, but when I first watched it I never got that impression. I always felt it was a little kinder than that, after all, we've seen when he pokes fun at things and IDK the songs sound different when he's actually trying to make fun of something, this felt more lighthearted? But it makes sense that he would empathize with these women because he mentions in other specials that his flippant, callous persona is just an act for the stage and he doesn't want people to think that's the real him (look no further than "We Think we Know You"). And this song really jives with that sentiment, so thanks for pointing that out!
My favorite part about the aspect ratio is how messy the rest of the room looks, random stuff jammed into a drawer that can't close because of the mess on the left, props, more mess and a mug sitting next to the keyboard on the left... I mean, I worked on marketing before and the "yeah move the frame 1cm in any direction and the illusion of perfection is broken" is true as fuck. Nothing to me, not even the lyrics, sell harder the idea that this person is putting in a lot of effort into pretending they have a perfect life online than the messy areas that were out of the shot before the aspect ratio changed.
That part always makes me tear up. I haven’t lost a parent- yet. But that’s the tragic part of the song. We will all lose our parents at some point, and whether it’s when we’re 17 or even 50 years old or whatever, i don’t think we’ll ever be ready to say goodbye to them.
I've seen so many reactions of people who just gloss over the middle part or even laugh during it like "Haha, yea, I've seen those posts". The amount of shallow, low effort reaction channels is staggering. I'm glad you're doing it right, this is one of the better reactions to this songs I've seen
Why does every Bo song have one moment where I get full body chills 😩 Just want to point out the "goats cheese salad" bit hits funny, but also shows how life just goes in despite grief. And she's getting married, but now we know more about this woman, we have the insight of what she will be feeling getting married without her parents. Without that we would just see a random influencer type girl showing off her wedding. But now we know that even if she doesn't post it, it's going to be hard on her.
I've watched this special something like 15+ times and this song doesn't normally hit me. That changed today. Watching how it affected you really put it in perspective for me. I actually feel like I might have a better understanding of the song because of your reaction. Thanks for the great videos.
I appreciate this reaction a lot. The breakdown also got me, as I too am a father of two daughters and I was initially confused by my own reaction to the song. It hit me hard - gut punch, really. I thought it was sadness initially but what I realized after watching it a few times that it's actually feeling proud. I can picture my two girls who are only 4 and 2 right now growing up and having a job that they love and an SO they love and it just makes me proud to even think about that. Of course it's sad to think of my kids out on their own alone without me but that's not the real feeling I felt, I just didn't really understand it. Damn you, Bo... you're making me feel things!
I personally think that the "is this heaven" is in reference to how people try to portray their life as perfect in social media, but then he shows the "real" bits of life with the death of her parents and her engagement etc etc
you caught so many details for watching that for the first time, I loved your reaction!One other topic I haven’t seen many people mention is that this women also seems to use her instagram for performative activism (ripping off the ‘hate’ tape, ‘my favourite position is CEO’ shirt, mean vs nice things written on face). She also arguably has some posts that indicate her activism is just from the perspective of a white person, it’s not intersectional. For example: buying a dream catcher from urban outfitters, putting a feather in her hair when posing with the vines (dressing up as a Native American maybe?). I’m not decided on what I think Bo was trying to say by this, maybe just trying to be realistic? Or maybe I’ve just seen this song too many times I’m over analyzing this shit
I heard someone explain that this song is mocking the pointlessness of instagram posts, but also cautioning that even though it is stupid, it's important to remember that these are real people on the other side.
I just realized you're the first person who reacted to this that I've watched and took it as a narrative instead of random fictional women. I like that interpretation. This is one of my fav songs of his because what seems to be satire gets pulled inside out (and Bo knows waaaaasy too much about structure ect that I think inside out is the intended idea) with her love letter to her mom and then it's almost like satirizing the satire. Like no these aren't always just random pics to seem deep. Like you said, there's a person behind that. Some of the images are just aesthetics but some have a lot of meaning and we don't always know which pics have that meaning.
My mum passed away about a month before Inside came out, and this song hit hard. Thinking about all the things she'll never be there for - meeting the person that I spend the rest of my life with, being there for my wedding, when I get my first house, etc. etc. It's hard knowing all the big things she'll never see, but sometimes it's the tiniest things that hurt the most - me wanting to show her a new book I've read, or wanting to pick her flowers, or going to chat with her after I've been out all day...
Unironically some of the best react content in RUclips. I hope you enjoy this enough to keep going and hopefully get the support you deserve continuing into the future with other content beyond Inside.
I love that he included that serious part in the middle. It changes the entire scope of the song, and about much of Instagram and its users. Sometimes social media is not a deceptive veneer so much as it is a coping mechanism. This is a great example of a comedian punching up instead of down. Anyone could make a satirical song about white women and instagram but very few of them would actually try to make a genuine point while doing it. Another reason Bo might actually heal the world with comedy, no matter how ridiculous he might think that sounds.
I think he’s trying to play off of the pre assumption that the Instagram is shallow but then shows how it all is just a way for this woman to deal with existential dread and the knowledge that life ends. Purposely creating “cliche” moments to capture little moments in time before it’s all gone
You are one of the few who watched this and got hit in the feels, and rightfully so🥺 we are all people behind the screen, and you never know, maybe those cutesy pics are the only things bringing this person joy, even if they're cliche. The heaven thing can also be interpreted as refuge, the place where its all good, so all the pics are beautiful and joyful...and mom is there too 😔You'd be surprised how many dudebros thought Bo gave them a green light to mock and how many women just got offended 😅 this song is beautiful, and Bo is a genius!
Watching through all your Inside reactions in order, and I have to say you're obviously incredibly perceptive picking up so many elements on your first watch, but what made me happiest was you marking the 'Three little words, a couple of doves, and a ring on her finger from the person that she loves' line. I've found so few people register it, but I definitely don't think it's an accident that it comes after the bridge, and is the *only* line in a verse that references the person directly rather than being pure passive description. It really melds the double meaning of the song, and just epitomises Bo Burnham for me - poking fun at the cliche of it all whilst this deep seam of empathy runs underneath. Anyway, loving your videos and I'm excited to see what you do after Inside!
I love that when the ratio starts to widen, you go from seeing the "perfect photo" to seeing the messiness of the room that's lived in and kind of shows behind the scenes of the girls life outside of what she posts
I might not be a basic bitch, but I feel so much love in this song. I was almost everyone in nerds, aside from the jocks, so I loved that support. And in this song, it’s just, Hey, basic bitches are people too! They have feelings and that’s okay! If they’re not hurting anybody, let them be happy, damn!
"Its this heaven?" is a statement how people typically and especially the person in the song displays their Instagram as showing everything is fine and dandy, and once broken out of the aspect ratio and it gets REAL further emphasizes that everything taken on the internet is just face value to how the person behind it really is.
During the emotional part, when the aspect ratio widens, you also see the rest of the room - like open drawers and random stuff on a table - not just what youd see in the ig photo. I like.
I honestly didn't know what to make of this song until I saw you put the pieces together. One thing that I like is the camera changes. Like how it expands when she is talking about her real life and past that is just raw and isn't curated and then collapses again to social media size when she's back to focusing on her audience.
i lost my dad when i was 20, and my mom six years later. i always had a safety net, you know? i would fail and i knew someone was there to pick up the pieces. when my mom died, i knew i was truly on my own. this kills me every time i hear it. reminds me of a line from another song, not by bo - "leaving me was the best thing you ever taught me." life continues, the pain doesn't go away, and you have to keep going. bookended by the vapid positivity, helps ground you, understand people cope differently.
dude you absolutely nailed the aspect ratio thing. it widens as she is finally being fully vulnerable and honest with no regard to the portrayal of it on social media. then when it becomes about the presentation again and what SHES done and doing, it starts going back to the performative aspect
The switch of the song nearly gave me whiplash and the part with the dead mom hit me like a ton of bricks, I don’t know why I keep searching for this song reaction because it makes me cry every time
Crazy thought I had today: This song is about Bo. He is the "white woman". The jokes are about the superficial and "basic" production tricks and emotional hooks on social media, but that's exactly what Bo does with the production values and techniques used in this special. Going deeper, in All Eyes on Me, there's the canned laugh track laughing at inappropriate moments when he takes his deepest pain and "produces" it for entertainment. In All Eyes on Me, we're on the Inside (pun?) of the experience, sympathizing with Bo, wagging our fingers at the tone-deaf "audience" in the laugh track. But this is the same song. This is a highly produced, curated artist who's a real person with real struggles. Except now we're on the outside looking in, laughing at the finished product because we're so divorced from the actual person behind it. In this song, we ARE the laugh track. "And then the funniest thing happened." "A goat cheese salad." These are the same line in the same part of the song. And the audience gives awkward, stilted laughter, wondering if it's ok we find it funny, but not sure if we want to think about how sad what we were just told is.
It is a projector. Maybe I'm reading into it but I do think it's funny that pumpkins show up so many times in this song with kind of similar motifs. The pumpkin candle illuminating his face is like we're looking at him in that light, he mentions them again in the scene where he's literally about to paint something white/paint over something to make it nondescript/"basic", and then he's naked under the pumpkin projection but we can't see him, only the projection. There's something there about the light we shine on "basic" women, or maybe the light they choose to shine on themselves, when in reality they are all unique and vulnerable people with their own individual tragedies and joys
so many people miss that part when the screen changes and Bo sings deep stuff about the girl and they think that he is mocking about it and it´s not that way,so i appreciate your point of view,you´re right,cool video man
kudos for picking up on the aspect ratio change. A lot of reactors miss the age and the ratio change. Also, he frames himself incredibly small in the shot which makes him appear more vulnerable and with less control
Dude feel free to talk over it. We are here for the reaction. We could just go watch the video if that was what we were after. I have seen a lot of your other reactions and this is my favorite one so far
Just got to say I have seen Inside like 5 times and dozens of reactions to various songs from special but watching your reaction gave me a new and deeper perspective on this song. Love that you did the songs in order (more or less) and watched the bits between. Really hits different when viewed as a whole instead of just random songs out of context. I am currently binging the Playlist and good luck on the future growth of this channel.
I get how that could make sense but I don’t see it as bragging. I feel like that whole thing was the post about her true feelings and thought about missing her mother & it opened the curtain on her real life away from the “heaven” posts. I think the closing was just to get back to the Instagram posts. Instead of it closing back to that ratio instantly. Just my thought ✌🏼
@@OGDickus i get the post about remembering life with the mom, but why literally talking about "and look at me now I'm doing so good" if that part would have been in any other context we would have just know bo was making fun of it
@@hika_ariel if you’ve gone through loss you’d say the same thing. It’s not bragging it’s saying “mom I wish you could see me now, I have a job I love & I got my own apartment, mom I have a boyfriend & I’m in love with him.” I don’t know why some people would see that as bragging. It’s just saying mom I wish you could see me now.
@@OGDickus I've gone through loss. I didn't made a post of grieving about how my life is so good because I've got a new apartment tho, that's why I don't really see it that way, but still. Is a song everyone can think what they want
I took this as him saying that yeah people make fun of the stuff that these woman enjoy because it’s “basic”, but maybe those little things are the things that get you through hard times. Little victories/happinesses are the things that heal you.
Please react to "All Eyes On Me", which he goes right into after having a breakdown on camera. It was at that point that I too lost it. The entire special "Inside" is a masterpiece.
I love your reactions so much! They are so thoughtful and you make a point to look beyond the silliness exactly like Bo wants us too! You're a breath of fresh air!
thank u for mentioning the marriage post! its one of my favorite lines because its dipping more into her personal life again, but without changing the ratio, and its something positive this time and tis just such a sweet lil bit
I love the attitude you had toward this from the start. I've seen so many reactors immediately jump to mocking, being nasty and making fun of the concepts and the "person" predented in this, and not really getting what the song is about.
Great reaction, I think you got it right. The part is this heaven or a white human instagram is that people post only the happy things in their lifes, so looking to them is just happy and perfect lifes, but like you said is a real person behind them with real problems. Is a girl that uses social media to relax and focus on the good thing and find confort in photos and help her dealing with her problems. This is just my opinion, so don´t take it so serious. Again great reaction continue the good job!
One small detail people always seem to miss out on that really caught me off guard when I noticed it was the balloons said "27" well if the caption says it's been a decade since you've been gone. I love you give a hug & kiss to dad... This character hes playing lost them both before she was even 18. I cant believe you caught that!!
Part of my first read of this song; is that while Bo is sympathetic to the woman and wants to call the audience out on dismissing a white woman’s IG as vapid or basic; he is also showing his dislike of how social media forces us to limit ourselves. A lot of people talk about how the screen widens during the middle; but I think that the shrinking is also important. The fact that it goes right back into “basic” posts made me think that the song is told as if you are just scrolling through social media. Something so deep and personal that almost is too big to fit on a social media platform is juxtaposed with basic everyday life.
This one really shows how much work went into this, when you realize that he not only wrote and performed the songs, he also did all the set design, lighting, video production and everything else all by himself in this one room. You'd think there was a crew of like 20 people behind this, from how good every shot looks. I still can't figure out how he did the balloon drop.
hey man! I've watched several of your reaction videos back to back and I'm really enjoying them. You seem to really grasp the essence of the content that you react to, which is rarely the case with reaction videos in my experience. I'd even watch you react to content I haven't seen before which I don't usually do. Subscribe! Keep it up!
my dad passed away when i was 15. this came out when i was around 12-13 and when i rewatched the special a few months ago i first realized what the song was actually meaning. what was a funny song now became something sad to me
As someone who rarely cries because of songs, Bo almost got me with "Your little girl didn't do too bad, Mama I love you give a hug and kiss to dad." At the end of the day, we should all be grateful for our parents; we take them for granted way too often.
Yeah, I think that overall, it also shows how little we allow ourselves to get vulnerable on social media. It goes back to the real life and basic posts really quickly.
i lost my mom at 15 and then my dad a few years after her.This song makes me cry so hard. i got married without my parents, had my babies without my parents, every day i wrestle with the fact that my kids will never meet my parents, or my favorite aunt, or anyone on my mothers side because that whole side of my family has died already before they were born. this is the only social media i have, but if i did still have other social media,who that hell would want to hear about the hard, sad stuff? so i get why she keeps it light on her instagram. people are mean if you dont grieve how they want you to, or if you grieve for too long in public. just look at the folks that are saying mean stuff about the fictional woman in this song
I really appreciated your comments about respecting the real people behind social media accounts and taking a moment to remember that before interacting with them. It's such an important message (from the song and your comment), given the horrific online abuse some people (especially women) go through. Also, I will forgive your dogs barking if you show them to us in one of your future videos! I'd love to see your corgis! 🐶
Hey, no need to feel bad about tearing up man, I haven't lost a parent yet and I'm not a parent myself, but I still get teary eyed whenever I hear that middle section of the song. Like, we all knew the switch was coming because so many of these kinds of songs have some sort of switch in them, I just don't think any of us were expecting it to be kind of hard hitting. Like a real jab at people who think these "white women instagrams" are just vapid and uninteresting women when they're people too. Interesting you pointed out her being 27 and I think someone else pointed out that you did a great job catching that this isn't like necessarily a broad song about all white women's instagram it's about one particular white woman and I agree with them that you did a good job of that because I didn't really think of it that way for some reason. But yea, that makes the whole center sections that much more hard hitting cause like losing your parent at any age is hard, but losing one when your only a 17 has to be harder cause like you said, they miss out on so many things. I'm glad that you caught that she says "give a hug and kiss to dad" and how that implies her dad is gone too, I didn't personally catch that until my second listen but yea. That means she's only 27 and doesn't have either parent and that must be hard but she's still trying to find like the "joy in life" with all these silly instagram posts of "a gold retriever in a flower crown" and "poems written in the sand." So kind of like she's trying to make the best of her life ('is this heaven? nope but it's close!' or something) and, yea, maybe her tastes are a little "basic" but she's trying to make the best of everything. As for your whole "27 club" comment, I imagine it was just a random number? But if you want to get into theories about it like if he did it intentional it could be argued thusly: the 27 club as a term that came about due to the seemingly high number of famous people who have died at 27. Most of these people died from drug overdoses, road accidents, or suicides with other's being more natural causes like cancer. Most of these people are thought to have died (or committed suicide) because of their "high risk lifestyles" because, you know, taking a lot of drugs knowing there is a chance you could overdose is very high risk. So *if* he was making a commentary about it, he could be pointing out that here she is at 27 missing her mom and dad but she's trying to find the joys in life. The lose of ones parents can be really devastating and some people might fall into a "high risk lifestyle." So it could be that maybe she's finding the joy in life, posting all these silly pictures and stuff because it's her way of keeping herself from falling into habits that could get her killed because she's trying to make her mom proud. She says "your little girl didn't do too bad," could be even interpreted as her having fallen into a high risk lifestyle after her mom died but now she's doing better, she's trying to figure out how to live without her after a decade still but she isn't "doing too bad." This is of course all speculation, like I said, I feel like he didn't put *that* much thought into the number, he likes to get deep with his songs, but I don't think he went that far, but this is what I would say it meant if he did do it on purpose. Anyway, I honestly really love this song, not only does it have this deeper part to it, it's just genuinely a good song.
I think Bo is a master in baiting his audience into thinking and feeling very specific things just so that his twist hits so much harder. He does it in so many of his songs with this one being a great example.... Making the audience comfortable with funny ironic pictures and then hitting them in the face with a much deeper and tragic narrative. Well done Bo Burnham.
If you notice the aspect ratio changes to full screen instead of Instagram's aspect ratio when he starts mentioning her mom, it's portraying her real life now instead of showing Instagram's aspect ratio. It's showing the vulnerability behind the camera and what her life looks like to the outside world with the generic posts etc. versus her real life. And that is exactly where the song switches back to Instagram's aspect ratio with the "goat cheese salad" part, It's very deep.
Idk how many watches it might have taken me, if ever, to recognize the aspect ratio change during the mom's tribute monologue. Very observant. Awesome catch, dude.
I think the "is this heaven" bit is a reference to how you only see the best parts of someone's life on social media. Instagram is notorious for happy, energetic, and asthetic pictures so "is this heaven" is in reference to this atmosphere. But I actually quite liked your comment about how maybe she's hoping heaven is as nice as the pictures she's posting? Or something similar. Very interpretive.
I still tear up during the middle and then I get hit with “a goat cheese salaaaad” while I’m practically crying. Only Bo
Seriously.
“I’m goat cheese salad crying”
I love when a reactor is switched on. You nailed it man. Some people miss the fact that we're following ONE particular white woman and her Instagram posts. Yeah, he's poking fun at the cliches but the white woman is not the butt of the joke. If anything, he's highlighting problematic format of social media and how we post these curated snapshots of great moments, which simply aren't an accurate depiction of our lives.
Another thing I noticed is that a lot of reactors praise Bo for the shots and how long it must have taken to create each one - but that just proves that these type of Instagram photos do take a lot of work. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a valid creative outlet.
I hate to break it to you, but a lot of channels do a lot of pre-studying about the things they react to beforehand to make it seem like they’re super “switched on”. Knox Hill is the absolute WORST about that. I don’t understand how anyone takes him seriously. I don’t know whether or not this guy does that, but his “first time” interpretations are a little too conveniently accurate.
@@Hey_Jamie Seems to me like he just understands it. This seems legit to me.
@@Hey_Jamie Fascinating thought. I'm just going to say, this guy's almost unbelievably good, but he would also be a top tier actor if he did that, because he has legitimate reactions to surprises and jokes.
Granted, I may be a bit of a cynical asshole, but bear with me here. Now, theres 2 main segments to White Woman's Instagram. The "posts" and the "story". The posts are the curated snippets, the set up staged shots. But I interpret them as someone being fake. It wasnt spontaneous, by posting stuff like that, you're essentially bragging and going "Look at how great my life is. Dont you wish you had your shit together as well as I do?". But then we have the story, where its finally something real and personal. Then for the first time since the opening shot, it widens back out to show something not staged for instagram. And then the honesty passes, and goes right back into the fake stuff.
@@kaojinn instagram has not been instant in a long, long time. Why does being curated automatically mean 'fake?' There are assumptions you are making and intentions you are projecting if you think the sole reason people post anything is to 'brag.' Also, just because a story is vulnerable does not make it 'real.'
To me, Bo strikes the perfect balance in this song because he hits all those points. Her IG feed is at once fake and earnest. It's curated and vulnerable. It's private but public. It's personal but generic.
Bo makes her the butt of the joke, but also understands her very well. He showcases how much thought, effort and skill actually goes into her feed. But he also skewers her for how much of a basic bitch she is. He can draw back the curtain so to speak, to show us a personal, earnest, vulnerable side to her, but we can't necessarily trust it because she's sharing it with us on Instagram. It's everything good and bad about the condensation of human interaction into the digital space, which is majority of what Bo talks about and explores in this special.
I'm currently 19 years old, and my mum died about 4 months before my 16th birthday. I miss her every single day, and that small segment of this song came out of left field and punched me right in the gut, because I've been exactly there. I'm starting to get my life together, I have a job and a girlfriend, I'm working on saving up for an actual car instead of my garbage can on wheels, but I can't tell her that. I'm looking at going into journalism as a career, but I can't tell her that. I feel that section of the song so personally it chokes me up every single time I hear it. I can guarantee you that when I'm 26 I'll feel the exact same way, the knowledge that no matter what I do in life I can't share it with her is reflected so perfectly here it hurts. I hope she'd be proud of what I'm becoming, but I have no way of knowing. Thanks for the video man, your reaction and analysis really was impeccable.
Congrats on getting your life together. Proud of you! Hope things go well it can be hard out there and just going through it everyday is an accomplishment.
My mom died when I was 17 and it has profoundly impacted my life. You seem with it and together but don't try to save your mom through other women. I did that for years and ended up losing 2 more important people to addiction. Peace.
You are, how she is still with us, her living legacy. She was proud of you in life, and she is proud of you now whenever you can bring to feel happiness and a smile crosses your face. That's her smiling proud too.
I’m 27, this song still made me bawl like a baby. Same, same
As a father of two my parents never got to meet because i lost my dad at 25 and mum at 28 and has now been over a decade it hit me hard too. I still barely feel like I'm getting shit together.
You're the first reacter I've seen who caught the bit about her being 17 when her mom died. That and her dad being dead too ("give a hug and kiss to dad") chokes me up every time I hear it. 27 is so young to lose both parents.
Holy shit I don't think I ever thought about that...
To me, it sounds even more as if her father died even before her mother. Doesn't have to be that way, but she only talks to her mother and how her (her mother's) death affects her. This may be since she's simply talking to her mother at that moment and mainly thinking of her, but to me, it felt much more like a "you joined dad in Heaven, mom" than anything else. So she would have been a full orphan at 17.
That’s so sad 😢
I've seen the special multiplentimes and didn't pick up on that till this
Yeah its a fucking gut punch. When he said give a hug and kiss to dad and it sank in that she lost both her parents so young I started crying. He like perfectly encapsulated the idea of sonder. That other people have a deep inner life that we can never see. And that people are more than their social media posts. It was a perfectly aimed gut punch
the fact that he clearly took a huge amount of time on constructing those shots kinda makes me wonder about all the people who genuinely think he's making fun of women with this song. like this is an homage, not a piss-take.
also just in case you missed it from the monologue, but both "her" parents are dead, not just her mom.
Great point
I mean I think he is poking fun but it’s coming from a place of respect for them as real people and in some cases artists
he mentioned the thing about the dad a little after 12 minutes into the vid
I don't think making fun is really the focus... It's more like he is coming from a place of deep, deep hatred for the depressing effect the faked perfection has on people who follow accounts like these, but the anger at that seems to be disconnected from the people making the content, and more directed to what the site has become. The "real aspect ratio" part is so sympathetic, it clashes so hard with the hard tone against Instagram that it's crazy.
@@mordirit8727 I don't think there's any hated there
The switch the song takes from just being a silly song to talking about something much deeper is something Bo has done a few times and it always works well. It can really change how you think of the song
I love how the first half of the song and the second half are essentially the same (mock Instagram posts and silly lyrics), but we as the viewer are forced to see the second half through a different lens because of the power of the middle segment. It’s like we’re being called out for being judgemental and superficial. On the surface the song feels like it’s suppose to be a dig about white women on Instagram, but because of that one scene in the middle, the song becomes more about us and how we interact with people on the internet. We think we’re going to laugh at white women, but end up having to take a look at ourselves. And all that is perfectly achieved by just a few lines and shifting frame.
Beautifully said. I agree 100% and it is so damn effective.
It also gets perfectly paid off with the later lines.
"Momma I have a Boyfriend, and I am crazy about him" -> "Three little words, a couple of doves, and a ring on her finger from the person that she loves. Is this heaven?"
It has moved back into the instagram frame, but that is an additional glimpse into a moment of joy that she wishes she could share with her mom. It is a *real* part of her in the constructed heaven she has created for herself. It is her finding happiness despite it all.
Freaking brilliant song. Bo never ceases to amaze me with how deeply empathetic his work is. (Three little words = "I love you.")
"I have two Corgi's and they're very loud"
I think we need them in an on Camera "interview"
Corgis react!
That part where the characters sings about her mom made me sob horribly, I lost my mom last year and it still hits every time I listen to that specific part.
You nailed it, because idk why many people think that's part of making fun of the "white woman" character, but I think it does show the vulnerability of people that seem to have a "perfect" life
I feel so sorry for you. Loosing a close relative is really hard. All the best to you and keep going, its worth it.
You’ll get comments saying they think the middle section is still making fun of the post and saying they’re using family issues and emotional trauma for a vapid grab for sympathy points. Ignore them. You got it right. He’s definitely illustrating that even though these accounts might be silly and derivative, and maybe even a carefully curated persona to present life as perfect, there are real people behind these accounts.
I think both opinions hold water. I think it is a comment on how Social Media can make an honest moment to look fake, The thought occurred to me when someone commented that the video returned to a "natural" perspective. Like 16:9 is natural and the "Instagram Square" is not.
See? What did I tell you?
@@plexus I didn't want to disagree with you. Just saying that both interpretations can exist in the same space. I 100% agree that the break shows the real person coming in. I however, could not fault someone for seeing something different.
@@colorfulgaming6596 k
@@plexus gg
Easily the best reaction I’ve ever seen of this.
This aesthetic is my aesthetic and I never felt like I was the butt of a joke, it’s actually watching white guys react to this that makes me feel like the butt of a joke (but not you
I've seen a few instances of guys showing it to their (white woman, instagram using) partners seemingly expecting them to react - not necessarily badly as if being attacked, but they keep watching the woman's face like they are waiting to see the reaction to a prank. Meanwhile the women keep watching raptly and saying things like "oh he did such a good job with that lighting" or "I took a photo like that last year! I have five photos like that!" (with delight)
You actually brought a new view about this clip that I haven't thought of before, the girl having her Instagram as her personal heaven where she can show her mom and dad how she's growing and all, thank you so much for that, your takes were amazing
*Side note
Bo was 27 when he wrote and directed his first feature film called "8th Grade"
It's a film about a young girl navigating her way through a world which is so focused on appearances and online presence.
The age balloons might be a nod to that film and the subject matter is most probably also a reflection of it as well.
Oh my god when you mentioned “Is this heaven?” When talking about her caption to her mom I literally got goosebumps like it was a revelation.
The next one "Unpaid Intern" should be reacted to along with the skit that comes right afterwards, just letting you know! i know you arent doing the skits but trust me on this one, the song is only 30s anyway.
I think the crux of this song is that Burnham is making fun of, but is also empathetic for, these women who take their lives and turn it into a performance for an audience on the internet, because it's no different from what he is doing. This very special could be seen as just as self indulgent on the part of a privledged white person as anything on Instagram.
I think Bo knows that he isn't any different from these women, and shares common humanity with them. Which is why it doesn't come across as mean spirited.
That's a really great interpretation of it, I hadn't really thought of it that way but you're totally right. I know a lot of people say that he was "poking fun" at these women, even if only at the start and then it kind of shifts slightly for the second half after the middle segment, but when I first watched it I never got that impression. I always felt it was a little kinder than that, after all, we've seen when he pokes fun at things and IDK the songs sound different when he's actually trying to make fun of something, this felt more lighthearted? But it makes sense that he would empathize with these women because he mentions in other specials that his flippant, callous persona is just an act for the stage and he doesn't want people to think that's the real him (look no further than "We Think we Know You"). And this song really jives with that sentiment, so thanks for pointing that out!
My favorite part about the aspect ratio is how messy the rest of the room looks, random stuff jammed into a drawer that can't close because of the mess on the left, props, more mess and a mug sitting next to the keyboard on the left... I mean, I worked on marketing before and the "yeah move the frame 1cm in any direction and the illusion of perfection is broken" is true as fuck. Nothing to me, not even the lyrics, sell harder the idea that this person is putting in a lot of effort into pretending they have a perfect life online than the messy areas that were out of the shot before the aspect ratio changed.
That part always makes me tear up. I haven’t lost a parent- yet. But that’s the tragic part of the song. We will all lose our parents at some point, and whether it’s when we’re 17 or even 50 years old or whatever, i don’t think we’ll ever be ready to say goodbye to them.
I've seen so many reactions of people who just gloss over the middle part or even laugh during it like "Haha, yea, I've seen those posts". The amount of shallow, low effort reaction channels is staggering. I'm glad you're doing it right, this is one of the better reactions to this songs I've seen
I thought the caption part was meant to be funny as well, it can be both
Why does every Bo song have one moment where I get full body chills 😩
Just want to point out the "goats cheese salad" bit hits funny, but also shows how life just goes in despite grief.
And she's getting married, but now we know more about this woman, we have the insight of what she will be feeling getting married without her parents. Without that we would just see a random influencer type girl showing off her wedding. But now we know that even if she doesn't post it, it's going to be hard on her.
I've watched this special something like 15+ times and this song doesn't normally hit me. That changed today. Watching how it affected you really put it in perspective for me. I actually feel like I might have a better understanding of the song because of your reaction.
Thanks for the great videos.
I appreciate this reaction a lot. The breakdown also got me, as I too am a father of two daughters and I was initially confused by my own reaction to the song. It hit me hard - gut punch, really. I thought it was sadness initially but what I realized after watching it a few times that it's actually feeling proud. I can picture my two girls who are only 4 and 2 right now growing up and having a job that they love and an SO they love and it just makes me proud to even think about that. Of course it's sad to think of my kids out on their own alone without me but that's not the real feeling I felt, I just didn't really understand it. Damn you, Bo... you're making me feel things!
I personally think that the "is this heaven" is in reference to how people try to portray their life as perfect in social media, but then he shows the "real" bits of life with the death of her parents and her engagement etc etc
you caught so many details for watching that for the first time, I loved your reaction!One other topic I haven’t seen many people mention is that this women also seems to use her instagram for performative activism (ripping off the ‘hate’ tape, ‘my favourite position is CEO’ shirt, mean vs nice things written on face). She also arguably has some posts that indicate her activism is just from the perspective of a white person, it’s not intersectional. For example: buying a dream catcher from urban outfitters, putting a feather in her hair when posing with the vines (dressing up as a Native American maybe?). I’m not decided on what I think Bo was trying to say by this, maybe just trying to be realistic? Or maybe I’ve just seen this song too many times I’m over analyzing this shit
I heard someone explain that this song is mocking the pointlessness of instagram posts, but also cautioning that even though it is stupid, it's important to remember that these are real people on the other side.
I just realized you're the first person who reacted to this that I've watched and took it as a narrative instead of random fictional women. I like that interpretation. This is one of my fav songs of his because what seems to be satire gets pulled inside out (and Bo knows waaaaasy too much about structure ect that I think inside out is the intended idea) with her love letter to her mom and then it's almost like satirizing the satire. Like no these aren't always just random pics to seem deep. Like you said, there's a person behind that. Some of the images are just aesthetics but some have a lot of meaning and we don't always know which pics have that meaning.
My mum passed away about a month before Inside came out, and this song hit hard. Thinking about all the things she'll never be there for - meeting the person that I spend the rest of my life with, being there for my wedding, when I get my first house, etc. etc. It's hard knowing all the big things she'll never see, but sometimes it's the tiniest things that hurt the most - me wanting to show her a new book I've read, or wanting to pick her flowers, or going to chat with her after I've been out all day...
Unironically some of the best react content in RUclips. I hope you enjoy this enough to keep going and hopefully get the support you deserve continuing into the future with other content beyond Inside.
Reaction starts at 0:42
Had to blur a couple parts because of copyright. If anyone has any tips on how to avoid that, let me know! 🙂
I love that he included that serious part in the middle. It changes the entire scope of the song, and about much of Instagram and its users. Sometimes social media is not a deceptive veneer so much as it is a coping mechanism.
This is a great example of a comedian punching up instead of down. Anyone could make a satirical song about white women and instagram but very few of them would actually try to make a genuine point while doing it.
Another reason Bo might actually heal the world with comedy, no matter how ridiculous he might think that sounds.
I think he’s trying to play off of the pre assumption that the Instagram is shallow but then shows how it all is just a way for this woman to deal with existential dread and the knowledge that life ends. Purposely creating “cliche” moments to capture little moments in time before it’s all gone
You are one of the few who watched this and got hit in the feels, and rightfully so🥺 we are all people behind the screen, and you never know, maybe those cutesy pics are the only things bringing this person joy, even if they're cliche. The heaven thing can also be interpreted as refuge, the place where its all good, so all the pics are beautiful and joyful...and mom is there too 😔You'd be surprised how many dudebros thought Bo gave them a green light to mock and how many women just got offended 😅 this song is beautiful, and Bo is a genius!
Watching through all your Inside reactions in order, and I have to say you're obviously incredibly perceptive picking up so many elements on your first watch, but what made me happiest was you marking the 'Three little words, a couple of doves, and a ring on her finger from the person that she loves' line. I've found so few people register it, but I definitely don't think it's an accident that it comes after the bridge, and is the *only* line in a verse that references the person directly rather than being pure passive description. It really melds the double meaning of the song, and just epitomises Bo Burnham for me - poking fun at the cliche of it all whilst this deep seam of empathy runs underneath.
Anyway, loving your videos and I'm excited to see what you do after Inside!
I love how you take the time to apreciate the visuals of every video
I love that when the ratio starts to widen, you go from seeing the "perfect photo" to seeing the messiness of the room that's lived in and kind of shows behind the scenes of the girls life outside of what she posts
I might not be a basic bitch, but I feel so much love in this song. I was almost everyone in nerds, aside from the jocks, so I loved that support. And in this song, it’s just, Hey, basic bitches are people too! They have feelings and that’s okay! If they’re not hurting anybody, let them be happy, damn!
Best take on this song I’ve seen from any reactor. Keep doing what you’re doing :)
bro your making me fucking cry with the part talking about her mom
"Its this heaven?" is a statement how people typically and especially the person in the song displays their Instagram as showing everything is fine and dandy, and once broken out of the aspect ratio and it gets REAL further emphasizes that everything taken on the internet is just face value to how the person behind it really is.
"I love like the blue lighting" oh I already know you're gonna love 2 more songs 😂😂
During the emotional part, when the aspect ratio widens, you also see the rest of the room - like open drawers and random stuff on a table - not just what youd see in the ig photo. I like.
I honestly didn't know what to make of this song until I saw you put the pieces together. One thing that I like is the camera changes. Like how it expands when she is talking about her real life and past that is just raw and isn't curated and then collapses again to social media size when she's back to focusing on her audience.
Bo really does have beautiful eyes.
i lost my dad when i was 20, and my mom six years later. i always had a safety net, you know? i would fail and i knew someone was there to pick up the pieces. when my mom died, i knew i was truly on my own. this kills me every time i hear it. reminds me of a line from another song, not by bo - "leaving me was the best thing you ever taught me." life continues, the pain doesn't go away, and you have to keep going. bookended by the vapid positivity, helps ground you, understand people cope differently.
dude you absolutely nailed the aspect ratio thing. it widens as she is finally being fully vulnerable and honest with no regard to the portrayal of it on social media. then when it becomes about the presentation again and what SHES done and doing, it starts going back to the performative aspect
I unironically love the rose taped to a wall and the shadow hand. I think it'd be a good album cover lmao
You seem super authentic and in touch with your emotions! Really love your reactions!
The switch of the song nearly gave me whiplash and the part with the dead mom hit me like a ton of bricks, I don’t know why I keep searching for this song reaction because it makes me cry every time
Crazy thought I had today: This song is about Bo. He is the "white woman". The jokes are about the superficial and "basic" production tricks and emotional hooks on social media, but that's exactly what Bo does with the production values and techniques used in this special.
Going deeper, in All Eyes on Me, there's the canned laugh track laughing at inappropriate moments when he takes his deepest pain and "produces" it for entertainment. In All Eyes on Me, we're on the Inside (pun?) of the experience, sympathizing with Bo, wagging our fingers at the tone-deaf "audience" in the laugh track. But this is the same song. This is a highly produced, curated artist who's a real person with real struggles. Except now we're on the outside looking in, laughing at the finished product because we're so divorced from the actual person behind it. In this song, we ARE the laugh track.
"And then the funniest thing happened."
"A goat cheese salad."
These are the same line in the same part of the song. And the audience gives awkward, stilted laughter, wondering if it's ok we find it funny, but not sure if we want to think about how sad what we were just told is.
Probably my favorite video so far! Keep up the nice work 🙌🏻
It is a projector. Maybe I'm reading into it but I do think it's funny that pumpkins show up so many times in this song with kind of similar motifs.
The pumpkin candle illuminating his face is like we're looking at him in that light, he mentions them again in the scene where he's literally about to paint something white/paint over something to make it nondescript/"basic", and then he's naked under the pumpkin projection but we can't see him, only the projection.
There's something there about the light we shine on "basic" women, or maybe the light they choose to shine on themselves, when in reality they are all unique and vulnerable people with their own individual tragedies and joys
can i just say he pulled off all of those outfits flawlessly
so many people miss that part when the screen changes and Bo sings deep stuff about the girl and they think that he is mocking about it and it´s not that way,so i appreciate your point of view,you´re right,cool video man
kudos for picking up on the aspect ratio change. A lot of reactors miss the age and the ratio change. Also, he frames himself incredibly small in the shot which makes him appear more vulnerable and with less control
You're the first reactor Ive watched that caught the hug and kiss to dad part
Dude feel free to talk over it. We are here for the reaction. We could just go watch the video if that was what we were after. I have seen a lot of your other reactions and this is my favorite one so far
Just got to say I have seen Inside like 5 times and dozens of reactions to various songs from special but watching your reaction gave me a new and deeper perspective on this song. Love that you did the songs in order (more or less) and watched the bits between. Really hits different when viewed as a whole instead of just random songs out of context. I am currently binging the Playlist and good luck on the future growth of this channel.
When the ratio starts shrinking again, is when she switches from talking about her mom to "bragging" about her accomplishment. I find that brilliant.
I get how that could make sense but I don’t see it as bragging. I feel like that whole thing was the post about her true feelings and thought about missing her mother & it opened the curtain on her real life away from the “heaven” posts. I think the closing was just to get back to the Instagram posts. Instead of it closing back to that ratio instantly. Just my thought ✌🏼
@@OGDickus i get the post about remembering life with the mom, but why literally talking about "and look at me now I'm doing so good" if that part would have been in any other context we would have just know bo was making fun of it
@@hika_ariel if you’ve gone through loss you’d say the same thing. It’s not bragging it’s saying “mom I wish you could see me now, I have a job I love & I got my own apartment, mom I have a boyfriend & I’m in love with him.” I don’t know why some people would see that as bragging. It’s just saying mom I wish you could see me now.
@@OGDickus I've gone through loss. I didn't made a post of grieving about how my life is so good because I've got a new apartment tho, that's why I don't really see it that way, but still. Is a song everyone can think what they want
Yesss!! You caught everything! So satisfying to watch
That moment hit me hard as a Dad too, dude. Amazing reaction as always 👍
Appreciate the way you bring your full self to these reactions, Chris!
I took this as him saying that yeah people make fun of the stuff that these woman enjoy because it’s “basic”, but maybe those little things are the things that get you through hard times. Little victories/happinesses are the things that heal you.
Subscribed. Thank you for understanding it.
For sure brings some emotions up! I have a daughter and to think about it, is crazy... I Love my daughter so much and just wish her the best. ❤
Please react to "All Eyes On Me", which he goes right into after having a breakdown on camera. It was at that point that I too lost it. The entire special "Inside" is a masterpiece.
Great news! He's doing the whole special song by song, in order!
I love your reactions so much! They are so thoughtful and you make a point to look beyond the silliness exactly like Bo wants us too! You're a breath of fresh air!
Dude your reactions to Bo are the best. Everything that hits you hits me the same way.
You are the best reaction channel by far that have covered Bo Burnham! I appreciate you showing emotions and talking about how it makes you feel
thank u for mentioning the marriage post! its one of my favorite lines because its dipping more into her personal life again, but without changing the ratio, and its something positive this time and tis just such a sweet lil bit
I love the attitude you had toward this from the start. I've seen so many reactors immediately jump to mocking, being nasty and making fun of the concepts and the "person" predented in this, and not really getting what the song is about.
Whoa I never thought of that possibility that the “is this heaven” quote is the mom speaking. Interesting
I feel you on how it hits having a daughter. The Last of Us games really got me at parts- highly recommend if you haven’t played it yet.
Bro…the slurping at the beginning trigged me so hard. But then your attentive, interesting reaction won me over. New sub.
I like your take on the 27 Club aspect. I just thought he chose it cause it rhymes with heaven, but your take seems better
Awesome videos. Best reactions to inside I've seen yet!
I got choked up at that part, too.
Great reaction, I think you got it right. The part is this heaven or a white human instagram is that people post only the happy things in their lifes, so looking to them is just happy and perfect lifes, but like you said is a real person behind them with real problems. Is a girl that uses social media to relax and focus on the good thing and find confort in photos and help her dealing with her problems. This is just my opinion, so don´t take it so serious. Again great reaction continue the good job!
One small detail people always seem to miss out on that really caught me off guard when I noticed it was the balloons said "27" well if the caption says it's been a decade since you've been gone. I love you give a hug & kiss to dad... This character hes playing lost them both before she was even 18. I cant believe you caught that!!
Part of my first read of this song; is that while Bo is sympathetic to the woman and wants to call the audience out on dismissing a white woman’s IG as vapid or basic; he is also showing his dislike of how social media forces us to limit ourselves.
A lot of people talk about how the screen widens during the middle; but I think that the shrinking is also important. The fact that it goes right back into “basic” posts made me think that the song is told as if you are just scrolling through social media. Something so deep and personal that almost is too big to fit on a social media platform is juxtaposed with basic everyday life.
This one really shows how much work went into this, when you realize that he not only wrote and performed the songs, he also did all the set design, lighting, video production and everything else all by himself in this one room. You'd think there was a crew of like 20 people behind this, from how good every shot looks. I still can't figure out how he did the balloon drop.
hey man! I've watched several of your reaction videos back to back and I'm really enjoying them. You seem to really grasp the essence of the content that you react to, which is rarely the case with reaction videos in my experience. I'd even watch you react to content I haven't seen before which I don't usually do. Subscribe! Keep it up!
my dad passed away when i was 15. this came out when i was around 12-13 and when i rewatched the special a few months ago i first realized what the song was actually meaning. what was a funny song now became something sad to me
As someone who rarely cries because of songs, Bo almost got me with "Your little girl didn't do too bad, Mama I love you give a hug and kiss to dad." At the end of the day, we should all be grateful for our parents; we take them for granted way too often.
Great natural reactions man, keep it up ♡☆
Yeah, I think that overall, it also shows how little we allow ourselves to get vulnerable on social media.
It goes back to the real life and basic posts really quickly.
i lost my mom at 15 and then my dad a few years after her.This song makes me cry so hard. i got married without my parents, had my babies without my parents, every day i wrestle with the fact that my kids will never meet my parents, or my favorite aunt, or anyone on my mothers side because that whole side of my family has died already before they were born. this is the only social media i have, but if i did still have other social media,who that hell would want to hear about the hard, sad stuff? so i get why she keeps it light on her instagram. people are mean if you dont grieve how they want you to, or if you grieve for too long in public. just look at the folks that are saying mean stuff about the fictional woman in this song
I really appreciated your comments about respecting the real people behind social media accounts and taking a moment to remember that before interacting with them. It's such an important message (from the song and your comment), given the horrific online abuse some people (especially women) go through. Also, I will forgive your dogs barking if you show them to us in one of your future videos! I'd love to see your corgis! 🐶
I think one of them makes an appearance in Sexting. 👀
@@ChrisReactsToThings I saw! (I've been binging your videos.) He was so sweet and chill. Hope to see more of him in future! :)
Loved your insight into this video. Spot on.
"I love the blue lighting"
Aw you poor man, if you had only know what was to come.
Hey, no need to feel bad about tearing up man, I haven't lost a parent yet and I'm not a parent myself, but I still get teary eyed whenever I hear that middle section of the song. Like, we all knew the switch was coming because so many of these kinds of songs have some sort of switch in them, I just don't think any of us were expecting it to be kind of hard hitting. Like a real jab at people who think these "white women instagrams" are just vapid and uninteresting women when they're people too.
Interesting you pointed out her being 27 and I think someone else pointed out that you did a great job catching that this isn't like necessarily a broad song about all white women's instagram it's about one particular white woman and I agree with them that you did a good job of that because I didn't really think of it that way for some reason. But yea, that makes the whole center sections that much more hard hitting cause like losing your parent at any age is hard, but losing one when your only a 17 has to be harder cause like you said, they miss out on so many things. I'm glad that you caught that she says "give a hug and kiss to dad" and how that implies her dad is gone too, I didn't personally catch that until my second listen but yea. That means she's only 27 and doesn't have either parent and that must be hard but she's still trying to find like the "joy in life" with all these silly instagram posts of "a gold retriever in a flower crown" and "poems written in the sand." So kind of like she's trying to make the best of her life ('is this heaven? nope but it's close!' or something) and, yea, maybe her tastes are a little "basic" but she's trying to make the best of everything.
As for your whole "27 club" comment, I imagine it was just a random number? But if you want to get into theories about it like if he did it intentional it could be argued thusly:
the 27 club as a term that came about due to the seemingly high number of famous people who have died at 27. Most of these people died from drug overdoses, road accidents, or suicides with other's being more natural causes like cancer. Most of these people are thought to have died (or committed suicide) because of their "high risk lifestyles" because, you know, taking a lot of drugs knowing there is a chance you could overdose is very high risk. So *if* he was making a commentary about it, he could be pointing out that here she is at 27 missing her mom and dad but she's trying to find the joys in life. The lose of ones parents can be really devastating and some people might fall into a "high risk lifestyle." So it could be that maybe she's finding the joy in life, posting all these silly pictures and stuff because it's her way of keeping herself from falling into habits that could get her killed because she's trying to make her mom proud. She says "your little girl didn't do too bad," could be even interpreted as her having fallen into a high risk lifestyle after her mom died but now she's doing better, she's trying to figure out how to live without her after a decade still but she isn't "doing too bad." This is of course all speculation, like I said, I feel like he didn't put *that* much thought into the number, he likes to get deep with his songs, but I don't think he went that far, but this is what I would say it meant if he did do it on purpose.
Anyway, I honestly really love this song, not only does it have this deeper part to it, it's just genuinely a good song.
The middle of this songs hits me everytime. I feel like people only talk about the funny outer trapping of the song and not the whole point of it.
I think Bo is a master in baiting his audience into thinking and feeling very specific things just so that his twist hits so much harder. He does it in so many of his songs with this one being a great example.... Making the audience comfortable with funny ironic pictures and then hitting them in the face with a much deeper and tragic narrative. Well done Bo Burnham.
You might even say he's a... master... a mastur..... ah I can't do it
If you notice the aspect ratio changes to full screen instead of Instagram's aspect ratio when he starts mentioning her mom, it's portraying her real life now instead of showing Instagram's aspect ratio. It's showing the vulnerability behind the camera and what her life looks like to the outside world with the generic posts etc. versus her real life. And that is exactly where the song switches back to Instagram's aspect ratio with the "goat cheese salad" part, It's very deep.
Idk how many watches it might have taken me, if ever, to recognize the aspect ratio change during the mom's tribute monologue. Very observant. Awesome catch, dude.
I choke up everytime too
I think the "is this heaven" bit is a reference to how you only see the best parts of someone's life on social media. Instagram is notorious for happy, energetic, and asthetic pictures so "is this heaven" is in reference to this atmosphere. But I actually quite liked your comment about how maybe she's hoping heaven is as nice as the pictures she's posting? Or something similar. Very interpretive.
In the line "three little words a couple of doves and a ring on her finger from the person that she loves" the words are probably "I love you"
"Inspirational planet fitness dude bro tank" I can't- this is too good😭😭😂
Bo is genius in this way. He finds both the humor and the humanity in this song.
I'd never seen so many tiny pumpkins in one music video before this.