A Philosopher Reacts to Bo Burnham's Outtakes 

What's your favorite new song or bit from the Inside Outtakes? Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/wisecrack to get 50% off your first order of Keeps hair loss treatment.

The irony of watching a reaction video to Inside is not lost on me.

I want to point out that Bo demonetized the video. He shared an hour of content for no financial gain.

"Laughter is the best medicine, besides...medicine" -Bo Burnham

My favorite elements included the obsession with spiders, and the obsession of trying so hard to catch the video of a plane flying & filtered through window blinds.

One of my favorite details is that during the bros podcast, they say “their just jokes” and “it’s not they serious”, right before immediately talking about how comedians are philosophers, showing the hypocrisy of these podcasts.

I’m sad you did not incorporate a discussion of the chicken song into this analysis. I feel it was such an earnest song, and it’s placement right at the end made it an incredibly compelling synthesis of all the ideas presented beforehand. I believe that it represents the decision to choose hope in the wake of a bleak reality, the role of modern comedy to reveal hidden depths beyond the surface, and the ability for hope, despair, and comedy to coexist and create something beautiful. It’s tone was so different to anything else contained in the special or the rest of the outtakes, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I first heard it.

The shot of the ocean at the end made me think of “the whole world at your fingertips/the ocean at your door.” A darker reading.

I think another point of that ad during his speech about his embarrassing history being preserved online is that he's pointing out that that process is not over. Being the comedian is being the fool; being human is being imperfect, and needing to constantly improve. He's not some perfectly formed being now, he will continue doing ridiculous things in his specials, things that he'll probably look back on in his 40s and be embarrassed by. Surely not every joke he makes now will age well or remain in good taste and society's tastes change.

What I thought was interesting was that the Outtakes presented themselves an intimate, behind-the-curtain look at the production of Inside, when they themselves are an edited, curated video where Bo chooses what to show us. It's impossible to give some kind of totally raw, genuine experience, that's just the nature of content creation and would be intrusive and parasocial, but I just thought it was interesting that Inside was already supposed to be this raw, emotional look into Bo's psyche, but the outtakes show that that was a presentation put together by Bo, but the outtakes themselves are also a product that has been edited and cropped, it's like Inception, where there's increasing levels of "unscripted" content, which are all a simulacra of the actual lived experience of Bo creating the special.

I really like how Wisecrack uses contemporary philosophers like Berardi as sources -- helps cement the sense that we're talking about conversations that are still alive

Surprised you didn't get into the All Eyes on Me Reprise/Duet. the juxtaposition of that version with the original, is jarring to wrap the head around. both entrancing and haunting.

You spoke on a lot of my Fave moments. The Future song hit me. I love the mockery on the ads. I didn't understand the ocean scene until you said that last bit and "whatever your beach may be." That's really good to hold on to. Enjoyed the video

The ads placed throughout the special made me think of this moment I had the other day. I was watching Mathew mcconaughey talk about the uvalde shooting and was getting quite emotional as he told these childrens stories. When all of a sudden I’m hit by 2 ads playing at max volume for some stupid product.

A lot of what I took away was that filming and creating all of "Inside" was not just draining, but numbing. And I feel like that probably holds true for a lot of comedians or content creators on a professional level. Where they have to repeat over and over saying they're shit as a joke until it becomes meaningless. But you're still calling yourself shit. Where you say casually "you should kill your mom" and that apathy in filming is a struggle because you... still need to care. Creators likely go through a good dozen takes for some shots, and if they're lucky, it's for something they like and want to express, but a lot of self-deprecating jokes or media just reinforce some of the negatives as background noise and accepted. Making things feel hopeless.

As for the ending with the image of an ocean hitting the shore. In inside he uses the image of the rising ocean quite a lot as impending doom (be it depression, global warming, society in general, .... several interpretations are possible) so ending the outtakes with an ocean might also be a reference to that.

It was so interesting to see the different tunes used in other songs. Like ideas he didn’t use.

On the 'just in case': this is also his point with the 'Don't kill yourself' segment in Inside: 'there might be people who love you in the future'. Also I think that the 'feeling' he discribes as a Shepard's tone clarifies what 'that funny feeling' is from the original special. All the tension created by looking at your feed and seeing everything that the guy in 'Welcome to the internet' is describig, and feeling like it all builds up, but never gets solved, never leads to any conclusion. I think the random listing of stuff in 'that funny feeling' makes sense, it's trying to explain what the feeling is by listing the things that cause the feeling. The feed. That's how I understood this part.

Daddy made us some contenttt

I read the last image in a much darker manner. "You say the oceans rising like I give a shit. You say the whole world's ending. Honey it already did." "The whole world at your fingertips, the ocean at your door."

I loved every one of the songs from the Inside Outtakes, but my favorite has to be the Medieval choral rendition of Bezos. It's moving and ironic in its comical worship of a man that he's spent a lot of time critiquing throughout his special and the outtakes. Thank you for making this analysis video!

A 25 minute video just to tell us to go touch grass. Thanks Wisecrack.

Honestly incredible you didn't cut to an ad for Keeps while discussing the ads in the Inside Outtakes.

You should really talk about James Acaster’s specials “Repertoire” and “Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999” they are also very personal and layered comedy specials similar to Inside. He deals with a lot of themes of identity crises, depression, loneliness and all other sorts of harsh realities in his stuff. Really phenomenal watches even if you don’t do a video on it!

This was one of your best analysis of the year imo, great video

Your breakdowns are always insightful. Thanks!

The philosopher most referred to in this video is Franco Berardi and his book, "After the Future".

Next: Bo Burnham Reacts To A Philosopher Reacts To Bo Burnham's Outtakes

Nice I absolutely love this kind of content! I guess who Burnham could say, in relation to having no audience,”Bo audience, Bo problem!”.

I really love the analysis here. This is so interesting and fun to look at from a philosophical perspective ❤️

Dude, great shirt. The analysis is good too and love Burnham....but that shirt is awesome.

There is nothing more confidence inspiring about an in-video commercial about hair loss prevention than it being promoted by a balding man lol

You're going to do a whole other video about the chicken, right? ...right?

Hey Michael, it’s Michael! I love everything you do at wisecrack and this was no exception. If anything I love your analysis so much I’m very disappointed you didn’t get into 1985 or the Chicken song, two songs that to me at least seem so blunt yet so complex at the same time. The chicken song alone is like worth a whole episode there’s so many layers of meaning you can peel off from it! Anyways love all you do and I’ll watch anything you do about Bo in a heartbeat!

Please do the philosophy of the 2008 Jim Carey film “Yes Man”

Funny how he explained Bo putting an ad in his "Philosophic" podcast while he has a Keeps ad in HIS philosophic RU-vid video....

Your hot take link between Plato's cave and his shed.....is absolutely spot on, hadn't even considered that myself.

This was great. Kudos. You're doing good work!

After watching this I have picked up Bifo's book and while I am not through yet, I find it incredibly valuable for me right now, so thank you for doing this work :3

would love to see you do an analysis of everything everywhere all at once! talking about absurdism, existentialism, etc

5 years was my favorite from the outtakes

gotta love bo and his social commentary since you know it is so funny

This video was very well put together and I'm thankful for getting to know Franco Berardi through it!

I remember watching "Inside" for the first time a couple of months ago and thinking "this man is not okay". I know that there's an element of performance there, but it immediately set off a series of red flags

I'd love a take from you in this format on Everything Everywhere All At Once. That movie did some mind fucking. 😂

I just made soup and I thought my day couldn't get any better, and then I pull up youtube and see a Wisecrack video about Bo Burnham

Very well done!! I am actually Inspired.

My friend doesn't understand the laceless shoes joke, can somebody help him?

I was waiting for this thank you! Also I'm waiting for your opinions on the new southpark episode!

My visual anchor while watching his "Inside" content is the brown smudge on the door. He goes outside often enough to leave a mark.

I would slightly argue with Barardi at 6:07. Yes, depression shows what public discourse hides, however I believe that the general public is aware of the aspects of life that depression puts under a microscope--I simply believe that the "truth" is subjective, and if the "truth" is derived off the values of the general public, then the "truth" is a part of life those without depression accept and choose to ignore; the void/abyss being a waste of time and effort; while those with depression struggle with the inability to accept overlooking it, the full-understanding of the truth as a hunger that can never, and will never, be sated. Hence, why depression is considered a mental illness. Source: I have chronic depression, and I've come to this conclusion I can do nothing about over the decades. If you've read this, please like it so I can be aware my words have reached you. Thank you.

Great video !!

To add to the final image of the end of the outtake. If you listen closely to the waves hitting the rock it almost sounds like static, almost like at the end of a broadcast network when the national broadcasting network discontinue programming and either leaves static or the color bar dial tone. It almost as to stay with the theme that the internet has become the "real world" in most people's minds and that the actual real world is not and is more of the disconnect. Maybe I'm reading into it but that's what I got from the image after this special.

Those "pop-up ads" are brilliant.

You owe me a dumpling or a dumpling equivalent

Love this.

great video, not enough about the chicken though haha

The Chicken is so good. I get how it didn't quite fit in the finished film. A classic nonetheless. I have chickens. It hits real hard.

5 Years was my favorite.

It’s so freaking funny to me that one of the biggest philosophy channels on RU-vid covering Burnham’s “Inside” is set in a corporate office and has to run ads for hair loss pills. Huh, there’s that funny feeling again.

This idea of understanding, and how it correlates to happiness reminds me of great gatsby

14:07 "Can a earnest desire for meaning or self exploration coexist with trying to sell sh!t or just get you to give more of your attention away?" I don't know, but I'm sure that question KEEPS you up at night.

That's why we turn towards fiction, where things aren't so ambiguous and messy, and there is a clear, immersive storyline that everyone agrees upon.

cool, i didn't know about the extra content ... the original was one of the best pieces of art of 2021

he's always incredible

I'd love to hear y'all's thoughts on these ideas of it being depressing that "the future is in front of now," and contrasting that to the amor fati that Nietzche talks about.

love the shirt, where u get it ?

I thought that the pineapple Minecraft thing had more to do with what he was talking about. During the shot, he was talking about wishing to go back as a child and avoid making all of those cringey content. I'm thinking he's holding a mirror up to the audience, the type of content that Minecraft pineapple enthusiasts are generally made by children or at least man children that may feel remorseful of the type of content that they made during that time. It's also possible that he is saying that if he were to start a new, he could have fallen under a different rabbit hole of cringy content that he would not like to have tied to him in the future.

Great video.

at the point in the video you were talking about ingredients and the future and how the pieces of the future are made up of the past and present and we cant avoid the bad ingredients. This made me think of process philosophy/theology in which each moment is a new world of becoming, each moment is a relation between the universe and ourselves in which we can can co-create. or something like that i think. thoughts?

Ohhh its Inside out-takes! that's all carry on

One song that didn't make it into Inside or Outtakes is 1985, where he says he wishes he was his dad in 1985. If you pay attention to the backing track towards the end of the song, he calls his dad an oblivious white guy, so Bo is haunted by knowing the truth about how the world works, the cause of his depression, and wants to feel good as a result, wishing he didn't know what he realised a while ago. Combined, Inside and The Inside Outtakes are ultimate way of saying "ignorance is bliss"

You are starting to get this format right. The first ones were a bit too improvised. This one feels expontaneous, but thoughtful. I almost skipped it, but I glad I did not.

when I first watched the outtakes and saw the last scene, my conclusion was that in counterpoint of what he said when he interviewed the entire "crew" behind the outtakes, his answer to the question "what's next for you guys?" was "a vacation". and the outtakes was released after the flexibilization of the pandemic, so I felt like "yay! he did take a vacation!" ya know?

I honestly kind of wish you talked more about the chicken song

You need to do a video on Everything Everywhere All at Once!

Don't know why, but watching Wisecrack deconstruct what I'm consuming feels like that piece of time when you had to remind the VHS tape to watch the movie-the movie would kind of play in reverse but with gashes of static that made me feel like I was destroying the video. And it took a while. So, you're looking at the screen, in silence, watching, for a couple minutes, at what looked like the cremation of a different but similar movie. I don't think I have any of those reflective moments anymore. Other than a good'ol video essay deconstructing my childhood assumptions, I think the best I get are things like Inside. Bo does me the favor of taking the VHS tape, forcing it into the feed upside down, and holding down the rewind button so that I can hear the glassy squeal of mismatched plastic parts rip the film from the spool and play static on the screen-when you press the play button, you realize reality had been on pause the whole time.

I honestly thought he was not making fun of Joe Rogan at that one part. But you put in a new perspective for everything for me I’m gonna watch the video that he made again I’ll probably miss some stuff.

The best part of the motivational speaker trio-monologue is the fact that all the voices get louder until they're basically unintelligible and then "nothing" is said entirely on its own

It isn't "hypercapitalism". It's Nihilism. The actual Void.

Films have for decades used imagery of water crashing over something as symbolism for rebirth, a metaphorical baptism in which this water running over you creates a new phase in your life where you can now live how you want to live. So I feel that Burnham is using that idea to tell the audience that he can now move on from being stuck inside. Whether that means returning to live comedy like he commented on in ‘All Eyes on Me’ or just means stepping away from creating content entirely is a very different question though.

It's funny because it's called the inside-out takes which means he's literally showing the true inside and brining it out

I think I'm more content knowing the truth than being ignorant between what choices I have.

Does anybody know where that Berardi quote is from? What book, article or interview it comes from?”

I was pretty sad that there was no BTS for 1985, this is my favourite song from the outtakes.

Would love to see a discussion of The Chicken. It seems to have a lot of layers, not only as metaphor but also in relation to animal oppression. I think lots of the lines have multiple meanings, like reading the road as capitalism and the choice of 'left, right, left, right' as you try to get the future being ultimately useless because you'll get caught out. It could be a criticism of the futility of party politics in our current political system.

Mike, when you were talking about time stopping, the loss of the future, and the hopelessness that this can engender, I was immediately struck by the parallels to what Tim Snyder (Yale history professor) has called "the politics of inevitability and the politics of eternity". Ideally, I'd like to see "A philosopher reacts" to Snyder's brilliant lecture series on the history of Ukraine (all on RU-vid), which uses that history and current events as a way of thinking about time and hope, but I'll settle for your thoughts on ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Eghl19elKk8.html

No mention of Berlant's Cruel Optimism?

I'm not intended to be rude, because this seams like a well thought/produced video, but I can't help but think that this feels like a part of the special. It gives the "react to everything/give an opinion about everything" vibe that he mocks in inside.

Is Franco "Bifo" Berardi hard to read for beginners? Where should we start?

Can you do a video about the chicken song?

You realize the irony of "we will talk about The Inside Outtakes, but first, a shout-out to our sponsor " haha ? Not a real problem but kinda ironic

17:39 ahem Damocles ahem

'the ocean at your door' - that's probably the meaning behind the last scene. Also, not mentioning how he implied in Chicken that to be happy and reach our dreams we need to kills ourselves - criminal.

Not all Comedians are Philosphers. The best Comedians Are though. Like look at Carlin. If you only know him from one or two bits you can miss it but if youve seen all his specials or are familiar with his Writing etc theres no real way to deny the man was a Philosopher first and fore.

how long have the flag colors been in the background

My eyes!!!

Excuse you for somehow explaining why I vibe with the out-takes right now and why I'm depressed. The future feels completely out of my control and I feel my chosen field will leave me stranded in this space of financial stress and societal pressure. That if I choose a route that will make me financially secure that I will be looked down on by academic field the I study and love. I'm taking a break from my studies even though I have only a full semester left to my degree because of seperate medical issues and its helped me escape the burnout that was building but it also left me thinking about what I want to do with my future. Luckily I have a supportive family that's let me crash there to reflect outside of the situation I was in. Now I just need to recover from my medical issue.

"Everyone's a feminist until there is a spider around" - Five Years

The future is ahead of now: I think this idea isn't a representation of him saying that the future is a combination of not only the circumstances he's in now as well as his actions until that point in the future, but rather an expression of lust for an idealized future that has all these things in them. I know that sounds rose tinted in comparison to the ideas and expressions Bo's used up until this point but hear me out. Bo in Inside, not the outtakes, but the original, expresses the idea that if he could kill himself, for only a year, he would do it. This quote in combination with his satirized desire to have a daughter in Make Happy, his most recent comedy special before Inside, as well as his wish to have a daughter in The Future (the song not the time), implies that he IS looking at the future with rose-tinted glasses, rather than with the highly rational ones you imply. This idea, however, is somewhat countered by the thought that depression, while overall being a negative, gives one more rational insight to the world around them. In that same breath, this should mean that depression would give Bo more of a cynical conception of the future. I think there's evidence stacked up to both sides and while I don't like to make a definitive call, I feel that the idea of the future being ahead of now, in this context, is an idealized version, rather than a highly rational or cynical one. The state of the online union: My opinion is that this bit, while it can be applied to real life, is not a representation of the current state of affairs in the real world, but rather the online world. It's an extension of existentialism to the blazing inferno that is the internet. Constantly chugging along, constantly moving forward, at a faster and faster pace, speeding up infinitely. The endings that Bo presents for this train are quite bleak too. The ending of crashing, the train slamming into the brick wall with everyone in it, breaking down and becoming a part of the past, or the ending of, well, a lack of ending, the idea that the train will keep going and going, forever. It's in line with the cynicism that he's brought to the table up until this point, that the internet, while connecting us all, also connects the worst parts of our world as well. The parts that show the worst of humanity, and our constant intake of these awful ideas and events, all while the bug-eyed salamanders in Silicon Valley (his words, not mine) profit off of our endless scrolling. It's like a form of digital sadomasochism. I don’t have much to say on the ocean scene. I would have made a reply for each point but I was talking to my dog about my ideas rather than writing them down lol. Also one of the funniest things that this video made me think of was the idea that comedians were philosophers and them getting canceled was in the same vein of philosophers getting executed. It made me think of a quote for a meme: “when socrates gets canceled by the greek democracy”