He makes his brand of genius seem effortless. Could I be as talented or witty as Bo Burnham? If you watch any of Bo's stuff, you might think so. He has this awkward charm that allows him to deliver these fucked-up lyrics without that cruel sting of "but what he's SAYING is terrrrrrible!" He makes the idea of the owner of a rape whistle company wanting more rapes to happen so he can sell more rape whistles cute.
When I first heard his music last summer, I hadn't seen the videos and I thought he was easily in his mid-thirties and imagined this creepy ass motherfucker singing awful and hilarious jokes. I mean, look at Stephen Lynch, he's even more inappropriate and he has a menacing look on his face half the time, making him a bit uneasy to watch. Sure, you'll laugh, but you'll feel guilty about it. When I first saw Bo, I couldn't believe he was A, younger than me, and B, so intelligent for his age. It was a sucker-punch to the gut, like "LOOK AT WHAT HE'S ACCOMPLISHED, FAT-ASS. HOW ABOUT YOU START PUTTING SOME EFFORT INTO YOUR WRITING AND COMEDY, AND MAYBE YOU COULD GET A MOVIE DEAL WITH JUDD APATOW."
There's this subtle genius to him that scares me. It simultaneously inspires me to be better and reminds me that it's impossible. As far as pre-25 success goes, I think Bo Burnham is the one to beat. He got where he is not because of ties to another star or a fickle relationship, but because of hard work and true talent. I need to be this good.
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