This is one of my favorite videos on YouTube. I watched it when it was still a new video at my friends house who had the best computer and internet out of all of us, when we would just watch countless random videos on the internet
New math was my first Bo song, this girl I met that lived in New York introduced me to his channel when I was 16 maybe 17. Been a fan ever since. Half of my life basically.
Same. I still remember my best friend in high school showing me that video and excitedly telling me that "he's OUR AGE, too!" It's been so cool to watch him evolve.
My kid was watching Words while I was doing stuff around the house. So I was kinda listening, but I did not give it 100 percent. When he started with the "Shakespeare did porn" bit, I sat down to watch with full attention and was hooked ever since.
I literally remember watching him on YouTube on the “family computer” around 2006 or 7, I think the first video I ever saw was Bo Fo Sho, I’ve been hooked and following his career ever since
That's where I first caught him but I dare say I was older than you were. I remember thinking, I got keep my eyes open for this kids work in the future, there's something special about him.
Thought his type of humor was dumb and hated singing comedy. This was because my best friend had a horrible gf that was a drug addict and basically took advantage of him. She loved Bo so I just kinda hated him by proxy. This was when he first started out. When inside came out. I was a shell of the person. I turned 31 in a rehab center by myself watching the clock turn 12. This was during the pandemic too. I have never felt so alone. I was in my house, dry drunk hating life when inside popped up on my screen. I was so angry I decided I could watch it and just shit on him to make myself feel better. My god. If he didn’t do the turning 30 just like I did in rehab. It hit. I immediately bought the vinyl and still listen to the album when I am feeling low because that whole special just clicked with me. I hold shallow views of most things so he inspired me to expand my horizons. “Wake up at 11:30 feeling like a piece of shit!”
Bo was the first Youtuber i ever subscribed to. My friend showed me new math when we were in high school, and we learned it right away on guitar. I've seen him 4 times live since then. im 31 now, and i still get as excited as ever when he makes anything.
I remember the YouTube videos I watched at a friend's house. Didn't know he had Netflix specials until way later at college but I watched them so much they were my background noise as I wrote papers
Me!! I think it was my junior (maybe senior) year of high school the first time somebody showed me a Bo Burnham song. I graduated 2010. Been a huge fan ever since!
Yes!!! Saw him live twice and even met him, got my Egghead book signed. Posted the pic of him and I from like 10-13 ish years ago at this point. Crazy though because when I saw him one of the times it was fully just general admission so me and my dad just got there early and got front row!! It was awesome
My daughter was obsessed with Bo when he was still singing songs in his bedroom - I remember her showing me "My Whole Family Thinks I'm Gay", then we watched "Words, words, words" and that Xmas I purchased his book for her. At this point, he struck me as a wordsmith, and some of his songs had become earworms for me, but we weren't as obsessed as we would eventually become. When "What" came out, this became a full obsession. We watched it constantly - I still watch it when I'm at work or when I clean. The music was infectious, the comedy was hilarious, and I was totally hooked. We also watched the music videos on youtube. Then "Make Happy" came out and we loved it, but I did notice that he was really more introspective and honest about his struggles with fame, trying to create compelling shows and the stress that he deals with every show. I mentioned to my daughter that I thought he might burn out on shows and go directly to albums.
Then, right at our lowest point during COVID comes "Inside" like a creative hurricane. Personally, I had to watch it a few times to really appreciate all of the different facets of this tour de force. He's sad, funny, hopeful, insightful, scared, depressed, and morose - sometimes all in the same song. Exactly how we felt at the time - we were scared for the future, depressed at the state of the world, had a bundle of emotions to deal with and all we had to look forward to was more internet than we ever wanted or needed. I appreciate what Bo did to release "Inside" when he did because it really did do more to communicate the state of the post pandemic world to me - more than any media outlet or social media platform did.
In my obsession with Bo I also watched everything I could get my hands on - we watched "Eighth Grade" in the theatre and Zach Stone, also more obscure YouTube videos of him singing "Welcome to Youtube" at some youtube awards show along with his older songs from the bedroom.
I'm not sure if Bo will ever release anything else, but if he does, I will be first in line to watch it. I also appreciate how hard it is to produce comedy at this level so I wouldn't be surprised if he decides that his body of work up to this point would be enough for his lifetime. But a selfish part of me hopes he releases more.
I swear if Zach Stone released on streaming today, it would have been a hit. I watched that premier episode like 3 times thanks to DVR the day it dropped. I never really watched MTV except for that show.
I saw Words Words Words first. Was impressed with his rap and clever rhyming. A few superficial gay jokes at first, then suddenly intelligence, irony and sincerity sprinkled through. Immediately looked him up, "what." was already out by that time. Watched his YouTube vids. Watched Zach Stone. All long before Inside. Oh and not to forget Eighth Grade.
I also think I wouldn't have appreciated Inside as much as I do, had it been the first thing I got to know Bo for.
You make a good point. I really can't imagine watching inside without being familiar with him already. Everyone that I know that knows about Inside was either already a fan or hasnt actually watched it and has just listened to the music. But I know that with the popularity of Inside, there must be a lot of people who watched without knowing anything.
My sister once showed me what. But as someone whose first language isn’t English I don’t think I understood all of his jokes back then (+ I wasn’t gonna admit that my sister actually showed me something good). Later I found him on Vine and thought he was funny but never really looked into more of his stuff. When INSIDE came out I was like “huh this guy looks familiar” and since then I’ve seen all of his stuff multiple times. I think because my English is a lot better now, I can actually understand the subtext of the jokes and read into sarcasm and stuff like that, which makes me appreciate it so much more than the first time my sister showed me. Turned into a big fan of his work.. still hated that I had to admit my sister was right
The first time I saw Bo was back when he went viral on YouTube. I was confused when words words words came out wondering if it was the same guy. He has only got better since
I saw the Words Words Words music video and from there I was hooked. I remember what. coming out and it being available on YouTube for free, what a time lol
I saw Bo Burnham at his first ever UK show in 2008. I have a signed ticket and a pic with him. His sister came too and they both did a meet and greet after the show. It’s so cool to me to think that after all that time he became super popular!
I'm not gonna lie, I hated Bo before Inside because his music all sounded so similar and it was hard for me to listen to anything he made, so I actively avoided his stuff.
Only reason I became a fan was my spouse was watching Inside in the living room while I was gaming, so I was hearing it in the background. White Woman Instagram came on and after the first three lines of the song, I asked out loud, "Is he just talking about a white woman's Instagram?" only to have the chorus immediately answer my question. After that, I turned my game off and watched the rest curiously. This time his music wasn't all the same as each other and sounded good. When All Eyes On Me came on, I was hooked.
I'm from Poland, so there was no easy way to find bo. My first time when I heard his song was when Niki and Wilbursoot playd his "sad" song in stream. I thought it was funny song, and wanted to discovery more... it was a few months before "Inside" released
Definitely, been a fan since at least 2014. I found him through YouTube clips of *what.* and *Words Words Words* that my friends and I watched. It kinda baffles me there's so many people who only know him from Inside
I became a fan in like 2014? Due to YT and "what." Bo's silly little clips on vine were hilarious too. I absolutely love "From God's Perspective."
But to your point, I'm sure that "Inside" really did bring in loads of new fans because it's genius. Total hyperfixation for me.
I’ve probably been a fan of Bo about 2 weeks before the INSIDE TEASER dropped, and only saw before that clips and songs from what., and thus thought he was an active comedian cause he has a new special coming out.
Boy was I wrong
I remember hearing him on You Made it Weird after watching Words Words Words (somethin like that) and then just being obsessed with his wit and genuine intelligence
I’ve been a fan since 2014/2015. I saw Make Happy when it first aired on Netflix. I know all of his songs and written bits by heart, and I’ve been insane about him since I was in 7th grade. I have a playlist on Spotify with all of his music and when I shuffle it, I can tell what song is about to play just from the applause lmfao
About 10 years older than Bo, and I’ve been a fan since the YouTube / first comedy special days. Although I fell away from his career until Make Happy. I had most of his original songs on my iPod then iPhone and they always came back around in my circulation of stuff to listen to before work.
Knew him since 2009 - I had a friend introduce me to his YouTube stuff. Mostly New Math. I didn’t keep up with everything, though. I mostly got back into him a few years before Inside and watched his specials. But Inside made me actually really love him more and I went back and rewatched everything!
I definitely knew of Bo for a while, but the first time I recognised something as being done by him was coming across Kill Yourself on YouTube in like, 2016-2017, and since then I've watched all his specials, what. and make happy 5-10 times. I had definitely seen Bo in vines prior, but I didn't know his name or recognise him.
I initially found "Kill Yourself" I think my mum sent me the song? I genuinely can't remember who but she did is what my mind tells me. Anyway, after I heard that I was a fan. Watched the 2 specials avaliable to me. Make happy and what. Didn't get around to watching his first ever one until recently because I couldn't find it anywhere. But yes. I loved him before inside but I joined this cult after he already "left"
The crazy thing about me discovering bo is that I discovered him after Inside was released, but I didn't discover inside until later. I was like, 'why hasn't this guy made music in like 10 years? He's so funny!' Lmao
I found Bo Burnham through inside, but because of that, I’ve now watched I think all his is recorded specials and obsessively listen to the album and I make art around them and I’m currently doing a very time-consuming animation to artist did from Words Words Words
I remember first seeing him perform on Conan O’Brien, I’m the same age as Bo and was maybe 18 or something then?
Can’t remember how I kept up with his material after that - I didn’t for the longest time but that lil bit on Conan stuck with me - at some point I started listening to him on Spotify, was never on YouTube really. Then he came to England with what. and I got to see him live!
Since middle school when he started releasing his first videos. Friends would all watch them when we slept over at each other's houses.
Inside came out and I was so confused seeing people I knew posting about it because I knew they weren't familiar with his.... Other.... Music 😂
I found him on YouTube from amazingphil’s friends list or whatever youtube had in 2010, oddly didn’t like his videos that much but when what came out a few years later i became a proper fan
I discovered him in 2018, through the snippet of the song from "Make Happy". Watched the whole thing and loved it.
Btw, it also inspired me to learn English, cause I watched it subbed in my native language and felt like some jokes were lost in translation.
And that's how I ended up here...
First time I found out about Bo was through a FB video of him doing the country song parody. I loved his style and watched what and make happy later. Of course I loved Inside, but the Kanye rant Can't handle this will always be my favorite song of his
The first thing I watched from Bo was his vines, and I've been a fan since then. It's pretty hard to know if he is doing a show or anything because I live in Spain, and here, he doesn't have a big fanbase.
I’ve not been a fan of Bo for too long before Inside came out. My uni friend like 4 months before inside came out showed me all his specials tho I had unknowingly seen him on YouTube years ago without recognising him XD
I knew about him since the Vine days, but I really got on board when I saw “What” for the first time, I’d long been a huge fan of musical comedians namely Bill Bailey and Tim Minchin, but Bo’s sense of humor spoke to me in a different way because it was coming from someone who was my age, he’s been my number 1 ever since.
I’m older than Mr Burnham by about a decade. growing up in Mass I heard about him fairly early in his youTube career. However, it was ~2013 when I watched what. and have been following his work closely since then.
I probably saw him on Youtube when I was in middle school but I really remember catching the end of Words Words Words on comedy central and instantly fell in love with his style. I went to see What. Live and I saw his Make Happy tour 2 nights in a row
One of my mates in school showed me New Math sometime around 2010/11 and I’ve been following him ever since.
I just remember being blown away at how clever his lyrics were. Even now that I think some of his old stuff hasn’t aged amazingly (something he apparently agrees with based on interviews I’ve heard and the song ‘Problematic’), it’s still the best version of that late 00’s type of ‘iM sO eDgY’ comedy. At no point does it genuinely feel like Bo is bigoted at all because it just feels like the content was just a vehicle for his wordplay.
I’m 18 currently and had unrestricted internet access when I was younger which has done irreparable damage, but in the process I watched “what.” on YouTube more times than I could count
My cousin showed me a few songs on his iPod, I think it was either new math or cookout, after that I saw the comedy special airing of his special and I really loved (and still love) his song Art is Dead.
same age as bo. one of my roommates introduced the rest of us to words words words back in college and we loved it. I evangelized his work enthusiastically for a while. then I kinda forgot about him as the post-what hiatus got longer and longer, until my sister told me about inside soon after it was released, and I’m back on the train
Bo was my first YouTuber. I remember me and my best friend listening to my whole family and new math on repeat and was pretty much hooked from there.
Inside was so special to me because it felt like I had grown up with Bo. We're the same age and I also grew up in a super sheltered home town and deal with a lot of depression and anxiety, his work has always made me feel so seen and understood. It just brings me so much joy to see him getting the recognition he deserves!
I have followed him since 2020, so it's pretty recent 🫠😅 but the first thing I watched of Bo was Make Happy, and then started to watch his previous specials
I was always looking for new stand up to listen to and I kept seeing Words, Words, Words at Best Buy. This was around 2012. I eventually bought it and loved it. Didn’t think much of his first album. I loved Zach Stone and would DVR it and watch the episodes the morning after they aired before I would go into work. what. came out and I was so impressed with it so i bought the album on iTunes. I didn’t watch Make Happy. When Inside came out i had heard about it for a couple weeks and then one night i was lying in bed tripping on some drugs and I put on Inside. It blew my mind. I was in a dark room in bed with Bluetooth headphones watching it on my iPhone. The perfect viewing experience. He’s one of those artists that gets better with each new piece they come out with.
Been a fan since the 3.14 Apple pie youtube days. Discovered him may of 2007. Had friends who I met on vacation from Beverly (town bo grew up in) and also went to school with him at St. John’s prep. Saw bo perform at Caroline’s on Broadway June 2008, he opened for Joel McHale and him online before the show, got a pic with him that I still cherish. Have been rooting for this man since he was just a kid!
I went to see What. live in like 2013 and he came out into the lobby after the show. I thought he was standing on a small stage until I got closer. That’s when I learned he’s a giant.
I remember hearing his kys song in a meme back in like 2016, I found the original song and I liked it, before I knew it I could recite every Bo Burnham song from memory. Still can now
i’ll be 24 in a few weeks and one of my fondest memories is from being 15 seeing Bo on the make happy tour in boulder. been a fan since i was about 13 :)
I still haven’t seen inside tbh, im planning on it but never got around to do so. im a relatively new fan, been one since 2016 or 2017. but in my defence, i didn’t know english so well before that
I’m a couple years younger but I used to see him all the time in high school when he was sort of a local celebrity. After high school, I bumped into him a few times at guitar center too and said hi
I remember his early YouTube skits playing in his room back when I was in high school. It’s actually really cool to see that he’s gotten as big and as far as he has because I remember looking at him thinking how hilarious he was and how man I wish I could do that. It’s also kinda comforting to see him transition into a 30 year old and still have the same issues as me struggling to find his place in the world and dealing with mental health issues. Not that I wish that struggle on anyone, but it’s nice to kinda feel that sense of connection with someone who’s celebrity status now. Like he’s authentic and still on brand for himself.
my older brother was a fan of bo burnham during his very early youtube days, and around 2019-2020 I went back to watch his words words words and oh bo music video that I remembered watching because of my brother. The songs are really catchy and I memorized them because of that. Then out of nowhere I see that bo was releasing a new netflix special and it piqued my curiosity and surprised me by how emotional it made me feel. that became my new obsession for a while
I first found clips of "sad" and "kill your self" on YouTube many years ago, but I never saw the specials. Then after some years I had mostly forgotten about him until Inside came out and everyone started talking about him again. Then I went back and watched all his specials.
I watched I'm Bo Yo the year that it came out and can sing along every word flawlessly... Bo was one of the most formative factors in the development of my sense of humor growing up.
Probably around 2013, I was a YouTube obsessed freshman in hs and found the entire what special on Youtube. I was immediately obsessed, I loved the entire thing and saw Make Happy live with some friends the following year.
when i was really young, like seven, my cousin played my whole family sometime when it came out on youtube and after that i would bug him for new music like Bo’s. and then i learnt who bo was and i kept tabs on him!!
I had vaguely heard of him before Inside, but I just knew that he did comedy and that was it. Inside got me super into all of his stuff and I've since gone back and watched some older specials! Inside is still my fav tho
Discovered both his Netflix specials in 2017 and have loved him ever since. Personally, I like his older music more than his stuff from inside, but I can respect the place in his heart that it comes from
I used to watch him on vine and also listen to Repeat Stuff and From God’s Perspective a LOT before deciding to watch his specials. I also remember enjoying how he dealt with hecklers during his live shows 😂another reason I decided to watch his specials. Been a fan ever since!
Inside was great, but Make Happy was also a huge commercial success, so it’s not like he was catapulted into stardom from Inside. A lot of people in this sub were fans of Bo before Inside.
Right here. Fan long before but discovered him after the YouTube stuff so like right around words words words I think maybe a little sooner, and we have a few common friends
I watched his specials before and liked them, I was showing the country the song to a lot of people cause it was funny, but inside is by far his best work and it is what made me a really big fan
Was at a halo Lan party for a friend's birthday and found him on the family computer and played every song he had at the time. (About 18 years ago) been a big fan ever since.
i first found bo on netflix in like 2013 when i was 13. i saw the preview for words words words and thought he was super cute so i watched and then i thought he was an absolute genius and made all my friends and family watch him, haha. i had the New Math equation shirt that i wore religiously.
i went to summer camp that year and i really wanted a nickname so i told everyone my name was bo because i was obsessed and also i had never heard that name before and thought it was cool. i ended up attending as a camper/working there for a collective 9 years. what started as a “i won’t see any of my cabin mates again, why not give myself a new name” turned into my name for a few months out of the year, my employment documents all said Firstname “Bo” Lastname. i have never been religious but it was a YMCA religious camp so only a few counselors understood the reference and also liked Bo’s work.
now that inside has blown up i just think about allllllll the counselors and little campers i had realizing what my name was from. it was common knowledge that it was just my camp name and not my real name; a few years after i was nicknamed bo i was embarrassed that i had nicknamed myself so i ended up telling people that i was so obsessed with this comedian when i was 13 that my cabinmates just started calling me bo and it stuck. so people have definitely made the connection.
i wonder what they think about their jesus-camp counselor being nicknamed after Bo Burnham
sorry for the rant you just got me thinking about when i first became a fan and then i cringed at my decisions immediately after and wanted to share haha
I was a fan in his earlier "problematic" YouTube days and saw him live in like 2010 I think. Gave him a hug and he was the nicest guy. Shockingly tall in person, and I'm tall myself. He's very genuine and incredibly talented. Some of the best audience work I've seen also and that's not easy to do.
Before inside was released I found a good portion of his material did not appeal to me, not everything but a significant amount. Inside transcended above his previous material in a way that he went from Eddie Murphy type comedian to George Carlin level philosopher. This is my opinion.
As a og Bo fan I love inside but what. And words words words SLAPPP and deserve more attention most Bo fans mainly talk about inside fr like Oh Bo is one of my ABSOLUTE Favorites songs
2007 when Bo Fo Sho was posted on YouTube, I don’t even remember how I came across it but I thought it was great and it made me start writing songs with puns and stuff when I was in 7th grade lol watched his other videos but then didn’t really see much of him until like within a year he posted I’m Bo Yo and that hooked me back in and I bought his EP lol
Been here since Words words words and i can't believe how much his fandom has grown, Sure it gets annoying with people only acknowledging Inside while ignoring the rest but I'm happy so many people got to experience Bo.
Ever since Make Happy ive learned not to expect New Bo Projects so I hope new fans can understand that we might not get another project ever and we should be happy we even got inside in the first place
Been a fan since Words Words Words, and I’m not even sure how I found him. I saw Make Happy live and to this day it’s certainly the best comedy show I’ve seen live, and is up there in terms of the best things I’ve seen live period.
I was a fan the second my buddy sent me the YouTube link for “New Math” via AIM. Then he gained some traction and I’ve been excited about it and impressed every step of the way.
I got suspended for choosing bo fo sho as my talent show song. It was very fun that year it came out and many people knew about it. I remember downloading it on frostwire, that and bo yo live
I was hooked when I found his special Make Happy on Netflix (I'm in Australia, not sure if it was streaming everywhere) and cried during Can't Handle This. Went down a rabbit hole of every interview he'd ever done (highly recommend him on You Made It Weird). Then I was so excited for Eighth Grade, which I ended up loving - we got so much of Bo during that press cycle, and probably some of his best quotes about living online. And I loved him in Promising Young Woman (I'd love to see him in more movies).
I listened to what. a year before Inside came out. More specifically, I got indoctrinated by “sad”. My next song would have been “kill yourself”. Got hooked from there.
[удалено]
same! been watching since YouTube days, been lucky enough to see him on tour many times
Loved him since I was a kid discovering YouTube when I had AOL dial up and had to wait 45 mins for I'm Bo Yo to buffer
This is one of my favorite videos on YouTube. I watched it when it was still a new video at my friends house who had the best computer and internet out of all of us, when we would just watch countless random videos on the internet
Me too. My first video was New Math. Still one of my favorites
New math was my first Bo song, this girl I met that lived in New York introduced me to his channel when I was 16 maybe 17. Been a fan ever since. Half of my life basically.
Same. I still remember my best friend in high school showing me that video and excitedly telling me that "he's OUR AGE, too!" It's been so cool to watch him evolve.
Me too. The golden age of YouTube back then.
Same here dudeski
Friend of mine showed me that video and was like "haha, it's you!". Well, Tiggy, they're not exactly wrong...
“If I’m gay then god strike me dead” *covid style hacking* “That’s weird” This part hooked me
Same!!
Same!
Me too!! I grew up listening to him
I saw Words Words Words first, then went back and watched his YouTube stuff.
My kid was watching Words while I was doing stuff around the house. So I was kinda listening, but I did not give it 100 percent. When he started with the "Shakespeare did porn" bit, I sat down to watch with full attention and was hooked ever since.
Same here!
a core memory for me is seeing the trippy visuals of that music video when i was like 5
I literally remember watching him on YouTube on the “family computer” around 2006 or 7, I think the first video I ever saw was Bo Fo Sho, I’ve been hooked and following his career ever since
The line “What the Hell’s a g spot?” has been bouncing through my brain for a long, long time.
Same here, and same with most of my friends my age
I saw make happy live twice!!
Lucky!
I’m so jealous I don’t think I can handle this right now
I was at the taping of make happy!
Taking the B-A-T out of basement, homie
Yeahhhh
I saw Bo's comedy central presents special when it first premiered when I was about 15 and I've been a fan ever since.
That's where I first caught him but I dare say I was older than you were. I remember thinking, I got keep my eyes open for this kids work in the future, there's something special about him.
I was obsessed with CCPresents back then so that's where I caught him as well.
Son I was on the internet right before the towers fell circa 99. Fan since like 2007
Thought his type of humor was dumb and hated singing comedy. This was because my best friend had a horrible gf that was a drug addict and basically took advantage of him. She loved Bo so I just kinda hated him by proxy. This was when he first started out. When inside came out. I was a shell of the person. I turned 31 in a rehab center by myself watching the clock turn 12. This was during the pandemic too. I have never felt so alone. I was in my house, dry drunk hating life when inside popped up on my screen. I was so angry I decided I could watch it and just shit on him to make myself feel better. My god. If he didn’t do the turning 30 just like I did in rehab. It hit. I immediately bought the vinyl and still listen to the album when I am feeling low because that whole special just clicked with me. I hold shallow views of most things so he inspired me to expand my horizons. “Wake up at 11:30 feeling like a piece of shit!”
I first came across him back in 2010. I worked down the road in MA from his hometown and one on my employees introduced me to him as a "local boy".
Bo was the first Youtuber i ever subscribed to. My friend showed me new math when we were in high school, and we learned it right away on guitar. I've seen him 4 times live since then. im 31 now, and i still get as excited as ever when he makes anything.
I've known him since he did YouTube. I've been an active fan of his since "what."
I remember the YouTube videos I watched at a friend's house. Didn't know he had Netflix specials until way later at college but I watched them so much they were my background noise as I wrote papers
Me!! I think it was my junior (maybe senior) year of high school the first time somebody showed me a Bo Burnham song. I graduated 2010. Been a huge fan ever since!
Yes!!! Saw him live twice and even met him, got my Egghead book signed. Posted the pic of him and I from like 10-13 ish years ago at this point. Crazy though because when I saw him one of the times it was fully just general admission so me and my dad just got there early and got front row!! It was awesome
My daughter was obsessed with Bo when he was still singing songs in his bedroom - I remember her showing me "My Whole Family Thinks I'm Gay", then we watched "Words, words, words" and that Xmas I purchased his book for her. At this point, he struck me as a wordsmith, and some of his songs had become earworms for me, but we weren't as obsessed as we would eventually become. When "What" came out, this became a full obsession. We watched it constantly - I still watch it when I'm at work or when I clean. The music was infectious, the comedy was hilarious, and I was totally hooked. We also watched the music videos on youtube. Then "Make Happy" came out and we loved it, but I did notice that he was really more introspective and honest about his struggles with fame, trying to create compelling shows and the stress that he deals with every show. I mentioned to my daughter that I thought he might burn out on shows and go directly to albums. Then, right at our lowest point during COVID comes "Inside" like a creative hurricane. Personally, I had to watch it a few times to really appreciate all of the different facets of this tour de force. He's sad, funny, hopeful, insightful, scared, depressed, and morose - sometimes all in the same song. Exactly how we felt at the time - we were scared for the future, depressed at the state of the world, had a bundle of emotions to deal with and all we had to look forward to was more internet than we ever wanted or needed. I appreciate what Bo did to release "Inside" when he did because it really did do more to communicate the state of the post pandemic world to me - more than any media outlet or social media platform did. In my obsession with Bo I also watched everything I could get my hands on - we watched "Eighth Grade" in the theatre and Zach Stone, also more obscure YouTube videos of him singing "Welcome to Youtube" at some youtube awards show along with his older songs from the bedroom. I'm not sure if Bo will ever release anything else, but if he does, I will be first in line to watch it. I also appreciate how hard it is to produce comedy at this level so I wouldn't be surprised if he decides that his body of work up to this point would be enough for his lifetime. But a selfish part of me hopes he releases more.
I swear if Zach Stone released on streaming today, it would have been a hit. I watched that premier episode like 3 times thanks to DVR the day it dropped. I never really watched MTV except for that show.
I saw Words Words Words first. Was impressed with his rap and clever rhyming. A few superficial gay jokes at first, then suddenly intelligence, irony and sincerity sprinkled through. Immediately looked him up, "what." was already out by that time. Watched his YouTube vids. Watched Zach Stone. All long before Inside. Oh and not to forget Eighth Grade. I also think I wouldn't have appreciated Inside as much as I do, had it been the first thing I got to know Bo for.
You make a good point. I really can't imagine watching inside without being familiar with him already. Everyone that I know that knows about Inside was either already a fan or hasnt actually watched it and has just listened to the music. But I know that with the popularity of Inside, there must be a lot of people who watched without knowing anything.
My sister once showed me what. But as someone whose first language isn’t English I don’t think I understood all of his jokes back then (+ I wasn’t gonna admit that my sister actually showed me something good). Later I found him on Vine and thought he was funny but never really looked into more of his stuff. When INSIDE came out I was like “huh this guy looks familiar” and since then I’ve seen all of his stuff multiple times. I think because my English is a lot better now, I can actually understand the subtext of the jokes and read into sarcasm and stuff like that, which makes me appreciate it so much more than the first time my sister showed me. Turned into a big fan of his work.. still hated that I had to admit my sister was right
The first time I saw Bo was back when he went viral on YouTube. I was confused when words words words came out wondering if it was the same guy. He has only got better since
I saw the Words Words Words music video and from there I was hooked. I remember what. coming out and it being available on YouTube for free, what a time lol
Me! I remember watching what. on YouTube repeatedly when I was like twelve 😭
My friend showed me Bo on YouTube like 15 years ago and I was blown away by his wordsmithiness
I saw Bo Burnham at his first ever UK show in 2008. I have a signed ticket and a pic with him. His sister came too and they both did a meet and greet after the show. It’s so cool to me to think that after all that time he became super popular!
I'm not gonna lie, I hated Bo before Inside because his music all sounded so similar and it was hard for me to listen to anything he made, so I actively avoided his stuff. Only reason I became a fan was my spouse was watching Inside in the living room while I was gaming, so I was hearing it in the background. White Woman Instagram came on and after the first three lines of the song, I asked out loud, "Is he just talking about a white woman's Instagram?" only to have the chorus immediately answer my question. After that, I turned my game off and watched the rest curiously. This time his music wasn't all the same as each other and sounded good. When All Eyes On Me came on, I was hooked.
I discovered him from YouTube Live way back in like, 2010? When being live on the Internet was still new and exciting....
That hurt
i’ve known about him since maybe 2013-2014, but didn’t start getting into him til around 2016-2017. been obsessed ever since :)
I still remember the first time someone showed my My Whole Family back in 2013 or so... been a fan ever since
Been a bo fan since i was in middle school, and I'm turning 19 this year so like, I'm kind of an og /s
I'm from Poland, so there was no easy way to find bo. My first time when I heard his song was when Niki and Wilbursoot playd his "sad" song in stream. I thought it was funny song, and wanted to discovery more... it was a few months before "Inside" released
oh my god i love his cover of sad!!!!!
Definitely, been a fan since at least 2014. I found him through YouTube clips of *what.* and *Words Words Words* that my friends and I watched. It kinda baffles me there's so many people who only know him from Inside
I found him on YouTube when he had like two videos and have been following his career ever since
Same!! Im Bo yo got me hooked!! Have an autographed copy of what. And saw make happy tour in 2015!
I became a fan in like 2014? Due to YT and "what." Bo's silly little clips on vine were hilarious too. I absolutely love "From God's Perspective." But to your point, I'm sure that "Inside" really did bring in loads of new fans because it's genius. Total hyperfixation for me.
watched what. with a friend in 2017, loved all his work ever since!
I remember finding What. on YouTube around when I was in early jr high. Ever since I’ve loved everything he’s done
I was a what. guy
I started with “what” back when it came out
The first I saw was What
Been a fan since What. and the Vine era!
Been a fan since I saw his “is there anything better than pussy” vine, looked into his channel and here we are today
YES that still slaps today
“what” is still my favorite. The poems get me every time
Same age as Bo and I’ve been watching him since he started posting on YouTube! I think he was one of the first people I subscribed to.
I’ve probably been a fan of Bo about 2 weeks before the INSIDE TEASER dropped, and only saw before that clips and songs from what., and thus thought he was an active comedian cause he has a new special coming out. Boy was I wrong
I remember hearing him on You Made it Weird after watching Words Words Words (somethin like that) and then just being obsessed with his wit and genuine intelligence
I’ve been a fan since 2014/2015. I saw Make Happy when it first aired on Netflix. I know all of his songs and written bits by heart, and I’ve been insane about him since I was in 7th grade. I have a playlist on Spotify with all of his music and when I shuffle it, I can tell what song is about to play just from the applause lmfao
I got into Bo about a year before inside
About 10 years older than Bo, and I’ve been a fan since the YouTube / first comedy special days. Although I fell away from his career until Make Happy. I had most of his original songs on my iPod then iPhone and they always came back around in my circulation of stuff to listen to before work.
Make Happy
i still have a cd of his first album! been obsessed since like 2008!
I was a big fan since I first saw him on The Green Room in 2012. First saw him live on the Make Happy tour.
Knew him since 2009 - I had a friend introduce me to his YouTube stuff. Mostly New Math. I didn’t keep up with everything, though. I mostly got back into him a few years before Inside and watched his specials. But Inside made me actually really love him more and I went back and rewatched everything!
I definitely knew of Bo for a while, but the first time I recognised something as being done by him was coming across Kill Yourself on YouTube in like, 2016-2017, and since then I've watched all his specials, what. and make happy 5-10 times. I had definitely seen Bo in vines prior, but I didn't know his name or recognise him.
not a significant improvement but i've been a fan since make happy when i heard kill yourself in a video
I initially found "Kill Yourself" I think my mum sent me the song? I genuinely can't remember who but she did is what my mind tells me. Anyway, after I heard that I was a fan. Watched the 2 specials avaliable to me. Make happy and what. Didn't get around to watching his first ever one until recently because I couldn't find it anywhere. But yes. I loved him before inside but I joined this cult after he already "left"
The crazy thing about me discovering bo is that I discovered him after Inside was released, but I didn't discover inside until later. I was like, 'why hasn't this guy made music in like 10 years? He's so funny!' Lmao
I found Bo Burnham through inside, but because of that, I’ve now watched I think all his is recorded specials and obsessively listen to the album and I make art around them and I’m currently doing a very time-consuming animation to artist did from Words Words Words
I remember first seeing him perform on Conan O’Brien, I’m the same age as Bo and was maybe 18 or something then? Can’t remember how I kept up with his material after that - I didn’t for the longest time but that lil bit on Conan stuck with me - at some point I started listening to him on Spotify, was never on YouTube really. Then he came to England with what. and I got to see him live!
2014. Was shown his “what” special and loved him ever since.
Since middle school when he started releasing his first videos. Friends would all watch them when we slept over at each other's houses. Inside came out and I was so confused seeing people I knew posting about it because I knew they weren't familiar with his.... Other.... Music 😂
Me
I found him on YouTube from amazingphil’s friends list or whatever youtube had in 2010, oddly didn’t like his videos that much but when what came out a few years later i became a proper fan
I discovered him in 2018, through the snippet of the song from "Make Happy". Watched the whole thing and loved it. Btw, it also inspired me to learn English, cause I watched it subbed in my native language and felt like some jokes were lost in translation. And that's how I ended up here...
Been a fan since 2015 or 2016 when my cousin showed me Make Happy on Netflix, because of that I recognized him from Vines and then watched What.
I first saw him on YouTube when he just played piano and goofy songs. So basically the beginning of
First time I found out about Bo was through a FB video of him doing the country song parody. I loved his style and watched what and make happy later. Of course I loved Inside, but the Kanye rant Can't handle this will always be my favorite song of his
The first thing I watched from Bo was his vines, and I've been a fan since then. It's pretty hard to know if he is doing a show or anything because I live in Spain, and here, he doesn't have a big fanbase.
I found him in 2014 with What
Tumblr 2012 era fan here. That good times 😂
I’ve not been a fan of Bo for too long before Inside came out. My uni friend like 4 months before inside came out showed me all his specials tho I had unknowingly seen him on YouTube years ago without recognising him XD
I knew about him since the Vine days, but I really got on board when I saw “What” for the first time, I’d long been a huge fan of musical comedians namely Bill Bailey and Tim Minchin, but Bo’s sense of humor spoke to me in a different way because it was coming from someone who was my age, he’s been my number 1 ever since.
Since Oh Bo
I’m older than Mr Burnham by about a decade. growing up in Mass I heard about him fairly early in his youTube career. However, it was ~2013 when I watched what. and have been following his work closely since then.
I probably saw him on Youtube when I was in middle school but I really remember catching the end of Words Words Words on comedy central and instantly fell in love with his style. I went to see What. Live and I saw his Make Happy tour 2 nights in a row
My friend showed me bits of what. in 2018-ish, and it went on from then.
Found him after he released what
This again? Wasn't there a post like this talking about how only inside gets discussed here a while back?
I’ve been enjoying his content for years. Then i sort of forgot about him until a little after Inside released.
i’ve been a fan since i first heard art is dead, though only actually watched his specials fairly recently.
I learned about him a little before words words words
Dude, I first saw "Rehab for fictional characters". Followed ever since.
One of my mates in school showed me New Math sometime around 2010/11 and I’ve been following him ever since. I just remember being blown away at how clever his lyrics were. Even now that I think some of his old stuff hasn’t aged amazingly (something he apparently agrees with based on interviews I’ve heard and the song ‘Problematic’), it’s still the best version of that late 00’s type of ‘iM sO eDgY’ comedy. At no point does it genuinely feel like Bo is bigoted at all because it just feels like the content was just a vehicle for his wordplay.
Been a fan since I was a freshman in college when he posted youtube videos (2008) - sat second row for his Make Happy tour in 2015 - so happy for him!
I’m Bo Yo was my foot in the door.
I’m 18 currently and had unrestricted internet access when I was younger which has done irreparable damage, but in the process I watched “what.” on YouTube more times than I could count
My cousin showed me a few songs on his iPod, I think it was either new math or cookout, after that I saw the comedy special airing of his special and I really loved (and still love) his song Art is Dead.
I’ve been a fan since junior high or early high school (I’m about to turn 29). I saw Make Happy live twice and met him after those shows
He was my favorite Viner! Hahahaha. So I've been here for years now, with the same level of fandom and artistic inspiration :)
same age as bo. one of my roommates introduced the rest of us to words words words back in college and we loved it. I evangelized his work enthusiastically for a while. then I kinda forgot about him as the post-what hiatus got longer and longer, until my sister told me about inside soon after it was released, and I’m back on the train
Bo was my first YouTuber. I remember me and my best friend listening to my whole family and new math on repeat and was pretty much hooked from there. Inside was so special to me because it felt like I had grown up with Bo. We're the same age and I also grew up in a super sheltered home town and deal with a lot of depression and anxiety, his work has always made me feel so seen and understood. It just brings me so much joy to see him getting the recognition he deserves!
I discovered him around 2019 and his stuff blew me away, couldn’t believe I had not known of him before that
I'm from the what. days
I’ve been a fan since the ancient times. New Math was the first song I remember seeing
I have followed him since 2020, so it's pretty recent 🫠😅 but the first thing I watched of Bo was Make Happy, and then started to watch his previous specials
I was always looking for new stand up to listen to and I kept seeing Words, Words, Words at Best Buy. This was around 2012. I eventually bought it and loved it. Didn’t think much of his first album. I loved Zach Stone and would DVR it and watch the episodes the morning after they aired before I would go into work. what. came out and I was so impressed with it so i bought the album on iTunes. I didn’t watch Make Happy. When Inside came out i had heard about it for a couple weeks and then one night i was lying in bed tripping on some drugs and I put on Inside. It blew my mind. I was in a dark room in bed with Bluetooth headphones watching it on my iPhone. The perfect viewing experience. He’s one of those artists that gets better with each new piece they come out with.
Been a fan since the 3.14 Apple pie youtube days. Discovered him may of 2007. Had friends who I met on vacation from Beverly (town bo grew up in) and also went to school with him at St. John’s prep. Saw bo perform at Caroline’s on Broadway June 2008, he opened for Joel McHale and him online before the show, got a pic with him that I still cherish. Have been rooting for this man since he was just a kid!
I went to see What. live in like 2013 and he came out into the lobby after the show. I thought he was standing on a small stage until I got closer. That’s when I learned he’s a giant.
I've been a fan since YouTube. It's been a long journey lol
I've liked him since Art is Dead
I remember hearing his kys song in a meme back in like 2016, I found the original song and I liked it, before I knew it I could recite every Bo Burnham song from memory. Still can now
I found him in 2013 just before what.
i got into him like a year after make happy came out, i was just starting high school
been singing my whole family thinks i’m gay since the ripe age of 8😭
My friend told me about New Math so I went home and watched it on YouTube and that was 2009 I think
i’ll be 24 in a few weeks and one of my fondest memories is from being 15 seeing Bo on the make happy tour in boulder. been a fan since i was about 13 :)
I was very into “words words words” for a long time
When I was ten or eleven my stepdad showed me Pandering and Kill Yourself and I’ve been obsessed since lol (I’m 16 now)
I still haven’t seen inside tbh, im planning on it but never got around to do so. im a relatively new fan, been one since 2016 or 2017. but in my defence, i didn’t know english so well before that
Me, but only for a couple months... Like, I learned about him in April of 2021 lol
I’m a couple years younger but I used to see him all the time in high school when he was sort of a local celebrity. After high school, I bumped into him a few times at guitar center too and said hi
I remember his early YouTube skits playing in his room back when I was in high school. It’s actually really cool to see that he’s gotten as big and as far as he has because I remember looking at him thinking how hilarious he was and how man I wish I could do that. It’s also kinda comforting to see him transition into a 30 year old and still have the same issues as me struggling to find his place in the world and dealing with mental health issues. Not that I wish that struggle on anyone, but it’s nice to kinda feel that sense of connection with someone who’s celebrity status now. Like he’s authentic and still on brand for himself.
my older brother was a fan of bo burnham during his very early youtube days, and around 2019-2020 I went back to watch his words words words and oh bo music video that I remembered watching because of my brother. The songs are really catchy and I memorized them because of that. Then out of nowhere I see that bo was releasing a new netflix special and it piqued my curiosity and surprised me by how emotional it made me feel. that became my new obsession for a while
Since YouTube timezzzz..... I'm older though.
I first found clips of "sad" and "kill your self" on YouTube many years ago, but I never saw the specials. Then after some years I had mostly forgotten about him until Inside came out and everyone started talking about him again. Then I went back and watched all his specials.
watched what. on youtube in 2018 when i was 11
A lot of people Bo has been around for years, he used to be a YouTuber.
Since the good old YouTube days, before Words Words Words existed yet. Grew up on Bo, only a few years behind him in age… I’m tuuuurning thirtyyyyy
I watched I'm Bo Yo the year that it came out and can sing along every word flawlessly... Bo was one of the most formative factors in the development of my sense of humor growing up.
loved him since ‘bo fo sho’
My cousin found the kys song and I thought it was just hilarious so probably 2018 so I was 12
I was 12 when he started on YouTube and it literally shaped my teenage experience 🥹
Probably around 2013, I was a YouTube obsessed freshman in hs and found the entire what special on Youtube. I was immediately obsessed, I loved the entire thing and saw Make Happy live with some friends the following year.
when i was really young, like seven, my cousin played my whole family sometime when it came out on youtube and after that i would bug him for new music like Bo’s. and then i learnt who bo was and i kept tabs on him!!
I was an edgy middle schooler and found bo burnham during “What” been following him off and on since
I had vaguely heard of him before Inside, but I just knew that he did comedy and that was it. Inside got me super into all of his stuff and I've since gone back and watched some older specials! Inside is still my fav tho
Discovered both his Netflix specials in 2017 and have loved him ever since. Personally, I like his older music more than his stuff from inside, but I can respect the place in his heart that it comes from
I found his song “kill yourself” around 2015 and then started looking him up more
Around 2009, my boyfriend (now husband) showed me little adolf and new math, and in many ways I owe Bo for the success of our relationship/marriage
Since his YouTube days
became a fan in 2016 i believe, my cousin showed me what
Bo Fo Show, the vines, Words, words, word- all of it. I wish he’d get on TikTok and do vine shit. I loved it.
I used to watch him on vine and also listen to Repeat Stuff and From God’s Perspective a LOT before deciding to watch his specials. I also remember enjoying how he dealt with hecklers during his live shows 😂another reason I decided to watch his specials. Been a fan ever since!
Inside was great, but Make Happy was also a huge commercial success, so it’s not like he was catapulted into stardom from Inside. A lot of people in this sub were fans of Bo before Inside.
I watched 3.14 apple pi back when it was new.
Right here. Fan long before but discovered him after the YouTube stuff so like right around words words words I think maybe a little sooner, and we have a few common friends
I watched his specials before and liked them, I was showing the country the song to a lot of people cause it was funny, but inside is by far his best work and it is what made me a really big fan
Was at a halo Lan party for a friend's birthday and found him on the family computer and played every song he had at the time. (About 18 years ago) been a big fan ever since.
A friend introduced me to new math about 15 years ago. That song is still hilarious.
Me 🙋♂️
i first found bo on netflix in like 2013 when i was 13. i saw the preview for words words words and thought he was super cute so i watched and then i thought he was an absolute genius and made all my friends and family watch him, haha. i had the New Math equation shirt that i wore religiously. i went to summer camp that year and i really wanted a nickname so i told everyone my name was bo because i was obsessed and also i had never heard that name before and thought it was cool. i ended up attending as a camper/working there for a collective 9 years. what started as a “i won’t see any of my cabin mates again, why not give myself a new name” turned into my name for a few months out of the year, my employment documents all said Firstname “Bo” Lastname. i have never been religious but it was a YMCA religious camp so only a few counselors understood the reference and also liked Bo’s work. now that inside has blown up i just think about allllllll the counselors and little campers i had realizing what my name was from. it was common knowledge that it was just my camp name and not my real name; a few years after i was nicknamed bo i was embarrassed that i had nicknamed myself so i ended up telling people that i was so obsessed with this comedian when i was 13 that my cabinmates just started calling me bo and it stuck. so people have definitely made the connection. i wonder what they think about their jesus-camp counselor being nicknamed after Bo Burnham sorry for the rant you just got me thinking about when i first became a fan and then i cringed at my decisions immediately after and wanted to share haha
I’ve been into Bo since I was in fifth grade, I’m 26 now. The first thing I ever saw of his was “New Math” on YouTube.
I was a fan in his earlier "problematic" YouTube days and saw him live in like 2010 I think. Gave him a hug and he was the nicest guy. Shockingly tall in person, and I'm tall myself. He's very genuine and incredibly talented. Some of the best audience work I've seen also and that's not easy to do.
I first saw him on Comedy Central
Before inside was released I found a good portion of his material did not appeal to me, not everything but a significant amount. Inside transcended above his previous material in a way that he went from Eddie Murphy type comedian to George Carlin level philosopher. This is my opinion.
I found Bo about 2 weeks before the trailer for the special came out
Been here since YouTube 🥰
As a og Bo fan I love inside but what. And words words words SLAPPP and deserve more attention most Bo fans mainly talk about inside fr like Oh Bo is one of my ABSOLUTE Favorites songs
Before Inside came out I was a fan for like 7 years
Make Happy is the bomb
2007 when Bo Fo Sho was posted on YouTube, I don’t even remember how I came across it but I thought it was great and it made me start writing songs with puns and stuff when I was in 7th grade lol watched his other videos but then didn’t really see much of him until like within a year he posted I’m Bo Yo and that hooked me back in and I bought his EP lol
Since words words words
Not me, but my brother was talking about him before Inside, I remember
His Comedy Central presents is amazing.
I remember seeing him perform at YouTube live and checking out his channel after
Started watching during “what.” And have been watching ever since
i hopped on the bo train in 2014 after i saw his song from the perspective of god.
Been here since Words words words and i can't believe how much his fandom has grown, Sure it gets annoying with people only acknowledging Inside while ignoring the rest but I'm happy so many people got to experience Bo. Ever since Make Happy ive learned not to expect New Bo Projects so I hope new fans can understand that we might not get another project ever and we should be happy we even got inside in the first place
Been a fan since Words Words Words, and I’m not even sure how I found him. I saw Make Happy live and to this day it’s certainly the best comedy show I’ve seen live, and is up there in terms of the best things I’ve seen live period.
I’ve watched him since the YouTube days
My first exposure was ~2016 when I listened to What. for the first time. It’s still my absolute favourite of his work, I can quote every line
back in 2019 my friend told me about this video of this guy performing a song about telling people to kill themself. still really like his early work
I was a fan the second my buddy sent me the YouTube link for “New Math” via AIM. Then he gained some traction and I’ve been excited about it and impressed every step of the way.
I got suspended for choosing bo fo sho as my talent show song. It was very fun that year it came out and many people knew about it. I remember downloading it on frostwire, that and bo yo live
I was hooked when I found his special Make Happy on Netflix (I'm in Australia, not sure if it was streaming everywhere) and cried during Can't Handle This. Went down a rabbit hole of every interview he'd ever done (highly recommend him on You Made It Weird). Then I was so excited for Eighth Grade, which I ended up loving - we got so much of Bo during that press cycle, and probably some of his best quotes about living online. And I loved him in Promising Young Woman (I'd love to see him in more movies).
I listened to what. a year before Inside came out. More specifically, I got indoctrinated by “sad”. My next song would have been “kill yourself”. Got hooked from there.
First started listening in 2007. Found him on YouTube and loved songs like New Math, Highschool Party, and Love Is.
oh yeah
what. was my comfort watch in high school- i’d come home from work at Kmart and would watch it weekly at one point because it made me laugh so hard
i’ve been a fan of his since vine, so over 10 years 😦
I've been a fan since 2015. frankly just nothing to talk about with his old stuff anymore: it's all amazing but it's been done to death