This reminds me of the influencers who do essentially nothing off camera. Every moment they're out they're on, searching for moments that are clippable and purposefully enticing conflict for content.
I think it's a bit pretentious for people to say that this isn't real. It's a performance but for them their life is a performance. The modern jester. Clavicular said as much back in March, "It's unlikely they would want to be around me if it wasn't for the fucking viewership I have."
Good post. I also want to say that, as a Gen Z kid, I still think Eighth Grade is by far the best 'coming of age' film. Nothing before or since has captured the experience and cultural milieu of growing up at that time. Its portrayal of social media, relationships, modern anxiety etc is very accurate without being pandering or just straight up inaccurate like so many others that try. Booksmart is also good, but it's more focused on being funny (which is fine).
I am so glad that Inside exists as you describe it and now I am even more convinced that I do not want to watch it anytime this decade. Too soon, man. Too soon.
I’ve caught just the slightest bit of Burnam’s songs, and your description of how he apologizes but still exists, makes me think that how Jonathan Colton did a much better job of illustrating the problems of past tropes about brilliant, lonely, white boy geniuses (raises hand) by assuming that role without apology, just letting the trope literally speak for itself. The best of the 2020s was the early 2010s, when it presented, well, an argument, and before it decided it had to cow everyone into submission.
The other thought I had is based on a conversation I just heard on Compact’s podcast, related to the nontroversey about Christopher Nolan’s version of The Odyssey (although there was a good point about universality being replaced with “universality” that demands particularity All. The. Time.). They talked about a piece they published that pointed out that more viewers of these adaptations are not familiar with the original work, so they don’t understand the mediation of it through what they’re viewing, that it’s a version of something and not the thing itself. I wonder if we manage to get reading of these works back up, and emphasize the mediation of it in these other formats, perhaps that familiarity with artifice will filter to other examples like this one, where people confuse Burnam’s show with Burnam himself. Then again, that collapse is a hallmark of social media (“toxic fandom” attempting to bully creators into giving them what they want from the show).
thank you so so much for this piece. It gives me a framing to express what I've loved about this special so much. You noticed the exact same beats about White Woman's Instagram that make it such a beautiful song.
BTW the songs are available on Spotify, unlike in Make Happy
This reminds me of the influencers who do essentially nothing off camera. Every moment they're out they're on, searching for moments that are clippable and purposefully enticing conflict for content.
I think it's a bit pretentious for people to say that this isn't real. It's a performance but for them their life is a performance. The modern jester. Clavicular said as much back in March, "It's unlikely they would want to be around me if it wasn't for the fucking viewership I have."
Good post. I also want to say that, as a Gen Z kid, I still think Eighth Grade is by far the best 'coming of age' film. Nothing before or since has captured the experience and cultural milieu of growing up at that time. Its portrayal of social media, relationships, modern anxiety etc is very accurate without being pandering or just straight up inaccurate like so many others that try. Booksmart is also good, but it's more focused on being funny (which is fine).
As the parent of Gen Z kids I agree and I think the brilliance of the movie is that it also understands the experience of the parent.
I am so glad that Inside exists as you describe it and now I am even more convinced that I do not want to watch it anytime this decade. Too soon, man. Too soon.
It’s like a 3 out of 5
I’ve caught just the slightest bit of Burnam’s songs, and your description of how he apologizes but still exists, makes me think that how Jonathan Colton did a much better job of illustrating the problems of past tropes about brilliant, lonely, white boy geniuses (raises hand) by assuming that role without apology, just letting the trope literally speak for itself. The best of the 2020s was the early 2010s, when it presented, well, an argument, and before it decided it had to cow everyone into submission.
The other thought I had is based on a conversation I just heard on Compact’s podcast, related to the nontroversey about Christopher Nolan’s version of The Odyssey (although there was a good point about universality being replaced with “universality” that demands particularity All. The. Time.). They talked about a piece they published that pointed out that more viewers of these adaptations are not familiar with the original work, so they don’t understand the mediation of it through what they’re viewing, that it’s a version of something and not the thing itself. I wonder if we manage to get reading of these works back up, and emphasize the mediation of it in these other formats, perhaps that familiarity with artifice will filter to other examples like this one, where people confuse Burnam’s show with Burnam himself. Then again, that collapse is a hallmark of social media (“toxic fandom” attempting to bully creators into giving them what they want from the show).
I absolutely loathe this special.
thank you so so much for this piece. It gives me a framing to express what I've loved about this special so much. You noticed the exact same beats about White Woman's Instagram that make it such a beautiful song.
BTW the songs are available on Spotify, unlike in Make Happy
Personally I agree with the folks who compare it to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" - especially the opening vibes of "In The Flesh?"
So ya, Thought ya, Might like to go to the show...