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Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Poetry (2013)A strange and charming collection of hilariously absurd poetry, writing, and illustration from one of today's most popular young comedians...
Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone
Bo Burnham was a precocious teenager living in his parents' attic when he started posting material on YouTube. 100 million people viewed those videos, turning Bo into an online sensation with a huge and dedicated following. Bo taped his first of two Comedy Central specials four days after his 18th birthday, making him the youngest to do so in the channel's history. Now Bo is a rising star in the comedy world, revered for his utterly original and intelligent voice. And, he can SIIIIIIIIING!
In EGGHEAD, Bo brings his brand of brainy, emotional comedy to the page in the form of off-kilter poems, thoughts, and more. Teaming up with his longtime friend, artist, and illustrator Chance Bone, Bo takes on everything from death to farts in this weird book that will make you think, laugh and think, "why did I just laugh?"
Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone
Bo Burnham was a precocious teenager living in his parents' attic when he started posting material on YouTube. 100 million people viewed those videos, turning Bo into an online sensation with a huge and dedicated following. Bo taped his first of two Comedy Central specials four days after his 18th birthday, making him the youngest to do so in the channel's history. Now Bo is a rising star in the comedy world, revered for his utterly original and intelligent voice. And, he can SIIIIIIIIING!
In EGGHEAD, Bo brings his brand of brainy, emotional comedy to the page in the form of off-kilter poems, thoughts, and more. Teaming up with his longtime friend, artist, and illustrator Chance Bone, Bo takes on everything from death to farts in this weird book that will make you think, laugh and think, "why did I just laugh?"
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2013
525 people are currently reading
17514 people want to read
About the author
Bo Burnham
5 books678 followersRobert Pickering "Bo" Burnham (born August 21, 1990) is an American comedian, singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and Internet celebrity.
Writing comedic and satirical songs with a politically incorrect slant, he achieved fame when his YouTube videos took off and received more than 70 million views by October 2010.
"Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone" is his first book.
Writing comedic and satirical songs with a politically incorrect slant, he achieved fame when his YouTube videos took off and received more than 70 million views by October 2010.
"Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone" is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,384 reviews
May 22, 2020
Flowers
On the third of June, at a minute past two,
where once was a person, a flower now grew.
Five daisies arranged on a large outdoor stage
in front of a ten-acre pasture of sage.
In a changing room, a lily poses.
At the DMV, rows of roses.
The world was much crueler an hour ago.
I’m glad someone decided to give flowers a go.
If you aren’t interested in poems as lovely as that one bracketed by d*ck jokes, I just don’t know what to tell you. Except that you and I are not cut from the same cloth.
This is a dream.
I love Bo Burnham very dearly. (Or the idea of him, more accurately.) I always have. When I was a sh*tty preteen with a bad sense of humor, he made songs with offensive jokes. When I started getting into comedy a couple years later, he recorded his first standup special. When I was an edgy teen who felt better than everybody else, he made Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous. More standup specials, these ones no-holds-barred brilliant, followed after. And then he made Eighth Grade, a movie so stunning and real and empathetic I could cry thinking about it, if I tried hard and also was possibly cutting an onion.
And somewhere in there he wrote this book, which, like everything else, I loved when I first found it and will love forever.
But unlike some of that early standup, this is actually objectively...wonderful.
Bottom line: I do not even like poetry. FIVE STARS.
On the third of June, at a minute past two,
where once was a person, a flower now grew.
Five daisies arranged on a large outdoor stage
in front of a ten-acre pasture of sage.
In a changing room, a lily poses.
At the DMV, rows of roses.
The world was much crueler an hour ago.
I’m glad someone decided to give flowers a go.
If you aren’t interested in poems as lovely as that one bracketed by d*ck jokes, I just don’t know what to tell you. Except that you and I are not cut from the same cloth.
This is a dream.
I love Bo Burnham very dearly. (Or the idea of him, more accurately.) I always have. When I was a sh*tty preteen with a bad sense of humor, he made songs with offensive jokes. When I started getting into comedy a couple years later, he recorded his first standup special. When I was an edgy teen who felt better than everybody else, he made Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous. More standup specials, these ones no-holds-barred brilliant, followed after. And then he made Eighth Grade, a movie so stunning and real and empathetic I could cry thinking about it, if I tried hard and also was possibly cutting an onion.
And somewhere in there he wrote this book, which, like everything else, I loved when I first found it and will love forever.
But unlike some of that early standup, this is actually objectively...wonderful.
Bottom line: I do not even like poetry. FIVE STARS.
June 5, 2020
I've been eyeing this particular collection for awhile now and after having read it, I feel mad at myself for taking so long to pick it up. Egghead is nothing short of spectacular.
The basic premise is that it's a strange and charming collection of hilariously absurd poetry, writing, and illustration from one of today's most popular young comedians...
And as you might know by now, I love poetry books with illustrations... so this was it for me.
Here are a few (okay... a lot...) of my favorite poems from Egghead:
Convenience
“I would do anything for you,
if convenient.
I would move a mountain for you
if that mountain could be moved
with a button or with a lever that
wasn’t too cold to the touch.
I would give you the moon if I could.
You would love the moon. You would
show it off to everyone and not give a fuck
that you’ve now severely damaged our ecosystem by disrupting the tides.
Maybe a nice look in the mirror is in order, Missy. ”
Magic
“Read this to yourself. Read it silently.
Don’t move your lips. Don’t make a sound.
Listen to yourself. Listen without hearing anything.
What a wonderfully weird thing, huh?
NOW MAKE THIS PART LOUD!
SCREAM IT IN YOUR MIND!
DROWN EVERYTHING OUT.
Now, hear a whisper. A tiny whisper.
Now, read this next line with your best crotchety- old-man voice:
“Hello there, sonny. Does your town have a post office?”
Awesome! Who was that? Whose voice was that?
It sure wasn’t yours!
How do you do that?
How?!
Must be magic.”
This was the poem that initially made me interested in picking up this collection!
On Poets and Farts
“Why do poets always talk about the ocean’s waves,
about their single file march to shore,
and yet never talk about my grandmother’s farts,
which arrive in time, one after the other, with equal regularity?
Are these poets too holy to comment on anything
less than nature’s flashiest gestures?
Are we going to spend another millennia searching
for meaning in sunsets and waterfalls?
Or will we finally turn our ear to Grammy’s rump
and away from all that pretty stuff,
and hear that foul, muted trumpet sing,
marking the end of an era?”
I actually laughed out loud at this for so long. Why do I do this to myself??
Flowers
“On the third of June, at a minute past two,
where once was a person, a flower now grew.
Five daisies arranged on a large outdoor stage
in front of a ten-acre pasture of sage.
In a changing room, a lily poses.
At the DMV, rows of roses.
The world was much crueler an hour ago.
I’m glad someone decided to give flowers a go.”
Hell Waits Screen
“Hell waits in a doctor’s office,
tapping his shoe against a loose strip of carpet, holding a magazine in front of his face,
trying to look professional,
whilst eyeing the children’s toys.”
Alfred
“You’re a bunny, Alfred.
Quit all this “elephant” bullshit.
Look at your little bunny ears.
Look at your adorable whiskers.
Do elephants have little bunny ears? Do they have adorable whiskers?
No, they don’t.
You can’t just wake up one day
and decide to be an elephant, Alfred.
The world doesn’t work like that.
There are rules, Alfred.
And you want to stomp all over them.
Get over yourself.”
You
“How, may I ask, did you get so you,
you beautiful true-to-you doer?
I’ve met many today but can honestly say
that I’ve never met anyone you-er.”
The Flirt
“I could make an easy joke to get you laughing.
Something about a cat and then
the word pussy being used ambiguously.
I could tell a sad story to get you crying.
Like how I had a single mother
who started selling handmade yo-yos
to support her only child.
I could tell you an interesting fact to get you nodding,
Like how carpets were first made in the hopes that all of the world’s grass
would one day be replaced by carpets, or, as they called them, “comfy grass.”
I could tell you a scary story to get your teeth chattering,
Something about a really old man, sitting in a squeaky rocking chair, pointing at you.
What are you in the mood for?”
I actually felt everything he said I would.
Incomparable
“You’re incomparable like a...
Shit.
Like a...”
Advice
“If the poem you’re writing is silly and dumb,
make sure that it rhymes at the end. Bum.”
Count of Six
“I’ll give you till the count of six.
One.
Now run!
Two.
Go screw!
Three.
Let me be!
Four.
There’s the door!
Five.
While I’m still alive!
Six.
Please stay, I love you.”
...
“I’m a nihilist.
A complete
and perfect
nihilist.
Life has no meaning. No point.
Happiness is a chemical coincidence and nothing else
(still“else” though nothing to begin with).
Value is a vast vault of black,
a black that dictates lack.
Oh, and that accidental rhyme just then meant nothing.
Why are you color-coding things?
WHY?!
What’s the point, fascist?
For more, check out my blog.”
They
“Well, man, you know what they say.”
No, I don’t. I don’t know what they say.
I don’t even know who they are.
Who is this they?
They seem pretty smug.
They seem to think they know shit.
Fuck them.”
Donald
“No matter our race or color or creed
or way of life or species or breed.
No matter our height or girth or scent,
we all hate Donald because Donald is a fucking dick.”
Ashley
“Little Ashley hung magazine spreads on her wall,
after picking the magazines out in the mall.
Models and actresses, singers and more,
with cleavage and makeup and glamour galore!
All of her heroes were finally nearer.
Her whole room looked perfect—except for the mirror.”
This one was surprisingly deep.
Be Patient
“Be patient, be patient.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
It wasn’t built at all, in fact.
Rome self-assembled in reaction
to the people’s unwavering patience.
So be patient, be patient.”
Change
“I don’t expect
to change your mind
with one conversation,
only to chip away at it,
like a woodpecker on a redwood tree.”
Up Above
“From my window seat, the world looks so tiny,
the cities so adorably ordered.
Makes me realize just how insignificant people are
and just how godlike I am.”
Roller Coaster
“Our love was a roller coaster.
It had ups and downs and I sat real close to her.
It had a real slow climb and a real quick drop.
I screamed “faster” and she begged it to stop.
I put up my hands and she held on tight.
Not a second of boredom on our rickety flight.
And when it came to a stop at that first safer place,
I said, “Let’s do it again,” and she puked in my face.”
Her Eyes
“Her eyes were like fire.
They weren’t red or anything.
Not particularly warm, either.
They didn’t glow or “appear to glow,”
whatever that means.
But they had that same strange blend of familiar and miraculous—
and they were always nice to look at after a long day of doing things.”
This collection managed to, among many other feelings, make me laugh out loud multiple times, which I really, really needed.
I loved Egghead and after I finished reading I had to listen to my favorite Bo Burnham song again:
Two quotes in particular from the song always get to me:
“The world's so sad, bros
Pain, genocide, war, sexism, racism
But I gotta remember there's good things about it too
Like the fact that none of that's happening to me, score!”
&
“The world isn't sad. The world's funny! I'm a sociopath!”
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Egghead, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
April 22, 2017
I am in love with Bo Burnham. His show "what." blows my mind every single time and his YouTube is absolutely genius. As a human being, I admire him so, so, so much, not just for his jokes, but for his painfully accurate social commentary. I've had my eye on this book for a long, long time and finally found it on bookoutlet (score!) and read it in one sitting. I gotta say, he gave away the best ones during his comedy show, and the rest weren't as good so I felt a little cheated. But regardless, "I Fuck Sluts" will be forever great, and I also discovered that I really liked "Ants" and "Time Blows."
I think these jokes/puns would have come across better spoken aloud rather than in a book, tbh.
I think these jokes/puns would have come across better spoken aloud rather than in a book, tbh.
February 25, 2021
بو برنهام یکی از کمدینهاییه که توی چند سال اخیر خوب معروف شده و استنداپهاشو به صورت موزیکال و با نشستن پشت پیانو اجرا میکنه. ترانههاش بیشتر طنز اجتماعیه و برخلاف اکثر کمدینها و مثل جورج کارلین کمتر مسائل زندگی خودش رو وارد نمایشهاش میکنه
خودش میگه موفقیتش به خاطر قدِ بلند، سفیدپوست بودن و شانس بوده :)) ولی اجرای سال 2010 که توی 20 سالگی انجام داده نشون میده واقعا بااستعداد و حتی نابغهاست
این اجرای دومش تو سال 2013 هست که کتاب هم همین سال منتشر شد و چندتا از شعرهاش رو هم میخونه
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejc5z...
اینم یه دونه از داستاناییه که تعریف میکنه و اومدن به صورت انیمیشن درش اوردن
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWKwj...
------------------------
اگهد یه مجموعه شعرِ کوتاه هست
خود کتاب هم شباهت زیادی به کارای شل سیلوراستاین داره. یعنی شعر به علاوهی نقاشی. ولی برعکس شل این کتاب برای رده سنی کودک مناسب نیست
بو عاشق طنز احمقانهاس و شعرهای این کتاب هم بیشتر بامزه و احمقانه هستن. البته شعر غمگین یا عاشقانه هم داره وسطاش
یه سری نمونه هم میذارم این پایین که ببینید چطوریه
No to Drugs
I said no to drugs once.
I looked a bag of weed right in the face
and, like a loving but firm father,
I said, “No.”
I was really high.
Perfect
I love you just the way you are
but you don’t see you like I do.
You shouldn’t try so hard to be perfect.
Trust me, perfect should try to be you.
Donald
No matter our race or color or creed
or way of life or species or breed.
No matter our height or girth or scent,
we all hate Donald because Donald is a
fucking dick.
و در آخر شعر مورد علاقه خودم
Strange Adjectives
Me,
with my strange choice of adjectives.
You,
with your muscular teeth and clockwise
vagina.
خودش میگه موفقیتش به خاطر قدِ بلند، سفیدپوست بودن و شانس بوده :)) ولی اجرای سال 2010 که توی 20 سالگی انجام داده نشون میده واقعا بااستعداد و حتی نابغهاست
این اجرای دومش تو سال 2013 هست که کتاب هم همین سال منتشر شد و چندتا از شعرهاش رو هم میخونه
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejc5z...
اینم یه دونه از داستاناییه که تعریف میکنه و اومدن به صورت انیمیشن درش اوردن
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWKwj...
------------------------
اگهد یه مجموعه شعرِ کوتاه هست
خود کتاب هم شباهت زیادی به کارای شل سیلوراستاین داره. یعنی شعر به علاوهی نقاشی. ولی برعکس شل این کتاب برای رده سنی کودک مناسب نیست
بو عاشق طنز احمقانهاس و شعرهای این کتاب هم بیشتر بامزه و احمقانه هستن. البته شعر غمگین یا عاشقانه هم داره وسطاش
یه سری نمونه هم میذارم این پایین که ببینید چطوریه
No to Drugs
I said no to drugs once.
I looked a bag of weed right in the face
and, like a loving but firm father,
I said, “No.”
I was really high.
Perfect
I love you just the way you are
but you don’t see you like I do.
You shouldn’t try so hard to be perfect.
Trust me, perfect should try to be you.
Donald
No matter our race or color or creed
or way of life or species or breed.
No matter our height or girth or scent,
we all hate Donald because Donald is a
fucking dick.
و در آخر شعر مورد علاقه خودم
Strange Adjectives
Me,
with my strange choice of adjectives.
You,
with your muscular teeth and clockwise
vagina.
January 15, 2019
I like Bo Burnham but this was just awful.
February 4, 2016
This dude is really funny i loved this silly funny poems
this one is my favorite LOL
Advice
If the poem you’re writing is silly and dumb,
make sure that it rhymes at the end. Bum.
this one is my favorite LOL
On Poets and Farts
Why do poets always talk about the ocean’s waves,
about their single file march to shore,
and yet never talk about my grandmother’s farts,
which arrive in time, one after the other, with equal regularity
June 1, 2014
My oldest son asked for this for his birthday. Anytime either kid asks for a book, I don't care if it's The Colossal Treasury of Porn, I'm probably going to buy the thing because I'm so thrilled that he's asking for a book. (See Naked Girls Smoking Weed: Best of 420 Girls.)
This book looks and feels like Where the Sidewalk Ends for grown-ups (or those who refuse to grow up.) Each page contains a poem accompanied by a drawing, though that's pretty much where the similarity ends. I got very few chuckles out of this one, though I suspect Burnham's fans will love it.
My favorite?
Your Mom
If I had a million dollars, I would pay your mother
to have sex with me.
Afterward, I would probably invest the remaining
nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine
hundred ninety dollars.
Burrrrrrn.
This book looks and feels like Where the Sidewalk Ends for grown-ups (or those who refuse to grow up.) Each page contains a poem accompanied by a drawing, though that's pretty much where the similarity ends. I got very few chuckles out of this one, though I suspect Burnham's fans will love it.
My favorite?
Your Mom
If I had a million dollars, I would pay your mother
to have sex with me.
Afterward, I would probably invest the remaining
nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine
hundred ninety dollars.
Burrrrrrn.
March 5, 2015
Amazing and Deep
But also lighthearted
Bo burnham's a genius
Even when he farted
But also lighthearted
Bo burnham's a genius
Even when he farted
January 8, 2014
I am utterly and completely torn on how to review this, so I'm going to do something I don't typically do and form a pros and cons list.
Pros:
• The pages are nice and thick. I don't know about anyone else, but that's just something I fancy.
• Some of the poetry is funny, and a piece of good, funny poetry can sometimes be hard to come by.
• Some of the pieces are thought-provoking and bring up very valid points about consumerism, relationships, and life in general. Honestly, when the poems are on point, they are seriously on point. That, alone, despite the rest of the review and the rating I settled on, made me want to give this book five stars.
Cons:
• Some of the poems require the art in the book to finish the joke; I don't like that. There's nothing wrong with the art enhancing the quality of the work, but I don't care for the fact that, without the picture, the poem couldn't stand on its own.
• Some of the poetry is just plain stupid.
• The book, as a whole, is more comedian-like work than pure, raw poetry. And that's not completely unexpected because it is, in fact, a comedian who wrote it, but I'm not really sure it should be labeled as a "poetry" book.
Overall, I chose two stars because, while some of the work is gripping, most of it falls short. Don't get me wrong, I was a fan of Bo Burnham long before he started writing this; I just think, given some of the things he's come up with in the past, this could have been so much better than it was. That being said, he probably meant it to be exactly the way it is. I give him props for creating a book that is a nearly perfect representation of himself.
Pros:
• The pages are nice and thick. I don't know about anyone else, but that's just something I fancy.
• Some of the poetry is funny, and a piece of good, funny poetry can sometimes be hard to come by.
• Some of the pieces are thought-provoking and bring up very valid points about consumerism, relationships, and life in general. Honestly, when the poems are on point, they are seriously on point. That, alone, despite the rest of the review and the rating I settled on, made me want to give this book five stars.
Cons:
• Some of the poems require the art in the book to finish the joke; I don't like that. There's nothing wrong with the art enhancing the quality of the work, but I don't care for the fact that, without the picture, the poem couldn't stand on its own.
• Some of the poetry is just plain stupid.
• The book, as a whole, is more comedian-like work than pure, raw poetry. And that's not completely unexpected because it is, in fact, a comedian who wrote it, but I'm not really sure it should be labeled as a "poetry" book.
Overall, I chose two stars because, while some of the work is gripping, most of it falls short. Don't get me wrong, I was a fan of Bo Burnham long before he started writing this; I just think, given some of the things he's come up with in the past, this could have been so much better than it was. That being said, he probably meant it to be exactly the way it is. I give him props for creating a book that is a nearly perfect representation of himself.
August 4, 2022
At least he predicted the future accurately enough:
Donald
No matter our race or color or creed
or way of life or species or breed.
No matter our height or girth or scent,
we all hate Donald because Donald is a fucking dick.
Donald
No matter our race or color or creed
or way of life or species or breed.
No matter our height or girth or scent,
we all hate Donald because Donald is a fucking dick.
March 3, 2014
I think that almost every line
of Egghead's like Shel Silverstein.
Or maybe I should say I mean
The drawings are like Silverstein.
But whether I say -stine or -steen,
I do think Burnham's pretty keen.
Though be advised that (just like Shel),
A lot of Egghead's raw as hell.
of Egghead's like Shel Silverstein.
Or maybe I should say I mean
The drawings are like Silverstein.
But whether I say -stine or -steen,
I do think Burnham's pretty keen.
Though be advised that (just like Shel),
A lot of Egghead's raw as hell.
December 9, 2020
“Are you terrified, as I am,
of nothing?
Nothing scares me more
than nothing.
‘What’s going on?’ I ask, trembling.
Don’t you say it.
Don’t you dare.”
1.5 stars.
I really didn't like this. I love Bo Burnham, I think he's brilliant, and I added this book to my tbr after somehow both laughing and crying over his Make Happy (which I highly recommend giving a watch) but I just ... didn't like this. It was weird in a not good way. I'm sure this kind of humor is going to be enjoyed by some, but I am not included in that some. I sadly would have DNFed it if I didn't need to finish it for a yearly challenge.
Much like how I felt about Margaret Atwood's Dearly, these poems were so quirky and absurd it kind of just felt like ... too much. Again, not to quote myself from that review but to give you perspective, it felt like I was reading a book by Roald Dahl but then there were mentions of sex and death that made it clear that the wackiness was not meant for children. There was no common thread that tied all these poems together, they were all over the place individually and as a whole. Out of the entire book, I only liked two of the poems, and even then my liking of them was more of the lukewarm kind. I know Bo Burnham is talented, I don't deny it, this just sadly wasn't for me.
October 22, 2021
We could unwind by the
glass lakes of romance or tangle by the
dank wetlands of perversion –
as long as we’re together.
3.5 reeeeeally rounded up. I love Bo Burnham and every now and then, a poem would flash his brilliance. But too many felt like random, edgy thoughts that would probably land better on stage. But his genius is here, sporadically showing itself with razor-sharp insight, humor, and clever wordplay and rhyming schemes that are truly poetic. I just wish every poem had the same time and effort put into it.
glass lakes of romance or tangle by the
dank wetlands of perversion –
as long as we’re together.
3.5 reeeeeally rounded up. I love Bo Burnham and every now and then, a poem would flash his brilliance. But too many felt like random, edgy thoughts that would probably land better on stage. But his genius is here, sporadically showing itself with razor-sharp insight, humor, and clever wordplay and rhyming schemes that are truly poetic. I just wish every poem had the same time and effort put into it.
August 11, 2021
English Review Below.
بو برنهام بقى من شخصياتي المفضلة، فخلال الشهر ده اتفرجت على عروضه التلاتة على نتفليكس وأغلب ألبوماته بقت في قائمة الأغاني اللي بسمعها على طول، ودلوقتي وقت أني أقرأ كتاب القصائد الكوميدية بتاعه اللي نزل من فترة طويلة وقرأ بعض القصائد منها في عرض من عروضه، وكل ده لمحاولة فهمه كشخصية ومحاولة فهم كل ما يعبر عنه.
بو برنهام مش مجرد كوميدي، لأنه حتى في وسط المقاطع الكوميدية الساخرة والعبثية، بيعلق على المجتمع بشكل عميق وبيناقش كل حاجة بدءا من الأفضليات اللي بيتمتع بيها حتى الأمراض النفسية. كل عرض من عروض تجربة مميزة وكلها بتعتمد بشكل كبير على الموسيقى والأغاني، لدرجة أني بتمنى أن مشروع الجاي يكون كتابة مسرحية أو فيلم موسيقي. كتاب القصائد ده بيخليني أفكر أني نفسي أشوفله كتاب زي كتاب جون غرين المقالات أو رواية زي رواية "بيركس أوف بينغ آووفلاور".
الفكرة هي أن القصائد دي بتعتمد على فكرة الإلقاء والعرض، والقصائد اللي قراها من الكتاب كانت أحلى لما شفته بيقرأها، بدل ما أقرأها، فده من الحاجات اللي الكتاب الصوتي هيكون أفضل فيها لو متاح، أو مجرد مشاهدة عروضه وطبعا المحتوى بتاعها للبالغين فقط. الكتاب مش أحسن حاجة في الدنيا، بس أنا فعلا بحب بو وشخصيته وأفكاره.
More like 3.5?
I love Bo Burnham. Just this month I watched his three comedy specials back to back, put his albums on repeat, and fell down the rabbit hole I never knew existed, and reading this book is just another step towards trying to understand him and everything he's trying to express.
Bo Burnham isn't just a comedian, as even during his most comedic bits, he throws in deep social commentary and discusses everything from privileges he himself have to mental illnesses and how they affect us. Each special of his is an experience and they all rely heavily on music, which appeals to my musicals-loving heart. I just wish he'd write a musical next.
This book of "poems" makes me think that I'd love to see from him a collection of essays in the vain of John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed, or a novel in the vain of The Perks of being a Wallflower. Also we can see hints of ideas that manifested in his latest special, such as "A little bit of *everything*", also from previous specials, the song, "From God's Perspective."
I guess these type of poems rely heavily on performance, this kind of book would have been better performed or even read as an audiobook, as half of the humour and nuance of his writings lies in his performance. Still, I just love Bo.
بو برنهام بقى من شخصياتي المفضلة، فخلال الشهر ده اتفرجت على عروضه التلاتة على نتفليكس وأغلب ألبوماته بقت في قائمة الأغاني اللي بسمعها على طول، ودلوقتي وقت أني أقرأ كتاب القصائد الكوميدية بتاعه اللي نزل من فترة طويلة وقرأ بعض القصائد منها في عرض من عروضه، وكل ده لمحاولة فهمه كشخصية ومحاولة فهم كل ما يعبر عنه.
بو برنهام مش مجرد كوميدي، لأنه حتى في وسط المقاطع الكوميدية الساخرة والعبثية، بيعلق على المجتمع بشكل عميق وبيناقش كل حاجة بدءا من الأفضليات اللي بيتمتع بيها حتى الأمراض النفسية. كل عرض من عروض تجربة مميزة وكلها بتعتمد بشكل كبير على الموسيقى والأغاني، لدرجة أني بتمنى أن مشروع الجاي يكون كتابة مسرحية أو فيلم موسيقي. كتاب القصائد ده بيخليني أفكر أني نفسي أشوفله كتاب زي كتاب جون غرين المقالات أو رواية زي رواية "بيركس أوف بينغ آووفلاور".
الفكرة هي أن القصائد دي بتعتمد على فكرة الإلقاء والعرض، والقصائد اللي قراها من الكتاب كانت أحلى لما شفته بيقرأها، بدل ما أقرأها، فده من الحاجات اللي الكتاب الصوتي هيكون أفضل فيها لو متاح، أو مجرد مشاهدة عروضه وطبعا المحتوى بتاعها للبالغين فقط. الكتاب مش أحسن حاجة في الدنيا، بس أنا فعلا بحب بو وشخصيته وأفكاره.
More like 3.5?
I love Bo Burnham. Just this month I watched his three comedy specials back to back, put his albums on repeat, and fell down the rabbit hole I never knew existed, and reading this book is just another step towards trying to understand him and everything he's trying to express.
Bo Burnham isn't just a comedian, as even during his most comedic bits, he throws in deep social commentary and discusses everything from privileges he himself have to mental illnesses and how they affect us. Each special of his is an experience and they all rely heavily on music, which appeals to my musicals-loving heart. I just wish he'd write a musical next.
This book of "poems" makes me think that I'd love to see from him a collection of essays in the vain of John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed, or a novel in the vain of The Perks of being a Wallflower. Also we can see hints of ideas that manifested in his latest special, such as "A little bit of *everything*", also from previous specials, the song, "From God's Perspective."
I guess these type of poems rely heavily on performance, this kind of book would have been better performed or even read as an audiobook, as half of the humour and nuance of his writings lies in his performance. Still, I just love Bo.
December 5, 2022
I really like Bo Burnham, and I think he’s very funny, but I didn’t find this funny at all! The whole thing felt like he was trying too hard, and some of it even felt misogynistic. I know this is almost ten years old, and I wonder how he feels about writing it if he ever looks back on it. If he ever puts out another audiobook, I’ll be right on it, but this one hasn’t aged well. If he hadn’t read it himself, I’d have been disappointed, but I feel his reading it was this audiobook’s biggest flaw. It would have been far more enjoyable if an older man were reading it like legit poetry and not a teenage boy.
December 20, 2018
My husband brought this home for me as a gift. I perused it like, "oh, poetry with illustrations" then came across a poem filled with "cu*t" and was like "Oh, adult poems!" and then I saw that Bo Burnham was the author and read the entire thing TO MY HUSBAND out loud then and there. Great book, especially for fans. Very mixed genres within.
February 17, 2014
One good poem in a whole book.
"I love you just the way you are
but you don't see you like I do.
You shouldn't try so hard to be perfect.
Trust me, perfect should try to be you."
The rest are poems that tend to be written by navel-gazing, self-indulgent types.
"I love you just the way you are
but you don't see you like I do.
You shouldn't try so hard to be perfect.
Trust me, perfect should try to be you."
The rest are poems that tend to be written by navel-gazing, self-indulgent types.
February 23, 2016
3.5 stars!
I've read books that are in verse (well maybe just one but yeah). They usually follow a plot line and the story unfolds and all BUT Egghead's different.
There isn't any story, each poem is something different. Sure there are use of vulgar words but they make each poem funnier. I would read the start of one poem and think it's romantic but I get to end of it and realize the whole thing was just a joke.
Bo Burnham's head from pointing out something we don't realize to just putting whatever what was in mind. It's refreshing to see a book that goes in that direction. My friend lent me her copy and told me that by the end of this book, I'll cry because books like these don't really exist. And she was right, I felt like sobbing because I wanted more of comedic insanity. It was a pleasure to read.
One of my favorites has got to be the "I Fuck Sluts" poem, it doesn't sound nice if you look at the name but it goes in a deep direction. Ahahaha.
But yes, Bo Burnham can make you laugh with Egghead.
I've read books that are in verse (well maybe just one but yeah). They usually follow a plot line and the story unfolds and all BUT Egghead's different.
There isn't any story, each poem is something different. Sure there are use of vulgar words but they make each poem funnier. I would read the start of one poem and think it's romantic but I get to end of it and realize the whole thing was just a joke.
Bo Burnham's head from pointing out something we don't realize to just putting whatever what was in mind. It's refreshing to see a book that goes in that direction. My friend lent me her copy and told me that by the end of this book, I'll cry because books like these don't really exist. And she was right, I felt like sobbing because I wanted more of comedic insanity. It was a pleasure to read.
One of my favorites has got to be the "I Fuck Sluts" poem, it doesn't sound nice if you look at the name but it goes in a deep direction. Ahahaha.
But yes, Bo Burnham can make you laugh with Egghead.
November 16, 2016
Quería dejarlo que se asiente antes de hacer una review porque sentía que si lo hacía ese día iba a darle 5 estrellas sin pensarlo solo porque amo a Bo.
La verdad es que el libro estuvo bien porque me reí bastante con algunos poemas pero no me pareció la gran cosa, es más, no se si lo leería devuelta. Le doy tres estrellas por las ilustraciones porque DIOS MIO LOS DIBUJOS ERAN SAR-PA-DOS , como el de ahí arriba.
Este fue uno de los que más disfruté porque fue chilling (el texto, no el el dibujo)
November 9, 2017
Such a fun read! A lot of the poetry was really silly and even some of the serious stuff had a silliness to it, which is sometimes good. It’s nice to laugh at things you normally take really seriously.
December 5, 2013
I love Bo Burnham's music and stand up, but this book just didn't reach my expectations. It was not funny. It was, for lack of better words, stupid. Such a bummer.
March 14, 2021
A collection of absurd poems and illustrations.
Some are funny. Some are not. Some doesn't make sense but some does even they are absurd. A good collection!
Some are funny. Some are not. Some doesn't make sense but some does even they are absurd. A good collection!
March 1, 2016
"Sure you're perfect, But are you cool?"
Everyone under the sun has recommended this book to me, well because I'm an asshole who just doesn't give a fuck.
I've seen Bo's youtube videos and hes one of the only people who understands comedy in this butt hurt century. They're dark and twisted with a sprinkle of wacky. This book is no different. Laughing from page one....
And a word of advice.... "Don't dance with your colon full!"
Everyone under the sun has recommended this book to me, well because I'm an asshole who just doesn't give a fuck.
I've seen Bo's youtube videos and hes one of the only people who understands comedy in this butt hurt century. They're dark and twisted with a sprinkle of wacky. This book is no different. Laughing from page one....
And a word of advice.... "Don't dance with your colon full!"
August 18, 2022
Love this guy.
October 22, 2013
If it weren't for the fact that Bo Burnham wrote this, I probably would have never read it. I don’t read much poetry but this was great. This is such a witty and hilarious read and the drawings are great. Not only were most of his poems hilarious, some were adorable that would make you grin from ear to ear. Even if you're not a fan of poetry, I would recommend picking this book up.
One of my favorite poems from this book is
“I love you just the way you are
but you don’t see you like I do.
You shouldn’t try to be perfect.
Trust me, perfect should try to be you.”
One of my favorite poems from this book is
“I love you just the way you are
but you don’t see you like I do.
You shouldn’t try to be perfect.
Trust me, perfect should try to be you.”
December 27, 2013
One of those books that deserves a buy. With poems and jokes that can take up to 4 reads to fully understand, reading it multiple times is a must. Its pages aren't numbered so it hints to me to not needed to be read in order, especially not after the first time. find each time I read the book I have new favorite poem. I would also recommend his special "What." on youtube(free)or Netflix, it's hilarious and will introduce you to his comedy. Although even if you don't completely share his humor, I would say more than half of the book is more serious and not as silly as he is on stage.
April 19, 2018
Pre-Read: I've been a fan of Bo Burnhams for quite some time. His style of comedy speaks to me: intelligent, irreverent and sometimes just a bit profound. (And he can carry a mean tune!) Looking forward to seeing how his style translates to paper!
***
Post-Read: As good as I had hoped and expected. I may have to see if there's an audio version, as I think it would benefit even further from Burnham's distinctive voice/ presence.
***
Post-Read: As good as I had hoped and expected. I may have to see if there's an audio version, as I think it would benefit even further from Burnham's distinctive voice/ presence.
December 21, 2019
quick read as it is a book of poetry. I do think the message in some would have been relayed better vocally, but that is how I feel about most poetry. I did mostly enjoy this compilation because I enjoy Bo Burnham, but I did enjoy the artist's drawings a lot as they fit the poems amazingly.
January 3, 2018
3.5
Honestly I was expecting it to be funnier. Maybe I didn't get some of the poems? I don't know... I laughed a few times but not like I was expecting.
Honestly I was expecting it to be funnier. Maybe I didn't get some of the poems? I don't know... I laughed a few times but not like I was expecting.
February 18, 2023
SECRET INGREDIENT
You said your secret ingredient was a pinch of love.
And that may be true.
But I taste cinammon.
And I hate cinammon more than I love.
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rereading this because i need a laff even though bo burnham has become public enemy number 1 for (allegedly) leading to the end of my parasocial parents, the first lady and gentleman of the mentally ill, if you will, phoebe bridgers and paul mescal 💔
You said your secret ingredient was a pinch of love.
And that may be true.
But I taste cinammon.
And I hate cinammon more than I love.
----------
rereading this because i need a laff even though bo burnham has become public enemy number 1 for (allegedly) leading to the end of my parasocial parents, the first lady and gentleman of the mentally ill, if you will, phoebe bridgers and paul mescal 💔
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