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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are becoming horse-people\u2014yes, freaking horse-people\u2014in the thought-provoking, subversive 2018 film from Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You.

It\u2019s safe to say that this film wasn\u2019t quite what we expected it to be. Did it seem like it would be an intelligent piece of satire that does what all good satire is capable of\u2014shining a bright, damning light on a major problem with the world? You better believe that\u2019s exactly what it was. Did it give any indication that Armie Hammer was turning human beings into strong, tireless horse-people for increased corporate efficiency? Nope! I can\u2019t think of a single trailer that gave that particular tidbit away.

That\u2019s okay, though! If a trailer made for \u201cmainstream\u201d audiences gets more people watching this important film, then that\u2019s a good thing. We should all be more aware of and empathetic towards the lives of our fellow human beings. And anyway, what film studio out there is going to risk losing money by showing off horse-people penises? Don\u2019t hold your breath.

The actual film, though\u2026 What a fascinating condemnation of corporate culture. It\u2019s not making any attempts to hide the ass-kissing and moral depravity that seems to be required of a person who\u2019s worth billions of dollars. It\u2019s clear that we\u2019re seeing analogs of the Zuckerbergs and Bezoses (Bezosi?) of the world in the Steve Lift character. You know, the greediest, most powerful, downright evilest human beings of modern society.

This film depicts the backstabbing that corporate culture can demand and doesn\u2019t flinch away from that horror. It\u2019s saying you have to sacrifice pieces of your humanity if you want to \u201csucceed\u201d at life. Oh, and you\u2019d better be a white person, or at least sound like one.

Really, this film should be required viewing for, well, anyone with a soul. It can be tough sometimes, but that\u2019s not a good enough reason to skip it. Challenging yourself is a good thing to do! Give this one a try and then remember that we\u2019re all in this together.

Let\u2019s always have each other\u2019s backs.

(Recorded on December 07, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Sorry to Bother You - IMDb

Sorry to Bother You trailer - YouTube

Boots Riley - Wikipedia

Why is Mr. Blank\u2019s name bleeped out in Sorry to Bother You? | Evelyn Shaller-Auslander - Medium

(This is an interesting take on Mr. _______\u2019s name and identity. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the truth, but it\u2019s damn intriguing.)

Charlie Kaufman - IMDb

Michel Gondry - IMDb

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - IMDb

Godzilla - IMDb

Sharknado - IMDb

Danny Glover - IMDb

Roger Murtaugh is too old for this shit - YouTube

Maverick - IMDb

Lethal Weapon - IMDb

Sorry to Bother You Ending, Explained: Boots Riley Explains Equisapiens - Thrillist

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