Boots Riley on How His Hit Movie “Sorry to Bother You” Slams Capitalism & Offers Solutions
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2018
- democracynow.org - We continue our interview with Boots Riley, writer and director of “Sorry To Bother You,” his new film about an evil telemarketing company, a corporation making millions off of slave labor, and one Oakland man at the center of it all who discovers a secret that threatens all of humankind. His dystopian social satire is being hailed as one of the best movies of the summer. Riley is a poet, rapper, songwriter, producer, screenwriter, humorist, political organizer, community activist, lecturer and public speaker-best known as the lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club.
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It's so nice to see and feel someone sane and sensible making movies of substance and laughter, which is the best way to face awful truths.
very true
It's vapid entertainment industry fluff and Boots made a bag of cash off it. That's the end result
@@redrowolloftnod5230 So a socialist cannot participate in capitalism? You sound like a conservative.
Horse people
17:45 lol best part of the interview.
ThrowawayGamingChannel Thank you I was looking for that part!
Bwahahahwahwhaha! I love it!!
I'll make that quote my new bio for everything "a well-known so and so and so... COMMUNIST"
he rad af
Im.having the impression that he is correcting Amy in calling Boots an "anti-capitalist." To me, if you're anti capitalist, you're a communist. I feel like DN! is trying to omit leftist terminology.
That title has so many meanings. I hate when people say "sorry to bother you", because they usually aren't. The underlying reality is that they feel that what they want is more important than whatever you are doing, so it's fine to interrupt. The apology is only to disarm you, and make you the bad guy if you don't comply. Even the way we impose our interests on people of other countries trying to assert their own independence. It is some gansta sh$t to live a life of comfort and promote our superior democratic "principles", that is founded and perpetuated on denying others theirs.
Sometimes they ARE actually sorry to bother you, and are being forced to do so by somebody higher up in the heirarchy.
One of the best interviews I've seen on the show, a true revolutionary
I have The Coup first album and unfortunately haven’t followed Boots the musician/artist since. When the Boondocks came out I swore up and down that Huey’s character was, in some way influenced by Boots Riley. The fact that his brother was named Riley and McGruder lived or was from Oakland further reinforced my belief. I never researched to confirm it but, that being said, this gentleman was the most enlightening interview I’ve seen in a long time. The anti-capitalist tones in the original album laid the foundation for what seems his future work which culminates at this point with this film. I can’t wait to see it! What he does, quite pointedly, is address the cycle of today’s political climate and the failure of people to tackle issues pertaining to wage and labor issues head in through direct action. This reliance on bought and paid for politicians without the direct action that precipitates real change as a precursor or a constant either before or during a particular candidates tenure only manages to politicize issues that poor, working class and more middle class Americans don’t have time to politic. This escalation of attacks on the working class and poor people has been going on for a long time. Too often we can’t see the proverbial forest from the trees and allow the mechanisms of the state to divide and conquer through its various media outlets. Everyday you see the subtle and quite deceptive and dangerous ways media reinforces the Hegelian dialect mantra of the elite. So every four years we are manipulated into this narrow scope of so called choice in so called leaders instead of real leaders emerging from the fire of direct action against those forces that seek to enslave humanity. People are waking up to this deception but far too many help keep the legs of this sh*thouse standing. As someone more learned than me once observed, someone can only ride on your back if you are bent over. Well something like that anyway. There is power in people they have been discouraged and manipulated into conceding to elected officials who use that power to increase the wealth and welfare of the very people who profit from our divisiveness and more importantly our collective labor and money. It’s a disgraceful cycle that only seeks to further enslave people and is doing a fantastic job. Hats off to those voices that have been marginalized by the overwhelming stupidity, decadence and celebrity worship that dominates most of the public discourse. There are people who are still focused on creating a better world. Not focused on a delusional past that gave rights to a undeserving few at the expense of a wanting many. Our current president is a byproduct of that past when his daddy cultivated capital without having to compete with anyone. But I digress...
I appreciate this comment
Huey from the boondocks is based on Huey P. Newton, one of the founders of the black panther party
I thought the same thing. The brothers in Boondocks representing two sides to one person🤨. Perhaps just ironic.
You digress so well!
SPOT ON!!! 🎯 Electoral politics is absolutely the easy way out. ACTION. BOYCOTTING. STRIKES. BDS. “Be about it... it’s ‘bout to blow”
I JUST discovered The Coup. Holy Crap. My internal radio station is just the hook of "The Guillotine" over and over and over.
samee here
Cant wait to watch this movie!
Seen it, it was great!
Be Prepared to be disturbed. Got queasy coz not far from reality
It's an amazing movie. I bet it will be in your top 10 of all times.
It's brilliant and savage-edged. I love it.
Fucking communists.
Is fun. They're great in bed and we reach mutual benefit.
Boots Riley, go on Chapo
Yes. I'd settle for Swampside Chats too
Boots is an actual revolutionary Chapo would never have him on
I could listen to him for hours. He is brilliant.
I admire and respect Boots Riley. Everytime I watch him talk he inspires me. Thank you.
Outstanding interview. Can’t wait to see this movie. Solidarity!
Big props to Boots Riley and crew. Solidarity. Viva revolution
Saw it Saturday , Loved IT!!!
That's when I saw it. I couldn't wait to see it, after hearing his interview on Fresh Air the previous week.
Treneatra Muhammad Then I love YOU!
Jus' playin'. I'm looking forward to seeing it. I love The Coup. Got mad respect for Boots.
Well said brother!!!!
I haven't watched many 2018 movies (or recent cinema for that matter), but damn, Sorry To Bother You left a mark. I'm glad it also introduced me to mister Boots. Am eagerly awaiting his future interviews and work.
There is no better time to build a better world than now.
I literally just finished watching the movie, & I ❤❤❤❤ this film! Very relevant story & true to life. EVERYTHING about this film is on POINT, even down to the cast. Just a true to life, relatable film🔥🔥🔥...A must see y'all!
People need to hear this.
Best interview I've seen from this show yet
Thank you for broadcasting this interview. What a fascinating person with real ideas. That was brilliant what he said about electoral politics. The power rests with the people. Even Mr. Trump said this in his inaugural address at the end.
when trump says it he’s misleading ppl real people power doesn’t come from democrats or republicans
Looking forward to seeing this film, which sparked my interest early on. Now, listening to Boots Riley's thoughtful analysis of our need to build movements against the "isms" that have a choke hold on us politically, socially & morally, I MUST see this film! As a Labor Organizer & Activist, I agree wholeheartedly with the urgency of building solidarity across the spectrum of communities, issues & political ideologies. Like Boots said, hopefully this film won't simply become a stagnant piece of art but, a source of consciousness & movement building...
if you can handle subtitles..."The Green Beautiful" is pretty good.
anti capitalism...pro-human potential
think it's on TH-cam, actually. i had it play-listed, for a while...maybe i still do...
donHooligan -- Thanks, I'll check it out -- I love foreign films so, I actually welcome subtitles.
Can’t wait to see the film. I had no idea what this was about, and I frankly was completely uninterested, until Michael Brooks and a couple other left radio ppl I like started talking about it, and now after this interview, I’m super excited for it. ✌🏼🙏🏼✊🏼✊🏾✊🏿
Nikola Demitri you won't be disappointed. In theater afterwards strangers were anxious to talk -- "what can we do!?"
By the way interesting aside : the Dalai Lama has self-identified as Marxist!!
daysjours Awesome, dude, thanks for the reply!
That’s very interesting that the Dali Lama is a Marxist, especially considering China, and the reason he had to leave Tibet. Granted, the Chinese state certainly isn’t true Marxists in any real sense of the ideology, quite the opposite, but they endeavored to be when Mao took over. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, D-Lama is certainly wise enough to be nuanced enough to not be anti-Marx, simply bc the supposed communist state of China pushed him out. Cool cool cool!!! ✌🏼✊🏿✌🏽✊🏻
This film inspired me to join a union
That is awesome, comrade. I hope you'll partake in many sucessful struggles. Red greetings from Germany.
Man I love seeing Amy smiling. Makes me smile.
Brilliant Soul....what a standing OVATION of conceptual analysis!
I noticed how amy goes you have leave soon, and he said "I could talk for another hour." Lol. They did give him an hour to speak tho. Lol.
It brings up a good point, how will workers form unions in this fast moving, electronically connected yet so removed world. Workers are so very important. Can we talk about this in 2020?
Lets not forget co-ops as well as unions. This is so inspiring that I feel a little giddy.
I just borrowed it from my local library in Gympie Australia. Most excellent.
Great Movie. Loved it. Very inspiring to see criticism of our country’s rampant capitalism greed and racism being incorporated into our films and culture. And from an activist. Thank god. What a relief. More please. More activists make film and more filmmakers become activist because this country and this world is so very screwed right now.
Pam Bennett Compared to communism’s tyranny, genocide, starvation and death camps leading to over 100 MILLIONS lives taken in only 100 years, Ill take capitalism.
@@Akihito007 100 million? Do you just pull numbers out your ass? Capitalism and communism are likely equal in innocence deaths in the 20/21st century. But nice propaganda
Awesome interview, Boots is a genius! #criticalThinker
Love Boots Riley and the Coup! Such a great thinker!
Yoooo! Boots is a director! I was just looking up my highschool music influences The Coup and this popped up! Impressive
I would really like to hear what Boots Riley has to say about the essential worker during this pandemic
Essential labor for people in power to exploit.
Take a good look at the guillotine song and 5 million ways to kill a CEO. I saw prophecy in both songs. Well put.
This is really important.
brilliant commentary.
Dude is a legend
great ideas and insights, very thought provoking
What great people thank you!
i am ready to join the movement
Start by organizing a union at your job.
The point he makes about just getting people to the point where they have a choice is the exact thought process I haven't been able to articulate to people, and yes you should be willing to go to jail for it.
Just watching this right now.. soo different than anything I've seen. Directed really well.. im feeling this. Too bad he hasn't made alot of other movies
I need to watch this movie again!!
"So, tell us about your movie."
"We need a communist movement in the United States."
Aaaaaargh ... sooo frustrating to be living in a place where movies such as this will never come. Just have to wait.
Oh my gosh, Boots! I had no idea. I just love to dance! ha ha.... You're a wonderful host but this? This is a universe of amazing.
Amy and boots☺️
Lastly, this guys smartest head uve had on here, DN
Armie Hammer is one of the best type actors, but he has so much more range than I think people give him credit for. This movie has literally over a dozen INCREDIBLE artists involved with it and I didn't even realize Armie Hammer was one of them because he just absolutely disappears into the role.
dude gets it so wrong @ like 2:48 but Boots does a good job of recovering and reminding that its not Dem or GOP, its class.
@Ghost_Troupe nobody is jealous of anybody else, that's an asinine assessment.
I don't want to be rich.
and history is the story of class conflict.
I love how when that old white man started talking about republicans and democrats telemarketing and tried to shame one side, Boots was just like “sorry, I haven’t researched into that at all” like telling him you’re off the mark with out telling him straight up.
Boots don’t age at all looks the same as he did in the 90’s same fro and sideburns
Somewhere between not-bad and AMAZING sits reality, and this movie.
I would put it fully in AMAZING.
I think the level of appreciation is closely related to a person's understanding of the subjects of the satire and an individuals political ideology.
After I saw it last week, I spoke to a college student who loved it but was bewildered by it. After speaking to her, it was clear that she, like most Millennials, never had civics in K-12, and she likely never had a college history survey. She had no basis to understand what was going on or why, and like her peers she was raised to believe that corporations love her and care about her.
This is the best description of this piece of art.. Salute.
He’s describing Silicon Valley n grody calibama.
Bro. I've been saying this to my union brother and sisters in leadership for years.
OMG this movie is perfect for these times.
I can't wait to see Sorry To Bother You. He's a new black filmmaker. Very cool!
Its Boots from the Coup!!
So cool that this movie was made
I give SORRY TO BOTHER YOU an A+
notice how she keeps saying that Boots has to go, even though Boots says he has time to talk
26:26 to 26:48
Fucking great movie. He’s also a great musician btw.
He can’t play a single instrument.
@@KISEwun why would you think that. He has keyboard playing credits on a few of his songs I see.
I love BOOTS RILEY!!!!
☭ ☭ OUR COMRADE ☭ ☭
tell him to go eat shit communism is a failed ideology that has resulted in the deaths of millions of people
Not really. Ok.
bitch im a libertarian socialist, I hate stalin as much as the next guy
27:25 he is gonna love 2020
I'm embarrassed that I didn't know about Boots before Sorry to Bother You. He's a fucking genius!
WOW.FINALLY.
I like the music.
32:32 Has Becky been in the background the entire time??? 😂😂😂
Definitely an example to fallow in a morally broken country.
Came here for the meme, stayed for everything else
Best movie ever
🎶 The Coup - "The Guillotine" 🎶 🔥 Bernie 2020 🔥
Boycott Amazon. A truly fascist company. Power of the wallet. Boycott.
boots with that "sorry to bother you" face @ 12:48 & 26:33
37:46 to 38:09
The problem with getting results right now is that Americans have no civics education. They don't know what a democracy is or why it is important. They don't know what they're supposed to be standing up against and why. They don't understand what's coming.
I speak to people every day who mistakenly believe that "civil society," once achieved, will exist forever. Actually, I can't remember the last time that I spoke to an actual human being, outside of college, who understand that societies fall and Dark Ages are around every corner.
So, people don't know why it's worth risking your life to be free. They don't know that the life they're dooming them and their children and their fellow countrymen is not a life worth living in a country ruled by an authoritarian regime....for those who are leftist or intelligent or aren't able to enjoy a life where you are surrounded by ignorance, poverty, demands to kneel before Zod, and no hope of things getting any better than they were yesterday.
Americans needs civics education. Without that, all hope is lost.
Where can I start? Any book recommendations or ideas I should research in particular, or will anything that has to do with civics help?
Yes! We think that just because we call ourselves a democracy and vote every four years this is somehow the pinnacle of what it means. Civics should be taught to every American. An informed population is a dangerous thing so it makes sense why it's never even encouraged.
@Jordan McMurray
I always recommend the same thing to people, when asked. Go to your local library and ask to speak to the librarian, the actual librarian. An actual librarian has a masters degree in library sciences. You can ask him/her about where they received theirs. Tell the librarian how much or how little education you've had in civics and explain your goals. She will recommend a couple of books to get you started.
Librarians are really the keepers of information. They tend to be extremely civic minded and understand their role in a free and democratic society. They take it seriously.
If you are nervous about talking to the librarian face to face, then call. She can give you titles over the phone. They are really good at helping you to find the book at your level of interest and need. They are also trained to be able to answer any question or to be able to know where to find the information. Did you know that?
My advice: stay away from any book that has "economics" in the title. That book will be full of propaganda, especially if it was written in the last 25 years. Prior to that, nobody really ever confused economics with governments or civics.
Sorry it took me so long to get to your question. I've been really busy.
Amen.
23:21
I think I found Kat Williams Father..lol
Amy.. look up the word "Blockbuster".
Gave it a psychosis. Yep contagious
Low key -the intellectual Katt Williams in disguise
Marx said: EVERYONE needs to work.
Baby Pudge do you have a citation for that? Marx said labour is the essence of human existence, but he was ardently against wage labour which he compared to slavery. Everyone needs to work yes, but in the in the interests of their own class and without being alienated from their labour
Jack Wilson I do not. I broke down his 9 volumes of yada yada to: everyone need to work.
W Reich’s def of work...
Baby Pudge I currently highly doubt that you have read Capital
What he never said was I am a communist or socialist. Those terms came up afterwards.
Wow this guy is really woke. Hope the film is as good as people are saying and that it is huge.
Alasdair Church it’s amazing
Stalin killed 15 million of his own people. You are anything but "woke" clown.
Make Comedy Great Again+ What the fuck has Stalin got to do with anything? You clearly don't have the first clue about anything but then being a loudmouthed bigot on the internet doesn't have very high entrance qualifications.
Was that an attempt at English? Stalin was a communist leader with your shitty hammer and sickle profile picture. Go move to China
Lol I knew it - you know nothing. The flag in my profile pic is of the anti-Stalinist militia - the POUM, under which George Orwell fought alongside other anti-fascists, (including my uncle) in the Spanish Civil War. They were hunted down by the Stalinists. Moron. Sure, they were Marxists, who were sympathetic towards their anarchist comrades - a bit like me. Get over your 30-year-old Cold War propaganda already.
Boots is very clearly disrupted in his ability to illustrate and communicate his points. Watching his other interviews you´ll see that he´s usually much more confident and eloquent than he is here. I´ve experienced similar problems in trying to communicate with people. It´s a psychic gang-stalking tactic used against alot of revolutionaries, I believe.
That being said, I stand in solidarity with Boots here.
Psychic gang stalking tactic? What does that mean?
I loved this movie! Laugh out loud funny throughout and also very clever.
I come from a liberal perspective and I value self reliance, markets and freedom of speech. The downside to that system are monopolies and inequality. Having said that I think the focus on the individual and responsibility should be balanced with a collective view of the world (socialism). The downside with socialism are authoritarianism and lack of personal freedom.
So around what should we have a collective view? Not around race, gender or identity politics in general. It only divides us further. The factor that I think is the most important for the outcome of individuals life and I think we should gather around is ECONOMICS.
IMO nations of the world must come together to fight the capital holders that hold huge capital. E.g. Taxes on capital must rise, shutting legal loopholes that allows capital to be placed in tax havens, institute trade embargos against tax havens. I know it's hard, a bit of a catch 22 though. Companies can act internationally while governments only can act on a national level, hence my arguments for global cooperation around these issues.
While I'm a proponent of higher taxes on capital, I think the taxes on labor should be lowered. It's important to understand that incentives really do matter and we need more people willing to educate themselves so solve tomorrows looming problems.
In a world that's quickly changing by automation, globalization, technology, climate change and AI, I think it's important for everybody to remove their rigid ideological lens and come with new ideas. I doubt that classical liberalism or classic socialism have the tools to solve these issues.
I think the solution might be found in the economics theories of Henry George (and a few others) and the ideologies that his ideas inspired: Georgism and Geo-Libertarisanism. Look in to it!
Naw. Appreciate it, but Marx was right.
@@TheTriptamineDream Marx have some valid critique of capitalism, but his solution have been proven wrong. Socialism is not compatible with human nature, we have tried it enough through the 20th century, Soviet, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, N. Korea, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania etc. A monopoly of power in the form of a state is not better than monopolies that comes with the current form of capitalist companies. Centralized power always corrupts. Communist countries will always run over individuals rights in the name of the greater good. Therefor we need to look to new ways to change the world, I think Georgism needs to be discussed more publicly.
I'm so fucking tired.
comrade
Apparently, I've been blessed my whole life - not only do I have a white voice, but I also have an English accent, and not only that, but it's a Yorkshire accent, which (I read recently) was judged to be the most persuasive accent. But I'm also an introvert, so I doubt I'll ever make a bundle as a telemarketer (or anything else). Luckily, I also have an extreme aversion to work of any kind, and no desire to ever be wealthy, so it's all good.
haha
Boots is a big hard human (not horse) dickeded warrior
BOOTS!!!!
This is hot.
Ani Difranco was talking anti war.
And then she tried to have a writers retreat at a plantation and ignored while her fans dug their heels in on Black women who led complaints about it only apologizing months later after numerous online protest. That was awful.
Like what gets Aimee horned up is the extent of exploitation of the victim. Its like she jumps up and down with excitement and cant wait to hear how this guy uses his metaphorical accts as something she can keep on bounding off underneath her. As if they had suffered way too much and this was gonna specularize the sh-t out of them.
just shows how doddering amy goodman and sidekick are in the face of a real intervention.
Armie Hammer great but Not evil enough in film. Look at Bezos-- he looks as evil as he is. That said Armie Hammer and rest of cast terrific
This movie is a must see.
I think that was on purpose.he acts cool,but he's holding a gun and playing mind games
Yeah I think the whole point is he is seductive, I was glad he wasn't cartoonishly evil
Have a glass of water man, jeez.
im 8 mins in and grossed out already. these white interviewers are already subverting his goal w the film-off the bat they don’t even address the root meanings, they just start asking boots about the only white actors on the film (the Patton and David video and then Armie Hammer convo??) come on.