The streets are alive so listen to my new favorite live album while you read this. 

Modern Musings

Takes on what’s happening both big and small

I Love Boosters (a spoiler-free review)
There are many things I love right now. I love that the weather is (allegedly) stable enough to only wear skirts and dresses for the foreseeable future. I love the energy of the Knicks heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. I love monochrome, and I love unions. And if you’ve been subscribed to this newsletter since the beginning, you know I love original stories with a message.

Enter I Love Boosters.

I’m no stranger to Boots Riley’s work. His debut film, Sorry to Bother You, initially grabbed my attention as a story offering commentary about labor from the perspective of the worker. What I wasn’t expecting was the surrealism and absurdity injected into the final third of the film. (Remember, this is a spoiler-free space so keeping things vague. Sorry to bother you!)

Though not technically related to his debut film, I Love Boosters feels like an expansion of that universe, turned up a notch by demonstrating the ways that workers’ struggles are connected globally. Still anchored in Oakland as the story’s home base, this film follows The Velvet Gang, who shoplift from Metro Designers and sell the clothes back to their community for less. In summary, it’s “Fashion Forward Filanthropy”, one of my favorite lines by Taylour Paige’s character, Mariah.

We’ve been taught that stealing is wrong. Shoplifting is one of the classic examples used when teaching right from wrong. But the film highlights the forms of theft that actually deserve our attention. Corporations stealing ideas from the little guy without compensation or attribution. Corporations stealing time and health. There are multiple systems at play here, and the film makes clear that what people do to survive pales in comparison to what these systems extract.

The film also shows what it looks like to grow and expand your politics. Keke Palmer’s character, Corvette, shifts from pure survival mode to centering collective action. Because to survive is to get organized. She comes to understand her desire to escape poverty isn’t all that different from what people in other cities, states, and countries are also striving for. And at a time when it feels like people rarely admit when they don’t know something or admit that they’ve changed their stance on an issue, it feels especially vulnerable to see that evolution on screen. 

The colors are stunning, you’re going to laugh out loud, and watching a film about collective action with a group of people in a theatre is just the right way to do it. And if you haven’t seen it yet because of your pesky day job, Boots is down to call your boss. 

Consider This for Comfort 

Your favorite podcast is officially an award-winning one! Consider This For Comfort won Best News and Entertainment Podcast at the Women Podcasters Awards this month. Huge shoutout to all the beautiful people who cast a vote. 

While we all anxiously await Season 5 (coming to you this summer), I’m currently in podcast grad school so here’s how you can help me be a good student:

• Hit the follow button on the platform where you listen to the podcast so it shows up on your homepage and you never miss an episode

• Rate the podcast (5 stars would be great, just saying!)

• Leave a review on your favorite episode(s)

• Download an episode or two or five (Downloads still remain one of the most important metrics in the podcast industry)

• Respond to this email and share what you like and what you’d like to see more of. Feedback is so important when shaping new seasons so join me in my writers’ room.

Doing any or all of the above helps take the podcast to the next level by getting it in front of new people—but most importantly, the right people.

Eteng Recommends

Film/TV

• Hate-watching Euphoria. There’s the kind of hate-watching I secretly enjoy, and then there’s the kind that feels fully against my will. The show is now so far removed from what it was in its first two seasons that it honestly didn’t matter I had basically forgotten everything that happened before the Season 3 premiere. Not even my eternal desire to understand TV discourse is enough to keep me fully locked in at this point. (Though I am still reading Wikipedia summaries of every episode because I can never be completely in the dark.) What initially compelled me about this story was that it dared to explore an aspect of society that largely exists in the shadows. Stories about the impact of drug addiction are always difficult to watch, but there’s something daring and agitating about forcing people to confront subjects we’re often told not to discuss. This season is also tackling dark topics, but in a way that feels driven more by shock value and virality. We can argue whether that’s a bad thing. It’s just no longer a thing meant for me.

• Hacks. Now let’s talk about a show that is for me. Tonight is the series finale of the HBO comedy following a Joan Rivers–inspired comedian reckoning with what her legacy will ultimately be. The show is equal parts hilarious and contemporary, with this final season tackling AI in writing, corporate censorship, and what it takes to survive the ever-evolving entertainment industry. The creators are brilliant and are currently championing the importance of physical media by exploring ways to release complete box sets of the series. Come to my future Hacks watch party, and check out Consider [Hacks] for Comfort featuring editaudio’s CEO Steph Colbourn if you somehow still need convincing.

• Obsession & Backrooms. I am such a scaredy cat. I can’t watch scary movies alone and if I do, it has to be a sunny afternoon. However, the horror genre is absolutely on another level right now with this year’s movies continuing to push the envelope when it comes to innovative storytelling. It’s the genre where we see filmmakers doing incredible things with modest budgets (Obsession) and taking “chances” on first-time filmmakers (Backrooms). Horror continues to be the antidote to everything wrong with Hollywood right now. So if supporting these films means I have to sleep with a night light but contributes to more new stories getting greenlit, I’m happy to make the sacrifice. 

• Is God Is. This is next up on my watch list. A revenge thriller is always going to grab my attention, especially because revenge is one of those emotions we’re not really supposed to indulge in. And that’s part of why we love movies. They allow us to explore emotions and motivations we’re discouraged from expressing in real life. If you’ve already seen it, reply to this email and let me know your thoughts!

Lifestyle

• Living in a championship city. The Knicks are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. While I continue my search for the perfect vintage Knicks gear, here’s a refresher on what life was like during that final year of the ’90s.

• The Frozen Hugo Spritz. I definitely don’t have the evidence to prove this, but I started drinking Hugo Spritzes and now they suddenly seem to be everywhere. Gone are the days of having to explain that I actually never liked Aperol. With summer on the horizon, I’m very excited for the frozen version.

Sincerely,