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Pop Culture Happy Hour

I Love Boosters

26 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 14.631 Latif Nasser

Hey, it's Latif from Radiolab. Our goal with each episode is to make you think, how did I live this long and not know that? Radiolab, adventures on the edge of what we think we know. Listen wherever you get podcasts.

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19.673 - 27.923 Aisha Harris

In I Love Boosters, Keke Palmer is the ringleader of a shoplifting crew that squares off with an unethical fashion CEO played by Demi Moore.

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Chapter 2: What is the premise of the film 'I Love Boosters'?

28.544 - 49.63 Aisha Harris

Now that alone should be enough of a selling point. But then there's this. It's the long-awaited follow-up from Boots Riley, the bizarro visionary behind a great social satire of our times, Sorry to Bother You. And true to Riley's form, if you think you know how Boosters is gonna play out, you don't even know the half of it. It might be his most offbeat and delightfully unhinged project yet.

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Chapter 3: Who are the main characters in 'I Love Boosters'?

49.93 - 55.198 Aisha Harris

I'm Ayesha Harris, and today we're talking about ILO boosters on Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR.

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58.162 - 75.787 Unknown

The Trump administration is backtracking on federal efforts to fight climate change. So city and state governments are stepping in. We think we are standing what can be the future of energy in Denver. On the Sunday story, climate solutions on the local level.

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Chapter 4: How does Boots Riley's direction influence the film's style?

75.807 - 79.212 Unknown

Listen now on the Up First podcast on the NPR app.

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82.448 - 91.859 Aisha Harris

Joining me today is entertainment host, culture commentator, and co-host of High Key, Ryan Mitchell. Hey, Ryan. Hi, I'm back. Yes, you are.

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Chapter 5: What themes of social justice are explored in 'I Love Boosters'?

91.98 - 103.073 Aisha Harris

Welcome. Also with us is freelance music and culture journalist, Rihanna Cruz. Hey, Rihanna. Hi, I'm so stoked to be here. So stoked to have you here.

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Chapter 6: How do the characters navigate their struggles in the film?

103.525 - 125.517 Aisha Harris

So I Love Boosters stars Kiki Palmer as Corvette, a down-on-her-luck Bay Area woman with a passion for fashion. Barely scraping by while squatting in an abandoned fast food joint, she and her besties specialize in boosting. That's stealing designer retail off the racks and reselling it for way less. Her crew includes Sade, played by Naomi Ackie, and Mariah, played by Taylor Page.

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125.75 - 132.119 Aisha Harris

Now, their primary target is Metro Designer, an upscale clothing chain run by the ruthless CEO Christy Smith.

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Chapter 7: What is the significance of the fashion industry in the movie?

132.6 - 151.167 Aisha Harris

She is played by Demi Moore. Christy, obviously, is not happy about these repeat offenses and vows to track them down and stop them once and for all. For their part, the crew's showdown with Christy leads them to uncover some high-level corruption in abhorrent business practices and forces them to think beyond their individual plights.

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151.383 - 162.219 Aisha Harris

I Love Boosters is written and directed by Boots Riley and is inspired by a 2006 banger from his band, The Coup. Seriously, go check out that song and also that entire album that it's on.

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Chapter 8: How does the film balance humor and serious topics?

162.319 - 174.497 Aisha Harris

It's great. And now I Love Boosters is in theaters. Ryan, I'm going to start with you. I don't know what your feelings were about Boosters before this movie, but having seen it now, do you love them?

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175.278 - 193.489 Ryan Mitchell

I am so pro-Booster. Honestly, anything that makes you look good and if you want it, just take it. No, I'm just joking. I would not. I think, you know, Boots Riley is just such an incredible director. He has such a point of view that just makes me excited to go back to, like, the theater. You know, I'd never want to watch it on a couch.

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193.469 - 216.861 Ryan Mitchell

I actually only want to watch it in a theater because of the world that he just decides to paint. And I love boosters. I kind of went into it not really knowing a lot about it. I was like, I wonder if the title is as literal as it's giving. And it was. But that was probably the only literal thing that was happening in that film because it's just wild. I don't think anyone...

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216.841 - 224.815 Ryan Mitchell

couldn't think that Boots Riley could push his sort of like level of work that he does, but he really does push it forward into a beautiful way.

224.955 - 230.043 Aisha Harris

Yes, yes. Rihanna, I'm so curious to hear what you think about I Love Boosters.

230.524 - 249.682 Rihanna Cruz

Oh, I absolutely loved it. Granted, I was already a big fan of Sorry to Bother You. That's been one of my favorite films of the last decade. I talk about it and think about it often. Yeah. So I had high expectations for Boosters, and I feel like the movie matched them for me. I think I Love Boosters is a more mature movie from Boots Riley.

250.183 - 274.797 Rihanna Cruz

I think it's a little bit more clear-headed than Sorry to Bother You was. And... More importantly, I feel like Boots Riley continues to have an incredible handle on tone in whatever he does. And Boosters has this wacky, anything goes Looney Tunesque energy to it with the visual jokes, the colors. Even there's some scenes where he speeds up what's happening for comedic effect.

275.257 - 306.08 Rihanna Cruz

It gives the movie a little lightness to it. So even when it dives into the heavier Boots Riley-esque topics... like anti-capitalist class solidarity and things like that, it does it so easily and effortlessly and has a vision to me that feels hopeful without going into hope core, which I can find a little cheesy. I teared up at the end. I thought it was kind of great.

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