Lakeith Stanfield is sorry (not sorry) to bother you

This summer, Sorry to Bother You, an absurdist political satire directed by Boots Riley entered theaters. The protagonist, Cassius Green (portrayed by Lakeith Stanfield) pursues a job in telemarketing and the coveted status of “Power Caller.” Despite initial failures, Cassius soon learns to make sales by altering his voice to sound white, a hyperbolic performance voiced by David Cross. This post will engage in a semiotic analysis of the film’s poster, and illuminate how the juxtaposition of whimsical stylization with despondent, violent imagery reflects the film’s critique of contemporary, racialized capitalism. 

Turning first to typography, the poster displays a purple background with the text “LAKEITH STANFIELD IS SORRY TO BOTHER YOU” in shades of pink and purple. The font is best described as whimsical – large block letters with irregular lines, evoking a sense of disorder and irreverence. Moreover, the valentines-themed colors produce a high-excitement, cartoonish frenzy that fills the entire frame. The all-caps stylization further adds to the business, inviting the viewer to read the text as shouting. Finally, each line increases in size, thus echoing the escalating chaos of the plot. 

The only image in front of the textual background is a superimposed picture of Cassius. Positioned in the bottom center of the poster, the protagonist naturally draws the eyes of any viewer. Here, a number of symbols mirror the themes of the movie. First, Cassius dawns a purple suit but appears disheveled. Tie loosened and shirt unbuttoned, he stares with drained eyes straight out from the page. In the film, Cassius climbs the corporate ladder of his telemarketing company, RegalView, until reaching the prestigious rank of “Power Caller.” Despite RegalView showering him with praise and wealth, his advancement comes at the cost of abandoning the worker movement below him, and earning salary from ethically suspect arms dealings. Thus, Cassius’ disorderly attire embodies America’s façade of success, wealth and professionalism, all of which remain undergirded by a broken soul and drained spirit. The contrast between the man’s flashy suit and its unkempt presentation, the disjointedness of the cartoonish background and Cassius’ lifeless eyes all point to the film’s critique of capitalism: a disorderly system that accumulates minds and bodies in its reckless pursuit of profit.

Two other symbols draw the eyes of the viewer. Wrapped around Cassius’ forehead is bandage covering a bloodstain, a direct signifier for the physical violence enacted upon him, and black people, in present day America. However, the more discrete metaphor stems from the wound’s placement – his head – illustrating how violence also becomes internalized in the mind. In the film, Cassius must trade black vernacular for a comically stereotypical white voice to win the sales of his clients. The second symbol, a phone pressed to his cheek, more directly comments on this assimilationist narrative, a code switching necessitated by economics and racism. Ultimately, this image of Cassius contends that corporatization forces individuals into a racialized mold, one in which deviation is punished severely. 

The film Sorry to Bother Youbursts with signifiers that construct a dim allegory for the United States. While this poster only paints part of the picture, it achieves a similar semiotic effect. Juxtaposing the cartoonish design with a wounded and despondent protagonist reflects the movie’s criticism of American culture writ large, as well as its absurdist, magical-realism style. While Lakeith Stanfield may be sorry to bother you, the cinematographers are no-holds-barred.