 Watkins had studied it in preparation for filming and his film deals with the phenomenal popularity of a pop singer and its abuse for political motives.One scene showing the central character, Steven Shorter, at a table with a venue owner is virtually a one-to-one reproduction of a scene in "Lonely Boy", even using the same name (Uncle Julie) for the like-mannered venue owner.The "cinéma verité" style of "Lonely Boy" was also adopted, and one DVD release of "Privilege" included "Lonely Boy" as well as an excerpt of an essay on that film as extra features.