Question

“This is America” by Childish Gambino has stimulated multiple conversations about the symbolism and meaning behind the song. Review the video, study some of the commentary, and share some of your own thoughts, insights, and opinions about the video. How is this type of video shaping contemporary ideas and cultural perceptions?

Answer 1

The video song "This is America" is sung by Donald Glover(stage name is Childish Gambino), famous for his rapping talent and the lyrics created by himself in collaboration with Ludwig Goransson and Jeffery Lamar Williams. It also has several rappers giving sound to background vocals. Released in 2018 summer, it directly started at the top spot in US Billboard Hot 100 and soon also was top of the charts in other countries as well. On seeing the video, it seems to touch upon the topic of gun shootings and public shootings in the USA and also give hints of intolerance and discrimination against African Americans. However, I feel, there is a lot of deep meanings and insights in the video and I shall be sharing them in this write-up.

I feel Gambino here is representing America and his mannerisms and antics are symbolic of how America is behaving in today's society. The dancing interspersed with gun violence depicts how entertainment is being used to distract everyone from the violence issues and serious problems the country is facing. In opening scenes, Gambino shoots a man sitting on a chair. The body is dragged away and the gun is carefully collected in red cloth. This means that America could be giving more importance to guns than human lives. The pants worn by Gambino seem to be resembling confederate uniform pants during the civil war and in a way gives an insight that unrest against black discrimination is still in progress though it is toned down. The two gold chains he is wearing could be the consumerism obsession of the average American or show that still, people are in bondage.  The lyrics " Girl you got me dancing, Dance and shake the frame" could be meaning that the Girl is America and the Frame is representing the life as is going on including violence. Shaking the frame shall distort and confuse the people as to what is going on. The mannerisms Gambino does remind one of Jim Crow, a famous caricature in the early 1900s which showed the stereotyped way that white Americans thought of the Blacks. The child dancers dancing with Gambino is not harmed, meaning you have to immerse in the pop culture life and ignore the bad happenings around you. Also, the exaggerated dance movements distract from the chaotic background and also from the horse rider who might represent the end of times apocalypse. The happy choir gunning down is very similar to the Charleston church shootings which were found to be racially motivated. Also, a reference to celly as in cell phone and people taking photos of everything shows how cold the general people have become. In the final scenes, Gambino is surrounded by old American cars in the warehouse and could mean that there is no growth In the country. in the end scene, Gambino is running away like hell showing he has just realized the situation or broken out of a dream and running for his life.

This Video's rapid climb to popularity shows that it has struck an identity with contemporary audiences. It shows how we have built up an enormous appetite for the intake of violence and treat it as a normal way of life. The culture perception of America has got an eye-opener that there may be no place to run from the current situation, and in our busy lives of pop and mobile culture, the end of world warnings are not even noticed. Human lives do not matter but money does. Thus the audience has received a jolt and has begun to reconsider their ideas of American culture and the possible damage it has done.