Did you catch these hidden meanings in Donald Glover’s ‘This Is America’ video?
The people have spoken and these are some theories.
If you watched Childish Gambino’s new “This Is America” video, you’ll understand exactly why it went viral in less than 24 hours. It’s raw, edgy and impossible to look away from.
Glover partnered up with award-winning “Atlanta” FX Director, Hiro Murai, to create what looked and felt like true art from the beginning to the end of the four-minute masterpiece.
The internet has spent the weekend trying to decipher the meaning in this video– and so far we’re seeing more than a few potential themes come together:
#1: Jim Crow is still alive.
Gambino’s resemblance to Jim Crow in the video might be pointing to the fact that Jim Crow racism is still alive today in America– especially in a society where public schools are just as segregated today as during the years of Brown v. the Board of Education and mass incarceration persists. Just look at Meek Mill’s experience being locked up for a technical probation violation for decade-old crime. Justice surely isn’t blind.
#2: America loves the idea of Black non-violent Christianity and spirituality, but is still violent towards Black people.
The murder of the gospel choir in the video– could be an indirect reference to the 2015 Charleston AME mass shooting committed by white supremacist and domestic terrorist Dylan Roof.
Even in their own churches, where they were praising god, nine Black parishioners were shot dead in cold blood.
Similarly, the 1963 16th Street Church Baptist Bombing that killed four little Black girls, shows America’s legacy of racists targeting Black people where they worship and are most vulnerable. While America often celebrates the peaceful, happy and forgiving image of the Black Christian– countless church bombings show, that non-violence is often met with hostility.
— This Is America: 5 powerful messages that will stay with you long after your Donald Glover hangover
#3: We are a culture obsessed with technology and capturing chaos rather than stopping it.
In ‘This is America,’ there are children, with their faces covered, who already know to pull out their cell phones to get video of the craziness happening around them. Maybe the message here is showing how absurd it is that when something goes wrong– our first instinct is to film instead of get help.
#4: Our “turn-up” culture is a band-aid for our brokenness.
Gambino spends a lot of the video doing the fun and trendy dances we see all over social media and in music videos. Even the kids are backing him up.
We couldn’t help but think of all the school dance videos we see online– where some school teacher twerks with their students or kids do dance routines and the crowd cheers.
Does it matter if our kids can dance on beat but get slaughtered in class by a mass shooter?
When will our policies reflect fixing our nation’s problems?
#5: Violence is normal and as American as apple pie.
Lawyer and film critic, Kyle A B, tweets that the “ultra violence” we see mocked and treated as funny in “This Is America” suggests, ultra violence is our true nature.
Brett compares the video the the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange:
I've watched @donaldglover's new music video a few times now and the first time I watched it I had a familiar, primal discomfort that I couldn't place.
It wasn't until the third watch that I realized it was reminding me of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971).
Some thoughts: pic.twitter.com/8xCgpaHCXD
— kyle alex brett (@kyalbr) May 6, 2018
There aren't really any shared visual references between the two. But, both seem to consider the levity in "ultraviolence", and suggests ultraviolence is our true nature.
In CWO, Alex and his droogs cripple a man while assaulting his wife, while Alex cheerily sings. pic.twitter.com/v3SdaGrPKB
— kyle alex brett (@kyalbr) May 6, 2018
In TIA, Glover giddily "gwara gwaras", "shokies", and "BlocBoy JB shoots", his way around an execution of a black hostage and a firing squad execution of a black choir, all while burning cars and chaos pop up around him. pic.twitter.com/cBERqJnI48
— kyle alex brett (@kyalbr) May 6, 2018
Anyway, it's a very good and intriguing video and it feels like Glover and Hiro Murai (director) conclude it by saying this is America
and you can try to run from it but you cannot outrun the things you'll see. pic.twitter.com/PwXrN4ls79
— kyle alex brett (@kyalbr) May 6, 2018
This is just one of many takes that recognizes we have a serious problem with guns in America. And no matter how we deny is, the proof is in the murders around us.
The beauty of what Donald Glover gave us in “This Is America” is a critique that allows for so much interpretation.
Even the simplicity of the lyrics, can reflect many ways how simple-minded this country has become in our discourse.
The video holds up the mirror to show what we’ve been mindlessly consuming as good music, news, politics and even culture– and shows the ugliness.
Maybe just seeing ourselves in this light instead of the “great” country America always claimed to be, might challenge us to do and become better– and truly live up to the ideals that are supposed to be the foundation for the great freedoms we have.
