Visual - Textual Comparative Analysis: Rankine and Gambino

 
English 12
 
This is America – Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino is the stage name for Donald McKinley Glover Jr. He released the song “This is America” on 5th May 2018. The song tries to reflect on the idealism of being a black man in America. It unleashes a series of violence in its video. Generally, what Gambino was trying to say is how being a black person one is faced by challenges in America. A black person is faced by threats even from his fellow black persons. It brings about the issue of guns and violence in America and the fact that the black people, who are the most affected, have to deal with them every day. It also shows how this dangerous trend has been adopted in the entertainment industry while on the other hand, it’s part of the national conversation (Piazza, et al. 44-64).
In the song video and lyrics, Gambino unleashes various scenes of violence. Like where he shots down the choir which was singing the line of where his grandmother gave him advice on getting his own money. The police rush to the scene with wailing sirens while he and his group of dancer students continue dancing to the music oblivious of the scene behind them. It creates an idealism of how black society has become. At one place people are crying due to the guns and violence while on the other people are happily oblivious of what is happening. At times, it is even the violence that is a source of entertainment to others.
The song is based on a controversy. Gun violence has been a constant issue in both the entertainment world and national conversation due to the threat it has on lives. The national conversation is to stop this war being fought amongst the people of America themselves. A war that is leading to loss of lives (Simmons, 112 – 115). A war that mostly involves the black people. Gambino brings out how black people have become an enemy of themselves. How black people are killing each other in cold blood. In the line where he says about words from his grandmother who told him, “Get your money, black man (get your money).” From this line, one can only see as if Gambino is trying to say that money is the main reason for the guns and violence menace faced by the black man.
‘Stop and Frisk’ – Claudia Rankine
‘Stop and Frisk’ is a poem by Claudia Ranki...