In the music video This is America by Childish Gambino, the artist uses shock as a means to convey his point to the viewer. Within the first minute of the video, Gambino shoots a man in the back of the head with a handgun. Although this was difficult for the viewer to digest, his point was immediately laid out and understood. As the video continued on, Gambino tactfully included dancing and singing as a means of distraction. Just as the viewer began to overlook the tragedy at the beginning of the video, he murders a room full of gospel choir singers with a machine gun; the viewers attention is refocused. Gambino’s use of distraction is essential in communicating his theme at large; he is attempting to convey the functionality of current day society.
On what seems to be a daily basis, innocent individuals’ lives are compromised because of the lack of restrictions that have been placed on firearms. When these tragedies first began to occur Americans were shocked, but as time went on and these tragedies normalized, individuals continued with their lives. Just like in this video, quickly distracted by the lighthearted fun in Gambino’s dancing and smiling, the audience overlooks the prior tragedy. The purpose of Gabino’s video is to remind American’s of the society in which they sanction. Gambino also aims to remind Americans of their role in this epidemic, holding individuals accountable for their indifference. Gambino is raising awareness.
Throughout the video I found Gambino’s rhetorical implementation of lyrics and soundtrack to be particularly effective in communicating his message. Gambino’s lyrics mock the shallow and narcissistic society that we live in today. Individuals seem to be more preoccupied with their looks, status and material possessions than the issues of the world. Gambino’s lyrics are poignant and telling of the superficiality which exists today. Using words such as “I’m so pretty,” “Look what I’m whipping now,” and “I’m so fitted,” his message is clear. Moreover, Gambino is holding his viewers accountable by generating a video that mirrors the society that we all authorize. Furthermore, the dark music that Gambino selected was instrumental in setting the mood and tone of the video. Balancing between intense sounds while also staying catchy, the music matched the lyrics perfectly. The music created cognitive dissonance within the viewer, as they don’t know whether to sing along or to simply listen. The entire purpose of Gambino’s video was to incite conflict, as it is the driving force of all change.
Composing The Self 