This is America is not 'genius'; here's why

WARNING: The video below depicts scenes of intense violence.

This past weekend was a big one for Donald Glover. He hosted Saturday Night Live, performed under his musical alias Childish Gambino, and pretty much proved that he can do anything.

Glover also dropped visuals for his newest song, This is America.




These visuals were so simultaneously powerful and painful, it calls the watcher to do some unpacking  of what they really do think about the current climate of our nation.

It is artistic and quite a creative expression of the need for gun control, but, as artistically as this video is, I personally do not think it was genius.

Just because Glover shows execution style and mass murder style shootings in a video doesn't make it genius. It makes it violent, yes. It makes it provocative, sure.

However, it also makes a statement. A bold one. It is putting the seemingly everyday issue of gun violence in the faces of all, whether you are a second amendment supporter or protester. It says "Hey, we have an issue here, and no amount of dancing around (which Glover literally does throughout the chaos of the video) is going to change that it must be addressed."

True, Glover holds no bars in the This is America visuals. There are so many themes and moments to note, I am not sure anyone can truly unpack the entire 4minute piece. But here were a few of the major ones to note:

In opening scenes of the video, Glover smiles grotesquely and makes exaggerated poses, similar to the  this is an invocation of the racial caricature Jim Crow. Glover seemingly calls out Black entertainers including himself for still living into the buffoonery stereotype of America's minstrel past.

The scene that follows shows Glover executing a person with a bag over his head. Someone then rushes in to retrieve the gun gently in a red cloth from Glover while the body of the murdered person is drug off of screen. This speaks to the way our nation has handled victims of gun violence versus the guns (or gun legislation) itself. Those slain are seemingly treated with less respect than the weapon that slew them.

Following that gunshot, the first words uttered as Glover stares directly into the frame are "This Is America". From there, the video continues. If you can get past the purposeful distraction of Glover performing popular dances with the uniform clad youth (which I am certain are an intentional distraction) you will see a background riddled with chaos. An ill fated choir is slain with an assault weapon in only a few seconds.

Glover and the dancing kids appear again to dance as calamity ensues around them. Lyrics of the song at this point in the video "Look how I'm geekin' out, I'm so fitted, I'm on Gucci, I'm so pretty, I'm gon' get it, Watch me move" which is what we indeed do while people in the background riot, fall from balconies, and jump on top of cars.

As the camera then pans to 4 youths above the fray, all recording the craziness from their cellphones, we hear the lyrics 'This a celly (ha), That's a tool (yeah)" seemingly call out police for the recent murder of Stephon Clark who was holding his cellphone in his grandmother's backyard.
The final scene shows Glover running fearfully, with people behind him, unsure if they are chasing him to catch him (reminiscent of escaping slaves), to do him harm (reminiscent of lynch mobs of the segregation era), or are also running for their lives to escape the chaos of the previous 4 minutes.

Glover has created something compelling, yes. Glover has made something very telling of the times in which we love, agreed. But I will not say that it is genius, in the same way that I won't call a weather forecaster genius for telling me that summer time is hot and winter is cold. Glover is acting as a public forecaster of our time, creating art that speaks to American society as we are currently living it. Is it needed, yes. Is it the truth that we need to see, sure. Is it genius, no.

I think we need to stray away from idolizing Glover. It is that same idolization that propelled artists, like our recently sunken Kanye, to places in society and their own mind that are not sustainable. Instead, we should appreciate the artists, discuss the art, digest the message and let people be who they are. Nothing more.

But just because I don't think it was genius, does not mean the video doesn't have a message to send. I believe Glover has something to say and he says it in a unique and stirring way.What I do believe is that This is America is necessary. It is said that art imitates life. This chaotic and violent visual art Glover has created is a good imitation of the political climate of our country.