Hello! If this is your first time here, feel free to check out my welcome post to get more context. Below is my response to the first prompt for my English class. You can follow along as I analyze a very popular music video.
Using a variety of methods, actor and musician Childish Gambino creates a powerful music video and song called “This is America.” The song’s message is that the inhumane, racist behaviors seen in America’s “past” are not just behind us, but they are also around us today. America has not changed. The purpose of the video is to make people aware of that, and to urge them to not remain ignorant. Gambino uses background dancers and actors along with strong lyrics to get his point across.
First, I want to focus on what’s in the background of the clip. In nearly every shot, (especially in the middle section of the video) there are people behind Gambino who are running, wielding weapons, and overall behaving violently. The choice to include this in his video is basically to force his audience to recognize the hate crimes that are happening even if they don’t get media coverage. The chaotic scenes that take place behind the “main event” of Gambino performing reflect what is happening in America today. There is constant brutality against African American people, but these events rarely make it to the headlines. There is almost always some other crisis that the overwhelming majority of news outlets are highlighting. The influential news sources are pushing racist happenings to the back of their minds (and of society) so people forget about them. The way the singer portrays this in his video is effective because his viewers cannot avoid the violence, cannot get away from it. It is always there, in the background.
Twice, Gambino takes part in the violence, bringing it to the forefront of the audience’s mind. Only sometimes are hate crimes included in news reports. Gambino is raising awareness.
Next I want to bring our attention to the lyrics. The singer employs rhetorical strategies in every part of his creation, but his choice of lyrics is one of the most effective. Two versus really stuck out to me while listening to the song: “You just a black man in this world / You just a barcode.”
These verses create a vivid image in the mind. They can be taken in two different ways – the African American population being branded as “just” a product, something to make money off of; or African Americans’ purpose being “just” to emphasize the existence of white people (the black lines in a barcode articulate the white stripes). Either way, these verses are referencing the racist idea that African Americans are not actually people, but are used by and for the white population. Gambino forces his audience to wake up, and take action against prevalent, systemic racism.
WritinginSocal 
Frist of loved your intro, I thought that it set the scene for the reader and allowed them to understand what was going on. Even if they were not in our English class, it gave them context.
You focused on the background of the video and talked about its effect. Which was something that I also found interesting and I also came to similar conclusions and though that your analysis was very thought-provoking.
I also really liked your use of hyperlinks and how they would take you to the exact time in the video that you were analyzing. This was a very effective way of getting your point across and establishing credibility in your analysis. Overall nice job.
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Hi Clarissa!
Your post was really well written, and I especially liked how you refereed to the violence behind him during the middle section of the video as the “main event.” I think that describes it perfectly and emphasizes the attention drawn to it during the video.
I also think your idea of adding hyperlinks to specifically important parts is very smart. It emphasizes the exact points you address and allows anyone who reads it to know the specific moment you are talking about. You did an incredible job!
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Hi Clarissa!
Your post was really well written, and I especially liked how you refereed to the violence behind him during the middle section of the video as the “main event.” I think that describes it perfectly and emphasizes the attention drawn to it during the video.
I also think your idea of adding hyperlinks to specifically important parts is very smart. It emphasizes the exact points you address and allows anyone who reads it to know the specific moment you are talking about. You did an incredible job!
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