DONALD GLOVER A.K.A.
CHILDISH GAMBINO RELEASED
HIS NEW MUSIC VIDEO AND SONG THIS WEEKEND THIS IS
AMERICA AND PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
THERE'S A LOT OF SYMBOLISM AND COMMENTARY THAT WE ARE
GOING TO GET INTO NOW.
WE CAN'T SEE THE VIDEO BECAUSE OF COPYRIGHT, BUT WE ARE
GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME SCREENSHOTS AND GO INTO
SOME OF THE MOST PERTINENT AND IMPORTANT SYMBOLISM THAT IS
PRESENT IN THE VIDEO.
THE FIRST IMAGE I WANT TO PULL UP HERE, NOT THAT ONE.
MAYBE.
THE FIRST IMAGE IS OF HIM SHOOTING THIS MAN HERE.
WHAT IS INTERESTING IS IN THE BEGINNING HE STARTS DANCING
AND SMOTHERS DANCING IS VERY EXAGGERATING.
SOME ARE SAYING THAT IT IS A CHARACTER OF A CHARACTER.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT IT RESEMBLES JIM CROW AND YOU
CAN SEE THAT IMAGE NOW, WHERE HE IS BEING COMPARED IN THAT WAY.
YOU CAN SEE A LOT, EVEN THE STANCES VERY SIMILAR THERE
AND SO HE IS IN THE STANDS WHILE HE SHOOTS THIS MAN.
NOTHING HAPPENS, HE GIVES THE GUN TO SOMEBODY.
THEY TAKE IT IN A RED CLOTH.
THEY ARE TREATING THE GUN VERY NICELY AND THEN THE SORT
OF TRYING TO SHOW.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT IS A
COMMENTARY ON GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA, HOW WE REALLY PUT GUNS
ON A PEDESTAL BEFORE HUMAN LIFE AND I THINK WE HAVE SEEN THAT
TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND THAT IS REALLY, DONALD GLOVER'S
COMMENTARY ON THIS.
THIS IS A BRILLIANT VIDEO AND AN EXCELLENT POLITICAL,
SOCIAL COMMENTARY ON AMERICA.
IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT IT IS CALLED THIS IS AMERICA,
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO END THE DEBATE AS TO IF HE MEANT IT.
OF COURSE HE MEANT IT.
WHEN HE SHOOTS THE GUY AND NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE GUY BUT
THEY CARE ABOUT THE GUN AND THEY TREATED SO GENTLY, THAT IS
OBVIOUSLY A STATEMENTS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF AMERICA.
HIS EXAGGERATED DANCE MOVES ARE AN OBVIOUS REFERENCE TO HOW
AMERICA VIEWS LACKS HISTORICALLY AS ENTERTAINERS AND ARE HAPPY TO
HAVE THEM ENTERTAINED THEM, BUT THEIR ACTUAL BODIES, THEIR
DEAD BODIES ARE LESS RELEVANT AND DO NOT GET THE
ATTENTION AND HE REALLY EMPHASIZED THAT IN THE VIDEO.
YOU CAN SEE THAT A LOT BECAUSE HE IS DOING THESE VERY
POPULAR DANCE MOVES THAT WERE MADE POPULAR BY PEOPLE WITHIN
THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND HE IS DOING THAT AT THE FOREFRONT
WHILE IN THE BACKGROUND SO MUCH IS GOING ON SO WE CAN GO
STRAIGHT TO THE NEXT ONE, WHERE YOU CAN SEE HIM DANCING AROUND
WHERE ALL OF THIS VIOLENCE, A POLICE CAR, ALL OF THIS
CRAZINESS IS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND WHICH IS REALLY, TO
YOUR POINT, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE ARE HAPPY TO ELEVATE BLACK
ENTERTAINERS, WE ARE HAPPY TO APPRECIATE BLACK CULTURE AND
APPRECIATE BLACK MUSIC BUT THEN WHEN IT COMES TO VIOLENCE
AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE, NOBODY REALLY CARES.
EVERYBODY IS FOCUSING ON WHAT IS ON THE FOREFRONT AND THAT
IS VERY PROBLEMATIC IN OUR COUNTRY.
THIS IS AMERICA.
RIGHT SO THAT'S A COMEDY OF HOW WE TREAT BLACK ENTERTAINERS
VERSUS THE FAR MORE COMMON AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN
THIS COUNTRY IS WHAT HE IS POINTING OUT AGAIN IN A WAY THAT
I THINK IS AMAZING.
SAYING LIKE, THE REAL PROBLEMS ARE IN THE BACKGROUND AND
NO ONE CARES AND IN FACT, THEY WILL ACTIVELY FIGHT AGAINST
IT, FIGHT AGAINST FIXING IT, BUT AS LONG AS YOU ARE DANCING
IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND ENTERTAINING THEM THEY ARE
LIKE OKAY THAT IS GOOD, WE LIKE THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE IS THE CHARLESTON REFERENCE.
LET'S PULL UP THAT IMAGE RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN SEE THIS REAL BACK-AND-FORTH IN THE VIDEO
BETWEEN JOY AND PAIN AND SO THERE ARE THESE CHOIR
MEMBERS WHO THINK THEY'RE SINGING THE CHORUS.
HE COMES IN WITH ONE LOOKS LIKE SOME SORT OF SEMI AUTOMATIC
WEAPON AND HE HAS DANCING AND THEN JUST SHOOT THEM ALL
WITHOUT EVEN BLINKING AN EYE, KEEPS ON DANCING.
THE BODIES ARE LEFT JUST TO REMAIN THERE WHEREAS THE GUN
AGAIN IS TAKEN CAREFULLY AWAY FROM HIM AND HE REMAINS
UNTOUCHED, UNSCATHED WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
2015 CHARLESTON SHOOTING WHERE THIS MAN JUST WENT IN, SHOT UP
A CHURCH, HE WAS, HE WENT TO JAIL BUT WAS NOT
TREATED FORCIBLY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THE FAMOUS STORY ABOUT HOW THEY TREATED THE CHARLESTON
SHOOTER WAS THAT ONCE THEY ARRESTED HIM THEY TOOK HIM TO A
BURGER KING AND GOT A MEAL AND SO THAT GOT UNDER A LOT OF
PEOPLE SKIN VERY UNDERSTANDABLY, SO PEOPLE SAID A CHOIR, IS
THAT OVER-THE-TOP.
THE CHARLESTON SHOOTING HAPPENED AT A CHURCH AND A BIBLE STUDY.
IT WAS A JOYOUS MOMENT, THE GUY CAME IN AND MURDERS THEM
AND WALKS OUT AND THE COPS GIVE HIM BURGER KING.
OF COURSE IT IS A REFERENCE TO THAT AND WELL DONE, AGAIN.
PART OF THE SYMBOLISM HERE IS HE IS SAYING IF ALL YOU
WERE GOING TO DO IS FOCUS ON US SINGING AND ENTERTAINING
YOU THEN I AM GOING TO PUT IN THE SONG AND I'M GOING TO
PUT IN THE VIDEO.
PERFECT.
I LOVE THAT.
EVERYTHING IN THIS VIDEO IS SO GENIUS.
THE NEXT PART, HE SAYS THIS IS A TOOL.
IT'S A REFERENCE TO STEPHON CLARK, BUT ALSO THE FACT
THAT PEOPLE ARE NOW USING CELL PHONES THROUGH THE
DOCUMENTS WHAT IS HAPPENING WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
ESPECIALLY POLICE FOR TALLADEGA AGAINST THEM AND IT IS SO
GREAT THAT HE TALKS ABOUT THAT.
YOU CAN USE THIS AS A TOOL AND I LOVE THAT HE DOES THAT AND
THEN THE LAST SCENE IS HIM RUNNING THROUGH THIS
EXTREMELY DARK HALLWAY WITH HIS EYES BULGING AND MANY ARE
SAYING THAT THAT IS A REFERENCE TO THE SUNKEN PLACE, IT'S A
REFERENCE BACK TO GET OUT.
THERE IS A LOT GOING ON IN THIS VIDEO BUT IT IS GENIUS.
ALL OF THE SYMBOLISM IS THERE AND I WATCHED IT AT LEAST FIVE
TIMES AND EVERY TIME I FELT LIKE I NOTICED SOMETHING
DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING NEW AND I AM PROBABLY MISSING STILL
HALF OF THE SYMBOLISM HE PUT INTO THE STOCK
I AM TOO, AND I HOPE ONE DAY HE EXPLAINS IT ALL OR MAYBE
HE DOESN'T AND LEAVES AS A WORK OF ART.
THE STEPHON CLARK WAS SHOT BY COPS IN HIS OWN BACKYARD.
HE HAD A CELL PHONE AND THE COPS SAID THEY SHOT HIM BECAUSE
THEY WERE WORRIED IT WAS A TOOL.
THEY THOUGHT HE WAS USING IT TO BREAK INTO CARS.
IT TURNS
OUT IT WAS A CELL PHONE AND HE DID NOT HAVE A WEAPON AT ALL.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A REFERENCE TO THE SUNKEN PLACE WHEN HE
IS RUNNING OUT OR JUST COMMENTARY ON
AFRICAN-AMERICANS RUNNING FROM THE POLICE AND OFTEN TIMES
PEOPLE WILL SAY WHY WERE THEY RUNNING IN THE FIRST PLACE?
AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN ALL THE CARNAGE IN THE VIDEO, WHO
IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD RUN?
EITHER WAY, INCREDIBLY WELL PUT TOGETHER AND IT HAD THIS
FUNNY EFFECT ON ME.
THE SERIES ATLANTA IS A REALLY WELL RECEIVED, IT HAS A TON
OF GREAT REVIEWS FROM CRITICS, ETC.
BUT IT IS HARD TO KEEP
UP WITH ALL THE SHOWS THAT AFTER WATCHING THIS VIDEO I AM
LIKE I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND WATCH ATLANTA.
THIS GUY IS AWESOME.
I BELIEVE IT IS THE SAME DIRECTOR.
HE IS AMAZING, HE IS MULTITALENTED AND THERE SO
MANY THINGS IN THIS VIDEO.
ANOTHER ASPECT, ONE THING I WANT TO BRING UP IS HE HAS THE
WHITE HORSE WITH THE CLOAKED HENCHMEN ON IT WHICH IS A
REFERENCE TO THE APOCALYPSE AND HE IS SAYING THIS IS AMERICA
AND THAT IS KIND OF HOW I FEEL EVERY DAY BUT I CAN'T EVEN
IMAGINE FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY THAT IS GOING THROUGH ALL
OF THIS JUST CONSTANT VIOLENCE AND DISRESPECT BY OUR COUNTRY.
IT IS APPARENTLY THE FIRST HORSE OF THE APOCALYPSE AND
IT IS THE BACKGROUND WHILE HE IS STILL DANCING AND EVERYONE
IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DANCING.
THE APOCALYPSE HAS BEGUN.