Video Review: “This Is America” by Childish Gambino

I am blown away by this video.  It’s one of those things where I wonder how good the song would actually be without the poignant and sobering music video that encapsulates Childish Gambino’s message behind the song.  We have a problem in America.  Some would say a gun problem.  Some would say a mental health problem.  We have a “heart” problem more than anything.  We are desensitized to all of the violence that bombards our 24/7 news on the regular.  It is disgusting and sad to say but sadly that is the reality behind the situation.

In terms of the music video, there is so much going on that it’s ridiculous.  Yet, after watching it, I was somehow gravitated towards Childish Gambino’s dancing and the antics that he sometimes pulls.  My jaw hit the floor when one was killed execution style and the entire church choir was sprayed with machine gun bullets, yet it really goes to show how desensitized to violence we really are.  Our American culture is so fixated on entertainment that we forget that there are people in our country suffering on the regular.

The music showcases Childish Gambino’s brilliance.  It is one of the few music videos I’ve seen where his antics and how he portrays the message is that he is able to manipulate the viewer of the video to focus on particular parts that when the viewer looks beyond the surface, that you see a whole slew of problems beyond the superficiality of American culture.  We are so superficial as a culture and as a country.  We are at the 11th hour and we need to wake up now.  Open up your mind and listen to what Childish Gambino is trying to tell you.  We have a heart problem in America and a lot of things need to change.