| LaLaLand |
07-05-2018 12:20 AM |
Quote:
1. The guns are treated with more respect than human lives
Soon after each gun is brandished in the video — it happens twice — Glover gently places it on a red cloth held by well-dressed man. The body is then dragged off the screen by two similarly dressed men.
2. What the choir represents
One interpretation is that the choir can be seen as representing the folks who were gunned down while inside a church during the 2015 shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. Their faces are clear as day and jovial. Glover strolls in, shoots, and walks away without any harm.
3. Pay attention to the background ....but also pay attention to the dances.
As the video progresses, the background gets more and more intense. Riots are breaking out and cars are on fire — all while Glover and some kids dance. It's a pretty clear metaphor — the dancing, or the cultural contributions of black entertainers, draw cheers from all corners of society while racial violence and injustice continues to be an everyday and oft-ignored aspect of life.
Incorporated throughout the video are various moves — everything from viral video moves to Blocboy JB's shoot dance to the South African Gwara Gwara. These all have different origins but blend together to form something unique, that is very much a part of our American tradition.
These dance numbers have multiple interpretations: to some, these moments of joy drawn from the latest viral dances or videos provides a brief respite and reminder of joy. To others, they might be a way to gain a quick buck or a few followers.
The "dancing" around things like police brutality and gun violence could be seen as a metaphor for how in this country, politicians often dance around these issue.
Additionally, the fact that the dancing is front-and-center provides another lens of interpretation: that this, and similar culture, is all America sees when they see black people. Glover often makes exaggerated facial expressions while dancing in the video, which can perhaps be seen as a subtle nod to the caricatures made during the Jim Crow era.
4. Phones are out and recording
In the video, a bunch of folks (what appears to be kids) are hanging from the balcony with phones out and face masks on, recording the action below.
Whether their phones are pointing to the dancers or the chaos beyond isn't clear — but it's a quick pan that lines up perfectly with Glover rapping the lyrics "This a celly / That's a tool," which references two things: the cell phone — not a tool — that Stephon Clark was holding before he was killed by police officers in his own backyard; the many instances cell phones have been used as tools to broadcast police shooting, rioting against, or choking black people in this country.
5. The white horse
In the background of one scene, we see a hooded figure riding a white horse. Twitter user @courtneysalvin pointed out that this could be a reference to tale of Horseman of the Apocalypse, referenced in the book of Revelations in the Bible. The first horse of four is white, as is the one riding in the video.
6. SZA's cameo
All eyes are on Glover, which means SZA's appearance in "This Is America" is easy to miss. The singer is perched on a car, and doesn't have any lines — but perhaps it's a teaser for work to come from the two of them. It's worth noting all the car models seem to be from the '80s or '90s (in 2016, Philando Castille was killed by a police officer in a 1997 Oldsmobile).
7. Is Glover running from...the Sunken Place?
At the end of the video, Glover is running from a tunnel of darkness being chased by a variety of what seems to be non-black people, all while Young Thug sings in the background. Many on Twitter have theorized that Glover is in fact running from the Sunken Place, a concept developed in the film Get Out.
It's worth noting here: Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya was the one who introduced Glover's performance of "This Is America" on Saturday Night Live.
One message of "This Is America" is relatively clear: we've cultivated a culture in which we emphasize the trivial while pressing issues and life-or-death are all around us, unaddressed. Our priorities are messed up, Glover seems to be saying.
|
Woah |
