Rhetorical Analysis

This is America- The Protest Music Video that went Viral 

Protest videos are very common in this day and age, as well as in the past. In many songs, you can find some type of protest or opinion being presented, in hopes of appealing to a certain audience. One of these songs/music videos is “This is America” by Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino), created in May of 2018, which had much attention brough to it. This song served a huge purpose in bringing awareness to the events going on in the world, hoping to dive into the viewer's emotions and make them aware of the reality so many people face. There were many opinions on this song and music video, and it sparked a lot of arguments between those who loved it and those who opposed it.  

“This is America” was written to confront issues of ongoing systemic racism, including prejudice, racial violence, the ghetto, and law enforcement in the United States. The song and its music video also address the wider issues of mass shootings and gun violence in the United States as its central message. The music video tells a history of black oppression in America and illustrates America’s false promise of freedom. The video itself has a great deal of visual elements. The color, high quality, and inclusion of background dancers add to the set of the video. The main performer, Childish Gambino, is focused on, but there are many different little scenes going on in the background.  

As with any idea or perspective, not everyone is going to agree. Different opinions of others are what make up our world. If everyone agreed on everything, there would be no room for discussion or growth within new ideas. The music video “This is America” discussed some controversial topics which spiked agreeance and praise from some audiences and hate from others. Looking at some of the background dancers in the video, they are mostly teenagers. The opportunity these young adults had was huge, especially for those that were African American. Since the video covered many of the events going on in our world that were caused by racial hatred, those teenagers had a chance to speak out and bring awareness through their dancing. This was an exciting chance for them to be able to express how these events affected our world negatively and hit close to their race and culture. 

Many aspects of the video can be explored as rhetorical choices. There is lots of symbolism, which presents the use of logos. Examples include the use of firearms, imagery of Jim Crow, and dancing, to spread awareness on issues of gun violence, race, and entertainment in America. The use of symbolism creates a deeper meaning and forces the viewer to think about the bigger picture and purpose of the video. In addition, Donald Glover presents himself and the themes in the video by using ethos. He portrays a character that has many layers and is a bit complicated. He switches from upbeat, cheerful dancing, to violence and shooting in just seconds. This reflects the many experiences on African Americans and stereotypes about black individuals. His performance highlights his ability as an artist and adds to how he uses ethos by showing how he can bring attention to a wide range of issues. Lastly, pathos is strongly presented in this film. Donald made sure that his audience would feel emotions and empathy though his work. The video achieves this by using lots of visual and theme filled elements that create strong emotional responses. It starts with a pretty unexpected act of violence when Donald shoots a man. This immediately catches the viewer's attention and draws them in while creating a plethora of feelings. Having both violence and joyful dancing contributes to the setting of the video. The choreographed dances are executed well, and the dancers have great skill that keep the watcher's attention. The inclusion of both violence and celebration creates a mix of emotions. 

This music video was shot in a large and bare warehouse. From the view of the background dancers, they might have been a bit skeptical at first, since most famous music videos have tons of props and effects, switching between many different backgrounds. The dancers seemed to be asked to dance in a way that made it seem like all was right in the world, while there were acts of violence going on behind them. Their joyful dancing was to prove the point that many people decide to choose distraction over change even though they see and hear of all the nasty and cruel events happening around them. The dancers played a key role in the overall production and quality of this music video. They did an outstanding job keeping smiles on their faces and dancing without a care in the world. Donald, dancing in front of them, did most of the same moves, but in a way that was a bit distorted. The kids just had to keep dancing and proving the idea of “distraction” while Donald would often break away to commit the acts of violence shown in the video. This showed that children are not always educated on what is happening and do not figure stuff out until something unfortunate happens to either them or someone they know or have seen. Never knowing too much about the outside world and its dangers. In an interview by HighsNobiety, Sharrie Silver, the dance choreographer stated: 

No matter how much is going on—even if it is the middle of a war or poverty or hunger—one thing Africans share is we dance our sorrows away. Not even professionally, it is just a part of our culture (Sawyer 4).  

The choice to have only African American dancers really made the video. It showed their culture and how they express themselves through dance. 

Although light has been shed on the meaning and purpose in this music video and the effect the dancers had, it also spiked many arguments and hate. With just a simple search on the web of the controversy of This is America, a million results pop up. Although some could argue it is an amazing piece of work, others think the exact opposite. This is what makes it a protest video. There will never be an absolute agreement on the opinion of this music video. In a comment on the Quora website, an anonymous person writes:  

Why hasn’t “This is America” by Childish Gambino been demonetized on YouTube yet? It shows him shooting a bunch of people, making racist comments, and referencing Jim Crow several times (Quora).  

This is just one of the million negative comments about Donald Glovers music video. Somebody responded to the above comment with, “Because it's a work of art and a commentary on these issues and not just a senseless music video that uses these things for their sensationalism. That’s kinda the point” (Quora). As one can see, there will always be an ongoing argument about if this music video is good or bad. That is not necessarily what matters though. Of course, there will always be arguments and opposing opinions. What matters is that even amongst the hatred, it still reached the audience that Donald had intended it to and helped raise awareness and display the reality of events in our world. To many, it was an extremely impactful song, so no wonder it had billions of views. It had an impact on America.  

Works Cited  

Sawyer, Words by Jonathan, and Jonathan SawyerCopywriter. “Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ Choreography Explained.”

Highsnobiety, 8 May 2018, www.highsnobiety.com/p/childish-gambino-this-is-america-choreography-explained/. 

"Why Hasn’t ‘This Is America’ by Childish Gambino Been Demonetized on YouTube yet? It Shows Him Shooting a Bunch of People, 

Making Racist ...” Quora, qr.ae/pKKERj. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023. 

Hyperlink to the video: Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)