I remember when I first saw the “This is America” music video. I had already heard the song, and was not prepared for the disconnect between its catchy melody and the violence depicted in the video. The second execution, where Donald Glover shoots the choir, was especially jarring. It happens so suddenly, and your brain almost doesn’t know how to interpret the senseless act of violence. Pairing the upbeat and fun song with the shocking and grim video was a smart choice. It forces the audience to consider that something is wrong, and that the problem is hiding in plain sight.
In “Slaying New Black Notions”, Osman discusses how the video shows a “relentless looping,” and people’s “inattentiveness to the horrors behind them” (Osman 40). The video illustrates how we’ve been desensitized to the violence committed against Black Americans on a regular basis. As Osman identifies, “our inattentiveness is designed to
maintain a system” that allows discrimination and violence to take place. Horrific things happen, and then the newest trend or piece of information diverts our attention, causing the atrocities to fade into the background. I think that music allows this work of art to be much more effective in conveying a message than it would be with only visuals or text. The song creates a rhythm for the visuals, and serves to illicit a positive emotional response, which makes the audience’s negative reaction to the visuals even more jarring in contrast.
I thought that the point you mentioned about the shocking nature of the “this is america” music video is really important. It created a distinct event that pressed our emotions. I also thought that the scene where donald glover shoots the choir at the church was especially disturbing. However, as you mention, it is probably necessary to convey a message that most people are often less open to.
The point you made about America diverting attention from atrocities is super important and definitely happens way more often than it should. We always see a horrifying and tragic story on the news and everyone posts about it on Instagram for a day or two, but then the attention just goes away from it and on to something else. Social media plays a huge part in this indecisiveness and this constant shift of media that sometimes does a lot of harm.
You bring up a great point about pairing an upbeat song with tragic lyrics. This is seen in quite a few well-known songs, perhaps the first to come to mind would be “Pumped Up Kicks.” People are inclined to listen to “happy” and “upbeat” music, they don’t always want to go out of their way to listen to something disheartening or sad. Childish Gambino challenges this by creating a catchy, sing-a-long song that also carries with it a heavy, important message.