Description
You have been assigned to do a rhetorical analysis paper in which you use multiple components to analyze a piece of media. 1. Watch Childish Gambino’s video for “This is America.” (Links to an external site.) Please be advised that there is explicit content/imagery. 2. In your reply answer the following questions: – What is the primary goal of this music video/song? – What external social issues/topics influenced the imagery in the video? – What persuasive appeal was most effective: ethos, pathos, or logos? Provide an example from the video for the appeal that you thought was used effectively. – In one sentence, what do you think was the major claim of this video? Take your time with this and watch the video more than once. There is a lot going on so be critical and try to think past your initial reactions. Ask yourself questions like: when was this made? Why did he chose these images? Was this effective? How might others react to this video? Your answer to this can be short and concise…maybe 2 sentences for each question, except for that last one. ———————————————————————————————————————————————— separately read this student’s statement and write a 4-5 sentences response to this student. I think the primary goal of this music video is to show African American culture, which is overrun with violence. The music video also aims to highlight how blind America is to this violence. When this music video was published in 2018, the Black Lives Matter movement was well underway and violence against African Americans was prevalent throughout the country. These social circumstances are what lead to the creation of the song by Childish Gambino, as well as the explicit imagery in his music video. Pathos is the most concentrated appeal in this music video. Some scenes depict Gambino wielding a gun and firing onto non-threatening African Americans. One instance shows him shooting a man playing the guitar point-blank behind his head, while another shows the singer rapid firing into a group of African American men and women singing dressed in church clothes. Both images are meant to shock the viewer and elicit an emotional response. I say that America is blind to the violence because just as in the video we are distracted by what’s new and trendy in the social space. As Gambino dances in the foreground, we are oblivious to the violent riots in the background. Overall, the major claim of this video is that America allows violence against African Americans.
