From the opening monologue of his dual-threat appearance on Saturday Night Live, Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, continued his unique comeuppance on a world once reluctant to see his talents manifest to the fullest, Glover jokingly admitting so in his monologue. It’s actually apropos in America because, you know, he’s black. Nothing comes easy.
In said monologue, Glover sang quixotically about his ability to do anything, bumbling and stumbling his way through a merry tune that in which he comically tries a number of tasks that had previously been undertaken by various members of the cast.
Of the multitude of memorable sketches, who but Glover could possibly pull off a scathing satire that was A Kanye Place. Indeed, the manner in which it summed up the contemporary maelstrom surrounding the subject matter, and inherent absurdity of, the Kanye West conundrum, was nothing less than brilliant.
A Kanye Place – SNL
Friends (Donald Glover, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant) have a hard time staying quiet when they hear what Kanye West is up to. #SNL #SNL43 Get more SNL: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live Full Episodes: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-liv… Like SNL: https://www.facebook.com/snl Follow SNL: https://twitter.com/nbcsnl SNL Tumblr: http://nbcsnl.tumblr.com/ SNL Instagram: http://instagram.com/nbcsnl SNL Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nbcsnl/
The incompetent Jurrasic Park lawyer was signature SNL silliness but betrayed Glover’s skillful comedic timing, yet who but he could glean laughs from the absurdity of correctional facilities slaving out inmate labor as customer service representatives?
Prison Job – SNL
Inmates (Donald Glover, Kenan Thompson, Chris Redd) trade stories while working as customer service agents. #SNL #SNL43 Get more SNL: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live Full Episodes: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-liv… Like SNL: https://www.facebook.com/snl Follow SNL: https://twitter.com/nbcsnl SNL Tumblr: http://nbcsnl.tumblr.com/ SNL Instagram: http://instagram.com/nbcsnl SNL Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nbcsnl/
Imagery matters and no creator on television seems to lock into that paradigm quite like Glover, much to the glee of this writer.
With the release of the video for the burgeoning hit “This is America”, Childish Gambino has dipped into his seemingly endless well of magical black ink with which he creates his worldview.
Childish Gambino – This Is America (Official Video)
“This is America” by Childish Gambino http://smarturl.it/TcIgA Director: Hiro Murai Producer: Doomsday with Ibra Ake and Fam Rothstein of Wolf + Rothstein tour tickets and merchandise available at childishgambino.com
From the very beginning the immediate objectification of human life, and the idolization of guns is made stark upon the viewer’s psyche as Childish Gambino transitions from one jarring depiction of American reality to the next. The chorus sang in English, but in a cadence, only the soul truly recognizes, strides temporal trappings and immediately anchors the melody among the ancestors. Police brutality, financial freedom, substance abuse, and other far more subtle messages can be gleaned therein.
With Atlanta still reigning as the single most unique piece of television ever crafted going into its highly-anticipated season finale, and his role as Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, two things seem clear; April showers do bring May flowers, yet Glover will reign in the month of May.
