Childish Gambino 🎀

Do you know Childish Gambino?

Come Talk about Childish Gambino:

a student-led convo for J-Track students

Study Before You Come: (See Below)


1st Meeting: Sign Up

April 18 from 5:05pm to 5:35pm


2nd Meeting: Sign Up

April 19th from 12:40pm to 1:10pm


Study Before You Come:

Song 1: β€œThis is America” 

Listen/Watch Music Video Here

(WARNING: Violence)

Song 2: β€œFeels Like Summer” 

Listen/Watch Music Video Here

Photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Childish_Gambino.jpg

Quick Facts (source: Donald Glover Wikipedia)

Recommendation for listening: You can watch and follow along with music video English subtitles, or just relax and listen to the English and see how much you can understand! (Or go try to sing it at karaoke!!) 

BEFORE LISTENING – Think About This!

Before listening to the two songs and watching the music videos, think about the following topics. Easier questions in green, intermediate level questions in orange, more difficult questions in red.

  1. What is your favorite Childish Gambino song? What is your favorite Donald Glover movie or TV show?
  2. What do you know about American history and culture, especially Black American history and culture?
  3. What are some of the most dangerous global problems facing humanity today? Some examples may include climate change, species extinction, or ocean acidification.

AFTER LISTENING/WATCHING

Discussion Questions

  1. Did you like these songs? Why or why not? Did you like the music videos? Why or why not?
  2. Which famous people did you see in β€œFeels Like Summer?” Why are these people famous?
  3. Are there any musicians similar to Childish Gambino that you like?
  4. In β€œFeels Like Summer,” what is the singer’s attitude towards climate change? Is he optimistic about the future? Why do you think so (or not)?
  5. What can you learn about American history or culture from the song and music video for β€œThis is America”? Which parts of the music video do you think represent historical events?
  6. In β€œFeels Like Summer,” the singer is watching many famous rap artists and other important modern black figures doing various activities during the summertime. However, the song lyrics are about the effects of climate change on society and the environment. Why do you think the music video differs from the message of the song in this way?

Other Discussion Questions

Read this interesting quote from Wikipedia:

β€œGlover is known as a private person and rarely posts on social media or does interviews unless for promotional work. In an interview with The New Yorker, he stated that social media made him feel “less human” and that he only visits online discussion pages in which he can stay anonymous and communicate with people who understand what he is saying.”

  1. What does Donald Glover think of social media? What does he mean when he says social media β€œmade him feel β€˜less human?’”
  2. Are you similar to Donald Glover in your opinion of social media? How so?

Published by

tiuschoonmaker

Tokyo International University

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