The legal drinking age is an issue that has been highly contested in the United States. Some advocate to raise the drinking age to combat dangerous drinking behavior, others argue it should be lower to match the majority of other countries. Some support where it stands at 21.  

 Pt 1: History 

To fully understand the argument around the legal drinking age, we first must understand the history. 

Prohibition was put into place in 1919 as the 18th amendment and was later repealed as the 21st amendment in 1933. This quick rise and decline of the consumption and public opinion of alcohol speaks to the vast and varied history drinking, specifically the drinking age, in America. This movement to suspend drinking, called the temperance movement, was mainly seen as a progressive one at the time, however, in the 21st century, we would say this kind of thinking could be seen as highly conservative. According to Alcohol.org, the trade for the illegal substance “was so prevalent that Detroit’s illicit alcohol trade was the second-biggest contributor to the economy at the time, behind only the city’s auto industry.1 “(Speakeasy).  

When the 21st amendment was ratified, the voting age in the Country was also 21, so the drinking age was set to that for most states. Now, though, we see a 3-year gap between the two important ages. During the late 1960s to early 1970s, 30 states changed the age to be only 18 years old as their legal drinking age, due to the 26th amendment changing the voting age. From the mid-1970s to the late 1980s, states were required to change their legal drinking ages to 21 or risk losing funding for their highways. Some states raised the legal age before this change was mandated in order to combat drunk driving. “After all states adopted an age 21 MLDA, (minimum legal drinking age) drinking during the previous month among persons aged 18 to 20 years declined from 59% in 1985 to 40% in 1991.7” (CDC).  

*reference chart on Wikipedia for states specific ages and such* 

Sources:http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/prohib/  

https://www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/18th-and-21st-amendments  

https://www.alcohol.org/statistics-information/speakeasy/  

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/minimum-legal-drinking-age.htm – also lots of great facts and stats here! 

Images: https://time.com/5469508/prohibition-repeal-anniversary-history/  

https://www.wpr.org/vintage-wisconsin-revelers-celebrate-end-prohibition  

https://www.britannica.com/event/Prohibition-United-States-history-1920-1933  

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/prohibition-sign-jon-neidert.html?product=poster  

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/339318153151881552/  

https://riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu/program/east-commerce-stomp-san-antonio-swing-reborn  

https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/deportation-and-due-process/utah-passed-law-protect-noncitizens-automatic  

https://www.amazon.com/AMENDMENT-United-Constitution-ADOPTED-Newspaper/dp/B00U2TXFT2  

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/minimum-legal-drinking-age.htm  

Pt 2: Different Countries 

Controversy Project Script:  

Our own country has its variations on the alcohol laws but look around the globe and the legal drinking age varies wildly.  

 There are 16 countries with a total ban on alcohol, meaning no one can buy it, regardless of their age. Many of these countries are in the Middle East, such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Conversely, some countries have no established legal drinking age, meaning anyone can purchase and consume alcohol, including Benin, Sierra Leone, and Mali.  

The youngest established legal drinking age is sixteen, which holds true for Cuba, Panama, Serbia, and a small handful of other countries.
By and large, most countries MLDA (minimum legal drinking age) is 18, including most Middle and South America, Europe, East Asia, and South Africa.  

The U.S. only shares its MLDA with 11 other countries, being higher than most at 21.  

Finally, the highest age for legal drinking belongs to some areas of India, at 25 years old.  

In Europe, with such variation in drinking age and such close proximity between countries, the guidelines can see rather arbitrary and confusing.  

In fact, there is a restaurant on the Belgium-Netherlands border where, if seated at a table on the Belgium side, a sixteen-year-old could order a glass of wine with dinner. However, just across the room on the Netherlands side, they would be breaking the law. 

 

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/31/health/legal-drinking-age-world-explainer-parenting-intl/index.html  

Source: https://www.citylab.com/equity/2012/02/most-complicated-border-town-world/1267/ 

Image Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_consumption_by_youth_in_the_United_States#/media/File:Underage_consumption_map_2007.gif 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/31/health/legal-drinking-age-world-explainer-parenting-intl/index.html 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/06/09/iran-is-opening-150-alcoholism-treatment-centers-even-though-alcohol-is-banned/ 

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1424&bih=668&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=rwDtXeTwGMSl_Qa7kLOQAw&q=mali+drinking&oq=mali+drinking&gs_l=img.3..0i24.62762.64702..64816…0.0..0.60.718.14……0….1..gws-wiz-img…….0i67j0i8i30j0j0i131j0i131i67j0i5i30.AsX-J3W6GA4&ved=0ahUKEwikhNL9mabmAhXEUt8KHTvIDDIQ4dUDCAc&uact=5#imgrc=_ 

https://youtu.be/19CbtXBuK3c 

https://drinkingage.procon.org/minimum-legal-drinking-age-in-other-countries/ 

https://travelsofthedanielsfamily.com/2018/07/a-drink-for-saras-18th-birthday-by-sabu-alcoholic-since-shes-legal-to-drink-here/ 

https://www.thrillist.com/culture/21st-birthday-drinks 

https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/26xhh0/legal_age_to_drink_alcohol_in_europe_758646/ 

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2012/02/most-complicated-border-town-world/1267/ 

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/27/c_138505769.htm 

Pt 4: Cultures (Lewis) 

America has developed from a country which has viewed alcohol to be a sinful substance to one which is socially acceptable and to some is even known as an artform. Since the days of prohibition there has been a shift in American culture to a general acceptance of alcohol as long as it is consumed within moderation. A prime example of how the culture has changed is how people now spend thousands of dollars on rare and expensive bottles, primarily wine; the most expensive bottle of which sold for half a million dollars. There has also been a newfound appreciation of alcohol in America with people now being able to go to craft breweries, something which was originally an extremely illicit activity has now become a popular pasttime  

https://newyorkwineevents.com/top-5-expensive-bottles-wine-ever-sold/  

Pt 5: Age Brain Development (Mandy) 

It has been pushed for many years by scientists that underage alcohol consumption damages the maturing brain. It has been proven that the adolescent brain continues to change as it does with many other animals. Adolescents with a history of alcohol use exhibit risky decision making and poorer attention performance, working memory, and other executive functions. In a study performed by the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence, the theory of young no/low drinkers and over threshold drinkers, regardless of age did worse on tasks including balance, attention, motor skills, and emotion than older no/low drinkers. This proves that the brain is still developing during adolescence and that drinking permanently damages the brain. Another study created by Sarah Ewing in 2014 “The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Adolescent Brain” used young alcohol users to young non-alcohol users and compared their brains using MRI’s.  The study proved that underage drinkers are especially in danger of stunted brain development compared to young nondrinkers. Overall, drinking has been proven dangerous for all ages and sexes, especially in adolescence.  

Sullivan, E. V. et al. Cognitive, emotion control, and motor performance of adolescents in the NCANDA study: contributions from alcohol consumption, age, sex, ethnicity and family history of addiction. Neuropsychology, 30, 449–473 (2016). 

Ewing, Sarah W. Feldstein, et al. “The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on the Adolescent Brain: A Systematic Review of MRI and FMRI Studies of Alcohol-Using Youth.” NeuroImage: Clinical, vol. 5, 2014, pp. 420–437., doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2014.06.011. 

Sources of Images to use: 

• https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/905688/kazia-therapeutics-raises-4-million-to-progress-rd-programs-905688.html 
• https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/43020/harnessing-the-incredible-learning-potential-of-the-adolescent-brain 
• https://www.verywellfamily.com/youth-risk-behaviors-2606906 

• https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/alcohol-and-the-brain 
• https://www.vanrad.com/imaging-exams/mri/ 
• ﷟HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY37BFmVxwQ”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY37BFmVxwQ 
• ﷟HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIOcrW9h1QA”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIOcrW9h1QA 
• https://themindunleashed.com/2015/07/this-is-what-alcohol-reallydoes-to-your-brain.html 

 Pt 6: Everything you can do at 18  

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/why-can-serve-my-country-at-18-but-not-drink 

 Alcohol is a type of “forbidden fruit” for people ages 12-20. There are two sides to the controversial topic. On one hand, some feel as if lowering the drinking age would lead to an increase in binge drinking and harmful practices for young people. On the other hand, the argument is centered around comparisons with other countries around the world that have successfully lowered their drinking age, and the idea that if the drinking age was lowered, teens would drink less. In the United States, turning 18 means a lot. You can register to vote, serve on a jury, be tried for a crime as an adult, write a will, and even be drafted into the military. Age 18 seems to be the final point of privilege for U.S. laws. They are old enough to make big decisions on their own, so shouldn’t they be allowed to responsibly consume alcohol? 

https://legalbeagle.com/5371464-benefits-being-years-old.html 

 Pt 7: Binge Drinking (Maddie) 

Although alcohol is not very harmful in moderation, the effects of overuse, or binge drinking, can result in a variety of different complications, such as death. One of the most common reasons of death occurs from driving drunk. Drunk driving is especially on the rise in not just underaged users, but also overage users as well. According to The Zebra, an insurance comparison website, about 20.1% of survey responders aged 35 to 44 years old know somebody who has been killed in a drunk driving accident. 

However, drunk driving is not the only way death can occur from binge drinking. Simply enough, having just too much alcohol could result in death. When enough alcohol is consumed in a short period of time, the liver will not be able to process the alcohol out of the individual’s system, therefore leading to his/her death. According to the CDC, six people die each day from alcohol poisoning in the United States. A specific example of how binge drinking has become a more common occurrence is twenty-first birthdays.

https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/alcohol-poisoning-deaths/index.html 

https://www.thezebra.com/drunk-driving-statistics/ 

Pt 8: 21st Birthday 

Binge Drinking is a custom that has become central to 21st Birthdays. The University of Missouri determined that many college students drink to excess on their 21st birthdays. 34 percent of men and 24 percent of women reported consuming 21 drinks or more. Is it possible the 3 years delay from most European countries encourages this binging?  

Source: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2008/05/21st-birthdayvcfde 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DV88CgygMg 

https://youtu.be/cfkQqkb9rwI 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTv8qC7QxMc 

 Pt 9: Countries with lower (Lewis) 

 https://mdt.mt.gov/visionzero/docs/taskforces/ojjdp_feb01.pdf  

It’s possible. As seen in the graph there is a higher percentage of people drinking 5 or more drinks in a row in European nations, these are highest in countries which have a lower drinking age. Though the data doesn’t take into account under which settings people consume alcohol, there is an obvious correlation between the countries in Europe which have a lower drinking age and how many consume 5 or more drinks in a row. It is important to note when making decisions about drinking ages that there has been no significant evidence to prove that young Europeans drink more responsibly because they have a lower drinking age. 

Pt 10: New Drivers/Supplying (Mandy) 

In the 2014 study entitled “Providing Alcohol to Underage Youth: The View from Young Adulthood”, Amelia Arria and her colleagues asked 755 legal drinking age college students (22 to 26) if they ever supplied to minors. The results are shocking: 84.6% provided alcohol to a minor at least once and was more likely to occur more than once with older minors, 18-20-year olds. Over 20% reported supplying alcohol to minors under the age of 18 as well. Research in 1999 asked 8,909 high school seniors in upper Midwest communities about their drinking and driving habits. The creators, Grosvenor, Toomey, and  Wageaar gained results of 25% of current, 12th grade drinkers reported having driven after they had consumed enough alcohol to bother their driving during the previous 30 days. Among current drinkers, 56% reported having five or more drinks in a row in the previous two weeks. Results from the “2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health” prove that ages 16-20 make up 17.5 instances of driving under the influence during 2012. New legal drinkers, ages 21-25, are the majority of reckless drivers with 21.9 recorded instances in the survey. 

• Social Media Apps
  • Instagram 
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr 
  • Tinder 
  • Facebook 
• TED Talk 
  • Focus on one app: Snapchat 
    • How it has changed the way we communicate 
      • Sending pictures of our faces with no words 
      • Picture disappears after a certain amount of time 
      • A more casual feel than texting or calling 
    • Language 
      • Snapscore 
      • “Leaving on Delivered/ on Open”
      • Friends List 
      • “Add me on snap”
      • Snap filters 
      • Snap maps 
      • Private Story 
      • Streaks 
    • Romance with Snapchat 
      • How many teens and young adults communicate when they are causally talking 
      • Many different things that teens do on Snapchat such as leaving someone on open in order to play hard to get 
        • Playing hard to get is nothing new, but the way that people do it now has shifted 
    • Casual Nature of the app
      • For many, it is a lot easier to ask someone for their snapchat than their number 
        • For some reason, it feels easier and more casual 
          • From there, you could start a streak with them and then transition to actually talking on the app, then maybe move to texting 
      • TED talk would be explaining the shift but also could be very informative to older generations who know nothing about how we communicate on these apps or what the apps “norms” are

I chose a Ted talk called “The Psychological Impact of Child Separation at the US-Mexico Border”. Immigration is an issue that I am passionate about, and I thought that it would be interesting to hear what the speaker, Luis Zayas, had to say. He begins with talking about him growing up and his parents. This is a great way to start because he is talking about familial connections in his talk. I like this Ted talk because it is informative but also a call to action. He says that no matter what you believe; whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, this should be an issue you care about. Zayas has had personal experiences with the children at the border and he talks deeply about two boys who left the biggest impact on him. He talks about a drawing that one boy, Danny makes that depicts the violence that the “rebels locos” inflicted on the people of his town. I think this was a smart choice because a drawing is usually an innocent activity that children partake in, yet for Danny; his drawings represent something much less innocent and much more dark. He goes from talking about the horrors he witnessed at the border to the medical argument of the talk. He explains how a child’s brain is weakened in an environment like the camps they live in. They are under extreme stress, and many have night terrors, depression, anxiety, a hopeless feeling and PTSD. He then asks what we should do to solve this? He lays out his points in an organized manner and establishes his credibility as a medical professional once again. Throughout the speech, he addresses the audience directly and this works well because it connects him to the listener and makes him points come through clearer. I enjoyed how he varied his voice and moved around the stage as he spoke. He took many pauses in order to make certain points stand out. For his ending, he qualified by saying “while we may differ in our opinions on immigration…” and followed with that we all must come together to protect children. This was a good way to end because it came off as less of an accusatory argument and more of a call to action for the betterment of the children’s lives.

When brainstorming paradigm shifts throughout history, I began to think if maybe there had been a shift that occurred within my lifetime. The internet and subsequent rise of social media is probably the biggest development within my lifetime so far. Social media has changed the way we, as humans interact with each other and how we view ourselves. It has changed how we spend our time, and for many; it is a way to escape the difficulties of real life. Social media apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are, in many cases, the sole form of communication between two people. The rise of “internet friends”, “cancel culture” and “trending hashtags” are all very recent developments. Social media is controversial, as it has allowed for an interconnectedness that has pros and cons. Social media can be good in the way that it allows for a quicker spread of information and allows for many to become more informed on current events. Unfortunately, the internet has led to the rise of “internet trolls” who harass other users on social media. They often are the ones who are engaging in online bullying that takes a form of harmful comments, hurtful DMs and negative posts. Preteens are where social media starts, as many get their accounts by age 12. 

A shift of a world with and without social media is a very large topic, although for a paradigm shift, it can work. A Ted talk is a more condensed topic though. I had to think about what made the most sense within the social media topic. I thought I could talk about one specific platform and see what goes along with it, such as norms associated with it, how people communicate and how it has changed interactions. If not a specific app, I would probably take the route of explaining different trends that have come out of social media. The talk would be somewhat of an informational talk, although I am not sure if it would match my audience — college students use frequent social media often.

 

Essay Draft

If you follow music in any capacity, you probably have heard of the breakthrough artist, Lizzo. She first came on to the mainstream radio with her hit single, Truth Hurts. Although this song promotes a lot of important themes, I want to analyze a different song and accompanying video from Lizzo. The song ‘Good as Hell” was released on October 7th , 2016; although, it did not become very mainstream until recently. Now, this song is one of Lizzo’s most listened to tracks. I want to look at the themes present within the lyrics and music video, how they work to produce ethos and pathos, and the Kairos of the timing of the release of the music video and why it became more popular two years after its initial release. Also, I will compare it with Childish Gambino’s “This is America” music video and analyze the audiences the songs targeted and how their objectives differed. Lizzo’s song “Good as Hell” serves as a civic artifact through its ethos, pathos and logos that are exemplified by the themes of body positivity, acceptance and diversity that are expressed in the lyrics and music video. 

Music videos can often show what lyrics attempt to convey. The imagery narrows the   listeners interpretation of what the artist is trying to get across. The entirety of the video for “Good as Hell” takes place in a salon. This is to keep the viewers focus on one area, therefore, showing the importance of the salon. Throughout the video, women are shown getting their hair, nails, etc. done in the salon. In one specific scene that stood out, a woman walks into the salon; her hair is messy, and she covers herself as she walks in. She sits in a chair and is spun around to reveal a new hairdo. Later in the video, she is shown alone in front of the camera, showing off her new look and smiling with confidence. This scene expresses the theme of body positivity, with the woman’s confidence having increased with a simple hairdo. The actual women in the video are also important. They are all women of color, including Lizzo herself, and they all have different body types, fashion senses and hair styles. Although they are all so different, they share the same confidence and happiness that comes with acceptance of oneself.  

Throughout the video, ethos and pathos are heavily relied on while logos is not drawn on as much. Pathos, in a way, refers to the emotion that the video makes the reader feel. The song is upbeat, fast and fun. The actual video uses bold colors and imagery and depicts women in a community environment (ie the salon). The different women are transformed from being insecure and covering themselves to being confident and smiling and dancing in front of the camera. Today, women are too often shut down and shamed for being too confident or for wanting to show off. Sometimes, these criticisms come from other women themselves. Lizzo showed in her music video, that instead, women should lift each other up, and encourage each other to be comfortable in our bodies and bold in our endeavors. Now, the ethos of the video comes directly from Lizzo. She is a body positivity advocate and often speaks to the crowds at her concerts on how they should love and accept themselves. During her 2019 VMA performance Lizzo addressed the crowd, saying “I’m tired of the bullshit. And I don’t have to know your story to know that you’re tired of the bullshit too. It’s so hard trying to love yourself in a world that doesn’t love you back, am I right?” “So, I want to take this opportunity right now to just feel good as hell. Because you deserve to feel good as hell...”. She quoted her own song, while connecting with the audience on an issue that she is clearly passionate about. Lizzo has been very vocal about the struggles she faced in the music industry because of the way she looks, therefore, she is the perfect person to create content that reaches out and empowers women.  

The song “Good as Hell” was released in October of 2016 and the music video in May of 2016, although; the song did not hit mainstream media until 2018-19. Why is this? For one, after Lizzo’s single “Truth Hurts” went mega-viral and shot to the top of the billboards, people started to explore the other music that Lizzo had produced. Yet, a listener must connect with an artist for them to continue listening. Lizzo has a mainly female fanbase because women connect with Lizzo’s lyrics and her experiences. They understand what it is like to be constantly judged for the way you look and compared to impossible-to-achieve standards of beauty. The other reason why “Good as Hell” may have become so popular so long after it was released is because of the current political climate in the United States. The president is often criticized as being ‘sexist” with many of the things he has said being deeply hurtful to women. This has stirred up the feminist and women’s rights movements significantly. Also, social issues such as the #METOO trend has led to women banding together more and sharing what they go through. As the internet allows for people to become increasingly interconnected and the tensions in the country give rise to women’s empowerment movements, it’s no wonder why Lizzo has become so popular. These factors all give way to create the Kairos of the song and help to explain its sudden mainstream status.  

 *Add comparison paragraph and conclusion in final

Outline for Speech Revised

1. Introduction 

1. 1. Attention Getter 
      1. Music as a force that has brought people together since the beginning of time 
   2. Topic
      1. “This is America” by Childish Gambino music video
         1. His opinions and experiences and how they shape the content of the video
   3. Hook
      1. Addressing the audience directly and making sure that whether they listen to rap music or do not, they will still be able to receive a meaningful takeaway from the video 
   4. Establishing Credibility 
      1. Why I chose to analyze this specific video as a civic artifact 
         1. Rap is one of my most heavily listened to genres, I have watched the music video many times over 
   5. Thesis // Preview 
      1. In one sentence, explain what I am going to be talking about 
         1. General topics 
            1. Style, themes, how it functions as civic artifact, ethos, pathos, kairos
2. Themes // Style *** LARGEST CATEGORY 
   1. Standout moments in the video
      1. The very beginning when Gambino shoots the man playing guitar 
         1. Music is happy and upbeat 
         2. Gambino walks up while dancing to the music 
         3. Pulls a gun from behind his back and shoots the man in the back of the head 
         4. Gunshot signifes shift from happy music to rap as the phrase “This is America” is said for the first time 
      2. The black church choir being gunned down 
         1. Clear reference to the Charleston shooting in 2015 
         2. Their bodies lay lifeless as the gun is carefully placed on a red cloth 
            1. Shows how America values protecting guns over protecting human lives
      3. Other symbols 
         1. Four horsemen of the apocalypse with the hell following being the police 
            1. THEME: Police Brutality 
         2. Confederate Pants that Gambino wears 
            1. THEME: Racial Tensions 
      4. Overall theme is racially motivated violence and police brutality that african americans are forced to endure every day while society only focuses on the parts of african american society that they can consume as entertainment
         1. ie). Music, dancing
3. Pathos // Ethos // How it functions as civic artifact
   1. Pathos 
      1. African American schoolchildren are used to illustrate a loss of innocence 
         1. They experience this as they realize that the world will treat them differently because of the color of their skin
         2. Children evoke a lot of emotion 
      2. Examples in Lyrics
         1. “You just a Black man in this world, You just a barcode, ayy”
            1. Evokes emotion from the watcher of the video in whether this is true in their experience or if they sympathize with it 
               1. Racial tensions theme
         2. “Police be trippin’ now, Yeah, this is America , Guns in my area (word, my area), I got the strap, I gotta carry ’em”
            1. Expresses that because this is America, guns are everywhere and you have to have a gun to protect yourself because gun violence is so likely
               1. Critical of the police 
                  1. Reference to police brutality within black communities 
   2. Ethos 
      1. Gambino is able to convey and explain the struggles of growing up black in America because he did 
         1. His credibility 
            1. Grew up in a white suburb of Atlanta and was one of the only African American families in the area 
               1. Parents were both Jehovah’s Witnesses 
                  1. Religious mentions in the video 
   3. Serves as a civic artifact in a time capsule sense 
      1. The black American experience in the year 2018
4. Kairos in This is America 
   1. Video was released May 5, 2018
      1. On this specific day, Joe Biden talked to the media about his visit with John McCain, who was battling brain cancer
         1. McCain said he was concerned for the state of the country and talked about the need for people to stand up and speak out 
            1. Childish Gambino did exactly that in his music video 

 

1. Conclusion 
   1. Emphasize points in each body quickly 
      1. Styles, Themes, Ethos, Pathos, Civic Artifact, Kairos 
   2. My personal connection to the issue 
   3. Catchy closer 
      1. Protest Quote “If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention”

If you follow music in any capacity, you probably have heard of the breakthrough artist, Lizzo. She first came on to the mainstream radio with her hit single, Truth Hurts. Although this song promotes a lot of important themes, I want to analyze a different song and accompanying video from Lizzo. The song ‘Good as Hell” was released on October 7th , 2016; although, it did not become very mainstream until recently. Now, this song is one of Lizzo’s most listened to tracks. I want to look at the themes present within the lyrics and music video, how they work to produce ethos and pathos, and the Kairos of the timing of the release of the music video and why it became more popular two years after its initial release. Also, I will compare it with Childish Gambino’s “This is America” music video and analyze the audiences the songs targeted and how their objectives differed. Lizzo’s song “Good as Hell” serves as a civic artifact through its ethos, pathos and logos that are exemplified by the themes of body positivity, acceptance and diversity that are expressed in the lyrics and music video. 

 

• Themes and Symbols

 

1. 1. Race/Racial Tensions

   2. Gun Violence

   3. America has become too distracted to deal with the real issues it faces

2. Gambino’s Look

   1. Confederate pants

   2. Just pants and no shirt to keep the tone casual even though the music video is addressing very heavy and controversial themes

   3. Shows he is just a regular black man in America

      1. He does not try to show off his wealth, success, stardom, etc in the video through his physical appearance

 

• Key Moments

 

1. 1. A man is strumming a guitar alone, when he is tied up with a head covering and then Childish Gambino shoots him in the head, after this moment, the song starts quickly

      1. Happy music → Gunshot → Rap style music begins with the line “This is America”

2. The presence of school children throughout the video

   1. There were kids dancing with Gambino throughout the video, they were the focus, but in the background there was violence and police

      1. Conveys how in America, many black children’s innocence is stolen as they are subjected to the violence of the areas that they grow up in

3. Shooting of the happy and singing choir mid video

   1. Mid-Video, a black choir is singing and the overall feeling is happy, and then Gambino grabs a gun (semi-automatic rifle) and shoots the entire choir

      1. This is alluding to the Dylann Roof shooting where 9 black people were killed in a church basement

         1. Referencing back to the main idea of gun violence and also racial tensions as Roof is a white supremacist

 

• Logos in This is America

 

1. 1. Example of Roof shooting because it was a literal thing that happened and drives the point of gun violence and racial tensions to the forefront of the viewers mind

      1. Point out how he uses historical events to emphasize his point

   2. The Confederate pants Gambino wears

      1. Another historical nod

 

• Pathos in This is America

 

1. 1. Most present in this music video and within lyrics

      1. Examples in Lyrics

         1. “You just a Black man in this world, You just a barcode, ayy”

            1. Evokes emotion from the watcher of the video in whether this is true in their experience or if they sympathize with it

               1. Racial tensions theme

         2. “Police be trippin’ now, Yeah, this is America , Guns in my area (word, my area), I got the strap, I gotta carry ’em”

            1. Expresses that because this is America, guns are everywhere and you have to have a gun to protect yourself because gun violence is so likely

            2. Critical of the police 

               1. Reference to police brutality within black communities

 

• Ethos in This is America

 

1. 1. Gambino is able to convey and explain the struggles of growing up black in America because he did

      1. His credibility

         1. Grew up in a white suburb of Atlanta and was one of the only African American families in the area

         2. Parents were both Jehovah’s Witnesses

            1. Religious mentions in the video

 

• Kairos in This is America

 

1. Video was released May 5, 2018

   1. On this specific day, Joe Biden talked to the media about his visit with John McCain, who was battling brain cancer

      1. McCain said he was concerned for the state of the country and talked about the need for people to stand up and speak out

         1. Childish Gambino did exactly that in his music video

   2. Need more examples of what happened in May 2018*** Add for actual speech