Canadian YouTuber slammed for ‘This is America’ parody
‘This is America’ video putting spotlight on race relations
The Culture Shock panel discusses Childish Gambino’s music video for ‘This Is America.’
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CTV Vancouver
Published Monday, May 14, 2018 1:36PM PDT
The Canadian YouTube personality behind the infamous «Dear Fat People» video is courting controversy once again, this time by parodying Childish Gambino’s «This Is America» music video.
Nicole Arbour’s «This Is America: Women’s Edit» puts a feminist spin on the hit song’s lyrics, replacing references to gun culture and police violence with verses about beauty standards and ageism.
But those issues are being drowned out by frustrated social media users. Some accuse Arbour, who is white, of co-opting and «whitewashing» a video that’s seen by many as an important conversation starter on U.S. race relations.
«This in no way made me feel empowered. Embarrassed is a better word,» one woman commented on Twitter.
«She’s doing this because she knows everyone will react and she’ll get more views or whatever matters in her world. She needs to take a seat,» another Twitter user said.
Arbour posted her music video on YouTube Saturday, and it has been «disliked» 31,000 times since. The social media star disabled comments.
Some critics said her decision to parody that particular video was especially wrongheaded because of some of Arbour’s past comments on race, including a recent Tweet where she said she’s sick of people «mad at slavery» because it’s in the past.
She clarified her opinion Sunday while under fire for her music video, saying «It’s misdirected energy. I can’t fix the past, but issues now, we all have a chance at so let’s refocus.»
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