Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino’s This Is America has spawned numerous parodies, mash-ups and local versions, including a Nigerian and Indian cover. Now, British comic Sir Lenny Henry has added to this long list of spin-offs, but with a twist.
While Childish Gambino’s hit single is a takedown of racism and violence in the United States of America, Henry adapts the lyrics to rue the imminent death of the television in the video-on-demand era.
“This is the TV. Don’t catch you watching now. Kids don’t be watching now. They all watching YouTube now,” Henry or “Wildish Gambino” says in This is the TV. “What happened to TV? Started off groundbreaking. It was moving and shaking. Now it’s cooking and baking. This is the TV, on a downward spiral.”
The video was released on YouTube on August 20 and was featured in a BBC special to mark Henry’s 60th Birthday (August 29). Henry, a stand-up comedian, actor, musician and television personality, was knighted in 2015.