A YouTuber by the name of Nicole Arbour attempted to make a “Women’s Edit” video of the current No. 1 song in the country, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” As expected, the white woman’s stab at using the Internet-breaking video as a blueprint to make her own statement was met with heavy criticism.
The self-proclaimed Canadian comedian used her lambasted video to discuss the pay gap, rape and more issues that women have to face. However, the original intention of Glover’s video was completely stripped away, leaving a whitewashed, eye-roll inducing mess.The original video was released late last week during the multi-hyphenate’s appearance on Saturday Night Live. The much-dissected Hiro Murai-directed visual touches upon race relations and gun violence.
Arbour responded to the criticism on her Instagram page, writing “If you don’t like what someone makes, cool, find someone you do like. But saying I stole is just funny. Cultural appropriation would have been if I pretended I made it, and all the hate is really misdirected. Focus on real issues.”
The YouTuber was in the news in 2015 after uploading a video to her account about why she chooses to shame overweight people, and she made a video of herself attempting to explain black cultural appropriation. In her own words, “I’m not trying to appropriate and steal, I just really f**kin’ like it.”
Naturally, the Internet was merciless once it caught wind of Arbour’s bland and tone-deaf recreation of Glover’s well thought-out video. Read some of the responses below.
This is not a women’s edit. This is a WHITE womans edit. If you cannot see the difference, you’re a shit feminist and a hack.
— Sailor J (@SlaylerJ) May 13, 2018
The only smart thing you did in this video is disable the comments.
— ᴅᴏᴍᴇɴɪᴄk ɴᴀᴛɪ (@KingOfContacts) May 13, 2018
Nope. not wit it. it’s like u are saying being a woman is harder than being black. or somehow the issues women are facing are worse than being black. u could have made your point without biting off his creativity and expression. now Noone is going to see the point you were making
— Aura La-Nae (@auralanae) May 14, 2018
Talk about disrespectful and inappropriate. Have you no shame or honor? Gambino/Glover creates an essential video narrative and you took it, whitewashed it, and co opted it. For what? This ain’t your time, place, or story.
— Liz Scherer (@lizscherer) May 14, 2018