A Man, a Tan, "God's Plan"
Fabricating Authenticity - Jason W.M. Ellsworth
Richard W. Newton, Jr. [+]
University of Alabama
Richard W. Newton, Jr. is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. His research examines the making of social difference in light of the anthropology of scriptures. He also curates the teacher-scholar multimedia resource, Sowing the Seed: Fruitful Conversations in Religion, Culture, and Teaching (sowingtheseed.org).
Description
In this chapter, Newton deconstructs hip hop artist Drake’s philanthropy in the music video for his song “God’s Plan,” exploring the social and political dimensions of the seemingly altruistic act of giving. Newton argues the “authentic” nature of a gift is not what should be of interest, but instead that we need to focus on why certain public acts of philanthropy prompt scrutiny and questions about motivations, while others receive less attention.