Not quite video of the month: MIA

Controversy-magnet MIA is, somewhat predictably, following up her first big mainstream success with a censor-baiting video about the horrors of war.

Stretching out to nine minutes, the promo is full of nudity and explicit violence as it rams home two important and seldom-heard messages: War is bad and racism is bad.

See, MIA is trying to SHOCK us out of our cosy Western COMPLACENCY by confronting us with the brutal REALITIES of armed conflict and military OPPRESSION. The video sees masked soldiers in an unspecified country rounding up all the ginger men and children, bussing them out to the desert, turning their weapons on them and forcing them to run through a minefield.

What we learn is that hating people because of the colour of their skin is as illogical as hating them because of the colour of their hair, or their eyes, or what clothes they wear. I had literally never thought of this before.

The other thing we learn is that guns, explosions and violence are appropriate tools to sell a pop song.

MIA - Born Free


PS: The song is quite good, isn't it?

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