M.I.A. is awesome. So many people are apparently up in arms about her new music video Born Free because military police officers wearing American flag badges on their shoulders raid an unidentified city (skyline makes it look like L.A.) and round up roughly a dozen red-headed young men, delivering a severe beating to anyone that stands in their way, then the officers turn their weapons on the boys.
You never see the violence, and the 2 blood scenes are more special effects/movie magic than actual gore, but it perfectly demonstrates what happens when militant groups raid cities / homes / families. But that only ever happens in developing, disease ridden nations, right? No one should care about it, right? That is, until it happens to white Americans.
Sorry, everybody. Sure, you may be offended because it's "graphic" but you're more upset because it puts a white American face on it, rather than a third world nobody. It changes the setting from "far away" to home.
So to Maya -- I thank you. It's like you're the only one with the balls to put out there what actually happens during wars. What actually happens during raids and invasions. And what is actually happening out there, right now.
M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.
