So there’s been a lot of controversy recently regarding singer MIA (right)
and the bloody, graphic video for her new single, ‘Born Free.’
Placed onto Youtube then removed a day later, it’s a ten-minute, Hurt Locker style hi-def depiction of a group of American soldiers rounding up young ginger people, driving them away in armoured vehicles to the desert, and forcing them to run across a minefield at gunpoint. It’s pretty gruesome- a small child is shot in full-facial close-up, and there is absolutely nothing left to the imagination when the inevitable explosions start happening.
It’s still up Here, and it’s compelling viewing.
But is it offensive?
To some, yes, absolutely. That kind of violence is shocking and terrifying, and yes, it is happening in the world today- there’s some suggestion that with these ginger people in there, MIA’s making reference to the Tamil Tigers, who she’s previously caught flack for supporting. It’s a fairly clear message, too- pretty much, it’s ‘Racism is bad, m’kay?’ It can’t help but make you think about the fact that things like this are well within the human capability for violence and hatred.
That’s all well and good, but I have a problem with the opening of the video- there’s a bunch of other shocking images in there, seemingly at random- the old man smoking crack, the overweight couple having sex. It’s unclear why they’re there, apart from the fact that, well, it’s unsettling and unpleasant. And that’s kind of a shame. We don’t need to be beaten over the head with outrage, surely? It’s almost as if they’re just throwing as much at the camera as they can, to see how far they can push it.
It’s odd, too, that to me the music itself is really only a secondary consideration in this. It’s not the main event, it’s the soundtrack. That’s reinforced by the way that the track fades in and out where the narrative of the video deems it appropriate. Now, that might be interesting, but isn’t Mia supposed to be a recording artist, not a film-maker?
And if I’m going to be brutal about the track, it’s not that good. It’s atmospheric, and angry, but it’s not really as good as the song it samples, or indeed strong enough to stand up as a good song on its own. I may be a little bit of a luddite about this, but it’s about the music.
In this instance, I can’t help but think that music is a bit of a distant second priority.