MIA

This video by MIA has been banned on You Tube but is still available on miauk.com What do you think and what is the artist trying to say through the video ?

Read this article about the artist MIA written by Miranda Sawyer in the Guardian.

We discussed why this video might be banned. The graphic violence including shooting of a young boy and blowing another up with the body literally exploding. CGI effects show the dismemberment of limbs and the slow motion effects show the blood exploding from a bullet wound. Josh felt that he had seen much worse in war films, however and perhaps the lack of dialogue and lack of engagement with characters meant that the power to move an audience was less palpable. At one point a man is seen smoking crack which may be controversial and also leads the viewer to think this may be a simple drugs bust. There is some nudity also but it may be the political message that was too hot for You-Tube. The military clad in black and gas masks have American flags on their uniforms suggesting that the USA persecutes minorities. Those with ginger hair may represent any group that is persecuted for their 'difference'.

Josh felt that it could be a metaphor for the Nazi's who exterminated Gypsies and Jewish people. It could also be read as a comment on Gaza or other places where the majority has a vested interest in removing a minority group. An interesting piece of mise-en-scene is the mural on the wall which depicts 'terrorists / freedom fighters 'and the statement 'our time will come.' This opens up the debate about political violence. It was not long ago that Americans were financing the IRA in Northern Ireland. The artist's own family is of Sri Lanka descent and we could read the struggle of oppressed minorities like the Tamils into the film. News reports suggest that the recent government victory over 'rebel' groups was achieved through massacres of soldiers and civilians on the very beaches that are now being advertised as tourist destinations. Most conflicts have this tension between countries or ethnic groups at root so the video can be seen as raising a mirror to the World.

We discussed the effect of the video on an audience and whether it was too graphic. The artist raises their profile through viral advertising and banning the video only raises awareness and makes audiences want to see what they are missing. Particularly a young media savvy audience of music fans for whom the artist could be a symbol of rebellion. Should this use of shocking subject matter be in a music video which is essentially an advert for a product or does using this medium which can be accessed by a wide audience provide an effective platform for political messages and voices that want to be heard in the anodyne world of popular music.