Baraka_Guru

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertai...848/story.html

M.I.A has released a video, which was pulled from YouTube recently for being too violent and sexually explicit.

But further controversy surrounds the ultimate message, which can be taken from different angles.

Essentially what you have is government-sanctioned discriminatory violence, and in this case an interesting "race reversal."

Below is the Vimeo embed, since YouTube won't host it.

Warning: NSFW

What do you make of it?
Does it go too far?
Does it miss the mark?

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SecretMethod70

I appreciated it. A lot of people are mistaking the video for a commentary on American military. While that may play a role, I think the military is shown to be American so that we the viewers can more easily identify, in a "what if it happened here?" sense. Politically, most of her music relates to the situation in Sri Lanka, and I don't think this video is any different.

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

telekinetic

It's good to see someone finally taking decisive action against the ginger menace.

Seriously though, I think it's a great video. Perfect juxtaposition to point out the ludicrousness of militant discrimination. If the targets were black or middle-eastern or (these days in AZ) Mexican-looking, it would have had a whole different effect on a lot of viewers.

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twisted no more

Shauk

I seriously just thought this video was overreacting to the ginger sillyness, it's basically a more artful version of
I really dislike when bands rely on controversy to sell their music, to the point that I won't even bother supporting them anymore. Same reason I refused to buy MW2 over the airport scene.If you can't get by on your own merit, then you're trying to appeal to some jerry springer loving mouthbreathers who get off on drama.

People trying to use this to paint the U.S. as a police state (maybe not M.I.A directly, but people who watch this) are just silly. There is no branch of military or police that is gathering up any racial profile to run across minefields. It's pure fantasy based hyperbole for shock value.

FuglyStick

I'm sorry--much like the Erykah Badu video a month ago, this is trite.

The more I think about it, it's not the pop culture abominations like Jersey Shore that prove what an artistically bankrupt society we live in; the show is junk, it knows it's junk, it's whole raison d'etre is the fact that it's junk. It's when tired, clumsy, cliched metaphors are embraced as "groundbreaking" and "brilliant". Just because some social critique is attached to some piece does not make it "art". Hell, I could go take a dump in the confessional of a catholic church, and it's not a "profound statement"; it's just a turd.

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Charlatan

GINGERS HAVE SOULS! FUCK YOU BITCHES! FOR REALS. YOU DON'T KNOW ME!!

funniest thing I've seen in ages.

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Reese

Why does this song sound so damn familiar? I like the song, but the video is worthless.

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ObieX

Its like someone recorded one of Eric Cartman's wet dreams.

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