Born Free

A friend that is very dear to me asked my opinion on an MIA music video called Born Free below are the lyrics and the video.

Whooo!
Yeah man made powers
Stood like a tower higher and higher hello
And the higher you go you feel lower, oh
I was close to the end staying undercover
staying undercover
With a nose to the ground I found my sound

Got myself an interview tomorrow
I got myself a jacket for a dolla
.............
and the car doesn't work so I'm stuck here
yeah i don't wanna live for tomorrow
I push my life today
I throw this in your face when I see ya
I got something to say
I throw this shit in your face when I see ya
Cause I got something to say

I was born free (born free)
I was born free (born free)
(bo-bo-born free ....)

You could try to find ways to be happier
You might end up somewhere in Ethiopia
You can think big with your idea
You ain't never gonna find utopia
Take a bite out of life make it snappier yeah
Ordinary gon super trippyer
So I check sh!t cause I'm lippyer
And split a cheque like slovakia

Yeah i don't wanna live for tomorrow
I push my life today
I throw this in your face when I see you
I got something to say
I throw this sh!t in your face when I see you
Cause I got something to say

I was born free (born free)
I was born free (born free)
I was born free (born free)
(bo-bo-born free ....)
ooooh

I don't wanna talk about money, 'cause I got it
And I don't wanna talk about hoochies, 'cause I been it
And I don't wanna be that fake?, but you can do it
And imitators, yeah, speak it

Oh Lord? whoever you are, yeah come out wherever you are
Oh Lord? whoever you are, yeah come out wherever you are
and tell em!

Born free (born free)
I was born free (born free)
I was born free (born free)
(bo-bo-born free ....)

I am still trying to figure out what the message this video is dictating. There are so many different angles that my mind went to. The first thing that I can for surely say is the directing style of this video is phenomenal. Also I appreciate the "freedom of speech" used in it. I quoted freedom of speech because MIA is not American, she is from the UK. My point being is that I appreciate people who speak their mind on controversial issues. I respect that no matter what their cause is. The fact that the speak-up I appreciate it. Now that I have said that I want to explore the message of this video.

The first time I watched it my immediate thought was that in some weird underlining way it was talking about the holocaust but portraying a different sector of discrimination upon redheads or the ever new popular term that South Park created, "Gingers", the soulless, red haired, freckled individuals. I have decided against the idea of it talking about the Holocaust but I do think that the director did use ideas from the holocaust to make the point.

After thinking it over I believe this video means and dictates one own thought. It hits on many different political elements. It speaks a lot but I feel what it is mostly doing is creating an action/reaction conversation about discrimination and police states. With the over all lyrics saying "Born Free" it states we are all human, we are all born to live, we all have the right to be free and live life the way we want. 

I think that the target of redheads was perfect to a degree because of the pop-culture affect of the "Ginger" it also highlights that people try looking for reasons to discriminate against others. This video is a perfect outlet to bring-up the conversation of discrimination in all aspects.

Do I think it was fair that it singled out redheads, no, but I don't think it would have been fair to single out any other group either and that is the point I see in this overall video and song. Let's all learn to love, accept and fight to have that freedom, because we are all born free. We are all human.

I feel that it can hit on many current events, such as the revolution in Libya, or on if muslim women in France can wear a burka. These issues can be discussed with this video. It is an alternate world that we are not used to seeing but by choosing redheads to discriminate against in the video does that completely alter their reality and could it cause discrimination against them like the "Ginger" episode of South Park did?