Personally, I really like this clip. And I really like that it sparks conversation becase people don’t know what to make of it. Is it insulting? Orientalist? Playing up cliches of Arabic cultures? Is it just imagery or is there a political message behind it? Is it a defiant stand against the ban on women drivers in Saudi Arabia?
Some people close to M.I.A claim that she is clueless about Developing World politics, suggesting she’s guilty of objectifying non-Western cultures and it’s foolish to read political messages within her work. But if it is just random imagery without a clear political message, so what? Why does every depiction of the Arab world have to have a political intent?
I think what M.I.A is doing can’t be clearly put into a box. If it is Orientalist, it’s not belly dancers and magic carpets. She’s always striving for something authentic in her imagery and that’s commendable - though I guess the danger is, in the attempt to be ‘edgy’ she might fall into the trap of focussing on the dark violent side of these non-Western cultures (which already gets too much airtime in the West) rather than the light nice side (which doesn’t get enough).
-
thirdworldartocracy liked this
-
popthirdworld liked this
-
thirdworldartocracy reblogged this from popthirdworld and added:
my favorite Tumblr blog.
-
thingsthatarefound liked this
-
oldparasitesingle liked this
-
panicinthestudio reblogged this from popthirdworld and added:
Like always, better than...could articulate this. Even if
-
jorshuwah liked this
-
popthirdworld posted this
Follow @popthirdworld