M.I.A. Responds to Paris Saint-Germain Criticism: "It’s Gone Over Their Head"

Earlier this week, M.I.A. shared an alleged letter from Paris Saint-Germain F.C. decrying the politically-charged video for her song “Borders,” during which she is pictured wearing a team jersey with sponsor Fly Emirates’ logo altered to read “Fly Pirates.” According to M.I.A., PSG demanded that she take down “Borders,” cease all use of the image and brand, and compensate the franchise for damages incurred as a result of the video.  

In an interview with Democracy Now!, M.I.A. discussed the controversy, arguing that the imagery is part of a larger expression of what she calls “the uniform of the underprivileged people of the world.” Update (1/13 8 a.m.): M.I.A. is standing her ground with a series of tweets on the subject. Read her latest thoughts below.

In the interview, she compared this to her recent legal trouble with the NFL. Watch her full response below. Here’s an excerpt:

Obviously I don’t want to talk about fashion, but this is a fashion issue. You know, it’s a T-shirt. And the bigger picture and the bigger message in the video is completely ignored. It’s gone over their head. And I think that it’s really difficult to control something like that. … If you look at Third World countries, not just the refugee issue, but if you just look at Third World countries as a whole, or look at war zones or any slums or any even, you know, middle-class families and upper-class, whatever the demographic is in the Third World, you would find sportswear. … It’s just become the national, international, the global, universal uniform for everybody.

… Wearing football tops has been the uniform, or wearing tracksuits in Palestine, you know, throwing stones has been the uniform of the—I guess, the underprivileged people of the world, because that is the cheapest thing we can find. It’s bootleg stuff. We bootleg the biggest brands.

… I think for [Paris Saint-Germain F.C.] to control that is a really stupid thing. You know, I can’t control something like that. And it’s just realistic, I thought, in representing the migrant community. You know, how do you leave that piece out if you’re making something or trying to make something realistic?

She discussed the controversy surrounding the shirt in an interview with Noisey, as well. “I just find it extremely arrogant that they are trying to police something like that,” she said.

Update: M.I.A.’s recent tweets:

look at the players .Paris , PSG , money from Qatar , money from Saudi ,refugees, MIA. There’s only so much I can say about t-shirts. 🙊🕛🕐🕑🕒

— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) January 13, 2016

PSG should withdraw B 4 people scratch the surface material and get into the politics of it all.

— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) January 13, 2016

I didn’t choose the battle the battle chose me – believer

— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) January 13, 2016

Read “How M.I.A. Is a Lifeline in Times of Terror” on the Pitch.

Comments are closed.