
Individuals who believe they are privileged often attempt to separate themselves from those they feel are beneath them. The underlying question is, are they afraid being different or categorized or do they just feel entitled? The notion that someone believes they are better than someone else can simply result from coming from different geographic areas and consequently having different cultural and religious backgrounds. The difference in economic status also contributes to this false sense of entitlement. People who believe they are entitled expect to have advantages over those who are not, and they further aim to create barriers in their society as a means of protection.  At first viewing, the music video Borders by M.I.A. portrays a massive refugee exodus; however, the reference to borders in this video is not limited to traditional geographical boundaries but actually includes religious, social, and gender barriers fabricated by privileged individuals. 

In the music video, the physical position of the lead singer, M.I.A, at the 1:48 minute mark depicts her standing in the ocean and behind her is a group of refugees crammed in two small boats. She appears to be walking on water. Historically the idea of walking on water has been reserved for religious discussions. In Mathew, The Bible described the disciples of Jesus being loaded in a boat; once at sea, the boat faced tumultuous water. Jesus appeared to his disciples walking on water toward them. He commanded them to not be afraid and calmed the water. The refugees standing in the boats behind the lead singer are unidentifiable and are all wearing drab, muted clothing. The lead singer is also shot from far way so her physical characteristics are non-descript. The only clear image is that she is easily walking on top of the ocean water. Does the physical border of the ocean separating M.I.A. from the refugee boats serve to protect her from those who are different? Or is her position of walking on water symbolic of her being there to save those who are afraid of their boats sinking? Is she a representation of those who are privileged because she can walk on water and thus go anywhere she wants? The lyrics of the song and many forms of the word “freedom” suggest that M.I.A. would like to convince the listener to drop the religious differences and to treat all individuals equally. 

Social barriers exist today in society because those who believe they are innately better than others treat those who are different as being less valuable. A second example of the physical barrier representing more than just a geographical barrier occurs in the Borders video at the 2:05 minute mark. In this scene, M. I. A. is standing at the top of a boat, similar in position to a mast or a captain. Beneath her, in the shape of a boat, are male human refugees all dressed likely. The refugees are dressed in drab, mono-tone khaki one-piece jump suits similar to what prisoners would wear. The refugees have no individuality nor facial expressions. She stands above them as though she is superior to them, perhaps because she is the only female or perhaps because she is from a different socio-economic class. The men all appear alike, with no distinguishing characteristics. A large group of them is even kneeling as though they might be bowing down to or serving her. The performer has whiter skin than those below her, while it is still difficult to distinguish the race or ethnicity of any characters in the video. Throughout the video, the faces of the refugees are emotionless and never make eye contact with the camera; however, the lead singer displays a look of frustration and is often looking directly at the camera. By looking at the camera, M.I.A is able to engage the audience. The colors of the backgrounds as well as the clothing worn by everyone in the video, with the exception of the lead performer, are monochrome, muted, and drab. Furthermore, the lead performer is the only female to be included in the video. These observable physical differences, race, gender, and social class, are being promoted by those of privilege and are the reason non-tangible boundaries exist in today’s societies.

A privileged person who is unwilling to accept differences in others creates emotional boundaries to protect themselves from a feeling of equality. By isolating herself, the lead singer is able to look down on others and to devalue their worth. At the 3:52 minute mark in the video, M.I.A. appears in a bright white shirt with her arms positioned in a stretched out position along the fence. This resembles the image of how Christ is portrayed on the cross. She is also seen with a bright spot light shining down from above as though heaven is shining on her. While M.I.A. is carefully positioned on the fence facing outward, those who are surrounding her are behind the fence looking in her direction but not able to cross to the other side. The men’s faces surrounding her along the fence are dark and cannot be seen. The fence serves not only as a physical barrier but represents the struggle of social and economic challenges individuals face.  

Geographical boundaries are typically defined by water, metal fences, or brick and mortar. Physical structures used for borders are established when an individual feels the need to protect themselves from another individual or group. The position of the singer in the first frame represents those that separate themselves from others because of social, economic, or other standings. These individuals see themselves as better than others. The position of the singer in the second frame depicts how some see others as being of higher standing or power and look up to these individuals. These two bodily positions coupled together signify the feeling of privilege that some individuals or groups believe they have over others who may be different in a cultural, religious belief, or socio-economic way. Surpassing physical barriers are the emotional boundaries that are created between one person and another. These feelings of superiority represent different social, cultural, and gender philosophies. These literal and figurative boundaries, such as the physical ones, also represent a fear of society to accept those who are different than what is expected of them. 