M.I.A is taking a stand against the lawsuit the National Football League is throwing at her for flipping the bird during her 2012 Super Bowl half-time performance with Madonna.
The English-Sri Lankan musician responded to what she considers a bogus legal imposition by the organization, in a video clip posted to YouTube on Monday.
“The NFL thing is completely ridiculous,” the “Paper Planes” rapper said, speaking to an interviewer by phone.
Citing a breach of her performance contract, the league’s legal team has demanded $1.5 million in damages from the musician.
In her response video M.I.A. tells the interviewer to re-watch the moment during the halftime show and notice that there are several cheerleaders that were, in her opinion, more offensive.
There’s a row scantily clad “young black female” cheerleaders that no one seemed to complain about, she said.
“Madonna got them from a local high school in Indianapolis,” the singer added. “They were under 16. If you look at them they’re wearing cheerleader outfits, hips thrusting in the air, legs wide open … in a very sexually provocative position.”
“Now they’re scapegoating me into figuring out what is the goal post of what’s offensive in America.”
After the show, Madonna reportedly said she “wasn’t happy about” M.I.A’s stunt, though dismissed it as a punk rock moment.
“Like, is my finger offensive? Or is an underage black girl with her legs wide open more offensive to the family audience?” the “Galang” singer continued.
“It’s a massive waste of time, a massive waste of money,” M.I.A said. “It’s a massive display of powerful corporation d–k shaking.”
“They want me on my knees, to say sorry so they can slap me on my wrist, and basically say it’s okay for me to promote being sexually exploited as a female, but then to display female empowerment through being punk rock.”
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