Amid the controversy over M.I.A.’s violent, YouTube-pulled video for her new single “Born Free” — in which redheads are tortured and executed by police (watch it here!) — the video’s breakout star has taken to the Internet to tell his side. Ian Hamrick, a child actor purporting to be the one who gets shot in the head in the clip, has been leaving comments on M.I.A.-related blog posts over the past couple of days. He weighs in at Stereogum:
I am the redhead shot in the head in M.I.A’s video. She was cool on set and it was a great chance to to tell everyone that bully’s [sic] suck no matter what country you are from or who you are picking on. Jewish, Black, Asian, Indian, yes even redheads. There are countries killing their own people! Their own relatives and families! Kids that get blown up in old landmines. I am proud to be a part of M.I.A.’s shout out to the world.
Just one question: What the heck is young Ian Hamrick doing on the Internet unsupervised? He might see the new M.I.A. video on there!
“I am the redhead shot in the head in M.I.A’s video
” [Jessica Suarez]
M.I.A. - “Born Free” Video (NSFW) [Stereogum]