World Premier: The Killers' New Human Trafficking Music Video

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-07-13 12:00:00 UTC
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The Killers have teamed up with MTV's Exit Campaign to create a new music video focused on human trafficking.  Their previous collaboration with Radiohead produced this, which focused on trafficking in manufacturing.  The Killers' video instead focuses on trafficking of children into prostitution.

The world premier of this video is tonight on MTV, but you can watch it here now.

Honestly, I have some very mixed feelings about this video.  On the one hand, everything MTV Exit does is brilliantly executed artistically and technically, and this video is no different.  I'm also a personal fan of The Killers' music; the song they've created evokes the sort of hip melancholy that usually only happens when an American Apparel store shuts doesn in Brooklyn.  On the other hand, the video reinforces some problematic stereotypes- like women and children being trafficking into the sex industry are locked in a room when they're not being raped.  I also question who the audience for this music video is.  It starts off seeming to be a general awareness activity, but towards the end starts to feel like it's only targeting men who buy commercial sex.  I wish it had clearly focused on one group, or the public at large, instead of wavering.

The Radiohead video on human trafficking (as much as I moan about how I'm not a Radiohead fan) did an excellent job of presenting the issue of trafficking as simple and chillingly connected to you as a person.  The Killers' video comes across as more sensational and more disconnected from the average MTV viewer.  Still despite a few flaws, I hope that this video will help attract MTV viewers and Killers fans (especially those who may buy commercial sex or have friends who buy commercial sex) to learn more about human trafficking.

Now, if only I can download this song onto my Wii for Rockband II, then I can rock out to abolition with The Killers!

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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