The shock, the horror: Playboy Comes To Indonesia
The 21st international franchise of Playboy will be published in the world’s largest Islamic community, which has caused some to call for its banning.
As such, the long awaited anti-pornography law has suddenly rose to prominence, with many parties issuing statements lambasting the local franchisee holder for even considering its publication.
However, ever since the fall of Soeharto, the media in Indonesia has been free to publish without any government interference.
Granted, there are limits, but even those have been nearly cracked with the various “crime” and men’s tabloids that occasionally print extremely risqué photos of models.
They’ve even printed those found on the Internet and Indosence wonders how would the copyright holders feel about that?
The Indonesian publisher said that the local version will be toned down, focusing more on its editorial content, and will be subscription-based with some retail sales in select bookstores.
Playboy itself has suffered significantly since the rise of the dot coms, and the tremendous amount of free online pornography.
Once the home of “art photos” and great articles, Playboy has fallen to the lowest common denominator that has plagued other skin magazines.
Could this be the resurgence of the new Playboy?
With new anti-pornography laws threatening to punish all acts (and its publication) that are deemed indecent (such as kissing in public, dangdut hip-gyration dancing, holding hands?), out comes a book to put things in perspective.
Media Indonesia reports that Eko Prasetyo’s book, Assalamualaikum: Islam Itu Agama Perlawanan! (Islam Is A Religion Of Opposition), talks about how religious leaders today seem to be more focused on morals instead of seeking answers to more desperate questions, such as eradicating poverty.
Muhidin M Dahlan’s article points out to the various Islamic-based institutions such as schools and hospitals that charge exorbitant amounts, much more than other “Godless” organizations.
The same perhaps can be said of other faith-based institutions around the world.
Why not focus more on creating jobs, providing free education, ensuring clean and healthy communities or volunteering your time?
Or is it better to find a topic that would definitely sell more copy, and thus guarantee coverage, in order to get their names in print?
Indoscene’ll keep you updated.
Yep - it’s crazy. Of all the things to be worried about, a bit of skin ought to be a long way down the list. As far as infringements of human decency go, showing nipples is a far cry from the sorts of injustices and cruelty that result from bad governance, corruption and abuse of power…
I don’t understand what the problem is - we all have nipples and genitals. No argument in the world competes with the fact that people have sexual urges, that they’re natural, and that even in the absence of porn, people need regular sexual release in some form or another. Blaming immoral behaviour on pornography is like blaming McDonald’s for making you fat. Calling your objection to things of a sexual nature religious is a cop out. Only by stepping out from behind the pious morality are people forced to take responsibility for their own actions, and to properly justify the difference between right and wrong.
Anyway I give Playboy Indonesia about a year, purely for the controversy it’s stirring up - even if it did have nudity, it’s still not a patch on the excellent porn that’s freely available online.