Lady
Gaga, liberalism and Indonesia’s future
Andre Sinaga ; An Undergraduate Student at The University of
Toronto
SUMBER
: JAKARTA
POST, 28 Mei 2012
The controversy surrounding
singer Lady Gaga only managed to grow as a result of her planned “Born This Way
Ball” concert in Jakarta on June 3.
Protests from various organizations, individuals, and religious groups that the singer promotes homosexuality and pornography has led to uncertainty over the concert itself occurring.
At one point denied permission by Jakarta Police, the singer is now allowed to perform provided that she tones down her skimpy outfits and on-stage antics.
The fact that over 50,000 tickets have been sold for the concert clearly indicates that demand to see the singer perform is present in Jakarta, if not in the whole of the archipelago.
Thus, there is a market pull to see Lady Gaga. But her songs’ controversial themes and on-stage outfits, both of which are considered by many to be wholly against Indonesian culture, has also led to a societal push, in which many desire to shove the singer as far away from Indonesia as possible, lest the young be contaminated with her behavior.
Frankly, I believe that Lady Gaga’s often quoted self-description as a “moral crusader”, advocating the cause of persecuted lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBTs), is not the whole truth.
Why must she wear skimpy outfits and perform simulated sex acts in her videos if her intention is to advocate support for LGBTs and other oppressed individuals?
While I am not suggesting that her intention to advocate for LGBTs is used as an advertising ploy, Lady Gaga is not above taking off clothes in order to make money in the cut-throat music world.
On this, I support those in Jakarta protesting her visit and demanding that she tone down her appearance and antics should her Jakarta concert proceed.
If her intention is to advocate support for LGBTs — which I agree is still a taboo issue that must be brought to light in Indonesia — then there should be no argument in toning down her appearance and on-stage antics.
Besides, her songs themselves are pretty good and should be enough to make a fantastic concert.
But that is not the point. The Lady Gaga controversy is just one of many incidents in Indonesia and many parts of the world in which the often liberal forces of a market pull are pitted against the often conservative forces of societal push.
Interactions between these two poles do not always lead to aggression. Sometimes, one gives way to another or an accepted balance is reached between the two.
But often, they are fundamentally opposed to one another and can cause several issues, the most extreme of which is violence.
Furthermore, conflict and tension between these two poles are inevitable in Indonesia’s case. As the nation adopts more and more liberal policies in order to be economically competitive, new sources of tension will arise between market pull and societal push.
Consider the case of Lady Gaga’s concert. Here, liberal market policies of globalization and free trade have led to imported goods from the West, in this case Lady Gaga and her songs, performances or videos, in exchange for Indonesian exports.
Numerically sound for economic growth, as her concert will surely invite future tourists into the country, Lady Gaga is yet shunned by many Indonesians who see her as promoting values and norms fundamentally opposed to Indonesian culture.
The question now is how to deal with this inevitable tension between market pull and societal push. Many theories are present that deal with this issue.
One of them is called “modernization theory”, which states that as a nation experiencing economic growth and getting “rich”, it is inevitable that citizens will adopt secular, liberal democracy as a form of governance.
With Indonesia being praised by many as a model secular democratic state in a predominantly Muslim society, will the nation also be liberal in the future? Will Indonesia produce its own Lady Gaga in 2020?
This is clearly a highly sensitive issue. The term “liberal” here refers to an ideology in which everyone is equal irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, income bracket, etc.
Policies biased towards a religious value such as heterosexuality are, for example, eliminated in favor of accepting any type of marriage.
Again, this is an extreme example of what liberalism can lead to but it is one outcome.
As an Indonesian who has lived abroad for many years and is currently studying in Canada — a liberal society — for my university degree, I must say that liberalism can be, well, liberating.
The notion that we are all equal irrespective of any distinction destroys barriers to friendships and encourages acceptance and compromise between two opposing parties.
But there were many times where I felt challenged and disturbed by liberalism.
The liberalism which I experienced meant that barriers that preserve the social norms and values which I was brought up in with were non-existent. At many times, liberalism seemed to me like an “anything goes” mentality.
What is required is a dialogue in one form or another that achieves a balance between liberal forces of market pull and the conservative forces of societal push in Indonesia.
This can be achieved in several ways, such as discussions between the government and the public on policies through open forums and town-hall-style meetings, civil protests to reflect disapproval and a heavier emphasis on voting to ensure that parliamentary members listen to their constituents.
None of these recommendations are easy, short-term solutions. They lead to several other necessary reforms. such as more rigorous application of checks and balances and the rule of law. But these are just the technical details.
The point is that rigorous dialogue between the forces of market pull and societal push must be ensured to preserve a healthy Indonesian future for all.
Hence, violent rhetoric and demagoguery, of which we have heard in the Lady Gaga controversy, are counter-productive, abhorrent and should be shunned from Indonesian society.
Lady Gaga’s concert can be a useful catalyst to stimulate these dialogues. The mass presence of debates and discussions among individuals about Lady Gaga indicate an Indonesian society keen for dialogue in order to achieve a consensus. We must always ensure that the forces of dialogue and reasoning trump those of violence and demagoguery in order to ensure a healthy Indonesian future. ●
Protests from various organizations, individuals, and religious groups that the singer promotes homosexuality and pornography has led to uncertainty over the concert itself occurring.
At one point denied permission by Jakarta Police, the singer is now allowed to perform provided that she tones down her skimpy outfits and on-stage antics.
The fact that over 50,000 tickets have been sold for the concert clearly indicates that demand to see the singer perform is present in Jakarta, if not in the whole of the archipelago.
Thus, there is a market pull to see Lady Gaga. But her songs’ controversial themes and on-stage outfits, both of which are considered by many to be wholly against Indonesian culture, has also led to a societal push, in which many desire to shove the singer as far away from Indonesia as possible, lest the young be contaminated with her behavior.
Frankly, I believe that Lady Gaga’s often quoted self-description as a “moral crusader”, advocating the cause of persecuted lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBTs), is not the whole truth.
Why must she wear skimpy outfits and perform simulated sex acts in her videos if her intention is to advocate support for LGBTs and other oppressed individuals?
While I am not suggesting that her intention to advocate for LGBTs is used as an advertising ploy, Lady Gaga is not above taking off clothes in order to make money in the cut-throat music world.
On this, I support those in Jakarta protesting her visit and demanding that she tone down her appearance and antics should her Jakarta concert proceed.
If her intention is to advocate support for LGBTs — which I agree is still a taboo issue that must be brought to light in Indonesia — then there should be no argument in toning down her appearance and on-stage antics.
Besides, her songs themselves are pretty good and should be enough to make a fantastic concert.
But that is not the point. The Lady Gaga controversy is just one of many incidents in Indonesia and many parts of the world in which the often liberal forces of a market pull are pitted against the often conservative forces of societal push.
Interactions between these two poles do not always lead to aggression. Sometimes, one gives way to another or an accepted balance is reached between the two.
But often, they are fundamentally opposed to one another and can cause several issues, the most extreme of which is violence.
Furthermore, conflict and tension between these two poles are inevitable in Indonesia’s case. As the nation adopts more and more liberal policies in order to be economically competitive, new sources of tension will arise between market pull and societal push.
Consider the case of Lady Gaga’s concert. Here, liberal market policies of globalization and free trade have led to imported goods from the West, in this case Lady Gaga and her songs, performances or videos, in exchange for Indonesian exports.
Numerically sound for economic growth, as her concert will surely invite future tourists into the country, Lady Gaga is yet shunned by many Indonesians who see her as promoting values and norms fundamentally opposed to Indonesian culture.
The question now is how to deal with this inevitable tension between market pull and societal push. Many theories are present that deal with this issue.
One of them is called “modernization theory”, which states that as a nation experiencing economic growth and getting “rich”, it is inevitable that citizens will adopt secular, liberal democracy as a form of governance.
With Indonesia being praised by many as a model secular democratic state in a predominantly Muslim society, will the nation also be liberal in the future? Will Indonesia produce its own Lady Gaga in 2020?
This is clearly a highly sensitive issue. The term “liberal” here refers to an ideology in which everyone is equal irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, income bracket, etc.
Policies biased towards a religious value such as heterosexuality are, for example, eliminated in favor of accepting any type of marriage.
Again, this is an extreme example of what liberalism can lead to but it is one outcome.
As an Indonesian who has lived abroad for many years and is currently studying in Canada — a liberal society — for my university degree, I must say that liberalism can be, well, liberating.
The notion that we are all equal irrespective of any distinction destroys barriers to friendships and encourages acceptance and compromise between two opposing parties.
But there were many times where I felt challenged and disturbed by liberalism.
The liberalism which I experienced meant that barriers that preserve the social norms and values which I was brought up in with were non-existent. At many times, liberalism seemed to me like an “anything goes” mentality.
What is required is a dialogue in one form or another that achieves a balance between liberal forces of market pull and the conservative forces of societal push in Indonesia.
This can be achieved in several ways, such as discussions between the government and the public on policies through open forums and town-hall-style meetings, civil protests to reflect disapproval and a heavier emphasis on voting to ensure that parliamentary members listen to their constituents.
None of these recommendations are easy, short-term solutions. They lead to several other necessary reforms. such as more rigorous application of checks and balances and the rule of law. But these are just the technical details.
The point is that rigorous dialogue between the forces of market pull and societal push must be ensured to preserve a healthy Indonesian future for all.
Hence, violent rhetoric and demagoguery, of which we have heard in the Lady Gaga controversy, are counter-productive, abhorrent and should be shunned from Indonesian society.
Lady Gaga’s concert can be a useful catalyst to stimulate these dialogues. The mass presence of debates and discussions among individuals about Lady Gaga indicate an Indonesian society keen for dialogue in order to achieve a consensus. We must always ensure that the forces of dialogue and reasoning trump those of violence and demagoguery in order to ensure a healthy Indonesian future. ●
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