Porn in Jakarta

Here's something I transferred from my other blog...

I'm reading the paper the other day, a fairly reputable newspaper in Jakarta, and a picture catches my eye for some reason. The title of the photo said police seized a number of illegal, perhaps pirated, pornography DVDs. Closer inspection of the photo, but not that close, revealed that the covers of two or three of these porn DVDs are clearly visible and portraying various sexual acts. Uncut. No blur or black lines. Clear as day.

So how, in a country like Indonesia, with a majority Muslim population, and conservative Muslims for the most part mind you, can something like this "slip" by a diligent editor at this reputable newspaper. Clearly it didn't just slip by. I think it was intentional. Some overworked and underpaid editor, or most likely a number of them, thought this would be funny. Maybe it would make the paper sell better when the word got around.

And of course they can get away with it. Despite the restrictions placed on the media and the public demand for anti-pornography laws and the like, there is no precedent for handing down fines for violations like this. In the United States, a newspaper would be in a heap of trouble for a "mistake" like that.

Why aren't the Indonesians upset? I think it's because they have a vast number of sexually repressed people here. There are all sorts of personal moral restrictions imposed by the predominantly Islamic society. All of the people, as a result, are sexually repressed and take thier pleasures where they can get them. In the newspaper, staring at the young women in skin tight pants and shirts (with head covered like a good Muslim, of course).

Maybe that's a bit of a stretch. It's my observation anyway.