[Potentially] Causing Panic is a Crime?

Is the reporting of the owner of an Indonesian television station to the police for allowing a broadcast that suggested that Mount Merapi, an Indonesian volcano on the island of Java, was going to erupt with even more intensity an attack on free speech and the freedom of the press?

The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission has a brief to ensure that Indonesian broadcasters maintain some standards. However, it is questionable as to whether its brief includes reporting broadcasters to the police for the content of a show that suggests that an eruption of an active volcano is likely to be more intense than it has been previously. Using that logic any TV or radio broadcaster that reports a tsunami warning where the tsunami does not eventuate should also be reported to the police for causing unnecessary panic and telling lies, shouldn't they?

Harry Tanoesoedibjo is the owner of Media Nusantara Citra (MNC) which includes in its stable of interests RCTI, Tanoesoedibjo also owns Global TV and MNC TV along with a wide range of other print and broadcast media interests.

The KPI has determined that Tanoesoedibjo has breached a number of articles of the Broadcasting Law, including articles 36. Article 36 sees Tanoesoedibjo liable for a jail term up to five years and a IDR 10 billion fine for spreading misinformation (lies). In addition, the KPI is relying on Article 54 which in essence allows them to pursue the owner of a recalcitrant broadcaster.

The gist of the crime is that a program on RCTI, Silet, reported on 7 November 2010 that Mount Merapi was gearing up for an even larger eruption than those that it had recently experienced. The eruption according to the Silet report was not expected to happen until the following week. This would reasonably be of concern to people living in and around Mount Merapi as the Silet report also suggested that the magnitude of the eruption was likely to be the end of the closest major city to Merapi, Yogyakarta.

The Silet report drew the ire of the KPI and the KPI decided to ban RCTI from broadcasting the program until the Merapi status had been downgraded. However, RCTI decided that it would repackage and re-brand the show as "Intens" and front it with a new presenter. It goes without saying that this move annoyed the KPI and this is the reason that the KPI has acted as it has, like a petulant little child who got picked last for the playground soccer game at lunchtime.

What is silly about the reporting of Tanoesoedibjo to the police is that only Tanoesoedibjo has been reported. All TV and radio broadcasts at that time were presenting content of a very similar nature. Why has Tanoesoedibjo been singled out and targeted and the other have not? Is it personal or political or related to a business dispute?

Or is this a simple case of the KPI overreacting and over-reaching with respect to its brief?

This case seemingly is destined to set a poor precedent going forward for broadcast freedom and predicting the ferocity or lack thereof in relation to unfolding natural disasters.

Maurice Gibb Watching TV From Beyond The Grave...The Bee Gees Live!

It pays to do your research, particularly if you do not want to look really foolish (in this case some might argue, stoopid). So, let's face it, there is not a whole lot one can do to cover up asking a twin about his dead brother, particularly when the dead twin has been dead for 7 years or so.

The interview by Stephen Dixon with Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees fame was covering some ground about an [alleged] affair that Maurice Gibb had with British actress Barbara Windsor of EastEnders fame.

The news of the alleged affair has only recently broken as a result of an interview given by Windsor recently. So, Dixon thinking he might get a scoop on the competition decided that it was worth quizzing Robin about whether his brother would be watching the story unfold on the TV.

Robin was a particularly good sport and, without breaking step, informed the poorly informed host that Maurice had in fact passed in 2003. Dixon in full cover up mode tried to pass this off as an honest mistake created by confusion as to just how many Gibb brothers there were. Ah, not that hard, there were four Gibb brothers and three of them were in the Bee Gees.

The beauty or treachery of live TV.

Britney Spears and Those Neck Tattoos...

The big questions of the world today include whether the neck tattoos seen on Britney Spears are real or fake. My guess is they are fake. The tattoos actually look like birds to me, but apparently they are two flowers and a fox.

Spears is enjoying a bit of a career resurgence after a guest spot on Glee.

Real or not, the tattoos ensure that she stays in the headlines for a little longer still. Her career has been a spectacular ride of ups and downs. Hopefully, the up swing that she seems to be on at the moment is one that lasts a while.

Family Feud...

I used to watch Family Feud as a kid. The show is no longer on Australian TV. However, it remains a staple, apparently, on US TV.

This though is a classic moment. I do not remember questions being asked on the Australian version that would lend themselves to the potential of such 'risque' answers. Yet, this was a question straight out of the unscripted funniest moments play book: "we have surveyed a 100 men and asked them, 'name a part of your body that is bigger now then when you were 16?'".

It is not rocket science to work out what the answer is going to be, but it is really funny to watch.

Enjoy!



Penis moments...

Think Homosexuality Is Wrong -- The West Wing...

I used to watch The West Wing all the time. I have the first couple of seasons on DVD. I might have to get the rest. Coming across this clip has reminded me how much I enjoyed watching it. I guess the tightly written scripts appeal to my liberal and leftist politics. This particular clip also appeals to me as it shows the power of language and knowledge.

Enjoy!

Sprite or Guinness Anyone?

Apparently, this TV ad for Sprite (not sure about the Guinness one though) has been banned!

I wonder why?

I found these videos over at this site. I have included some tags to this post that are designed purely to push up my visitor stats (I will let you know if it works in a postscript).


EMBED-Banned Sprite commercial - Watch more free videos



EMBED-Guiness Good Times - Watch more free videos

American Idol Season 8

Having lived in Indonesia for a good number of years where just about everybody thinks that they can sing , I really should not be all that surprised at some of the train wrecks that I watched on the American Idol Season 8 opener earlier tonight. I sing in the shower, but that is about the extent of my skills. In fact, my singing is so woeful that I sometimes scare myself.

Nevertheless, I have often wondered why people who so obviously cannot sing seem to think that they can. I am guessing that it is a 15 seconds of TV fame thing. That said there were a couple of people who auditioned who were pretty good, including Emily Wynne-Hughes. Then there are those that cannot sing. Then there are those who mask any deficiencies in their singing talent by auditioning in a bikini.

It makes absolutely no difference to my life who wins but there is something about the ick factor that keeps bringing the viewers back. I will be watching again tomorrow to see who I can sing better than and remembering why I would never seek my 15 seconds of fame in this way.

The Olympics, Nike, and TVRI

It is too bad that TVRI could not come up with a better deal in terms of broadcast rights and showing the recent Olympic Games from Beijing. It might have been worth watching (or is that perving?)!

Have a good weekend one and all!

(photo via here)

Burning Calories

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV. I guess if you throw in a little exercise before getting to sleep then you would probably burn even more calories still!

So, I guess if you fall asleep while watching TV you get the best of both worlds.

Bule Gila

In a cynical sense this might just be my contribution to the debate or perhaps I am just looking for hits to increase my blog ranking or something.

I am sure that Indonesia is no different from anywhere else in the sense that there is debate amongst the local population and the expat population revolving around the pros and cons of the relationship and the merits and value of the conduct of this relationship. But this is an Indonesian specific post and issue with regards to the term "bule". Bule gila is literally translated as crazy white person.

The debate is generally academic but it also inspires heated and emotional response from commentators across the board. If you want to have a bit of a squizz at the debate as it rages on somewhat endlessly on other blogs and sites, then you need to go no further than the offerings of Indonesia Matters and Unspun, both of which I read -- daily (time to return the favour gents!). Both are masters at spurring the debate, and why not if people are willing to go hell for leather at the opportunity to spout their respective points of view.

However, I want to restrict my musings to the TV show "Bule Gila". There have been a few offerings of the show and it seems to be back for another season. The show is a sort of a candid camera meets I will do anything to be on tele affair but usually with the full knowledge and participation of the participants.

In essence the show relies on white folk (bule means albino in Indonesian) doing things that are part of everyday Indonesian life. Some classics have seen white fellas dressing up in drag and doing the rounds of the road side eating stalls singing Indonesian songs and begging for tips. Others have seen people pushing food carts around the place trying to sell martabak and other Indonesian food specialties.

The English saying for this probably goes along the lines of "taking the piss" out of oneself. And I guess when it is all said and done, if you want to embarrass yourself on TV then as a consenting adult you have that right. Yet, there are some issues that are worthy of further debate and this is one of those.

Without getting into too detailed a discussion of the word 'bule', it has been noted that the translation of this word is albino. This overtime has come to refer to white people and presumably Caucasians, this then gives the word not only color undertones but racial ones as well. The use of the word gets some people's knickers in a knot. A word can have, depending on its use, benign meanings quite different to their original intent.

An example might be faggots. Faggot originally referred to a faggot of sticks or to a type of meatball but overtime it has morphed into a word with a meaning no longer reminiscent of the original and its utterance can now bring charges of vilification of homosexuals. So, in this regard perhaps the innocence of the term bule has been lost overtime as well. And the use of the word even with the best of intents, that is it is not intended to offend, may in fact cause considerable offence to the hearer of the word.

And the fact that some of us bules might use the word (there is a book with the title Bule Gila and a bar called Bugils which can either be an abbreviation of the book title or the Indonesian word for naked both of which are associated with a prominent Dutch resident in Jakarta) does not mean that this is an attempt to take control of the word and empower ourselves meaning therefore the word is now devoid of any previous racial connotations.

However, once again back to the point. If a television station in Australia or perhaps even in the UK or the USA were to air a show called "Crazy Blackies" or Crazy Yellowies" or "Crazy Reds" there would be a public backlash and uproar even if the shows were intended to be innocent entertainment where particular people are taking the piss out of themselves for the enjoyment of others. Even in Indonesia, I wonder what the reaction would be to TV shows like "Cina Gila", "Batak Gila", "Pribumi Gila" (this one's for you Achmad because I know you have issues with the connotation of the word pribumi), "Kristen Gila", "Muslim Gila", "FPI Gila", or "FBR Gila"? Discrimination and distinction between people is not based purely on the colour of their skin!

To all and sundry, in spite of the intent of the users of the word bule, it must be noted that the word despite the initial descriptive nature to colour has now taken on the form of a word that has racial connotations. Therefore, the only way to truly justify the title "bule gila" is to ensure that the participants in the show are albinos and not just "white people" so the title reflects the original intent. Albinism relates to an unfortunate genetic inability to produce pigment whereas white people are genetically engineered in such a way as they produce limited amounts of pigment.

But, alas, the show really is about taking the piss out of white people and not albinos. Perhaps, this TV show goes on not because the word bule is not racist or offensive but rather the participants do not fully appreciate the term and its meaning. If they do understand the words racial connotations and still choose to participate, then go for it!

Once you distinguish a person on the colour of their skin then you are discriminating against them unless someone, somewhere out there in cyber space thinks that this is simply a case of affirmative action and giving the white folks an opportunity to be on Indonesian TV too :)

We can all agree to disagree and that disagreement does not have to degenerate into name calling and other insulting commentary (even though it may in fact be fun to read sometimes) but it is worth noting that the offensiveness and the insult is determined by the receiver and not the maker of the comment because if it was to be determined by the maker of the comment then people are free to say whatever they want without limitation because based on this logic provided it does not offend the speaker's sensibilities or was not intended to cause offence then it is anything goes and whether that be a case of fortunately or unfortunately this is not how the world works!

To be clear...my point of view is that the word bule is a term with racist connotations and I am yet to be convinced otherwise. I am open to a convincing argument if someone can make one! I think that the TV show is intended not to racially vilify but it is intended to be entertainment that takes the piss out of a particular group of people. The title though is a reflection of the general misunderstanding or ignorance of the racial undertones of the word. I have watched the show a few times but I am not a regular watcher (I think it was on last night but I was probably blogging because I did not watch it).

If anyone is thinking of contacting me to be on the show, don't waste your precious time. I am not interested, but I do appreciate the fact that you think I am crazy :)

Thus endeth the sermon...

Enjoy the remainder of your week...