THE HIP

A Thinker's Shared Spot of Stories of Living



Thursday, April 13, 2006

Sliding Playboy

by Eko Prasetyo @ 8:38 PM

Motorcycles are the dominators of Jakarta street. They speed, they cruise, the slid, they pass between cars, they violate traffic light, they give no turning signal, and they blow their horn every now and then.
They symbolize the things that are wrong in Jakarta: No road ethics, no mercy, no remorse, and no limit in how fast you can get to your target.
Most importantly: no trust to unreliable public transportation choices.
I use public tranportations. I can sleep in them and don't have to fight the onslaught of two wheeled raging machines riding another two wheeled raging machines.
Beside, I don't have enought focus duration needed to drive a machine. I have ADD.

Now, let's talk about Playboy.
April 7th, 2006, Indonesian version of Playboy was issued, no naked ladies, minimal lingerie shots, red and black cover.
April 13th, 2006, The publisher are removed from their office's landlord, A city ban the magazine, and things are getting worse for them.
There are Draft of an Antipornographic Law being protested by artists and free-expressionists and supported left and right by religious and common people.
There are other "swimsuits", "men's lifestyles", and "artistic photography" magazines which have been circulated for years in Indonesia.
There are "borderline pornographic" tabloids being circulated in Indonesia.

Is Playboy (Indonesian Edition) a victim of mass religious enlightment or local "males and dykes targeting" magazines conspiracy?

Is Playboy rejection a start of the end for "Female Figures Centered" Businesses?

Or are we, the common news-reader, are the victim of high level conspiracy to raise the demand for Playboy?

Red and Black. Playboy. Colors of premature death?