Indonesia is the largest Islamic country in the world. Given the stereotypes portrayed by the western media, Islamic countries are, by definition, rather conservative.
In Indonesia, this is obviously not the case. At least not everywhere. While there are some instances of "stepping over the boundaries" in regards to morality (the failed Playboy Magazine, for one), Indonesia is a country with a vibrant pop culture.
Take Inul Daratista as an example. Her name, when translated to English, means “the girl with the breasts." I’m not kidding y'all. She is a dangdut singer who has been been at the center of some moral controversies. You see, Dangdut is an Indonesian folk-pop music heavily influenced by Indian, Malay, and Arab music. Inul, along with many other singers of the genre, dance in a way which heavily utilizes their hips and rear ends. You know how Shakira dances? Times the number of hip movements by about 20 and run it on a continuous loop. That’s how Dangdut girls dance. Suggestive? Yes. But by no means overtly sexual.
Daratista dresses conservatively by pop princess standards. Jeez. She wears things some people might even consider wearing to the office, at least on casual Fridays. Still, some people are up in arms, saying they want to outlaw her style of dancing because it is obscene.
This might make the news, but such complaints are not much different from those of conservative groups here in the states.
What does this all mean? Nothing, probably. But still, as the West and Islamic worlds seem to keep bumping heads, one has to pay attention to Indonesia, and notice how pop culture has provided a counterpoint to keep religious conservatives honest.
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