Posted on 01/31/2006 8:55:52 PM PST by Lorianne
JAKARTA: The 200-plus demonstrators from the student group Concerned Muslims who had gathered in light drizzle at one of Central Jakarta's main roundabouts had a simple message for passing motorists. "Reject Playboy! Reject Playboy!" they shouted. "Don't publish that filth here. Keep the Indonesian nation clean."
"We don't need that sort of porno here," said Muhammad Salim. "There's enough vice here already."
Yesterday about 500 protesters - all members of a conservative Muslim political party - demanded the parliament quickly pass tough laws now under debate to crack down on existing girlie magazines and pornographic DVDs, which are widely available throughout the country.
Playboy has signed a deal with a local company to publish an Indonesian edition, although Playboy's editorial director, David Walker, said publication had been delayed until "both partners are satisfied the product addresses the sensitivities of the marketplace".
It would not contain nude photos or graphic sexual content, Mr Walker said. "Any magazine we launch in Indonesia would be focused on many of the other things Playboy is well known for: high-quality editorial, including interviews and feature stories written by renowned local writers and journalists."
Such reassurances have counted for little among Indonesia's conservative Islamic leaders, who appear to be using this issue to gain the moral high ground.
Ferry Abdullah, who hawks magazines in the traffic jam along one of the motorways in West Jakarta, laughed off the objections.
"It's the porno that sells best," Mr Ferry said, flipping over an Ikea catalogue to reveal a copy of Tits, a locally produced magazine that consists of pictures of naked women and sex stories. "I've been trying to sell this catalogue for 10 days while I've already sold three copies of Tits this week."
The head of the Alliance of Independent Journalists, Eddy Suprapto, believes the opposition is ignorant, xenophobic and hypocritical.
"It's irrational hatred of a Western product. They don't know if it's good or bad," Mr Suprapto said.
Indonesia's criminal code does not define pornography, but MPs are trying to change that.
However, their pornography bill has run into opposition because they seem unable to decide what is decent. The bill outlaws husbands and wives kissing in public, Papuans wearing traditional dress (a penis gourd and nothing else), and the dancing that accompanies the folksy pop music known as dangdut.
Porn is a negative-energy force in both personal and societal growth.
You may be thinking of art, which CAN be a positive force.
Can someone explain to me what is "bad" or "immoral" about Playboy?
Can someone explain to me what is "bad" or "immoral" about Playboy?
Only thing bad is the perfect airbrushed models who don't exist in real life..LOL...anyway if the Muslims had a little more sexual freedom maybe they wouldn't be so angry, suicidal and homicidal..they might actually enjoy life a little instead of being so repressed, Yeah that's the ticket!
: ) --->
do you want your teens to read Playboy?
I thought that's pretty much what it is now.
In this case, tasteful porn like Playboy actually probably would improve these societies. We should be airdropping Playboy into these stupid countries. These are societies that would prefer to let young girls burn in a building rather than let them be seen in public unscarved. (This actually happened in Saudi Arabia.) These are societies that have roving bands of moral enforcers that beat women with sticks for wearing bathing suits to the beach. (This happened in Asia.) These societies hate and fear the female form (the burka was invented in Hell, as far as I am concerned), and this misogyny is the fuel for their fires of hatred of the West. They have to get over it, sooner rather than later, and if a little cheesecake helps them get comfortable with what a woman looks like under that chador, I'm all for it.
I'm not saying everyone should go out an get a subscription to Playboy. I am saying a society that considers Playboy no big deal actually is a better society than these women-hating medieval societies.
"I only read Playboy for the articles."
I know you're joking, but seriously, anyone who says that is full of crap.
Just like Playboy's articles - full of relentless leftist propaganda and routine conservative-bashing; the editorials are virtually unreadable anti-Bush screeds, dripping with hate. And over the years, Playboy has consistently bashed both Christianity and marriage. That says a lot about its real editorial values.
What do they have against Synge and Irish drama?
Musta been at the crack dealer's house : )
Penthouse and Hustler are a different story, I only buy them for the pictures, LOL.
So you read it cover-to-cover every month, year after year, just to make sure they are consistent in those things?
You deserve a medal for risking your mind and soul for all of us that way.
"do you want your teens to read Playboy?"
Being a 24 year old male, i can't really answer that question. Obviously, kids shouldn't be reading it. But i don't think that just because you are offended by the sight of a naked female that the magazine should be banned.
Screw Islam
I feel a tagline coming on ...
I thought this was going to be a thread about Clinton exploiting babes in burkas.
uh, i dated a former playboy model and i can tell you, perfection of that kind does indeed exist. on many levels.
"Can someone explain to me what is "bad" or "immoral" about Playboy?"
How dare you!!!
This question is out of context. Just like:
Can someone explain to me what is "bad" or "immoral" about Alcohol?
Or just like:
Can someone explain to me what is "bad" or "immoral" about Sex?
Which leads us to versions of:
"do you want your teens to read Playboy?"
And:
do you want your teens to drink Alcohol?
Or:
do you want your teens to have Sex?
It is filth and demeaning to women. Agree with your sentiments about boycotting the filth.
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