Two days ago, journalists asked me many questions, but I only\nanswered one regarding the viral song MBG (\u2018Mas Bahlil Ganteng\u2019). The\nreporters\u2019 tone was hesitant and ambiguous: was Golkar party okay with\nthe song? Having listened to the lyrics, I confidently stated it was\nnetizens\u2019 creative appreciation of Bahlil\u2019s hard work. The song itself\nis cute and entertaining.<\/p>\n
I later understood why the journalists were ambiguous\u2014some perceived\nit as body shaming and bullying.<\/p>\n
I answered during a Hajj break while sitting on the ground during\nmealtime. Responding briefly was no issue for me, given my writing\nexperience. In this interlude of worship, there was no political\npretence or deviation from the context of the children\u2019s beloved song.\nAt this global gathering, I see all humans equal in God\u2019s eyes,\ndistinguished only by piety and good deeds.<\/p>\n
To me, \u2018Mas Bahlil Ganteng\u2019 is not body shaming or sarcasm. As\nsomeone familiar with Javanese culture and \u2018sanepan\u2019\u2014a linguistic device\nwhere meaning is opposite to the literal\u2014my alarm would sound if sarcasm\nwere present. For example, Javanese describe a hyperactive child as\n\u2018anteng kaya kitiran\u2019 (calm like a spinning top). In this song\u2019s\ncontext, I detected no sarcasm, even as subtle satire.<\/p>\n
Calling Bahlil \u2018ganteng\u2019 (handsome) is genuine. A friend with a\nmaster\u2019s degree once told me that intellectuals are \u2018keren\u2019 (cool),\nsimilar to Betawi people using \u2018cakep\u2019 for someone who does good deeds.\nFor me, Bahlil\u2019s work can be described as cool, attractive, or good.<\/p>\n
Even physically, Bahlil is handsome in his own way. By chance, I have\nthree children with varying skin tones: the eldest has fair, slightly\nyellowish skin with Arabesque features; the second has light brown skin\nand East Asian features; the third has dark brown skin and Javanese\nfeatures. I call all three \u2018ganteng\u2019.<\/p>\n
When I say \u2018ganteng\u2019 for my third child, it\u2019s not body shaming. I\u2019m\nmerely expressing a different version of handsomeness. All three are\nequally handsome. I\u2019m not being sarcastic; my concept of handsomeness\nextends beyond skin colour and facial features, not dictated by a single\nculture or race.<\/p>\n
When I hear \u2018my little Bolu Ketan\u2019, I picture the cake I often buy at\nManggarai Selatan\u2019s local market near my home. Made from black glutinous\nrice and palm sugar baked in pandan leaves, it smells of fragrant pandan\nmixed with palm sugar. Despite its street-food price, it tastes\nluxurious. Similarly, Bahlil\u2019s exceptional performance contrasts with\nhis ordinary appearance. When netizens say \u2018my little Bolu Ketan\u2019, I\nimagine them singing with affection, like I love my little Bolu\nKetan\u2014sweet, fragrant with palm sugar and pandan.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/my-little-black-sticky-rice-cake-1780040761", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }