As heroes go, Gatotkaca has a lot to learn
As heroes go, Gatotkaca has a lot to learn
By Laila Faisal
JAKARTA (JP): Advertisements have dwindled in all mass media. The empty spaces are now filled with public service announcements, many of which contain solemn moral messages.
For example, one stresses the importance of reading -- quite ironic, actually, because book prices have skyrocketed recently -- another champions the "Love Rupiah" campaign and yet another, closely related theme promotes loving our own culture instead of an "imported" one.
The latter caught my attention a few days ago as it compared Gatotkaca, a main figure in the Javanese wayang leather puppet tradition, to the man of steel himself, Superman.
Two sketches of the characters were placed side by side with statistics dividing them in the center, sort of like what you would see in the papers before a major boxing event. Their similarities were stated -- both have the title "hero" and they can defy gravity to soar through the sky.
The question was who was better known among Indonesian youngsters.
Superman walks away with the distinction, according to the announcement.
What was his special power? For one, the message said, he was able to communicate better.
Which left me thinking that Superman would win out over Gatotkaca on nearly every front.
If the two were up against each other in a most eligible bachelor contest, I am sure Superman would be the overwhelming pick of the eligible bachelorette.
Don't mean to sound anti-Gatotkaca here, but I'm just stating the facts.
We should start by comparing the two sketches of our superheroes in the announcement.
Gatotkaca's stern eyes glare from beneath a perpetually deep furrow -- so deep that you might even be able to see it behind his head if it weren't for that unnaturally tight headpiece he wears.
As far as I can remember, I have never seen him smile; perhaps even the hint of a grin would be considered a sign of weakness.
Along with his thick mustache, he is a dead ringer for Pak Raden, the grouchy, incorrigible old man from a TV puppet show of yesteryear. His overall image is that of someone aloof and smugly confident of his superiority over all others.
He is an uncomfortable reminder for me of the Pancasila ideology teacher I had back in elementary school, the one who always gave me butterflies in my stomach.
Now let us shift our attention to the depiction of Superman. His eyes are kind and caring. In fact, he looks like the kind of guy who actually listens, a trait seldom found in males of the human species.
His broad grin gives a soft touch to that powerful set of jaws. It tells us that he might have a healthy sense of humor, a decidedly important quality in men (guys, I hope you're taking notes here).
Please understand that I am trying to be fair here. I have limited myself to discussing the two sketches in the announcement. If I listed the physical attributes of Christopher Reeves or Dean Cain, Gatotkaca would slide even further on my scale.
OK, so beauty is only skin-deep, some say, and looks are no indication of the person inside. But nobody can deny the impact a first impression makes. I mean, honestly, what sane woman would choose a frown over a grin? Is it any wonder Gatotkaca soars the skies alone while Superman has Lois Lane in his arms.
Gatotkaca may be far older than Superman, but he sure can learn a lot from his younger counterpart. This, I have decided, must be the real moral message behind that public service announcement.