Big wigs on parade at 'Sinetron' awards night
Big wigs on parade at 'Sinetron' awards night
By Dini S. Djalal
JAKARTA (JP): Shown live on all six stations across Indonesia,
Thursday's Festival Sinetron Indonesia (FSI) was undoubtedly a
big affair. Or should it have been called a wig affair?
Framing the faces of young personalities like Shahnaz Haque to
seasoned actresses like Ira Wibowo, wigs were the show's big
fashion statement. No Gucci gowns or De Beers diamonds for
today's starlets eager to steal the spotlight and pump up FSI as
the entertainment event of the year.
Instead the awards ceremony was a celebration of hair pieces,
whether wigs, extensions, ringlets, cones and buns. The baked
goods metaphor isn't exaggerated -- some of the hairdos were dead
ringers for danishes!
In a country in love with American pop culture, the wig trend
is surprisingly an Indonesian initiative. Would Michelle Pfeiffer
or Julia Roberts hide their tresses under a beehive of polyester
at the Oscars? Not if Giorgio Armani has anything to say about
it.
Of course, it's early days in Indonesia for celebrity mania.
Tabloids like Bintang and Nova are teaching the art of star-
studded gaze, but, due to the electronic media's short reach
beyond Java, the divide here between mortals and screen stars
remains narrow. Celebrities here are small, albeit rich, fish in
a very, very, big pond.
Not that this stops the publicity machine from turning on the
hype. So when the cameras flash occasionally on celebrity
hopefuls, they've got to look like a million bucks.
But judging by the outfits on parade at FSI this year, it's
easier to look like a million rupiah (and actually shelling out
much, much more) than it is to look good with less money.
Some spend prudently, foregoing the needless wig for one. Ayu
Azhari, winner of the best actress category this year, received
her award resplendent in a jade, gold-brocaded baju kurung
(traditional tunic) and sarong. Her trademark long hair was swept
back into a konde (traditional chignon), so when Ayu beamed at
her well-wishers, stray tendrils couldn't obscure her joy.
Looking every bit the demure and refined Indonesian Ibu, Ayu,
along with Dessy Ratnasari, who also proudly wore a kebaya and
won the best supporting actress award, effortlessly outwitted her
competition in the dress department.
Considering that turning up at the show as the world's biggest
fashion victim can cost you audiences from Sabang to Merauke,
that's a big victory.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but some sartorial
crimes can clutter anyone's vision. The gown host Titi Dwijayati
squeezed into, for example, was a daring bright blue, but her
monstrous matching turban, not to mention her thick square
glasses, were beyond adventurous and verged on being challenging.
Not to be outdone was Venna Melinda's head-dress: a sparkling
tiara crowning a waterfall of Scarlett O' Hara ringlets. Venna is
a former beauty queen, the None Jakarta title among her
accomplishments, so perhaps the regal trimmings were a reflection
of her past glories.
Venna wasn't the only one parading like a princess -- royal
ballgowns were worn by most of the awards presenters. Singer Nia
Zulkarnaen's glittering electric blue body-glove, Sarah Vi's gold
prom dress, host Debby Sahertian's candyfloss pink frock were all
tributes to Dynasty-era debutante balls.
Even Peggy Melati Sukma, a talented young actress known for
her natural and down-to-earth beauty, tiptoed down the stage in a
yellow satin number with precious little bow details.
Worse yet, her helmet-like wig was so shellacked it could have
been typhoon-proof, transforming her into a Minnie Mouse cartoon
of her colorful self.
What was surprising was that yesteryear's starlets, glamor
gals who have seen better days, looked classier than ever. Nurul
Arifin, a once-infamous sex symbol turned acclaimed actress, kept
her thick glasses on while showing off her voluptuous figure in a
black sheer column. Former centerfold Sophia Latjuba also
appeared with understated grace. She wore a sleek bias-cut
iridescent gown with no jewelry, her gamine hairdo and newfound
serenity were her only accessories.
Ayu Azhari and Dessy Ratnasari are also in the category of
former teen dreams who have proven their talent. Now that they
are taken seriously as actresses, they no longer need to flaunt
their beauty and sensuality. Though still young (both are under
30 years old), they've aged gracefully, assumingly an almost
patriotic femininity. In their recent projects, they have played
simple women in traditional clothes rather than mansion matrons
in gilt-edged Chanel. And to much praise, they are adopting this
look off the screen.
And ultimately, it was the show, moving slowly and awkwardly
with no acceptance speeches, just a practically mute handing over
of awards that made watching paint dry seem more fun, that killed
what style the stars had.
The real fashion show seemed to be taking place not at RCTI's
studios, but in the commercials between the takes. Watching the
stars of Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Doel The Graduate), dominate the
ads, changing out of one simple-folk outfit into another, was a
more telling sign of the scope and state of popular television.
Si Doel is a show about a low-income Betawi family. It won no
awards this year but remains very popular -- just ask the actors
getting paid millions of rupiah per product placement.