Books on Inul not just for 'drill' seekers

Books on Inul not just for 'drill' seekers

Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Mengebor Kemunafikan: Inul, Seks dan Kekuasaan.
(Drilling through Hypocrisy: Inul, Sex and Power)
By FX Rudy Gunawan
Kawan Pustaka & Galang Press 2003
xv + 151 pp
Rp 19,500

Tuhan diantara Inul & Gang Dolly
(God Between Inul and Dolly Alley)
By M.Luqman Hakiem
Bayumedia Publishing
xiii + 128 pages
Rp 24,500

Singer Inul Daratista's 15 minutes of fame are far from over. She
has emerged as a figure of sympathy to many, the small-town girl
made good who must battle jealousy and resentment from self-
righteous, meddlesome detractors.

For the latter, her sensuous stage act, and particularly that
trademark "drill" dance, are putting the final nail in the coffin
of morality and women's dignity in the country.

Everything and anything about Inul sells, whether it's a
tabloid carrying her picture on its front page or a TV show
composed almost entirely of rehashed footage. The Inul phenomenon
has succeeded in elevating dangdut, a distinctly Malay variation
of Indian and Arab music, from its low-class associations of
young men dancing the night away in their sandals to a wider,
well-heeled audience.

No further confirmation was needed than a demure looking Inul
on a recent cover of Femina, the country's leading women's
weekly.

It was inevitable that the publishing world would jump on the
Inul bandwagon, with two new books rushed into print. After all,
sex sells, and it does even better when it's in the sacred-
profane combo of religious condemnation.

Galang Press, which also published Jakarta Undercover: sex 'n
the City, the steamy tale of underground sexual shenanigans, now
in its 40th reprint, has prepared a promotional tour that is also
scheduled to include appearances by the singer/dancer.

But in the book published by Bayumedia, Muslim cleric Muhammad
Luqman Hakiem, in what may be a surprise to some readers, does
not provide an outright condemnation of the singer. In several
chapters he explores the Islamic theories included in Sufism,
which assists in understanding his argument that Inul's emergence
has underscored the moral decadence and hypocrisy in the country.

In one piece, he tries to interpret the ideas of KH Mustofa
"Gus Mus" Bisri in his painting Berdzikir Bersama Inul (Chanting
Part of the Confession of Faith along with Inul). The writer asks
whether there is any essential difference between Inul's wiggling
bottom and the faces of hypocritical leaders, or even those of
some of our religious figures.

Hakiem writes that Gus Mus is right in showing how Inul, and
our reactions to her gyrating movements, tell more about us than
they do about the singer. The most insecure and crass people (and
that includes clerics) will make the loudest protests about
"Inulism".

In a bold stance, the writer argues that the self-righteous
shamelessly hold up Inul to scrutiny to conceal their own moral
failings.

Other articles continue in a similar vein: Melihat Allah di
Gang Dolly (Seeing God in Dolly Alley), Pelacur pun Bisa Lebih
Mulia (A Sex Worker Can be More Noble), Sadisme, Dakwah dan
Kesenian Kita (Sadism, Propagation and Our Art), Teknologi Porno
(Porno Technology) and Paha, Dada dan Ayam Goreng (Thighs,
Breasts and Fried Chicken).

A self-admitted fan of Inul is reporter Rudy Gunawan, who put
his book together from media clippings. It opens with comments
about Inul from public figures, ranging from her defenders, such
as writer Arswendo Atmowiloto, to her staunchest critic, Rhoma
Irama, the onetime king of dangdut.

But Rudy is not trying to defend Inul, instead trying to
"drill" through the hypocrisy pervading Indonesian society. It is
through the phenomenal issue of Inul that he discusses the
problems the country today.

In his eyes, Inul is like the sharp-pointed part of a drill,
penetrating through the hypocrisy demonstrated by our society in
many respects. Her innocence and honesty in facing up to the
storm of controversy show up those who lash out at her.

The book's five chapters (Rudy calls them "drills") discuss
the Inul craze, her emergence in relation to moral, social,
cultural and other issues, the eroticization of Inul's body and
movements, as well as sex and power.

Ulil Abshar Abdalla's epilogue, Over Moralisasi
(Overmoralization), argues of the danger of religion being taken
as a norm that regulates all aspects of life.

"Overmoralization regarding social life through the
reinforcement of religious norms in society has led to unhealthy
impacts," Abdalla said.

Interestingly, the most famous buttocks in the country are not
found on the cover. Instead, Inul, like a modern-day Mona Lisa,
smiles cryptically in a painting by Hari Budino. It is if she is
looking on knowingly as the public and media, including in these
two books, pay homage to the queen of drilling.