High-tech mass media has idolatrous effect in Indonesia
High-tech mass media has idolatrous effect in Indonesia
By Limas Sutanto
MALANG, East Java (JP): The magical influence of popular
entertainment figures on their fans is obvious in Indonesia. At
the end of June, Astrid Herrera, an actress in a popular
telenovela Si Cantik Clara, mesmerized the masses in some big
Indonesian cities.
Before Herrera, other popular artists like Corraima "Kasandra"
Torres, Bon Jovi, Mick Jagger, Phil Collins, as well as Andy "The
Condor Hero" Lau, were given rousing, almost hysterical,
welcomes. What does this phenomenon mean? Is there a lesson in
this?
Idol. That's the key word to answer the question. A thorough
study would probably prove that commercial public figures are
idolized not only by urbanites, but also villagers. Why? Because
television, the most efficient way to make an idol, has become a
close intimate friend of nearly every Indonesian.
It is human nature to idolize. Throughout history people have
required idols. In human psychic development, the process of
making idols is a normal event. The process is similar to
identification, another normal psychosocial process. Therefore,
for someone to interdict another for idolizing an artist or
prominent figure is wrong.
But idolization, especially if it is more unconscious than
conscious, can be harmful. Seen from psychoanalytical point of
view, idolization involves the superego, which, according to
Freud, has an authoritative and deterministic influence in
controlling human behavior. Thus, if people are shaken up by
idolization, their ability to judge the real world will be
distorted by an excessive preoccupation with their idols.
Moreover, if the idolization is related to a historical state or
national leader, the distortional effect can bring about an
unrealistic cult of the leader.
Francis Bacon, therefore, criticized the existence of idols
and idolization. Idols and idolization are close to the idea of
cult and with the act of deification. The Latin word idolum,
means gods or goddesses. According to Bacon, people may have
idols, but the process of idolization should not distort people's
ability to freely judge facts realistically.
In order to eliminate the distortion, Bacon sets out four
kinds of idol which should be avoided. The first, idola tribus,
is an idol which is created by hasty and general conclusions
without an adequate empirical base.
The second, idola specus, is created as a result of prejudice
and deification, which have their roots in people's narrow-
mindedness.
The third, idola fori, is formed by a person who has no
critical opinion of major trends within society. The person loses
himself or herself in the embrace of public opinion, drifting
with societal trends without an adequate effort to judge
anything for themselves.
The fourth, idola theatri, is the most dangerous idol in the
modern era. The idol is created by the penetrative influence of
"systematic and big scale drama" presented by contemporary mass
media. The drama is essentially artificial social engineering,
serving as a tool to achieve certain political, economic, social
and cultural interests.
The idola theatri gains its full capacity in the wired world,
because of the empowerment of high-tech mass communication.
Public opinion, attitudes and behavior as a whole can be warped
toward the political, economic, social and cultural aims of the
owner of mass communication equipment.
The essential lesson is the necessity to build adequate
awareness of the idolatrous harm mass media can have. Television
is the worst offender because of its powerful effect on every
dimension of life. To counter the effect, Indonesian families
should learn the differences between the constructive and the
destructive effects of the mass media.
Limas Sutanto, a psychiatrist and psychosocial observer,
alumnus of the medical schools of Gadjah Mada University,
Yogyakarta, and Airlangga University, Surabaya.