Inul-mania has awakened us from slumber

Inul-mania has awakened us from slumber

Dangdut singer/dancer Inul (last name no longer necessary ala
Elvis) has once again stolen the public's attention with a recent
prolonged brouhaha over her controversial hip dance.

After the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul
Ulama warned of her shake and dance, saying her body movements
were a threat to society's morals, senior dangdut singer Rhoma
Irama, also called "the King of Dangdut", criticized Inul, whose
dance is renowned as the goyang ngebor or drilling dance.

Rhoma's statement, however, has angered the public and served
only to propel Inul's reputation to an even higher level.

Rhoma's comment on Inul during a TV talkshow was a serious
matter because he was not only threatening another person's
professional career, but also trying to corner a person who looks
powerless to me.

To be honest, before the arrival of Inul-mania, I ignored
dangdut music. Even when Inul first showed up on television
rocking the country with her drilling gyrations, I couldn't care
less. Not until a colleague at work whispered to me, "Watch her
hips! They'll blow you away!"

Well, I have to admit that her dance amazed me, but I've seen
this kind of stuff a lot on MTV.

Inul's recent appearance on television, looking so sad and
melancholy, however, changed how I feel about this issue.

With her innocent look, Inul said it was going to take her
some time to get her courage back before she re-appeared on TV,
after the dispute with the "King".

Though I normally couldn't care less about "this artist fights
with another actor" stuff, this one is rare. I found it funny
that some people considered Inul's drilling destructive and could
damage the morality of the nation, particularly the dangdut
lovers.

If this sensual drilling dance can really destroy our
morality, how about those under-the-table moves made by some
corruptors and politicians who claim themselves the people's
voices and representatives?

Think again. These corruptors have a higher educational level
than Inul and some of them have even been declared guilty by the
courts of robbing the country's wealth. Meanwhile, Inul, who is
just trying to make ends meet, is accused of threatening, even
destroying, the nation's morality.

I prefer to treat the controversial dance as a sport, which is
very beneficial to me: to lose the unwanted-bulky meat on my
hips. Even one of my friends who happens to work as an artist
once told me that Inul's drilling movement is an art and once you
talk about art, the sky is the limit.

Oooh, I see. Since there's no limit, it means people are free
to have their own descriptions about it. So, it is natural if
some guys think dirty and play with their own imagination after
watching Inul, but that doesn't mean they are immoral, right?

There are hundreds of examples that can be considered immoral
and can desecrate existing norms in our society.

Speaking of norms, I personally believe that as homo sapiens,
we are all blessed with a brain to think and to choose from the
good and the bad. When these norms are breached, then something
is not quite right.

As we all know, Indonesian people are getting smarter and
eager to move forward. I reckon that if we keep positive thoughts
in dealing with any kind of issue, particularly about Inul, then
our social norms will remain intact.

One thing for is sure, I've learned something from this
prolonged Inul-mania. With her sensational dance, maybe she wants
to tell us something: that being humble and naive might make us
look defenseless. Indeed, these two qualities have made her
become the person of what she is today.

--Faye Belnis