My Little Black Sticky Rice Cake
Two days ago, journalists asked me many questions, but I only answered one regarding the viral song MBG (‘Mas Bahlil Ganteng’). The reporters’ tone was hesitant and ambiguous: was Golkar party okay with the song? Having listened to the lyrics, I confidently stated it was netizens’ creative appreciation of Bahlil’s hard work. The song itself is cute and entertaining.
I later understood why the journalists were ambiguous—some perceived it as body shaming and bullying.
I answered during a Hajj break while sitting on the ground during mealtime. Responding briefly was no issue for me, given my writing experience. In this interlude of worship, there was no political pretence or deviation from the context of the children’s beloved song. At this global gathering, I see all humans equal in God’s eyes, distinguished only by piety and good deeds.
To me, ‘Mas Bahlil Ganteng’ is not body shaming or sarcasm. As someone familiar with Javanese culture and ‘sanepan’—a linguistic device where meaning is opposite to the literal—my alarm would sound if sarcasm were present. For example, Javanese describe a hyperactive child as ‘anteng kaya kitiran’ (calm like a spinning top). In this song’s context, I detected no sarcasm, even as subtle satire.
Calling Bahlil ‘ganteng’ (handsome) is genuine. A friend with a master’s degree once told me that intellectuals are ‘keren’ (cool), similar to Betawi people using ‘cakep’ for someone who does good deeds. For me, Bahlil’s work can be described as cool, attractive, or good.
Even physically, Bahlil is handsome in his own way. By chance, I have three children with varying skin tones: the eldest has fair, slightly yellowish skin with Arabesque features; the second has light brown skin and East Asian features; the third has dark brown skin and Javanese features. I call all three ‘ganteng’.
When I say ‘ganteng’ for my third child, it’s not body shaming. I’m merely expressing a different version of handsomeness. All three are equally handsome. I’m not being sarcastic; my concept of handsomeness extends beyond skin colour and facial features, not dictated by a single culture or race.
When I hear ‘my little Bolu Ketan’, I picture the cake I often buy at Manggarai Selatan’s local market near my home. Made from black glutinous rice and palm sugar baked in pandan leaves, it smells of fragrant pandan mixed with palm sugar. Despite its street-food price, it tastes luxurious. Similarly, Bahlil’s exceptional performance contrasts with his ordinary appearance. When netizens say ‘my little Bolu Ketan’, I imagine them singing with affection, like I love my little Bolu Ketan—sweet, fragrant with palm sugar and pandan.