POLITIC AND POP CULTURE – Article Review

DAVID GAUTAMA 19/440388/EK/22314

Pop culture have very much been an integral part of Indonesia’s political affairs, as seen
in the presidency election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (who wrote and sung up to three
albums during his terms) and Joko Widodo (also called as Jokowi). When Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono’s term was about to end, with the strongest candidate that of Prabowo Subianto,
an ex-military who gained much political influence during the new Reformation Era. Jokowi was
with seemingly opposite background; he was a somewhat successful furniture seller who was
trusted to be the mayor of Solo, and then progressed to be the governor of Jakarta. Though
there seemed to be quite an impressive portfolio by Jokowi, it won’t stand a chance against
Prabowo’s tried and tested mass mobilization and media support. However, a new factor
helped Jokowi to win the presidential election, the support of celebrities with their huge
followings, or even individual groups with no political affiliations. They even supported not only
through votes and campaigns, but also through small donations, somewhat a protest against
the controversies surrounding political money used in campaigns.

Pop culture have been a culmination of various culture; most of them considered to be a
modern idea at their respective times of popularity. Javanese culture has always dominated
cultural influence since the colonization era. It was considered to be the most advanced culture
compared to other ethnical culture in the archipelago, and even managed to have a political
ethnic group thriving, the priyayi. Yet after the introduction of Islam have changed many
cultural identities of the citizens, since it comprises not to a specific ethnic, but to all who
belongs to it. Islam became the new popular culture and has been integrated to Indonesia’s
identity even in the makings of its independence where Islamic groups have grown significantly
so that it even causes some debates in the new nation’s basis, Pancasila.

During the Old Order of Soekarno’s regime, Marxist values thrived under the biggest
political party at that time, the communist party. Consequently, many have considered a new
political identity in Indonesia as socialist. Liberal ideas have also come to prominence with
especially during the heat of the Cold War, which was popularly called as “developmentalist”.
The three pop identities came close to a civil war where the army backed by liberal West
alongside intellectuals from Islamic and Developmentalist groups opposes the communist
group backed by the Soviet Union and China. As it is known in history, the former went on
winning popularity and Soeharto came to power.

During Soeharto’s regime, leftist ideas are considered radical and illegal, and was wiped
out of educational texts and even led to controversial prosecution across the archipelago. Islam
then became the next target of subduing alongside the rise of Javanese politics. In this era too,
artist and important figures in the musical industry started protesting against the New Order,
and so began the growing influence of pop culture in politics. As a conclusion, Indonesia have
always been an “improbable country” with too diverse of cultures and ethnic, and therefore the
four major pop cultures with influence towards political identity to be accepted by the majority
of the population. Political power is therefore determined by the appeasement towards them,
and even conflicts towards one of these groups may lead to clashes, be it in the political stage
or socio-economic stages, which may even lead to further fragmentation.