T

he British magazine Punch has featured humor and cartoons that, with a knowing smile, wit and satire, have reflected on life’s ups and downs since the middle of the 19th century.

One of its cartoons, published in 1897, featured a busy London scene that was simply entitled “How We Advertise Now”.

The scene portrayed a street along which people are seemingly busily going about their business. People are jostling along, a horse pulling a cab rears up on its hind legs apparently in fright, a mother scolds her daughter; it is a hectic street scene but close to the middle of the scene is a static policeman raising a whistle to his lips in a forlorn effort to restore order.

The street level is frantic enough in this image but towering over all is a hoarding that is absolutely covered with advertising.

Advertising posters are the complete backdrop of the scene; they block out the sky and seem to overwhelm the passersby.

The creator of the image is commenting on, perhaps complaining about the excessive way in which advertising was occurring in that day.

This somewhat ironic visual social commentary is reminiscent of Jakarta today.

Jakarta has billboard advertising that is quite simply gargantuan. Massive sky-scraping advertising boarding creates spaces on which enormous images are mounted, all with the intent of getting us to buy some product or services that we may or may not need — often not really need.

But these huge advertising canvases are not just dotted occasionally around the city they increasingly seem to be cropping up everywhere.

Like some giant invaders, they are taking over much of the cityscape and this is leading to a cacophony of visual imagery on the streets that can at times become bewildering.

Advertising here does not share space but fights for space and so too the attention of those passing by. At times this even seems hazardous and can be that quite literally. Road junctions become a melee of visual displays as giant billboards look down upon them and advertising banners are draped around them. When those banners get tattered and torn and fall to the ground they can become a hazard.

Advertising banners that were poorly fixed, and so easily get knocked about and fall, become road obstacles.

These then are immediate physical concerns for road users but the distracting influence of roadside advertising has to be a concern too. Sometimes the advertising can quite literally be dazzling.

There are an increasing number of huge television screens being erected at strategic junctions around town that literally flash imagery in the faces of those that pass by. At one particular, and quite central, junction the brightness of the screen is so great that it is not far short of blinding.

The surrounding area is relatively dark and so the junction is lit, rather than by street lights, by the flickering screen.

At night a screen such as this practically becomes mesmerizing. The images flash on and off, usually they are advertising one of the many cigarette brands that are so prevalent and seemingly successful, but as the watching eye has to adjust from bright, piercing images to near total darkness the experience is less than comfortable.

During the day the images may not be so dazzling but they can be every bit as mesmerizing. The advertisements for so many different makes of cigarette are typically highly polished and quite visually stunning.

Rugged outdoor activities are typically featured and fast and sporty cars are not uncommon too.

The advertisements are highly stylized and eye-catching and there is the problem when they are being projected right in the middle of the street.

A few days ago a comical and a bit of a sad, scene developed when a motorcyclist got lost in his viewing.

So engrossed in the spectacular shots of jeeps being driven wildly through a desert scene (that somehow sells cigarettes) was he that he failed to see that the traffic light at which he was sitting had turned to green.

Soon enough car horns were blasting to tell him to stop viewing and get moving.

Unfortunately in his haste to get moving he stalled his motorbike and could not start it again. As he pushed it to the side of the road, amazingly, he could still not take his eyes off the screen.

The addictive nature of the screen kept his attention solidly, despite his automotive problems.

Jakarta’s street advertising is becoming invasive and is polluting the visual landscape of the city to such an extent that it is becoming ugly and oppressive.

The street scene is not enhanced by such visual intensity and road —safety too seems to be endangered.

— Simon Marcus Gower

We invite readers to contribute to this section about things happening in Greater Jakarta. Personal experiences, rants and protests are also welcome. Please send your story to city@thejakartapost.com. The article should be between 600 and 800 words.