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Urban Chat: When bread and the circus collide in Indonesia

“What do you think of human trafficking [perdagangan manusia]?”“Well, as it’s about perdagangan [trafficking, trading], then we should discuss it with the Trade Ministry

Lynda Ibrahim (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, May 3, 2013

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Urban Chat: When bread and the circus collide in Indonesia

'€œWhat do you think of human trafficking [perdagangan manusia]?'€

'€œWell, as it'€™s about perdagangan [trafficking, trading], then we should discuss it with the Trade Ministry.'€

This exchange between a journalist and a former Miss Indonesia turned lawmaker was widely circulated a few years ago. As the journalist tried to regain composure, the rest of Indonesia roared with laughter.

Ancient Roman politicians famously practiced the panem et circenses (bread and circus) dogma. They believed a peaceful empire came from their citizens having full stomachs (bread) and entertained hearts (circus). That the ample food mostly came from heavily taxing far-flung provinces and the circus often arrived in the form of bloody gladiators was another issue.

This week, Indonesian voters learned that most eligible political parties would be casting '€” no pun intended '€” a plethora of entertainers on their ballot for 2014. There were semi-retired A-list and has-been B-list celebrities, with some, I shall solemnly add, even being regulars in adult magazines, but with all being candidates for us to pin our high hopes on for a better Indonesia. It seems like these parties think that because our economy is steadily growing at 6 percent or more, hence guaranteeing our food, they'€™ll just take care of the circus part.

Before the public bashing continues, let'€™s ask ourselves whether entertainers in politics are all that bad.

Indonesia is barely unique in featuring (former) entertainers to represent its citizens through running for public office. The world'€™s arguably most mature democracy, the United States, has long seen its Hollywood crowd participate on the campaign trail.

Clint Eastwood was once a mayor of a California town, Arnold Schwarzenegger actually dethroned the California governor to become an elected official, and Ronald Reagan was the country'€™s 40th president.

After her pageant career, Miss Universe 1981 Irene Saez went home to Venezuela and, eschewing political parties in favor of hired political strategists and her personal fame, consecutively became the mayor of a Caracas municipality, governor of Nueva Esparta state and even tried, though unsuccessfully, to run for president. Hugo Chavez diehards hated her, but she had a good run while it lasted.

Once, the Philippines (in a euphoria that soon was regretted), elected former leading man Joseph '€œErap'€ Estrada to Malacanang Palace. And lest not forget the hullabaloo that was Ilona Staller, who not only continued to make porn flicks during her time in Italian parliament but also delivered her official addresses with one breast bared for the world to ogle at. Somehow I'€™ve got a feeling that even Caesar was turning in his grave.

Indonesia has witnessed similar scenarios. Besides the former beauty queens (one mentioned above, and another jailed for corruption) there are the likes of former movie stars Nurul Arifin and Rieke Diah Pitaloka or comedian Mi'€™ing who have solid track records. It'€™s worth noting that not only did they actually finish higher education, they also built their reputations gradually through legwork activism and public displays of knowledge on their chosen causes.

The same thing can be said about other successful entertainers turned politicians. Former US president Reagan didn'€™t just leap from the silver screen to the White House. He had a degree in economics and sociology and paid his dues through a professional job in General Electric, one of America'€™s biggest companies, ran the distinguished Screen Actors Guild, and worked on various public causes during his early years in the Republican Party. Schwarzenegger might not have said many lines in his action movies, but he was proven to be eloquent when speaking about public causes, a skill undoubtedly sharpened during his years married to member of the Kennedy family.

Are Indonesian political parties failing in their grass roots recruitment so that they must rely on famous faces, or are they just lazily banking on the aspirational penchant for celebrities of Indonesia'€™s lower classes? Absolutely both. But has all been lost? Maybe not.

There'€™s a full year between now and 2014. While that may not be sufficient to earn a degree, that'€™s still ample time to start building one'€™s activism groundwork beyond the superficial. If I were any of these celebrities, I'€™d wisely pick a cause, beg field activists to mentor me and then dedicate my primary focus and resources to that cause so that when ballot time came I'€™d at least have a real, albeit small and short, platform to base my campaign on. Celebrities must show voters that there'€™s a brain to their beauty.

For us voters, the choice is entirely ours. We have three options. First, we can dismiss these pretty faces as part of a circus that does not belong to the House of Representatives and not cast our vote, hopefully penalizing lazy political parties for not nurturing more qualified members. Second, we can watch closely whether any of these entertainers can jump-start their activism and step up to the plate, thus giving a fair chance for all types of legislative candidates.

Third, and most interesting to me, is the option of backing another fresh batch of aspiring legislative candidates whose entrance into the foray has unfortunately been overshadowed by celebrities. They'€™re former journalists and field activists who, despite their curious choice of political parties, have finally decided to join the system they'€™ve so often criticized. To step down from a safe soapbox, or ivory tower for that matter, into the system to personally try to fix it, is genuine activism. I salute and support their candidacies.

The circus has come to town, but how is the tale going to end, peeps?

Lynda Ibrahim is a Jakarta-based writer and consultant, with a penchant for purple, pussycats and pop culture.

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