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Cleric Denies Putting Kiss of Death on Creativity
"No, no! Certainly not!"
Popular Muslim preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar denies that his successful campaign to have a locally made teen romance movie withdrawn from cinemas means that he opposes artistic creativity. "Oh no, I like creative people, as long as they truly defend the self-esteem of the nation. Actually I challenge [people], come on - be creative," he was quoted as saying Sunday by detikcom online news portal.
| "Just watch yerself, buddy!" |
The Film Censorship Board (LSF) on August 18 banned Buruan Cium Gue (Hurry Up & Kiss Me) after conservative preachers such as Gymnastiar protested that its title would encourage young people to commit adultery.
| You don't mean like touching lips, do you? Eeeewwww! You can get pregnant doing that! |
LSF director Titie Said claimed the board had received hundreds of letters from people complaining that the movie was not in line with society's values. The film therefore had to be withdrawn because it could have caused social unrest, she added.
| Seething, people exploding with anger, that sort of thing... |
The LSF had originally passed the low-budget movie earlier this month. Although reviewers dismissed the movie as a uninspiring piece of clichéd teenage pap, it had been a hit among audiences during its two-week run, partly due to its catchy title and a widespread billboard advertising campaign. But the billboards also caught the attention of Muslim clerics, who felt the advertisements were tantamount to a promotion of promiscuity. "The title clearly leads people to commit adultery. Kissing is the root of adultery," Gymnastiar told Gatra magazine.
He admitted he had not even seen the film, but said the title was a threat to the morality of Indonesia's younger generation. "People say to me, once you've kissed, your hands will go all over the place. 'Hurry Up & Kiss Me' means 'Hurry Up and Doink Me Hide the Baloney Go for a Meat Ride Have Illicit Sex with Me'," he was quoted as saying by the Warta Kota daily.
Posted by: 2004-08-22 |
