The Island of Bali is the most popular tourist destination in Indonesia. This is obvious because Bali has wonderful nature especially beaches, culture, artistic works, tradition, friendly people, all of which have been promoted for many decades by the central government as well as the Bali provincial government.
Recently Bali is also a very attractive place for females who are looking to have fun with local young males known as gigolo.
Last night I watched on MNC-TV a documentary film titled : Cowboys in Paradise which show the life of gigolo in the beach of Kuta, Bali taken from the online video media You-Tube. In the film a Balinese man offered his service to accompany foreign lady tourist, and film director Amit Vermany described Kuta as a sex paradise for thousands of women.
For detailed media reports (in Bahasa Indonesia), please click here and here.
I wonder what would those pro Pornography Law people say about this.
26 comments:
iya aku baru denger kemaren di internet..bahwa film tersebut..
kunjngi balik.
happy blogging
One more stereotype down the drain.
Always in history - in times when women were subservient to men - some men have had commercial sex occasionally. Now in large parts of the world gender equality is the rule, some independent and emanciapated women (can) do the same.
Though I strongly disapprove of sex-tourism, this is one more proof men and women are similar human beings.
@Deekkyy,
Iya saya juga baru lihat kemarin
di TV. Nanti saya akan kunjungi
blog anda. Teima kasih.
@Colson,
Yes, this clearly show that men and women indeed have the possibility to sell their bodies. It's a proof of gender equality.
haha once again we blogged about the same things :)
I am really sad about some people's reactions to this documentary :(
Shows there are a lot of people who aren't ready for 'outsiders' to give their take on things in Indonesia :(
They would rather that people just turn a blind eye to problems.
Simon,
Oh? I better go to your blog to
read your opinion on this matter.
About the gigolo, people protested because what they do is the same as whores.
You are right that this matter should be solved rather than closed.
Bali is a famous tourist destination in the world. Apart from the story about the video, this is so the residual effect of the world tourism places. Is there a solution?
Herdoni,
As a tourist resort many things can happen including Gigolo for to entertain women and Whores for men.
The most probable reason would be unemployment. Although providing more jobs for young people doesn't guarantee that there would not be such practices, however at least it could minimize it.
Hehehe
I didn't know about Kuta being a sex paradise for thousands of woman. There must be a lot more cowboys hiding from plain view out there! They are indeed a part pf the landscape here - have been since I moved here in '99. Personally as long as they are not rude I don't see a problem.
Now I will have to watch the documentary to see what all the fuss is about. There are certainly more pressing problems that darken Bali's public image than a few gigolos.
Hi Pj,
Gigolos are already there for
many decades, not just Kuta,
also in other places like Ubud.
But I heard they are very few.
My Balinese friends told me that their come from other islands.
I believe that native Balinese are religious.
Kuta is becoming more sordid everyday. The men on the beaches is one thing. But when men on the beach start propositioning me its time to make for nearest lot of Japanese tourists to feel safe!
Girls on bikes in poppies at 2am looking to give 'massage' and men on motorbikes asking you if you want girls, drugs, alcohol. Gets more like Thailand all the time.
However, go to Spain, Thailand, Greece, Italy, Mexico etc and well its no different really.
Its a funny world.... :)
For those Brits reading this top Blog, Blackpool Friday afternoon, Stags and Hens in the Tower Ballroom. Surely more shocking than a few dusky men chatting up the girls
Are you part of Bali's promotion? LOL. Great to have such a great resort as Bali in any case.
Are you part of Bali's promotion? LOL. Great to have such a great resort as Bali in any case.
Hi Luke,
This is the consequence of Bali's popularity as tourist resort, just like resorts in other countries.
For me, as long as they are not to many, thus crowding the beach, and do not bother me and/or person I am with, I don't really mind.
@Peter/Kiwi
I guest you can call it promoting Bali (LOL).
@ Mr. Nizam and Mr. Riverman :
Dear Sirs,
Do you think that it will be a great promotion?
Promoting Bali as the sex paradise for women, ( like Mr. pj said )? I think it contrasts to the Indonesian culture,isn't it?
Hanny,
Thank you for your kind comments.
You are correct that it is not a good promotion for Bali, because its against the Indonesian culture.
Actually me and Peter/Kiwiriverman were only joking, which can be noted from the LOL(laugh out loud) sign.
PJ is not saying that it's Gigolos are okay, but he wants to say that they have been there all of this times. Why do we complained today not before?
Thanks for the answer Sir..
Actually I haven't heard about it, until I watched it on TV last Monday.
I'm glad that you're joking ..
^_^'
However, I do really worry if foreigners mark Bali as a sex paradise, for I love Indonesia so much, I love our culture..
Harry,
I actually was shocked the first time I went to Bali because of the amount of Sex Tourism there was and I actually felt ashamed about this. I expected it in Jakarta but for some reason the dream of a paradise island that is Bali, it never occurred to me.
Live and Learn
@Hanny,
Hey I am Indonesian too, I also love my country very dearly.
Peter, PJ & Luke are nice people, you can visit their blogs by clicking their names.
@Luke,
The matter is not just about giving Bali a bad name. There is more to it.
If those men have steady jobs, I don't think they would do that. I hope that the issue of gigolo will make the government aware about the need to provide more jobs.
Glad to see all of you Sirs ..
^_^'
Thanks for the enlightenment ..
I do agree with your solution Mr. Nizam..
The Government should provide more jobs. If all of 'them' are well-heeled, probably there will be no gigolo anymore..
Viee Hanny,
Although real jobs cannot 100% guarantee the men will not be gigolo anymore, but at least will minimize.
By the way, my friends call me by my first name, please call me Harry.
aku blom liat movienya nih...penasaran juga hehehe....tp kalo di Bali byk gigolo mah sepertinya itu udah lamaaa banged aku taunya, cuman nggak di expose aja...pemerintah kayaknya merem aja yah :D but emang lbh penting ngurusin teroris or maling kayak gayus siy :p
Beauty Flash,
Ini akibat dari tidak ada lapangan kerja. Kalau mereka punya kerja tetap tentunya tak mau jadi gigolo, paling tidak jumlahnya bisa lebih dibatasi.
Mudah2an keadaan akan membaik dimasa yang akan datang.
Bali is what it is...This is the thing about Indonesia; there are just so many things that make it the unique destination that it is.
Sex tourism? Sex between two consenting adults is sex tourism? So, when someone goes from Jakarta to Kuta and hooks up in a nightclub they are a sex tourist?
Sex tourism, the term itself, was coined to reflect a very particular set of circumstances relating to pedophiles wasn't it?
This is really a case of making a mountain out of a molehill.
The film is not about promoting Bali as a destination. So, it is a beat up to suggest that it is and that this film harms Indonesia's image. There are plenty of other incidents occurring almost every day in Indonesia that do far more damage to its reputation than this film will ever do.
Nevertheless, that said, the pursuit by the police of Virmani on criminal charges, and the pursuit of the Cowboys themselves, does more harm to Indonesia's image.
The pursuit makes Indonesia seem like a place that is intolerant of difference, among other points I could make. The point though is that the film is not the problem, it is the reaction of the authorities and the self-proclaimed moral police that is.
Hi Rob,
I agree that the problem is not with the film but the reactions of the authorities and police.
Like you said that if Indonesian men in Bali or Jakarta or anywhere slept with foreign women does not mean that they are doing it for money.
I have been to Bali many times since more than 20 years ago and stayed in several different places like Ubud, Kuta, Legian, Denpasar.
Many Indonesian men coupled with foreigners anytime and places. Many have successfully built happy families.
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