primordial saga
Somebody wrote - I caught a movie tonight in Keelung (Jilong) called "The Sweetest Thing", an innocuous silly more or less stupid American comedy, with lots of breast jokes and penis jokes, I think the target audience was 13 year old males ... but all that side, there was one joke in the movie that I didn't get, and wonder if others can help.
The scene is: in a clothing store, the boss (who was supposed to be out all weekend on his sailboat in San Francisco Bay) unexpectedly comes back early and the sales clerk who is supposed to working the front desk is upstairs f***ing her boyfriend. When the boss comes in, he says to the assistant sales girl : "where's the main salesgirl, it feels like Indonesia in here!"
What the heck does THAT mean?
is this some new American slang slur against Indonesians? What could it even possibly mean?
{The film was made and released long before Bali blew its lid off.} ...
Anybody hazard a guess? Are Indonesians known for poor service at stores?
daltongang wrote - It's a subtle allusion to ancient Indonesian culture. Note that the boyfriend was wearing an elephant costume at the time. Sex involving humans and pachyderms is a theme of the Ganesa origin story from the Ramayana, as well as the birth of Buddha (whose mother dreams of a white elephant--see the Bertolucci movie "Little Buddha" for a disturbing Freudian depiction of this--both of which are important elements of Indonesia's pre-Islamic culture.
The filmmakers probably wanted to include an explanation making this clear, but then threw up their hands saying, "It'll NEVER fit in HERE!"
Peewee Herman wrote - Nor is it an insult. Coitus pachydermus is not an uncommon practice throughout some parts of the Indian subcontinent. Whereas maharajas gathered elephants for use in war and religious festivals years ago, today ownership of an elephant is often seen as a sign of prestige. In Rajneespuran, years ago, I learned of a mahout who's eldest daughter, initially assigned the task of bathing an elephant calf in the muddy river, discovered the extraordinary carnal pleasures that her charge could provide. Rather than dismay, her father was filled with joy that his daughter could reenact the ancient saga of Ganesh, writhing in a sensual display of spiritual and earthly extasy in the mud, coupled with the creature of myth, bringing incalculable good fortune upon his household. The father boasted proudly of the matter and neighbors gathered beside the river to witness the extraordinary feat. Later, in another village, outside of Gujranwala, I heard similar tales, and then in Sargodha I witnessed a couple of young Lolitas clinging firmly and writhing in sensual bliss, attached to the phallus of a young pachyderm, reenacting the primordial saga.
Borutesu_Faibu wrote - I don't get it formosa. Maybe I need to see the movie first to get a better picture. The Ramayana Story is not really that popular in Indonesia, Vincent and Peewee even know the story/ancient culture in much greater detail than I do. Well, maybe I'm just ignorant.., Anton, what do you think?
Ramayana is not from Indonesia, but from the Indian subcontinent. Is it possible that the movie intended to say "India" instead of "Indonesia"?
Guest wrote - You are worried about a little "slight" made in a movie about "Indonesia" when about 5 years ago all of Indonesia went up in arms killing, looting, gang raping ethnic Chinese living there. Hmmmm, something is out of whack. It was absolutely HORRIBLE what the Indonesians did and PATHETIC that the Indonesian government failed to stop it (even government soldiers did some of the raping) and apologize for it. This is a wrong that continues to be unredressed until this very day and you are "upset" about a stupid remark made in a stupid movie about Indonesia? The entire country should be ashamed of what happened.
Borutesu_Faibu wrote - I believe the whole nation deeply regret what happened back in May 98. I was there, and was also categorized as one of the victims. However, I am taught to forgive as they knew not what they did.
ax wrote - I didn't watch the movie. I couldn't catch the allusion from here. As far as Indonesia is concerned, it's a very hospitable country as taught in our history book. If there were killings, lootings, rapings or whatsoever, it must be engineered by foreign media:)
somebody else wrote - Indonesia has long received cultural influence from India--Hinduism and Buddhism, later Islam. The Ramayana is loved there, much like the Monkey story here. While not directly cited in the movie, it is very much present as subtext.
The scene is: in a clothing store, the boss (who was supposed to be out all weekend on his sailboat in San Francisco Bay) unexpectedly comes back early and the sales clerk who is supposed to working the front desk is upstairs f***ing her boyfriend. When the boss comes in, he says to the assistant sales girl : "where's the main salesgirl, it feels like Indonesia in here!"
What the heck does THAT mean?
is this some new American slang slur against Indonesians? What could it even possibly mean?
{The film was made and released long before Bali blew its lid off.} ...
Anybody hazard a guess? Are Indonesians known for poor service at stores?
daltongang wrote - It's a subtle allusion to ancient Indonesian culture. Note that the boyfriend was wearing an elephant costume at the time. Sex involving humans and pachyderms is a theme of the Ganesa origin story from the Ramayana, as well as the birth of Buddha (whose mother dreams of a white elephant--see the Bertolucci movie "Little Buddha" for a disturbing Freudian depiction of this--both of which are important elements of Indonesia's pre-Islamic culture.
The filmmakers probably wanted to include an explanation making this clear, but then threw up their hands saying, "It'll NEVER fit in HERE!"
Peewee Herman wrote - Nor is it an insult. Coitus pachydermus is not an uncommon practice throughout some parts of the Indian subcontinent. Whereas maharajas gathered elephants for use in war and religious festivals years ago, today ownership of an elephant is often seen as a sign of prestige. In Rajneespuran, years ago, I learned of a mahout who's eldest daughter, initially assigned the task of bathing an elephant calf in the muddy river, discovered the extraordinary carnal pleasures that her charge could provide. Rather than dismay, her father was filled with joy that his daughter could reenact the ancient saga of Ganesh, writhing in a sensual display of spiritual and earthly extasy in the mud, coupled with the creature of myth, bringing incalculable good fortune upon his household. The father boasted proudly of the matter and neighbors gathered beside the river to witness the extraordinary feat. Later, in another village, outside of Gujranwala, I heard similar tales, and then in Sargodha I witnessed a couple of young Lolitas clinging firmly and writhing in sensual bliss, attached to the phallus of a young pachyderm, reenacting the primordial saga.
Borutesu_Faibu wrote - I don't get it formosa. Maybe I need to see the movie first to get a better picture. The Ramayana Story is not really that popular in Indonesia, Vincent and Peewee even know the story/ancient culture in much greater detail than I do. Well, maybe I'm just ignorant.., Anton, what do you think?
Ramayana is not from Indonesia, but from the Indian subcontinent. Is it possible that the movie intended to say "India" instead of "Indonesia"?
Guest wrote - You are worried about a little "slight" made in a movie about "Indonesia" when about 5 years ago all of Indonesia went up in arms killing, looting, gang raping ethnic Chinese living there. Hmmmm, something is out of whack. It was absolutely HORRIBLE what the Indonesians did and PATHETIC that the Indonesian government failed to stop it (even government soldiers did some of the raping) and apologize for it. This is a wrong that continues to be unredressed until this very day and you are "upset" about a stupid remark made in a stupid movie about Indonesia? The entire country should be ashamed of what happened.
Borutesu_Faibu wrote - I believe the whole nation deeply regret what happened back in May 98. I was there, and was also categorized as one of the victims. However, I am taught to forgive as they knew not what they did.
ax wrote - I didn't watch the movie. I couldn't catch the allusion from here. As far as Indonesia is concerned, it's a very hospitable country as taught in our history book. If there were killings, lootings, rapings or whatsoever, it must be engineered by foreign media:)
somebody else wrote - Indonesia has long received cultural influence from India--Hinduism and Buddhism, later Islam. The Ramayana is loved there, much like the Monkey story here. While not directly cited in the movie, it is very much present as subtext.
posted by david at 7:16 PM
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