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Mataram. Ten dangdut songs with the titles “Jupe Likes 69 Best,” “Rocking Van,” “Sorry I Got You Pregnant,” “Accidentally Pregnant,” “Anything Goes,” “Just One Hour,” “Pimping Love,” “Breaking Womens’ Law,” “Here’s Something Long” and “Crocodile Hole” have been banned for broadcasting by a provincial government agency.

The West Nusa Tenggara Broadcasting Commission (KPID) has decreed that radio and television broadcasters are prohibited from airing the songs, which it says have “pornographic” lyrics.

The KPID took two weeks to examine 300 of the most popular dangdut songs after receiving a complaint from a group of citizens which it said included academics and cultural scientists from the province.

KPID head Badrun A.M. said that the body did not take the step to impose censorship lightly.

“In principle we do not wish to curb the creativity of anyone’s art, but the KPID also wishes to protect the public from the negative impacts of listening to these songs. There’s the potential for children and teenagers to copy what they hear,” Badrun explained.

Badrun said he fears that if the songs become a trend among the public, then the allegedly pornographic actions they portray may become “commonplace.”

The head of the broadcasting supervisory agency said that the words to Julia Perez’ song “Jupe Likes 69 Best” were delivered in an erotic voice, with lustful sighs and emphasis on lyrics which portrayed intimate relations and the singer’s preferred mode of sexual intercourse.

More vulgar still, according to Badrun, was “Rocking Van” by Lia M.J. and Asep Rumpi, which he said, promoted sex outside of marriage, and went into details of sex positions.

Singer Minawati Dewi’s “Crocodile Hole” and Rya Sakila’s “Here’s Something Long,” Badrun added, were perhaps the worst as they made specific reference to genitalia.

“This is very vulgar, and completely inappropriate to be heard by our community here in West Nusa Tenggara. Not to mention ‘Pimping Love’ which tells the story of a husband who sells his wife as a prostitute — this does not represent our Eastern culture,” he said.

In the past month the province’s KPID had received 25 complaints from the public about television and radio broadcasts which featured pornographic or violent content.
Stations which broadcast any of the 10 banned songs would be reprimanded and could face a reduction in permitted broadcasting hours or even loss of their license under the 2002 law on broadcasting, Badrun said.