Cut Out with the Handshake, Cut Out with the Joke

This post is written in a rage. Amazing what anger can do to your creativity.

So. I just watched Indonesia This Morning on Metro TV, and one of the news was about Tifatul Sembiring's handshake with Michelle Obama. Some media in Indonesia and the US make a big deal out of it, apparently. In fact, the story is deemed remarkable enough that Stephen Colbert--comedian and political satirist--made a note to mention it in his program, The Colbert Report.

Given the nature of his show, of course he took it upon himself to treat the whole handshaking business as a joke. And then he continued by quoting a passage from some article saying about how Indonesians swarmed Facebook and Twitter to criticize the Minister of Information for his hypocrisy.

I must say that I don't care about what Mr. Sembiring does. He can choose to shake or not to shake hands with women, or he can take a third wife, for all I care. As long s he doesn't mess up in his job, I couldn't care less. But I do mind with what Colbert said next. I don't remember his exact words, but it was more or less like this: "Facebook and Twitter? I always picture Indonesians banging coconuts to a log."

Needless to say, I was (and still am) incensed. What the hell was that? What the hell does he think we are? Savages? Monkeys? (Although I don't know if monkeys communicate by banging coconuts on a log, that's hardly the point, is it?) Honestly, I think it's racist and degrading and not funny at all. His studio audience shared a different opinion, obviously.

People would no doubt say "Don't you have a sense of humor? It's just a joke!" No, I don't have a sense of humor when it's my national identity that is trampled upon. Americans--obsessed with political correctness--are very sensitive when it comes to making jokes about African-Americans and Jews. But is it alright to make fun of everybody else?