An Indonesian publisher vowed on Friday to go ahead with the launch of a local version of Playboy magazine despite growing protests from conservative Muslim groups and nationalist politicians. Since word of the planned launch circulated a few weeks ago, some Islamic groups have urged the government to prevent publication of the men’s magazine in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, even if it was a less racy version.”There was a thought to issue Playboy Indonesia mid-year but with this controversy that plan may be expedited or pushed back,” said Ponti Carrolus, director of PT Velvet Silver Media, which holds the Indonesian license from the U.S.-based magazine.
Carrolus told a news conference that Playboy Indonesia would not publish nude pictures, the magazine’s trademark.
Avianto Nugroho, who handles the magazine’s promotion, told Reuters separately the launch was a “certainty,” but gave no date.
Media observers said Playboy Indonesia’s content would be close to local franchises of men’s magazines such as FHM or Maxim, which rely heavily on pictures of scantily dressed women but stop short of nudes.
Despite regular campaigns against pornography, many sidewalk vendors in Indonesia stock sexually explicit movies and the country has a flourishing sex industry.
In recent years, lifestyle magazines for Indonesia’s growing secular middle class have flooded the market, including those targeting a male audience.
Many are franchises of foreign publications in the United States, Europe, Australia and more liberal Asian nations.
Founded in 1953, Playboy has about 20 local editions around the world that cater to local taste rather than simply exporting and translating its U.S. content.
Source:
Reuters
