What is Ada Indonesia Coy meme? It’s not uncommon to come across the “There’s Indonesia, man!” meme, as a reaction to news about Indonesia in the global sphere (Indonesian reference).
The image includes a man looking at a computer while smiling, or a scene of Leonardo DiCaprio from the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street” pointing at the television.
It is scattered in many columns whether it is news of Indonesia’s involvement in the global arena, Indonesian artists who are famous abroad, or even just a mention of Indonesian elements in foreign films or YouTube content.
Such memes are not only in positive content related to Indonesia, but also become satirical when there is bad news about Indonesian people or countries that are highlighted globally.
I also sent the same meme when the National Geographic Indonesia article titled “Most Plastic Waste on African Beaches Comes from Indonesia” was posted on its official Twitter account.
“There’s Indonesia, guys” is often sent as a satirical depiction of the overly proud nature of Indonesians, when the Indonesian element is often mentioned. People from various meme communities agree on this.
Not to mention, in mid-January 2023, netizens were excited by the mention of “Jakarta” and “Indonesia” in the HBO series “The Last of Us”.
The online excitement was heightened when the series aired a scene set in Jakarta and actress Christine Hakim was present as one of the cast members.
Being “overproud” is often synonymous with being bad and ‘tacky’. In a deeper sense, overproud is a term for someone being foolishly proud of something and then making it the best thing they have ever seen or experienced, but in the eyes of others it is not special,” Cynthia wrote in her thesis.
For a long time, Indonesian society faced Western colonialism. Colonialism brought social segregation that tended to be racist, even legally enforced. Ultimately, such a system has the nature of feeling inferior to its colonizers.
“The presence of Indonesian references in foreign popular culture itself when viewed from a psychological perspective can be analyzed with an approach related to inferiority complex mentality,” explained Cynthia.
Inferiority complex mentality is an attitude of incompetence or insecurity. This attitude then makes itself less or lower than other people. Collective inferiority, of course, arises from the flawed social value norms inherited from colonialism.
Ultimately, groups that have been discriminated against for so long need recognition from groups that are considered superior. This recognition is important for them to be able to struggle and survive.
This is reflected in the way Indonesians consume media, Ravananta explains. “Foreign popular culture that carries the Indonesian reference is greeted with great enthusiasm and exaggeration and in response, it is a form of Indonesian people’s tendency to seek validation and legitimization from foreign countries for their indigenous culture,” he wrote.
However, the reason for the Indonesian reference is not always out of appreciation. Over time, it becomes a marketing strategy with economic motives from many parties, as Cynthia studied. Or, as another example, there are many YouTubers or Western movies with Indonesian references that are flooded with Indonesians.
“Of course, feeling proud of Indonesian culture that is starting to be recognized in the world is a natural feeling experienced by Indonesians. The good reception from Indonesians is a reflection of the love and care Indonesians have for their culture,” he continued.
“However, Indonesian overproud, which now has a bad connotation in both global and national public perspectives, can be a ‘double-edged stuff’ for the Indonesian people.
The response that was initially natural and understandable can actually tarnish the name of Indonesia as a nation that is still deeply affected by post-colonialism.”
The “Ada Indonesia Coy” trend is actually a form of excessive pride in Indonesian Reference. Indonesian Reference itself is a pop culture that refers to Indonesian culture as part of its products.
This overproud cannot be separated from the fact that our country is a former colony of the West. Colonialism happened for a long time, more than three hundred years.
During colonization, our country was compartmentalized based on the layers of society. The Europeans were the highest caste, while the natives were the lowest. Similarly, our cultures were categorized as lower-class cultures.