Monday, April 10, 2006

Indonesian Playboy - all publicity is good publicity

Playboy magazine has started publishing a new Indonesian version. This is only surprising when you stop to consider that Indonesia is the world's most-populous Muslim nation.

Tame by Western standards, the magazine is causing the expected furor throughout Indonesia. Since principles like "freedom of the press" and "let the market decide" are completely alien to many in the Muslim world, the Jakarta streets are full of threats, calls for the banning of the magazine, and, no doubt, cries of "Death to America".

And, as for the folk at Playboy - even if the Indonesian edition turns into a failed bit, they've got a few mentions on the news services and a bit of blog-pub (the best kind to have), so they're happy.

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