Lady Gaga's Indonesia gig yanked; protesters say she'll corrupt children
Lady Gaga is welcomed by Japanese fans upon her arrival at Narita international airport as part of her Asian tour on May 8, 2012.
/
Getty
(CBS/AP) - Lady Gaga is apparently too racy for Indonesia.
She will have to cancel her sold-out show in Indonesia following protests by Islamic hard-liners and conservative lawmakers, who said her sexy clothes and dance moves will corrupt young people.
National police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar, responding to the pressure, said Tuesday that the permit for her June 3 "Born This Way Ball" concert had been denied.
Indonesia, a nation of 240 million people, has more Muslims than any other country. Although it is secular and has a long history of religious tolerance, a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.
Hard-liners have loudly criticized Lady Gaga, saying the suggestive nature of her show threatened to undermine the country's moral fiber. Some threatened to use physical force to prevent her from stepping off the plane.
Lawmakers and religious leaders, too, have spoken out against her.
Worried that it could not guarantee security, local police recommended the permit for the show be denied, said Amar, adding that national police decided Tuesday to comply.
It was supposed to be the biggest show on Lady Gaga's Asian tour, with fans snapping up every seat in Jakarta's 52,000-seat Gelora Bung Karno stadium - half of them in the first two hours of sales.
Permits usually are issued about three weeks before a concert in Jakarta, so it is common to sell tickets well ahead of receiving a permit. It was not immediately clear whether the ticket sales would be refunded. The local promoter, Michael Rusli, could not be reached for comment.
Lady Gaga's Asian tour started late last month and many of the stops have sold out. The South Korean concerts were limited to fans 18 or older because conservatives there raised objections.
Since landing in Asia, Gaga has been busy tweeting updates about her trip, recently posting a photo of one of her tour costumes: a new meat dress.
It's nonsense. People in that country should try to be more broad minded instead of believing nonsense that Lady Gaga's performances will spoil their children.
So I guess Gabby that we should become like an Islamic country and tell people what to like and not to like. I think it's the parents responsibility to protect their children from what they can, and cannot see, but as an adult, I want to be free to chose whatever I want to listen to and see.
I think Indonesia is smart. All our children need to be protected. I'm not saying she's a bad person. Not at all. As a nation we need to watch more carefully what our youth see and hear. Not everything is alright. Not everything is politically correct nor be excepted so not to affend anyone.. Just my opinion...
The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
Reply to Comment The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
(CBS/AP) - Lady Gaga is apparently too racy for Indonesia. 
