In Indonesia, it’s not about “let’s see them aliens”; it’s about “let’s see what happens if we storm a mythical beach wearing a forbidden color.”
Recently, a couple of Indonesian Facebook users created the country’s answer to the viral Facebook event “Storm Area 51” with an event calling for the storming of Java’s southern coast, particularly Parangtritis Beach in Yogyakarta. The event, planned for mid-September like its American counterpart, would involve attendees wearing green to challenge a myth that has been passed down from generation to generation in Java.
That myth centers around Nyi Roro Kidul, a mermaid-like goddess who is said to be the queen of the Indian Ocean south of Java. Despite her ethereal existence (or lack thereof), she has been the spiritual consort of the Sultans of Yogyakarta, from the earliest definitive accounts of the deity in the 16th century to the present day.
Legend has it that Nyi Roro Kidul likes to claim many a sea frolicker who wears green to Java’s southern coast, drowning them in the ocean and turning them into her followers in her underwater kingdom.
If the myth is true, then in September, she may have up to 8,000 new followers.
That’s the number of people who have confirmed their attendance on a Facebook event titled, “Let’s storm Parangtritis while wearing green shirts”, which was created last week and has become a viral meme in the country.
On the event’s page, the co-hosts wrote, “Since Area 51 is too far, we picked a different spot that is equally challenging,” implying that the risk posed by wearing green to Parangtritis is about the same as the possibility of direct action by US military officials against people trespassing at the top secret facility located in Nevada.
But, like Storm Area 51, the Parangtritis co-hosts have been very clear that their event is just a joke — even if many appear to have taken it seriously.
“This is a parody of the event ‘Storm Area 51’ that is viral in America… We wanted to have fun by making a parody event seasoned with kearifan lokal (an Indonesian meme phrase meaning “local wisdom”),” Alfi Syahr, a co-host for the event, told Coconuts.
Alfi said that he never actually intended to mobilize thousands to wear green storm Parangtritis, but he recognized that the joke has gotten out of hand so he and his co-host, Andri Kamajaya, tried to make the best out of the unraveling situation.
“This was supposed to just be a meme, right? But many took it seriously. So instead of people actually coming on that date and causing unrest, it’s better that they come and be productive and useful for others. One of the ways to do that is to do a beach clean up,” he said.
On July 19, Andri pinned a post on the event page that changed its name by replacing the Indonesian word serbu (storm) with sapu (to sweep/clean). The post called on attendees to put aside all of their differences and take part in cleaning up Parangtritis or other beaches along Java’s southern coast.
Can a viral joke on Facebook end up becoming a massive beach clean up effort? Alfi, for one, doesn’t have high hopes.
“From what I see of people’s posts, they’re just having fun with memes. Maybe around 90% of them won’t even show up,” he said.
Alfi himself won’t actually be at Parangtritis on the day as he’s not even a resident of Yogyakarta. He said he might go to his closest southern coast beach to help clean up and might even wear green, as he doesn’t believe that there are any malicious supernatural powers on the coast.
If you decide to go regardless, note that wearing green to Parangtritis is actually discouraged for safety reasons. Over the years, Indonesian authorities have repeatedly debunked the myth and warned that people can get swept up in the sea’s many rip currents. They say search and rescuers would find it hard to find victims if they wear green as they would blend in with the color of the seabed.
Or maybe that’s what Nyi Roro Kidul wants you to think…
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