Panakawans Discourse Of Power In Javanese Shadow Puppet During The New Order Regime From Traditional Perspective To New Historicism

Wayang kulit (shadow puppet) has not only been an
entertainment; it is a medium to disseminate Javanese values to the
public. Therefore, wayang kulit has been a site of power game. Those
who could control it have their best opportunity to pass their values to
the public. Throughout its history, those in power since the colonial
time until the New Order regime had successfully ‘used’ this medium to
‘educate’ the public. The New Order regime, for one thing, had used
this medium well. Wayang kulit promoted Suharto as an equal of
Semar, a wise, god-like character. It also promoted Golkar as the most
powerful political party in the New Order Era. Feudalism in wayang
kulit was also used to reinforce a feudalistic regime of New Order.