Indonesian popular videos are heavily influenced by K-Pop choreography, but the local industry has fought back. Groups like (the sister group of Japan’s AKB48) and NDX A.K.A. (a hip-hop group from Yogyakarta) command massive YouTube views.
YouTube acts as the mainstream television of the internet era in Indonesia. It hosts everything from late-night talk shows hosted by former celebrities to independent citizen journalism. Mainstream television networks now dual-broadcast or repurpose their content for YouTube to retain relevance among younger demographics. TikTok: The Trendsetter
These shows rely on a formula of extreme melodrama: long-lost twins, amnesia, evil mothers-in-law, and the ever-present "rempong" (overly dramatic) arguments. However, critics often argue that sinetron relies on lazy tropes, but producers counter that they are simply giving the audience what they want: escape. In a country where traffic jams and economic pressures are daily realities, the exaggerated world of sinetron offers a cathartic release.