Rhonda Goes to Bali

Rhonda flies into Bali and becomes romantically entangled with cabana boy Ketut.

In an 'AAMI' car insurance series of ads on Australian television the main character Rhonda saves so much money using AAMI insurance that she is able to afford holidays in the tropical island paradise of Bali, and meet the colourful locals.

In the first of the three videos Rhonda is serviced by a foot masseuse on Kuta beach or thereabouts, who in real life is shockingly not a foot masseuse on Kuta beach, but rumour has it an employee at the Indonesian consulate in the city of Melbourne.

"Rhonda is mine"

In the second video we and Rhonda meet the strappingly handsome example of Balinese manhood Ketut, played by Kadek Marhardika, another happy denizen of the very good and charming in its way city of Melbourne.

"You look so hot today Rhonda. Like a sunrise."

Finally, Rhonda returns home, with longing memories of Ketut:

"Kiss me Ketut"

The very popular as these things go ad series has generated a 110k Likes Facebook page entitled

The sexual tension between Katut and Rhonda

a thriving t-shirt industry in Bali, a "Rhonda and Ketut: The Musical" parody, and some agonising over the "subtext" of the videos, and issues of the "sexuality and representations of Asian men".

Questions raised include

• Do the ads promote (female) Asian sex tourism?
• Do the ads suggest only frumpy western women find Asian men attractive?
• Are the ads forms of neo-colonialist oppression of Indonesians?
• Are the massage lady and Ketut necessarily portrayed as subservient?
• And is it all related to the recent research findings suggesting Indonesian men are the most well endowed in all of Asia?

Rhonda Goes to Bali is brought to you by Indonesia Matters, where you can book flights in Indonesia, and features listings of Indonesian hotels, like Kuta hotels, Sanur hotels, hotels in Jakarta and near Jakarta airport, and more.

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