HUMANIORA Vol. 32, No.

1 (February 2020)
page 1—9
https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/jurnal-humaniora https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.v32i1.29730

A Cultural Dimension of American-Indonesian

“Fast Food Diplomacy”

Sri Herminingrum
Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia
Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
This article endeavors to elucidate the establishment of international relations between America and Indonesia by
means of fast food franchises from a cultural dimension point of view. Since diplomacy in this context embraces
the coexistent expression of cultures, the object highlighted in the research is the presence of American fast food
icons, which are represented by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and McDonald’s. The concepts of cultural change
are used as the basis of data analysis from this one-year field observation over the two franchises in Malang, East
Java, Indonesia. This analysis aims (1) to uncover the innovations of KFC and McDonald’s outlets to devise new
forms of their fast food that fit Indonesian food habits, as well as to trace (2) the spread of their global ideas in
the everyday habits of Indonesians, and (3) the influence of the existence of both upon the burgeoning American-
Indonesian hybridized food culture. The result discloses that the business activity of KFC and McDonald’s has
not only created an affinity for economic benefit towards America and Indonesia through the hands of private
enterprise, but has also engendered the diversified ‘fast-food genre’.

Keywords: America-Indonesia; international relations; cultural dimension; fast food icons

INTRODUCTION based on his assertion that “the character of international

Diplomacy is a matter of the management of relations relations is derived from economic condition” (Norton,
between states or between states and other actors. et al.; 1986: 773). Therefore, it is reasonably acceptable
Basically, it is concerned with the advice, shape, and if during world history, that the economy has become the
implementation of foreign policy. As such, it is the means center of all aspects of human life. Economic power acts
of articulating, coordinating, and securing particular or as an engine of inevitable changes. The interdependence in
wider interests which employ a lot of media such as finance and international community trade simultaneously
lobbying, corresponding, and the exchange of views. built a cooperative web and struck the wall of hemispheric
Additionally, Barston (2013) noted that the change of borders. The American resolution to establish national
diplomacy today that was sparked by the cold war, the and international prosperity was declared in the first
so-called modern diplomacy, is dominated by economic inaugural address of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
players. Economic activity, as the determinant in which notably underscored the importance of restoring
achieving worldwide international relations, was initiated world trade. In short, both institutional and private
by America at the end of World War I. businesses should be empowered to play their roles in
Learning from the Great Depression which global economic growth. When America succeeds in
shattered the order of societal life around the globe, Cordell expropriating power from countries worldwide thereafter,
Hull, the Secretary of State from 1933 to 1944, suggested the process of globalization fosters American’s expertise
reorganizing the International economic structure of the to handle the international relations including restaurant
whole sphere to achieve global welfare and peace. This is businesses, especially fast food restaurants.
Humaniora, Vol. 32, No. 1 (February 2020)

Although Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) opened quality. These two giant fast food restaurant businesses
its first small restaurant more than a decade earlier than spread across the world, including throughout Indonesia,
McDonald’s, these two fast food restaurants built their like an octopus’s tentacles in a form of franchises.
businesses in an era when America was in a turbulent Inevitably, the vast impact of the fast food concept
economic situation. After World War I and towards induced not only socio-economic sectors but also cultural
the beginning of World War II, KFC, which started its change for Indonesians.
business in the 1930’s and McDonald’s in the 1940’s, The excellence of the restaurant business
demonstrated how American traditional values came to undeniably relies on how the food is prepared, served, and
be part of the daily life of Americans. When the set of promoted, which is akin to culture. Hence, Bentley (2007)
ideal values of individual freedom, self-reliance, equality believed that food is a symbol of cultural identity which
of opportunity, competition, material wealth and hard builds up the barriers and differences between cultures
work was degraded, difficult to apply or even heavily of each group in society. Food choice depends upon a
contrasting the reality; Harland Sanders and the McDonald society’s own desires and the conditions of the area they
brothers were among the Americans who were able to live in. Food is not only a basic biological need for people
successfully merge idealism and reality. The motivation to in order to survive, but it also interconnects with people’s
gain material wealth prompted them to compete and work social and cultural needs in their community or society as
hard within the wrecked, unstable economic condition of well. In other words, food serves two important domains
America. They transformed a threat on traditional values in human life, namely biological sustenance, and cultural
into a sense of optimism that then became the American expression including a person’s identity in society,
way of life, especially in overcoming difficult times. community, and that of self. In line with globalization,
Opportunities opened up for the KFC and therefore, Friedman (1995) affirmed that food does not
McDonald’s companies when America entered the post imply a mere by-product of culture because it covers
World War II era which was rendered as the steadiest significant relations of many interests, even power.
period of growth and prosperity. Insomuch as, “to the Together with the globalization era, the presence of
vast majority of Americans, the post war economic American commercial enterprises continuously expands
boom was a vindication of the American system of their markets. Limitless boundaries of time and space
free enterprise” (Norton, et al., 1986: 881). It was the between countries accelerate the traffic of transnational
opportune time to implement the value of equality in turnover. Consequently, the fast food concept adopted
gaining access to opportunities through fair competition. by KFC and McDonald’s flourishes in every corner of
Because the competitiveness which must be faced is the globe. Through its fast food icons, America has also
tied directly to the aim of economic benefit, KFC and played a great part in changing Indonesian socio-cultural
McDonald’s certainly cannot separate their businesses life, especially in constructing international relations.
from the demands of the consumers. In terms of business The thought that technology is changing diplomacy
promotion in America, Marx Lerner (cited in Datesman, cannot be disputed (CSIS, 1998) and, of course,
Crandall, & Kearny, 2005: 96-97) declared that the three America’s power in technology accelerates the fusing
main characteristics that the American consumers want, of cultures in the world without exception. America
particularly from food, are comfort, cleanliness, and has taken the predominant role in the global economy
novelty. As the embodiment of the Frontier Heritage, with a huge and promising market. Seeing how KFC
the love of novelty is believed to stem from the people’s and McDonald’s drive international relations through
pride in their ability to invent new things. Inventiveness their fast food franchise businesses in Indonesia, in the
and newness cannot be separated. Therefore, the three dimension of culture, this notion can be labeled as ‘fast
qualities that are searched by American consumers food diplomacy’.
mentioned by Lerner were then expanded to include a The cultural influence of four KFC and four
new concept: convenience. The desire for convenience McDonald’s restaurants upon people’s every day culture
has also been developed by KFC and McDonald’s fast in Malang city has been chosen as the object of this
food restaurants. Dine-in and take-out, the drive-through study. As the second largest city in East Java, after the
option, and delivery services are several examples of province’s capital city, Surabaya, based on the census of
convenient concepts to entice consumers. 2016, the inhabitants of Malang comprse approximately
The realization of the American spirit of four million people. About 30-40% of this number are
competition is executed by KFC and McDonald’s by students coming from various areas or even different
increasing their company’s presence both in number and islands throughout Indonesia. This dense population

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 Herminingrum - A Cultural Dimension of American-Indonesian “Fast Food Diplomacy”

can be considered as comprising the potential customers identity (Mendieta, in Alcoff 2002; Bentley, 2007), are
representing the agents who build communication with created to be locally acceptable wherein people will
their surrounding culture. readily consume them. KFC and McDonald’s, therefore,
Gaining good relations needs cultural have been actively inventive and innovative with the food
understanding, and acquiring cultural understanding and drink they serve to achieve cultural and economic
needs good communication. Thus, Baldwin, et.al (2014) interests simultaneously.
confirmed that culture is closely related to a symbolic Along with their expansion into countries outside
behavior, namely communication. Food as a product of the United States, both KFC and McDonald’s apply
culture is also intricately tied to communication. It is various kinds of localized menus. To meet their marketing
created and changed because of communication. The targets in the 1980’s, McDonald’s introduced various
dynamics of culture can be outlined by three means: menus to suit the changing consumer tastes. The most
invention or innovation; diffusion or the spread of artifacts, noticeable is the incorporation of the rice meal component
behaviors, and ideas across cultures; and hybridity. The for Asian franchises as a gesture of understanding the
communication between the two nations is bridged by importance of the Asian staple food, which has also
the mutual influence of the two cultures with different become a promising offer.
backgrounds, resulting in a process of reactions and
responses. For this reason, the purpose of this research
Figure 1a. (above left) KFC Nasi Ayam Goreng Crispy; 1b.
is to uncover the presence of KFC and McDonald’s in (bottom left) Bubur Ayam McD; 1c. (right) The Special McD
bringing the cultural impacts through creating innovation, menu for Indonesian Independence Day
spreading ideas, and shaping hybridity, and their by-
products which are manifested in non-formal business
sectors.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Because food and drink are seen as a basic need that
has no connection with culture, generally, they seem to
be trivial things compared to other cultural products. It
is not surprising, then, that people are not aware of the
changing cultural processes taking place in their everyday
life (Friedman, 1995; Bentley, 2007). Such situations
continue to occur in Indonesia as KFC and McDonald’s
fast foods build communication with local food, namely
creating conformable menus, and mixing the idea of
traditional and global; interpenetrating concepts. For this
account, invention or innovation, diffusion, and hybridity
are the groundwork of the nature of culture itself.
Consequently, in Indonesia, McDonald’s now
offers greater menu variety. For example, ‘Bubur Ayam
Innovation: Cultural Communication McD’ – rice porridge with chicken dishes (Picture 1b),
Practice or ‘Nasi Teriyaki McD’, rice and chicken grilled with
Referring to the changing diplomacy in today’s global Japanese condiments and processed with Japanese
capitalism, the integration of local or regional foods and cooking techniques. These food items interspersed with
‘global cuisine’ is a natural cultural phenomenon (Kittler, the regular menu are very familiar to Indonesians as a
Sucher, and Nahikian-Nelms, 2011) as a result of the daily breakfast. Additionally, in the Indonesian daily
unrestricted organization of the world. In this context, setting, KFC serves rice with crispy fried chicken or spicy
the link between people as consumers, economic growth, hot wings using Indonesian spices and cooking techniques
and culture, is inseparable. CSIS (1998: 31) scrutinized to localize its chicken dishes (Picture 1a).
that “The urban economies of some of the most populous By tracing the Indonesian identity, the year-long
countries, …. Indonesia being one of them, continue to observation showed that the availability of special menus
expand. Economic growth will continue to be fueled by at special occasions offered by KFC and McDonald’s are,
innovation”. Food and drink, as a symbol of cultural for example, forging a connection with the celebrations of

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Humaniora, Vol. 32, No. 1 (February 2020)

religious holidays by the pluralistic people of Indonesia, a remarkable innovation, deconstructing the commonly
such as the Moslem Eid-al-Fitr, the Christian Christmas sweet-tasting ice cream by combining it with the local
Day, or even the Confucian Chinese Lunar New Year. taste of hot-and-spicy or pedas taste as the main taste
KFC has huge promotions with reasonable prices for of the traditional dressing for Javanese salad, or rujak,
their thematic menus as a way of observing the religious which is comprised of fresh tropical fruits. Not leaving
holidays in Indonesia. Thematic menus from four outlets behind the tagline Ini Rasa Kita! “This is our flavor!”
of KFC and four outlets of McDonald’s in Malang were ‘Our flavor’ represents Indonesian identity, emphasized
observed to jointly promote those holidays and the by the hashtag #RasaKitaIndonesia, and the eye-catching
company’s menu, and each of those companies designed Golden Arches logo, as the perfect meeting point of
the supply of their food products uniformly. American and Indonesian taste and identity. (Picture 1c).
Within the month of Ramadhan, in which the
Moslems observe fasting, KFC offers Paket Dug Dug, Diffusion: The Spread of Ideas
a very cheap meal package consisting of chicken drum Food as material elements of a culture shape “the dynamic
sticks. The terminology used for this package resembles of an ongoing cultural system as well as provide ways of
the sound of the bedug, the large drum placed in mosques doing things in everyday interaction” (Fine and Kleinman,
to summon people to prayer or to signal the end of fasting 2016:7). Accordingly, the Indonesian traditional food also
time at sunset. These types of tempting meal packages experiences a transformation. The ideas of fast food,
are also offered by McDonald’s in different formats. The instant ingredients, and flavored materials have been
Christmas celebration for KFC is a time to add little sweet infused into Indonesian’s eating habits.
treats such as black forest cakes, which are associated Spreading global ideas represented by KFC
with Santa Claus, to entice child-consumers. The KFC has built new creations. Not only does the local menu
scheme is a little different from McDonald’s which serves influence the American fast food but the local performance
their products in a chain of Christmas – Year End – New is improvised to resemble the global one as well. The
Year celebrations by enriching and adding the number of adoption of the branded cuisine of KFC, which is served in
the variants. Another instance of McDonald’s versatility more than four hundred and seventy outlets in Indonesia,
appears during the celebration of Imlek or Chinese based on the statistical data of 2013, has easily assimilated
Lunar New Year, such as the Black-pepper Mayo Beef with the local food. Before modern concepts gripped
Rice, Beef Prosperity Burger, Black-pepper Mayo Beef all sectors of social life in Indonesia, chicken which
Burger, in addition to their signature Big-Mac menu. In are fried with traditional spices have been traditionally
celebrating these events, McDonald’s also adds slogans in called ayam goreng. The inspiration which springs from
connection with the theme. For instance, during the Imlek the term ‘fried chicken’ dramatically shapes another
celebration, the slogan put forward was Sambut Harapan popular hybrid term, Ayam goreng crispy, referring to
Penuh Semangat, ‘embrace hope enthusiastically’. fried chicken with special ingredients which is modified
In regard to Indonesian pride, KFC and McDonald’s from the secret recipe of KFC. Ayam goreng crispy can
also serve highly diversified menus. In commemorating easily be found in every small traditional restaurant, even
Indonesian Independence Day in 2016, KFC offers Paket street food stalls1 selling ayam goreng with a KFC-like
Hore Hore or the ‘hooray hooray’ meal with all red and appearance. Even the addition of lalapan (a Javanese
white ornaments – the colors of the Indonesian national side-salad) as the offered complement, resulting in ayam
flag. For the same event, McDonald’s celebrate with goreng crispy and lalapan, signifies that the local color
lively red and white decorations. They erect billboards actively participates in the cultural exchange process.
which display folk traditions that are only celebrated by However, this phenomenon is no longer considered
Indonesians once a year during the Independence Day, in anything special. People no longer see any difference
addition to the banners for menus surrounding the premise between the hybrid food product using the term ‘fried
and in the restaurant. The adaptation of the specialized chicken’ with the term ayam goreng. For the sake of
menus of McDonald’s towards the local food and drink is modernized ayam goreng, KFC is not considered as a
shown in the hybridization of the Burger Sate menu which legal label to distinguish the fried chicken created by
includes a burger with chicken and satay sauce which is Sanders from Kentucky. The acronym of KFC has been
made of peanut paste, French Fries for the side dish and transposed by one local business into “HFC” which stands
Teh Soda Markisa, a passionfruit tea with soda for the for “Hisana Fried Chicken”, as shown in Picture 2a. It
drink. The other hybridization case would be McFlurry sells local products while at the same time the global logo
Markisa and McFlurry Rujak Pedas. The latter menu is is used to make the ayam goreng appear more modern.

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 Herminingrum - A Cultural Dimension of American-Indonesian “Fast Food Diplomacy”

Seeing the name “Hisana Fried Chicken” or “HFC”, of globalized local food. This intermingled concept can be
the owner of the warung, Hisana, uses the term ‘fried traced in economic and cultural diplomacy in which “non-
chicken’ to label the chicken fried with local ingredients state actors” have proliferated in every sector, including
but served with a global reputation. Interestingly, this in traditional interest groups (Baldwin, et.al, 2014). In
traditional restaurant has many branches around local the diplomacy world, “the proliferation of new actors”
campuses, so it is very popular among students in Malang. is the last level of the three features (CSIS, 1998:30) that
accelerate the interaction of the global economy. Apart
from shared-business, NGOs, universities, and interested
Figure 2 (from left to right): a. Manipulated KFC brand; b.
Flour with Kentucky ingredient; c. Traditional hot chili-
members of the public, the non-state actors who play
sauce. a role in cultural blending in Indonesia especially in
the context of fast food are the ‘ordinary’ people who
energize the Indonesian micro-economy.
America’s success in penetrating the Indonesian
market through KFC and McDonald’s can be explored
from the emergence of the new trends of overwhelming
warung or kedai and rombong or lapak. As a part of the
non-formal economic sector activity, this socio-cultural
phenomenon indicates the dynamics of American-
Indonesian relations. The fast food concept which strongly
infuses non-formal agents is the hamburger, or more
popularly known as burger, eating habits. Without any
Picture 2b illustrates flour with special ingredients
intention to put aside its origin, in Indonesia, evidently,
labeled as ‘Kentucky’ which has been made to cover
all types of fast-food which have a connection to burgers
chicken drumsticks before being fried to create a crispy
are associated with the American traits of a ‘can-do’ spirit
coating. The use of the phrase ‘tepung bumbu ala
and convenience, attributing to creativity and practicality.
Kentucky, ayam Krispi’ – flavored flour a la Kentucky,
From a cultural perspective, this American fast
crispy chicken, has been created in the hope to gain profit
food has then become an Indonesian cuisine which
through the power of a global brand. If the flavor is not
is offered in a new form that represents invention or
the same as Sanders’ recipe, at least the taste closely
innovation and consumed as a cultural habit. Innumerable
resembles the original and the appearance looks very
warung or kedai and rombong or lapak serve variations
American. This fried chicken fits the Indonesian taste
of burgers modified to accommodate the local ingredients
when it is served as ‘sambal; a Javanese traditional hot
and local taste. Besides, marketing tactics are applied in
sauce; fried chicken’. Obviously, the arrangement of
a striking way by the sellers. They display unique mixed
sambal and fried chicken drumsticks (picture 2c) has
concepts between McDonald’s logo and Javanese phrases
thus become a modern Indonesian dish.
as a creative elaboration to simulate a modern, yet local,
These findings assert Samuelson’s notion (cited
promotion. Collaboration between global and local food,
in CSIS, 1998:19) about globalization which underlines
deconstructing the established standards of marketing,
the increased integration of the world’s economic matters
and producing new packaging are all important aspects
and business; “the worldwide convergence of supply
that can attract the consumers’ attention.
and demand”. KFC’s derivative products are not a mere
The local-global blended foods bring out a
integrated concept between global and local in every day
new cuisine which can be easily identified from the
interactions. The adaptation of the Kentucky brand in
advertisements displayed. Picture 3 shows the promotion
terms of its appearance and taste as the underpinning
forms illustrating how global and local food types are
cultural symbol of the diffusion of two cultures, American
combined; for example: Kara’ Burger2, Burger Mendoan,
and Indonesian, is aimed at for financial benefit.
or Burger Tahu. They describe that there is a meeting
point between Indonesia and America represented by
Hybridity: Cultural Blending the hybrid food and their complementary dishes sold
According to Ritzer (2004), global fast food has along the streets in Malang. Burgers have become
produced an institutionalized form of every local culture. the inspiration and motivation for the traditional food
As worldwide fast food genre restaurants, KFC and sellers to develop their creative ideas. The Burger Tahu
McDonald’s participate in parading various new kinds (Picture 3a), for example, is made with fried tofu, locally

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Humaniora, Vol. 32, No. 1 (February 2020)

known as tahu, as the chief component. Since the other remarkably similar with the old Javanese-style characters
components used are only vegetables with chili sauce, shows a strong emotional attachment to their ethnic pride.
most likely this hybrid fast food is a healthier option. The integration between the global brand and local traits
Its appearance, however, is kept to resemble the popular is itself a new form of hybridization.
burger – an intermingling of commensurable local-global The branded logo of the KFC acronym, the red and
food without having to be labeled as ‘hamburgerization’. yellow arches of McDonald’s, and the other complements
The Javanese influence in the area observed which are combined by the street food sellers to label
certainly cannot be avoided because in Indonesia there their hybrid food products can be regarded as a cultural
is no food that can be labeled ‘Indonesian food’. The phenomenon generated from globalization that forms
existing foods are local culinary dishes or local foods global-nationalism. This new brand of Indonesian identity
which mark each region or ethnic group as a part of the correlates to Mendieta’s argument that globalization
Indonesian archipelago. (Prabandari, 2014). This means is purging the authenticity of identity; “identities are
that if the American burger is to be hybridized with the never univocal, stable, or innocent. They are always an
local culinary dishes in other regions in Indonesia, it accomplished and ceaseless project” (in Alcoff, 2002:
will therefore lead to the process of deconstruction with 414). The franchise restaurants of KFC and McDonald’s
different, local, characteristics. Accordingly, the result actually hold a key role in connecting the different
will enrich the variations of globalized food as part of cultures, in addition to the role of the local cultures as
Indonesian culture. well. Okihiro’s term on “the dance for trans-nationalism”
(in Maddox, 1999: 442) defines the meeting point of
cultural transformation. America and Indonesia have been
Figure 3 (from left to right): a. Burger Tahu; b. Hybridized
McD logo.
able to fit into or embody their hybrid culture provided
by fast food franchises and street food sellers. Eventually,
this hybridization has also embraced a globalized identity
of Indonesians.
This deconstruction pattern is in accordance with
the idea of McDonaldization formulated by Ritzer (2014:
18). He said that McDonald’s represents a powerful model
for business agents in America. The extraordinary power
of ‘Mc’ transcends the borders of countries which are
thousands of miles apart from America, like Indonesia. The
creative process of the street food sellers cannot merely be
seen as an absolute dependence towards fast food, which
therefore promotes the domination of capitalism – seeing
business as usual. The agents of non-formal economic
Picture 3b depicts very traditionally-produced sectors indeed cannot significantly control their fate by
food, called mendoan.3 Mendoan cannot be separated wearing the ‘Mc’ outfit or manipulating the notion of a
from local taste but today it is always dismissed as old burger. But, the growth of Indonesian popular culture
fashioned. Therefore, to make it ‘in’ with a modern idea, on account of American fast food demonstrates global-
the promotion is renewed by adopting the American culture awakening. It is an expression of the rise of an
fast food to create Burger Mendoan. The use of the indirect consciousness towards the importance of healthy
McDonald’s golden arches logo, which dominates natural food which is very local, but the taste is en par
the whole advertisement, manifests for the street with, or even more delicious than, global food.
food seller the power of the American brand in their The promotional ways that form the American-
marketing strategy. The ‘M’ logo is manipulated to be Indonesian foods and their complexities apparently
‘MenDoan’s’ with a sensational guarantee ‘dijamin mak- emphasize an agreement between KFC and McDonalds
nyus’ (Javanese slang meaning unbeatably delicious). and their franchises in Indonesia. The promotions
Interestingly, the street food seller also does not detach displayed by the street food sellers within the research area
at all from the origin of the traditional food by including are the fabrication of American fast food and traditional
the phrase ‘Kuliner khas Banyumas’, a special culinary Javanese food. This hybridization is able to flourish not
dish from Banyumas, to evoke the memorable local food. only because the local taste is familiar for Indonesians
The creative embellishment in writing the phrase which is but also the use of the acronym KFC, or the stand-alone

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 Herminingrum - A Cultural Dimension of American-Indonesian “Fast Food Diplomacy”

forms ‘Kentucky’ or ‘Fried Chicken’, or the McDonald’s spread by the ideas and ideals of KFC and McDonald’s
‘M’ logo are marketable tools connected closely with in Indonesia do not signify the occurrence of any political
the promise of local satisfaction and global prestige. In utilization of America, which would then cause economic
creating the advertisements, the street food sellers do not exploitation. It is recommended that cultural change
rely on conventional tools such as television, radio, or should not be seen in a hegemonic perspective. The
printed media which “serve as the premier platform for position of America and Indonesia is in balance; hence
advertising” (Bakar, Desa, Mustafa, 2015: 310), even the they together maintain a functional relationship between
modern form: online advertising. These “new actors”, them. Within a functional relationship, mingling identity
indirectly, have practiced one of the triggers of the fast which concerns two different cultural backgrounds do
globalization process: creativity. not exist in the concept of opposition. It was proposed
To sustain their profit-oriented businesses in by Kien Nghi Ha (2006) that a functional relationship is
Indonesia, they accommodate mutual relations with a symbolic domain of national self-representation which
their restaurant chains. In turn, for Indonesian street food can take form because of the existence of creativity and /
sellers, adapting the KFC label, either in full or separate or innovation. This opens the channel for capital flow and
forms, promotes its derivative products. Utilizing the increased productivity. He concludes that today’s world
‘M’ logo for a hybridized burger and advertising it in is embracing “innovative expressions of the so-called
local forms, positions it as an ‘in’ food consumed by postmodern era of late capitalism”: an economic, social,
globalized people. On the one hand, the intermingled and cultural dynamic which is generated by globalization.
food exemplified by burger-tahu establishes the notion If the flows of modernism and postmodernism
of hybridity suggested by Pieterse (2010); the “cut-‘n’- are put in equal terms with globalization, consequently,
mix experiences in consumption, lifestyles and identities, the one with authority is the powerful country which
ordinary and everyday”. These three components are supervises associated subordinates during its operation.
integrated to represent modernity (Mc.Craken, 1990) as America, as the symbol of the world’s modernity,
one of the ever-changing cultural phenomena. On the indirectly uses KFC and McDonald’s restaurants as a
other hand, the attractive promotion is created in order proxy which bears the fast food genre to succeed in the
to be ‘modern’. Borrowing Ha’s term (2006), “sexy” Indonesian market. But in the context of postmodernism,
advertisement which refers to the seller’s dramatic the idea of “anything goes” (O’Donell, 2009) makes
provocation to raise awareness among consumers is the the relations between powerful and powerless equally
most effective marketing strategy. interdependent.
In the context of communication, Sorrells In short, cultural hybridization of America-
(in Nakayama and Halualani, 2010) postulates that Indonesia through fast food on the account of unceasing
revolutionary changes in technology have dramatically globalization symbolizes the presence of equal power. It is
accelerated the interaction and inter-relationship among a prototype of transnational post-modernity. The creativity
people around the world. The absence of borders erases of the street food sellers, “the actors”, in disseminating
polarization. The notion of a dichotomy proposed by advertisements to consumers is unique because it is
Nygren (1999) which emphasizes global signifying beyond the “primary platform” for advertising even
‘modern’ and local signifying ‘traditional’ melts. Notions in popular online ads. They do not only take a new
of powerful and powerless in every sector of politics, opportunity for their common business but also articulate
economics, social life, and culture encompassing all its good local-global communication.
manifestations become blurred.
The invention of fast food with a local taste and
the innovation of unique menus which uplift the identity CONCLUSION
and nationalism of Indonesia initiated by the KFC Because of the existence of KFC and McDonald’s
and McDonald’s franchises, although only in special franchises, the three elements of cultural change:
occasions, have been crucial in building America- invention or innovation, diffusion, and hybridity can be
Indonesia relations. The juxtaposition between global/ miraculously found in this study. The relation between
America and local/Java-Indonesia identities becomes America and Indonesia in the line of fast food boosts the
the diversified fast food which underlines the success of dynamic of an ongoing cultural system. It is pertinent
communication between these two countries of different to say that both KFC and McDonald’s do realize that
cultures. food is a cultural element of social integration. The
The new forms and the other derivative products operation of these restaurants has enhanced international

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Humaniora, Vol. 32, No. 1 (February 2020)

communication between America and Indonesia. In accordance with the location of its targeted consumers.
the different levels or scope of marketing, it can be an 2) The original spelling of kara’ is karak. Karak is a Javanese
indirect indicator of the success of American-Indonesian word for dried-cooked rice (Indonesian: nasi). Based on
‘fast food diplomacy’. The economically beneficial an interview with the seller of the Burger Kara’, the use
relationship not only covers the two nations, but is also of the apostrophe which replaces the last letter k aims to
spreading within the smaller scale of domestic markets. show that the food promoted is ‘modern’. That is why
Fast food inspiration moved the Indonesian non-formal the reputation or image should also be considered ‘in’.
market sellers to innovatively create new-look products, 3) Mendoan is a very traditional dish from Central Java,
constituting the American-Indonesian blended culture. which is the best known from Banyumas town, made
Smoothened by technology, cultural change of fermented soybean. Before being fried, mendoan is
occurring today also significantly fills the communication sliced into thin squares. This dish is commonly eaten
gap between countries with very different cultural with rice.
backgrounds. Whether it is directly noticed or not, America
shares its work ethic of invention and innovation both
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