The prominence of the “Unprofessional Hijab” frame aligns with Merry’s (2018) theory of gendered moral panic, where women’s bodies become battlegrounds for broader cultural anxieties. Here, the teacher’s hijab becomes a symbolic proxy for contested debates about Secularism vs. Religious Identity within the Indonesian civil service.

Existing scholarship on digital scandals in Southeast Asia tends to focus on political actors or entertainment celebrities (e.g., “KPK video leaks”). Little is known about civil‑servant scandals that revolve around religious dress and viral re‑upload practices. This study fills that gap by:

| Element | Description | |---------|-------------| | Subject | A civil‑servant teacher (often referred to as “Ibu Guru”) who also runs a popular Hijab‑fashion channel on YouTube/Indo18. | | The “Scandal” | A private livestream (or behind‑the‑scenes footage) showing the teacher in a non‑professional setting—e.g., casual conversation, a heated argument, or a slip‑up that contradicts the moral image she projects on her public channel. | | Re‑upload | The original clip was posted on a smaller platform, then re‑uploaded in “extra‑quality” (1080p/4K) on Indo18, where it blew up with millions of views, shares, and memes. | | Why It Went Viral | • The juxtaposition of a public‑service figure and a fashion‑influencer.
• The “Hijab‑ers” community’s strong follow‑up and sense of betrayal.
• The drama‑loving nature of Indonesian netizens who love “expose” content.
• High‑resolution editing that made the footage look professional despite being a raw clip. |