Jolography

 Jolography

An analysis by Karl V. 

One obvious thing about this satirical poem of Paolo Manalo is the use of “Jologs” as an ideology in theming the poem's context. 

The term jologs flutters around the year '90s. The term is coined from the desire of fancying up the term “dugyot” or cheap. Since then, the term is used to refer the style of mixing the cheapness to anything trendy. The term influences almost every aspect of existing industries including; art, fashion, music, acting and even the way people communicates with each other. 

To bring it back, the poem “Jolography”, as its obvious, is the first piece of literature that was written in a jolog way. Different from any other existing literature. The title itself has foreshadowed the readers to what they would read throughout the whole poem. Likewise, the whole concept is the representation of what the title has to say. 

Moreover, the composition and arrangement of the poem is really genius. The idea of mixing two different languages in poetic stanzas is more than just a prose of explanation. It isn't mere satirical. In fact, it creates analogy to how the unfamiliar ones can use the two languages in communication without absorbing the rules of grammar. Also, the choice of words really make the full concept mistakenly cheap. People would judge the poem for they do not clearly understand what they read, or that, the author has constructed incorrect sentences in each stanza of the poem. But little did they know, mistake or imperfection is one thing that everyone is always vocal about. Jolography is not about understanding the text, it's about asking what's wrong in the context. Only then, you would appreciate the message of mixing the fancy and cheap. 

2. 

“ A face with an inverted cup on, wearing all

Smiles the smell of foot stuck between the teeth.”

This maybe my favorite line of the poem. I don't know why, but it got my attention. I can't stop but imagine a beggar child who wears his smile despite having a bad day, or a scavenger who still smile while lifting his poor life. The lines also reminds me of a clown, a joker, or the ordinary laughing people who pretend that they are happy, but deep inside, they're not. The lines remind me that he who smile the most are the ones who have been battling with pain for the longest time; no matter how they carefully hide it with shine, if it stinks, then people would know it. We can't just cover up our problems, mistakes, and lies. We can't hide everything that is reek.