Nothing defines Philippine popular culture better than a social trend. Forget about movies, music, television, or strange speech patterns, for that matter. The country’s pop culture, to a certain extent, is but a tale of trends and fads that have come and gone. Of the many acts that have gained popularity in the past year, one stands out as the most prominent. Not only has this trend become a widespread social phenomenon among the youth, but it also gave rise to several other things that people talk about or do everyday. Characterized by youthful ignorance, intoxication beyond acceptable levels, and the slippery-slide sensation of two wet tongues aggressively dancing in two people’s mouths, arguably the most famous, or rather the most infamous, social trend of recent times is “MOMOL.”
An acronym that stands for “make out make out lang” (in English, “casually making out with someone”), “MOMOL” pertains to the act of casually, albeit shamelessly, making out with an individual. The term is of unknown origin. Some say that director cum musician, RA Rivera, is the individual who coined the term, while others would say that the term came from the crime-ridden streets of Manila. Despite the arguments regarding its etymology, everyone agrees that the term took flight because of DJs Sam YG, Tony Tony, and Slick Rick, who constantly use it on their hit radio show, “Boys’ Night Out”, on the Magic 89.9 station. With their wide audience, mainly consisting of horny boys, college students, and uninspired young professionals, it didn't take long for "MOMOL" to reach different sectors and become a household slang phrase. In its short existence of mere months, the term’s popularity exploded in such a way that other similar sounding varieties would also be derived. For example, college students started using the term, “COCOL” or “coffee coffee lang” (in English, “partaking in a casual coffee session”), which according to DJ Sam YG, who is said to be the “MOMOL Guru”, is usually a prelude to a very intense “MOMOL” session.
The principles and technicalities of “MOMOL” are very simple and can be summarized into four basic rules. First, a “MOMOL” is strictly restricted to nothing but carnal pleasures. The whole point of the inclusion of the word, “lang”, in the acronym is to remove any emotional value from the act of making out. In other words, five minutes of snogging, so to speak, does not equate to love. Perhaps one of the stranger rules is the second one. Any party involved in a “MOMOL” must keep their hands to at bay. It is normal practice for couples to involve some touching, grabbing, caressing, or stroking when they’re making out. However, since “MOMOL” is only concerned with people who are not romantically linked, the rules are different! Involving hand-play can usually cause the casual kissing to turn into something far more promiscuous, something along the lines of penetration. In this case, a “MOMOL” turns into a “MOMOX” or “make out make out extreme”. A “MOMOX” can be very dangerous because it can propagate sexually transmitted diseases like unwanted pregnancy. This rule emphasizes the fact that a “MOMOL” session is supposed to be casual, hassle-free, enjoyable, and safe for both parties, unless of course one of them has herpes, in which case they are completely f*cked. The third rule of “MOMOL” is centered on the Filipino concept of “kilig” which is comparable to the feeling of having butterflies in the stomach. One needs to be careful with this feeling because without proper supervision and regular emotional defecation, things can get awkward really fast. This concept highlights the importance of keeping things emotionless. Stirring emotion into a “MOMOL” will not only destroy the act, but it will also destroy the person whose feelings will definitely be stepped on, drowned in petrol, and burned to a crisp. Lastly, as with any form of kiss, whether it’s a simple peck or a tongue roller coaster, it’s important to not kiss and tell. This, of course, does not mean that others can’t do it for you, regardless of your intentions or consent.
Although no formal study has been made, sociologists have certain insights as to why “MOMOL” is rapidly growing trend among people. Prof. Shedar Jocson, who is a sociologist and a professor at the state university, believes that in today’s modern society, “Filipinos are playing it safe in that if things go wrong, there’s no big problem.” He suggests that the act of casually making out with people is the product of the fear of being hurt in a relationship and the need for affection. While some would argue that a physical bond is of a lower form compared to emotional connection, there’s no doubt that it remains an important part of a relationship. In this case, it might be the only way people can feel a pseudo-romantic connection with others without actually involving romance.
Make no mistake; the “MOMOL” is a very powerful thing. At some point in every college/adult party in Manila, people will start chanting “MOMOL” and there will be a multitude of people randomly making out with strangers. It’s even powerful enough to coerce two straight (fine, possibly gay) guys into making out with each other. When the trend will turn into historical dust remains yet to be seen. Until such time, the teenage angst-laced activity of shoving one’s tongue down another’s throat will continue to be an accurate representation of Philippine pop culture. And, whether or not that’s a bad thing is an entirely different story.
