RJ Ledesma on gayuma, political jokes, and pink parts

Is that a pig RJ Ledesma appears to be holding? Also, is he actually naked? These are the sort of questions that pop into one's head when staring at the cover of Ledesma's most recent book, “Playing with Pink Parts.” 

 

The cover is adorned with critters in Valentine shades of pink and red, the critters grinning as if about to make a joke. And there is Ledesma himself, apparently naked, with a look on his face that looks slightly amused and also a bit embarrassed.

 

It is a cover that begs to be opened, revealing Ledesma's guide to gayumas, aphrodisiacs and love spells. The book itself contains no more cute illustrations, or pictures of the author—or anyone else for that matter. What it does contain is information that may be helpful to what the author calls the NGSB, or No Girlfriend Since Birth. 

 

It soon becomes obvious that this is not a book to be taken seriously. At least, not completely. From impossibly simple love spells sent via SMS to potions requiring the toenails of a dove, one must know that should you wish to use this book to sway the object of your affection, results are not guaranteed. It is, on the other hand, good for a laugh, though it is funnier when you hear Ledesma talk about it himself.

 

Ledesma shared that his work appeals to a general audience, because a lot of what he writes about is human relationships and how there are certain "life hacks" for these relationships.

 

"I thought that one of these life hacks should actually be about gayuma, because people always talk about it, but does it really happen? Is it just urban legend?" Ledesma said, noting that the interesting thing was finding people who would talk about it.

 

The interviews in the book are humorously written, to the point that one might wonder if they actually occurred. Ledesma shared that in some cases, he would take what his source had to say and make it lighthearted and humorous—not by changing the responses, but by changing his own words to make the conversation funnier and more animated. 

 

"I tell them up front when I interview them, so when it comes out, it's not exactly our conversation, but a more animated conversation," he said. Ledesma also shared that one of the hardest things about an interview is setting up the conversation to make sure it leads to something funny. "I tell them, don't take it too seriously," he said.

 

Ledesma also shared how he came up with the cover, which he worked on with designer Patrick Apacible, photographer Shaira Luna, and artist Nelz Yumul. "I'm a strong believer in collaboration," said Ledesma, adding that Luna's idea was to just have fun during the shoot. "So we just played with it, then sent the pictures to Nelz and he took it from there," he said. 

He added that having established himself as a humorous personality, the covers should be as funny as the content. "Parang you're doing the complete package for humor," he said.

 

A bit of politics too

 

A big part of this package are the jokes made at the expense of the former administration. As Butch Dalisay wrote in his foreword, "Sex and humor are two of the most potent forces known to man, and RJ appears to have mastered both. Lest one mistake him for just another randy fool, take not how sharply his humor is barbed politically, to the point that one suspects this is his real agenda."

 

Ledesma explained that as a writer, humorist, and public speaker, it's important to have some kind of touchpoint with the reader to show that you're in touch with what's happening around you.

 

In this case, Ledesma was writing during the height of the Arroyo administration, and felt that he had to voice out his feelings about the government. 

 

"But in a funny way, because humor as they say is one of the most potent weapons ever, because it's a blunt weapon. Sometimes it gets the point across easier and faster than just saying it straight, and that's basically what I'm doing," he said.

 

In the book, Ledesma explores the sticky world of gayumas, the science behind aphrodisiacs, and naturopathic philosophy. While these topics were interesting, there were also a few chapters about the stereotype of men who can only discuss basketball, girly magazines, and bodily gases, along with jokes about how a man should respond to a significant other who wants to talk.

 

Ledesma explained that he likes to write using self-deprecating humor, which he extends to his entire gender. "That's the best way for me to communicate myself to get a point across," he said.

 

Despite it being humorous, the whole men and women from different planets bit seemed a bit tired. Still, “Playing With Pink Parts” wasn't only about the differences between men and women, and it had quite a lot of fascinating information, and of course, humor, for it to be an enjoyable read, from funny front cover to equally funny back cover. —KG, GMA News

Photo courtesy of RJ Ledesma