Shayne Phua

The title of this piece is a play on the onomatopoeic phrase, “Bow chicka bow wow.” In popular American parlance, it refers to the cheesy riff of a pornographic film score, and is typically used, in a high-pitched tone, to mock those planning to engage in amorous activities. Gallbladders that ornament a pair of oversized, monstrous red lips, in equal measure lewd and horrific, are a reference to the tale of the Chinese king, Goujian (recounted in the text for the I love working all day, every day works). Goujian’s story is one of self-torture, as he regularly consumed fresh bile from a gallbladder as a reminder of the need to avenge past humiliations. Phua associates his act with the embrace of an almost masochistic enjoyment of work in today’s world, hence the analogy to sexual practices commonly seen in pornography; yet, it has to be noted that the king’s utterly unpalatable habit was not, by most accounts, enjoyable for him. She points out that, ironically, she first heard the titular phrase in an episode of the children’s cartoon series, Phineas and Ferb.