Spam haiku comes in two forms: poetry about the processed meat product and poetry created from email spam. Both can be addictive or silly. Spam haiku is part of the cultural relationship to SPAM® and is a form of found object art. Some poets use only subject lines to protect themselves from harmful materials, while others delve into the content of spam emails. Fans of the genre see it as a commentary on internet society and art.
There are two different forms of spam haiku, or “spamku”. One is poetry about the well-known processed meat product manufactured by Hormel Foods, and the other is a form of poetry created from email spam, using subject lines and the content of spam emails. Either way, the results can range from irresistibly addictive to downright silly and funny, and many poets of all ages enjoy experimenting with a bit of spam haiku when they’re feeling bored.
In the sense of the SPAM® product poem, spam haiku is part of the complex and intricate cultural relationship to SPAM®. SPAM® has become an iconic food in many regions of the world, from Hawaii, where it is treated as a delicacy, to Great Britain, where it is mocked in comedy skits. Whether you like, hate or disgust SPAM®, this intriguing meat product has certainly inspired miles of verse.
Spam haiku created from spam emails is a form of found object art. Spam emails consist of unsolicited emails that often contain unrelated strings of words and gibberish that is simply used to stuff the email into appearing to have actual content. Spam also takes the form of product advertisements, for everything from sites selling suspicious prescription drugs to entirely legitimate companies. For many computer users, spam is a source of constant irritation, and spam haiku or spam poetry is a light-hearted way of making fun of the problem.
Some spam haiku consists solely of subject lines, which can often be nonsensical or particular in some way. By using only subject lines, poets also protect themselves from harmful materials that can be embedded in such emails. Because haiku is renowned for being an already obscure and sometimes difficult to understand form of poetry, poems like: “Secret spoon/You said you’d call/Ask about your degree” can feel surprisingly like works of art.
Other poets working in the spam haiku genre choose to delve into the content of spam emails. Often, spam content already looks like a postmodern poem, and with a few line breaks and a bit of cutting and pasting, it can turn into a distinctive and unique poem.
Haiku spam could be said to be a fun-loving response to serious irritation, but some people also think it’s a commentary on internet society and art in general. Fans of the genre point out that spam haiku often reads like meaningful and carefully crafted literature, despite the fact that it is essentially trash.
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