The kiss is one of nature’s great gifts to man. Most people born are born as the result of a kiss here or there (which obviously leads to other things). A kiss is used for love, for condolences, for comfort, and even for betrayal (think Judas). Over the years a number of kisses have been particularly monumental or memorable – this is a list of ten of them.
In 2004, Big Brother was shown in Bahrain. After a few minutes of the first episode, Abdel Hakim kissed Kawthar of Tunisia. This really offended cultural values and traditions and the show was cancelled after just two weeks. Hundreds of protesters gathered to declare that the show was “un-Islamic” chanting “Stop Sin Brother! No to indecency!” despite the fact that the producers of the show provided separate bedrooms for male and female members of the Big Brother House, and a prayer room. The Big Brother producers have said that the show will be re-launched when they find somewhere other than Bahrain to film it.
In 1978 the first kiss reached Indian movie screens. Shashi Kapoor kissed Zeenat Aman in the film Satyam Shivam Sundaram: Love Sublime. This triggered a major argument over censorship. Chief minister and movie actor M.G. Ramachandran claimed that this kissing scene was an insult to Indian cinema. After a fierce battle with the Indian Film Censor Board the movie went on to perform quite well in the box office.
In 1968, NBC’s Star Trek (US Television) showed the first interracial kiss on TV. This was a major breakthrough at this time and showed Captain Kirk (William Schatner) kissing Lt. Uhura (Michelle Nichols.) This caused a great deal of controversy – especially as the kiss was not voluntary; it was forced through telekinesis. When NBC executives learned of the kiss they became concerned it would anger TV stations in the conservative Deep South so they ordered the show to film two versions of the scene – one with the kiss and one without. After recording the kiss version of the scene, Shatner and Nichols intentionally blundered in each further take – making it impossible to refilm. The kissing scene aired.
In 1941, a kiss made movie history. Jayne Wyman and Regis Toomey kissed for three minutes and five seconds during the film You’re In The Army Now. This actually took up 1/25th of the film’s total running time. This comedy film is about two vacuum-cleaner salesmen who are accidentally inducted in to the army and the hijinks that follow.
The 1926 movie, Don Juan, which starred John Barrymore, contains scenes of 191 kisses in the 2 hours 40 minutes film. The movie starred John Barrymore as Don Juan, the lethario who kissed a number of beautiful ladies during the course of the movie. This works out at one kiss every 53 seconds. Wow! I wonder if he was out of breath.
A sixteenth century Italian soldier was sculpted in marble by Tullio Lombardo and housed at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna, Italy. During the 1800′s a rumour was circulated that if a woman kissed the statue, she would marry a wonderful gentleman. Some 5 million women are said to have kissed the soldier and the statue’s mouth has now developed a slight red tinge.
Thomas Edison’s movie, The Kiss, was the first to show a kiss on film. The 1896 film is around 47 seconds long, and depicts a re-enactment of the kiss between May Irwin and John Rice from the final scene of the stage musical, The Widow Jones. The film caused a scandalized uproar and occasioned disapproving newspaper editorials and calls for police action in many places where it was shown. One critic said “The spectacle of the prolonged pasturing on each other’s lips was beastly enough in life size on the stage but magnified to gargantuan proportions and repeated three times over it is absolutely disgusting.”
One of the best known sculptures in the western world is The Kiss by Auguste Rodin. It was sculpted in 1886. The sculpture was originally titled Francesca da Rimini, as it depicts the 13th-century Italian noblewoman immortalized in Dante’s Inferno (Circle 2, Canto 5) who falls in love with her husband Giovanni Malatesta’s younger brother Paolo. Having fallen in love while reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere, the couple are discovered and killed by Francesca’s husband.
In 1837, in Great Britain, a gentleman named Thomas Saverland tried to kiss Caroline Newton. The lady was not interested and she bit off the end of his nose. Mr. Saverland took her to court but the judge ruled that a lady is entitled to bite a man’s nose if she doesn’t want to be kissed. So, watch out, guys!
According to the Bible, God breathed the spirit of life into man with the kiss of life. “And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” [Genesis 2:7]. Surely this is the most memorable kiss of all – as without it we would not be here!
Contributor: Louie Jerome
Argh… this list is broken from after the video for number 6. I think it’s happened before on another list, a width problem with the video or something.
Anyway, interesting list
Awwww! What a sweet list! Although… I wasn’t able to see #6, I don’t know if that’s on my end or not. I hate being in suspense! What’s the movie with the most kisses??? Someone please tell me!
HAHAHAAAA No.4′s critic was hilarious!
Very interesting and quirky list.
Reminded me of Richard Gere’s recent act of incredible cultural insensitivity with Shilpa Shetty:
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20035545,00.html
Or to really make you cringe:
I kinda thought the Richard Gere/Shilpa Shetty kiss might have made the cut, but meh… I already knew about that and just learnt a whole lot of other stuff instead
Okay – I just edited the page – has that fixed the videos etc.?
“Surely this is the most memorable kiss of all – as without it we would not be here!”
No.
Agreed.
Oh wow, all these ones are so cool.
No one could have ever imagined of making such a list!!
Hats of to you jfrater.
I thought Luke Skywalker’s and Princess Leia’s kiss was pretty memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
How is Number 1 memorable? IF you ask me there are two faults with number 1
1) What if you were not religious and/or didn’t follow the teachings of the Bible? It doesn’t mean that it’s memorable to them, it just means its memorable too anyone who believes in the Bible
2)This list should include kisses that all of us believe in or that affected the world in which we all believe in. There is no point in saying that the kiss of life is number one when some people don’t believe in it.
Felix: the kiss of life is KNOWN to us all – and in that context it is on this list. You don’t have to believe it – but it is a fairly significant kiss as it is probably more well known than any other in the western world.
What’s with all the religious items getting number 1!? Bizarre and now memorable kiss?
“Surely this is the most memorable kiss of all – as without it we would not be here!”
I don’t follow that religion thus, to me, that kiss didn’t happen.
Argh! I don’t believe in dragons but I would still put it as number 1 on a list of 10 coolest beasts. No one is asking anyone to believe the Bible – they are just saying it is a memorable kiss – and it is – even if it is from a work of fiction (if you choose to believe the Bible is fiction).
Yeah, it’s really not a big deal if the kiss of life is #1. It’s still an interesting list, and the author of it felt that the kiss of life should be #1.
His list, his choice.
No Buttercup and Wesley?
Quirky list. Let the debate begin……….
What an interesting kiss list!
I was just about to post Princess Bride’s kiss as an honorable mention, but Lizzie beat me to the punch. It’s not the kiss itself that is so great, but the description of it that should deserve the honorable mention.
ooh controversy..
fun list though
I didn’t think I would , but I actually kinda thought this was a cool list.
>
You know, I don’t give a rats a$$ how you worship or not, just keep it to yourself if you disagree. I say nothing about the way other people do.
Sorry, I just got off work and not in a good mood.
Nitpick on #8: It’s Nichelle Nichols, not Michelle Nichols.
I thought the famous sailor and nurse kiss after the war ended would make the list.
Nice list but still…
We’re made of slime?
Jesus Christ, betrayed by a kiss on the cheek from Judas Iscariot?
Come on…
A memorable KISS? Gene, Paul, Ace and the other one whose name I have forgotten?
Great list! I heart kisses. Seriously, Rodin’s The Kiss is an amazing piece of art. As tame as it may seem in modern society, I get such a sense of passion and intimacy from it.
The nose biting incident is just plain funny. Well, maybe not to the guy who got bit but meh, he should’ve kept his mouth to himself.
As far as the controversy of including The Kiss of Life on this list, I’m getting somewhat tired of people’s intolerance to other’s beliefs. No, not somewhat tired, really annoyed is more like it. And it happens on both sides of this camp. Those who know me know my beliefs but they also know I would soundly defend their right to believe whatever they want. We are not all the same and I for one am happy about that. Our differences should encourage learning and expansion of the mind, not ridiculous statements that cut off any lines of furthur communication between us. Can we not have one list where people comment about the inclusions without it devolving to plain rudeness?
And here,here on the inclusion of the Princess Bride kiss as an honorable mention. The description indeed!
Love the list. Oh, yeah, and the kiss of death from The Godfather!
Auguste Rodin, not Francois.
All fixed now, thanks jfrater
I had forgotten about The Kiss from The Princess Bride, that was a favourite movie of mine when I was younger.
“I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart.” *smack!*
I expected to see “The Godfather: Part II” represented!
Mani (20) That is my All Time favorite kiss. I have ALWAYS wanted to be kissed like that. The photo was by Alfred Eisenstaedt, New York August 14, 1945.
Shut ‘em down JFrater, keep it number one. We got here somehow and that verse depicts the beginning of life from a higher being. Think more general instead of just Bible…
I thought that Madonna and Britney’s kiss will make it to the list. Nice list though, except for #1 as I am not a Christian and this is the first time I heard of any such kiss. I also wonder why Narcissus’ kiss and the famous sailor-moon kiss are not here. All in all, another cool list.
Any thoughts on whether that last photo is real?
I’m surprised no-one has felt obliged to say, “it’s photoshopped!”
Nice list, well done.
The Godfather II kiss is a good one to remember, but what I see missing mainly are the two famous photographs… the sailor kissing… was it a nurse? In Times Square at the end of WWII, and the couple kissing in front of a cafe in Paris. Famous, timeless images, both.
As for number 2, see woman are dangerous creatures! Personally I stick to kissing toads.
http://www.forteantimes.com/strangedays/strangedeaths/912/kiss_of_death.html
Hey! I thought this list was great. Notice to all of your haters out there that this is not a “Top 10″ list, simply a “10″ list. As such, don’t get your panties in a knot about the item at number 1. I think all of us are getting a little tired of the constant controversy surrounding religious-themed items. Furthermore, I’d like to direct your attention to the fact that of the 10 items on this list, 4 are from movies and one is from a television show. ALL FICTION. None of those kisses were real, they were actors portraying characters that happened to be kissing. So WHATS THE BIG FRIGGEN DEAL about item number 1? It doesn’t matter whether you believe it happened or not, the kiss of life has been preached about for centuries. I’d say that makes it pretty memorable.
Anyone who disagrees with item 1, keep it to yourself. This was a well-written list.
And here is a modern memorable kiss “Britney and Madonna”
Oh yes, and I second Randall. Where is the famous WWII picture portraying the sailor kissing the nurse in NYC?
Didn’t the sailor kissing the nurse photo kinda symbolize the end of WWII?
Interesting list, well done, but the most memorable kiss that come to mind for me is denise richards’ and neve campbell’s pool scene in the movie “wild things”…could be an age thing i guess
Randall (33) Good Lord. The end of the world is coming. You and I agree about something? Take cover, everyone!!!
Anyone remember All In The Family? Archie railing against homo*****uality, damn queers, and Mike Stivik grabbing his meaty mug and kissing him full on the lips. Quite the broohaha back in the day. The subject matter and the kiss.
Here’s an article about the famous VJ day kiss in Times Square, and quite possible the fella involved. A definite omission.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnlyinAmerica/Story?id=3422191&page=1
Lizzie-
HA! I saw the title and started thinking about the last line in that movie, the “this one left them all behind” part.
Cute little Fred Savage. “Is this a kissing book?” I’m going to make that be my own personal #1
Boy oh Boy! For a country that gave KAMA SUTRA to the world – we have progressed so backward that a kiss makes news here. apart from the film, Shilpa Shetty – Richard Gere, there are a now of news incidents involving kisses that have turned into celebrity moments in India recently! – Mika/Rakhi Sawant, Mallika Sherawat and her kiss filled movies, Jism – Bipasha Basu and her tons of kisses with her fiance, John Abraham, Ash’s kiss with Hrithik Roshan!!!
I am not too glad to see us make news for all the wrong reason.
Sorry to say this Cheeshy but welcome to the internet. People will tolerate what they want and won’t tolerate what they refuse and all we can do is hope. Complaining about it won’t make a difference.
btw…this message is brought to you by a pagan and not a christian. Try being persecuted by all sides one day. It’s a blast.
Nice list btw. I do wish the sailor/nurse was up there but I can’t fault you. You did well.
-Kyo
Mom424, if you want a kiss from All in the Family included, I’d vote for Sammy Davis Jr.’s kiss of Archie Bunker. Watershed moment.
I’ve never heard of the kiss of life but it’s offending to me that aa list would be religion biased…ruined the whole list with number 1
I don’t remember Mike Stivic kissing Archie on “All in the Family”, but I do remember him getting a nice big smooch from Sammy Davis Jr. Pretty funny, I can still see Archie’s face!
the biggest problem with number one is not where it came from..but the words ” as without it we would not be here!”
No, the biggest problem is your intolerance of the views of the list contributor. If you disagree, do your own list.
Swifty and Flock; Yes I remember that and many other watershed moments from All In The Family. Interracial marriage, rape, homo*****uality. They hit all the big ones. Probably the best show on TV ever. Or at least most ground-breaking. My parents considered watching All In The Family as part of our education.
Smart parents I had.
The Sammy Davis Jr kiss was the longest uninterrupted laughing from a studio audience. I will never forget it.
For me, No.1 was all good and well until “as without it we would not be here!”. Clearly the reasoning here is not because it is the best known kiss, controversial or surprising but because it is seen as a FACT. I have no problem with it being no.1 and also being ‘memorable’ but any reason to include it along the lines of being factual is WRONG.
Relgion shouldn’t be such a no go area- a few lists ago people criticised an anti-religion number one in a list- now it’s a pro-religion one getting criticised :/
If people are allowed to bash religion, people should also be allowed to support it. If neither becomes allowed… well, that would be dull! It’s not something to be tip-toed around, it’s important and should be discussed!
So yeah, good list- completely agree with the choice for number one- it’s certainly the most memorable to adherents of the faith, and also to people living in societies that are heavily influenced by that faith.
haha it’s always fun to see atheists and the lot complaining about religious content on this site. Tough luck, guys! Your noisy little minority craps up most of the internet (and other media), so you can just deal with one site that you like having religious content sometimes. And hey, if your dislike for religious content outweighs your enjoyment for this site, guess what? You can go elsewhere!
Well, no. 1 certainly ruined a decent list.
What exactly is a ‘lethario’???A lethargic person perhaps?!:)
Being an apathetic agnostic, I can not understand the ongoing religious debate here. I could not care less ,to be honest-so let’s just enjoy the lists or is that too much to ask?:)
When I saw the heading for number one, I thought that the list was referring to artificial respiration, since that is sometimes referred to as the “kiss of life”. That’s one form of the kiss of life that I’m sure we can all agree has given life to people! Great list, btw.
disappointing number one!! Only because it’s a kiss that only holds significance to Christians. Even as a Christian, I can see how this is lame. You’d think you could have come up with a more inclusive number one kiss. There are so many out there!!
I hadn’t thought of the sailor Times Square kiss, but that makes sense to be on the list. I expected Sammy Davis Jr on All in the Family to be on there – especially with a good part of this list being controversial kisses. That would make for a good list, too!