The Kissing News

Janet Jackson kisses Jay Leno
Fresh from her "wardrobe malfunction" controversy at the February Super bowl, Janet Jackson has caused another stir by kissing talk show host Jay Leno. Jackson had commented that kissing Tupac Shakur in the film Poetic Justice had been easy. Leno then asked: "When is it difficult? If it is, like, me?" to which Jackson said "Let's give it a try," and kissed him.
- Hindustan Times, 1 May 2004

British law may forbid teenage kissing
The new Sexual Offenses Act in Britain outlaws "sexual touching" between those aged under 16. This includes doing it "with any part of the body", "with anything else", and "through anything". Critics of the law say it essentially makes it illegal for British teenagers to kiss each other, or to consesually experiment with sex, and that this infringes on their rights. Those who made the law say it's main purpose is to protect children from child abuse, and that kids who kiss will not be prosecuted.
BBC website - 30 April 2004. Full article here.

Filipinos beat Chilian kissing record
5122 couples locked lips for 10 seconds on Valentines Day in Manila to break the record for most couples kissing in one place. The "Lovapolooza" event was led by the Mayor of Manilla and was followed by a fireworks display. The event was supposed to be restricted only to married couples due to the Philippines dominant Catholic culture, however many couples involved admitted to not being married. They beat the Chilian record set a month earlier
- AFP, 14 February 2004

Chileans claim kissing record
A group of over 9000 couples from Chile have entered the Guinness World Book of Records after becoming the largest number of people to kiss simultaneously. The event was organized by two photographers, and 8,890 people turned up to help claim the record. Assembled in a cordoned-off street in central Santiago, the couples had to kiss for a minimum of ten seconds. The previous record was set in February 2000 in Canada when 1,588 couples smooched for fame. The participants claimed the event is part of a larger social revolution in Chile, which has previously been socially conservative.
- Reuters, 12 January 2004

12 year old girls expelled for kissing shows
Two 12 year old Canadian girls have been "encouraged to find another school" after a teacher caught them giving lesbian kissing shows for boys. The girls had charged eager male audiences $5 to watch them kiss, apparently getting the idea from the much-publicized Britney-Madonna kiss at the MTV awards. The father of one of the girls was angry that the school had taken such extreme action, though he had agreed to take his daughter to counseling.
- The Toronto Star, 8 January 2004

Lesbian kiss results in suspension
Two female students have been suspended from a US high school because they stood on a table and kissed each other. The 17 year old girls had engaged in the stunt because their English teacher had challenged the class to do something non-conformist. While others in the class had performed small indiscretions, the two girls had leaped onto a table during lunch in the cafeteria, shouted "End homophobia now!" and kissed. Scott Pfeifer, principal of River Hill High in Maryland, said the girls were suspended for being disruptive, not for the kiss. A subsequent protest against the suspension only attracted two supporters, while the story of the kiss made news on CNN and Good Morning America.
- The Washington Post, 17 November 2003

No kissing in Russia
Authorities are reportedly imposing fines on those who kiss in public. Concern for "amoral" activities has led the police and the city's education committee to urge the ban. Apparently Russians are fond of making out on the subway, and on the extremely long escalators in the city centre. This has made others concerned that young people are getting the wrong message about sex.
- Sydney Morning Herald, 10 November 2003