Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker!mit-eddie!mit-amt!jow
From: jow@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Joel Wachman)
Newsgroups: alt.romance
Subject: Re: Morality and kissing...
Keywords: morality, kissing
Message-ID: <1426@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Date: 17 Jan 90 20:19:19 GMT
References: <747@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
Reply-To: jow@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Joel Wachman)
Organization: MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA
Lines: 32

In article <747@darkstar.ucsc.edu>lechner@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Eric Lechner) writes:
>You are on a bus, going home from either school or work, and
>are approached by a reasonably attractive member of the appropriate
>sex who politely asks the question "excuse me, but would you
>mind terribly if i were to kiss you?".
>
>What is your response?

Assuming she didn't smell bad or have diseased lips, I would say,
"Why, of course.  I'm very flattered."

This kind of question (inane as it is) points out a strange and
frustrating aspect of our society's views towards affection.  It 
is considered inappropriate for two people to hug or kiss eachother
in public, despite the fact that we all know everyone wants affection,
and such displays can only be beneficial.  It used to bug the hell
out of me when my ex-girlfriend and I would kiss or hug eachother in
public somewhere, and some goofy guy would scream "hey, take it to
a room!"  Nobody thinks of saying anything to two people who are
at eachother's throats, pushing eachother around.

Of course, any reasonable society needs to keep a lid on the amount
of sex that happens among strangers, in order to keep the population
down.  I think, however, that our society has taken this such an
extreme that many of us go around starved for affection, and afraid
to express attraction.

-- 
______________________________________________________________
	      Joel Wachman [jow@media-lab.media.mit.edu]
		  MIT Media Laboratory Cambridge, MA
			  (617) 258-5956