Epic kisses that shaped pop culture
From Britney Spears and Madonna to Kim and Kanye in Bound 2
G-Club
February 14th, 2024
February 14th, 2024
The longest kiss in history? It's the record of a Thai couple that lasted 46 hours, 24 minutes and 9 seconds. The most famous? Perhaps the one between Madonna and Britney during the 2003 MTV VMAs, which went down in history and even became an NFT. From the early 2000s to today, many iconic scenes should not be forgotten, such as the famous "a pink apostrophe between the words I love you" of a couple (who are still together today) during the riots in Vancouver or like the shot by American photographer Chris McGrath showing a man and a woman kissing through the fence of the platform on the border with the Ukrainian territory at the beginning of the conflict in February 2022. In the hope of continuing to see kisses that seal passion and transportation rather than moments of terrifying parting, here is a selection of 10 kisses that have shaped pop culture from the 2000s to the present day.
Spiderman (2002)
Toby McGuire and Kirsten Dunst are the protagonists of an action-movie that has changed the conception of Spiderman and given pop-culture a golden meme. The scene of the kiss upside down has been parodied endlessly, as well as imitated by the cult series of the early 2000 The O.C. and new versions of the story of the spider man, but not yet in the series starring one of the couples of the year, Tom Holland and Zendaya, Spiderman: Far from Home (2019) and Spiderman: No way Home (2021).
Madonna & Britney MTV vmas (2003)
A kiss initially thought to satisfy the male gaze but that was actually the first step towards a more fluid representation of queer women’s sexuality in traditional media. The choreographed performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" by the Material Girl par excellence saw a double kiss on the stage First with Britney and then with Christina Aguilera, but on which the cameras glided to film the reaction of Justin Timberlake, also on stage. Madonna revived her historic kiss with Britney during Spears' wedding party.
The Notebook (2004)
A kiss that does not need a foretaste of the tumultuous love story between Noah and Ellie. The moment when the couple left before his departure in the war for misunderstandings and differences leaves the audience breathless, even to the umpteenth rewatch. The funny thing is that the actors also staged an IRL version of the iconic outpouring at the 2005 MTV Music Awards, in a much more punk rock version.
Gossip Girl - Chuck & Blair (2008)
The couple that made all fans of the series set in a New York almost utopian Upper East Side has let go at the first kiss in a limousine after a party that was more than fun painful, as will remember who recently finished yet another rewatch. Always on the verge of toxic behavior and new gossip, Chuck and Blair represent the idea of love between tormented souls that makes teenagers dream even today.
Vancouver Kiss (2011)
Ads On the night the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Richard Lam took thousands of photos of people rioting in the streets of the city, but of all the thousands of photos one stands out on the other. Lam caught a moment when a couple is kissing literally lying on the street, with the police in riot gear around them. The photo, known as "The Kiss of Vancouver Riot" has been around the web almost as much as the historic photo of the sailor kissing a girl just landed after the war, "The Kissing Sailor", which was slightly more problematic.
Kim and Kanye - Bound 2 (2013)
A music video that marked the beginning of the Kimye era officially ended last year with the closure of a report that defined the decade of 2010 between music videos, somewhat trash appearances and family lunches fully recorded on Snapchat. Kim and Kanye’s Harley Davison kiss was so eloquent that it earned a parody by James Franco and Seth Rogen. Today two former spouses have said goodbye, but the kiss remains in our memories.
Euphoria (2019)
An unconventional love story that deals with trauma, adolescent weaknesses, drugs and diversity of Rue and Jules, LGBTQ+ couple par excellence in the corollary of the TV series of recent years. Their relationship, which began as a kind friendship, crossed the boundaries of romantic love and resulted in external dynamics to the power of the two protagonists. Despite the development of the series, their first kiss remains unforgettable.
Lil Nas X Bet Awards (2021)
During the performance of "Call Me by Your Name" extracted from the album "Montero" Lil Nas X threw himself into a passionate kiss with one of his dancers on stage, collecting mixed criticism. Between the outrage of the cisgender audience and the exultation of the LGBTQ+ universe, comes Madonna’s comment "I did it first" referring to the iconic kiss with Britney mentioned above. The difference is that the 2003 kiss had as target a male audience, while the kiss of the singer was addressed to the attention of an audience that after a pandemic and years of global struggles can let go into the world without being court-martialed.
Chris McGrath Ukraine War (2022)
"That last kiss represents the two before they separated, it was a moving moment and something that really tells me what it was about" McGrath at NBC News talking about his expedition to the Ukrainian border territory stormed by Russian troops since February 2022, marking the beginning of a strenuous conflict for the populations involved and the whole of humanity.
Here you will find a selection of beauty products for "kissable" lips:
RARE BEAUTY Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil
24,50€
BFF Chapstick with SPF 30
3,99€
ADESSO Oily lip treatment
19€
PAULA'S CHOICE Lip Booster Hyaluronic Acid + Peptides
27€
ELF Cookies 'n' Dreams Cookie Crumble Lip Exfoliator
5,99€
FENTY BEAUTY Pro Kiss'R Lip-Loving Scrubstick
18,50€
CHARLOTTE' TILBURY Charlotte's Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir
35€
LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask
23€
RODIAL Lip Oil
36,99€