Anyone who has studied World War II has seen the famous
image of the mysterious sailor kissing the women after the end of the war in
Time’s Square in 1945. We have all
idealized this image as an icon symbolizing the utmost joy for the end of war. What many people don’t realize is that today,
such an incident is considered sexual assault.
In an interview with Greta Friedman, the woman in the picture identified years after the image
was published, she states “It wasn’t my choice to be kissed. The guy just came
over and grabbed [me]!” and “That man was very strong. I wasn’t kissing him. He was kissing me.” Despite that this is clearly an incident of
sexual assault by today’s definition, articles continue to publish the photo as
a celebratory and romantic symbol of the war’s conclusion without any regards
to Friedman’s point of view, leading veterans to revere it as an act of relief
and enthusiasm.
Although George Mendosa, the man who kissed the woman,
had every right to express his excitement for the war’s end, he had no right to
infringe on a woman’s body. The media’s
lack of expressing Friedman’s opinion illustrates that many of us have fallen
victim to rape culture – a world where we normalize sexual assault and brush it
off with the saying “Boys will be boys.”
A world where we are taught to submit to the desires of men. A world we are expected to accept unwelcomed
sexual advancements.
While some may argue that referring to this image as an
incident of sexual assault is taking it to the extreme because Friedman is
seemingly unharmed by the event, it is important to note the social pressures
to conform and let such an instance be considered trivial. After all, it really is “just a kiss.” However, Friedman gave no consent and was
completely unaware that it was going to happen.
Just because she is not traumatized by the event does not mean that
Mendoza’s actions should be deemed acceptable.
This image is an illusion to the glorious end of the war
that should not be valued within our society, but rather judged as an act of
sexual assault that we can all learn from.
There was a tremendous euphoria over the end of the war. It is not an excuse to just implant a kiss on a stranger, but emotions are high and people tend to do crazy things. I think it was a celebratory act done in a setting, mood, and environment that will make it acceptable. However, if Mendoza took advantage of the moment to satisfy his sexual urges then that will be different. But we wouldn't know anymore, would we? To me, that is one iconic picture that simply shows the celebratory mood over the end of World War II which killed millions of people. Nothing more.
ReplyDelete