"The Kissing Sailor" is an iconic image of American history.  Taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt for LIFE magazine on V-J Day in 1945, the image symbolizes the American victory in WWII.  For others, it stands as a testament to the spontaneity of romance.  Whatever the interpretation, most agree that this is a proud symbol of American strength.  However, when looked at more closely, could this image suggest something much more sinister? The body language of the two people engaged in the act paired with the attitude of the onlookers and popularity of the photo suggest that the image promotes a controversial topic in today's society, the acceptance of sexual aggression.  Alfred Eisenstaedt's "The Kissing Sailor" depicts a society that promotes sexual aggression.

The body language of the couple is an insight into their thoughts and feelings about the situation. This insight helps to support the claim that the image depicts sexual aggression.  At first glance, the couple may appear to be locked in a passionate embrace but by looking at the man and woman's posture, it becomes clear that this is a dominant interaction enacted by the man.  The man's hands are positioned in a dominant way that put him in control of the situation, making him the sexual aggressor.  For example, his top hand is wrapped around the woman's head not in the gentle caressing way that one would expect of a lover, but in a dominant and controlling way that leaves the woman with little ability to move her head.  The man's lower hand is also grasping her in what looks to be a rough way.  This hand placement and the way he is leaning over her suggest that the man and woman are not locked in some sort of spontaneous, passionate embrace, but that the man has grabbed the woman and given her no choice in the matter.  The woman's body language supports this claim.  Her arm is laying limp at her side, something that is not characteristic of two people that want to be touching each other.  Her body is bent backwards and away from the man, suggesting that she does not want to be locked in the position so close to him but  is being held immobile and rendered helpless to defend herself from the sudden attack.  The overall body language of both the man and the woman work together to suggest that the man is engaging in nonconsensual behavior with the woman.

The body language of the couple in the photo establish the fact that this image depicts sexual aggression. However, it is the people in the background of the photograph who suggest that this sexual aggression is acceptable in the culture.  Starting at the left of the photograph, the sailor dressed in white is looking at the embracing couple with a smile on his face. Now he may be smiling because the war has ended, but no matter how happy one may be, the image of a man forcing himself on a woman should cause you to falter your smile slightly.  He is a joyous onlooker.  Moving to the right of the picture we can only clearly see one more face--that of an older woman who is looking at the couple, watching the couple, with a smile on her face.  Again, you would think that watching a man come up and force a woman to kiss him would inspire horror, not a look of joy.  It is also rumored that one of the women whose face is blocked by the man's body is actually the fiance of the sailor who is kissing another woman.  There is obviously no one making a move to interrupt the embrace, so it is safe to assume that she is okay with this.  She is okay with watching her fiance forcibly kiss another woman. Everyone in the background of this photograph seems to accept the sailor's dominant actions.  This is indicative of a society that accepts sexual aggression.

Not only do the expressions of the onlookers suggest the acceptance of sexual aggression, but also the overall popularity of the photo and the fact that it depicts two members of the military in uniform also support this claim.  The man is clad in a sailor's uniform and the woman in a nurse's.  This image has been circulated throughout various publications and the internet since its creation in 1945, it hangs on posters in classrooms and little girls rooms representing romance in American history.  The story of the image is well known, the man grabbed the woman out of the blue and kissed her.  Now, you would think that this sinister notion would not seem romantic, but somehow that is how the media presented it.  The image of sexual aggression is celebrated and promoted throughout society.  Could it be because the two people depicted are in military uniforms? The man is protecting our country so that gives him the right to take advantage of an innocent nurse.  If the sexual aggression depicted was not supported, then its celebrated popularity would not have been allowed.  The sexual aggression is supported by the people who allowed it to become so popular and speaks to the problem of sexual assault in the military.

The body language of the couple suggests that this is an image depicting a man forcing himself onto an unsuspecting woman.  The joyous onlookers and overall popularity of the photo suggest that this is an acceptable act. This image depicts a culture that is accepting of sexual aggression. The man is forcibly kissing the woman, giving her no choice in the matter. And it can be seen in the faces of the observers that they are accepting and even enjoying the dominant display. All of these aspects come together to suggest that Eisenstaedt's "The Kissing Sailor" is an iconic photo that depicts and validates sexual aggression.
