Most of us are familiar with this picture. Captured in Times Square on V-J Day, 1945, it has become one of the most iconic photographs of American history, symbolizing the jubilation and exuberance felt throughout the country at the end of World War II. 
 
 For a long time, the identity of the pair remained a mystery. It certainly looks passionate and romantic enough, with many speculating that they were a couple – a sailor and a nurse, celebrating and sharing their joy. This year, however, historians have finally confirmed that the woman is Greta Zimmer Friedman, a dental nurse at the time, and George Mendonsa, a sailor. 
 
 Have a look at some articles about it. Do you get the feeling that something is not quite right? 
 
 Huffington Post 
 
 Daily Mail 
 
 CBS News 
 
 A few facts have come to light. Far from being a kiss between a loving couple, we learn that George and Greta were perfect strangers. We learn that George was drunk, and that Greta had no idea of his presence, until she was in his arms, with his lips on hers. 
 
 The articles even give us Greta’s own words: 
 
 “It wasn’t my choice to be kissed. The guy just came over and grabbed!” 
 
 “I did not see him approaching, and before I knew it, I was in this vice grip. [sic]” 
 
 “You don’t forget this guy grabbing you.” 
 
 “That man was very strong. I wasn’t kissing him. He was kissing me.” 
 
 It seems pretty clear, then, that what George had committed would be considered sexual assault by modern standards. Yet, in an amazing feat of willful blindness, none of the articles comment on this, even as they reproduce Greta’s words for us. Without a single acknowledgement of the problematic nature of the photo that her comments reveal, they continue to talk about the picture in a whimsical, reverent manner, “still mesmerized by his timeless kiss.” George’s actions are romanticized and glorified; it is almost as if Greta had never spoken. 
 
 In a way, I understand this. The end of war is a big deal, and the euphoria felt throughout the nation on that day is an important part of American history. For so long, this photograph has come to represent that unbridled elation, capturing the hearts of war veterans and their families alike. The fact that this much-loved photo is a depiction of sexual assault, rather than passion, is an uncomfortable truth, and to call it out as such might make one seem to be a priggish wet blanket. After all, this sailor has risked his life for his country. Surely his relief and excitement at the end of the war is justified? Surely these are unique circumstances? The answer to the first question is yes. He is perfectly entitled to be ecstatic. He is perfectly entitled to celebrate. However, this entitlement does not extend to his impinging on someone else’s bodily autonomy. 
 
 The unwillingness to recognize a problem here is not surprising, considering the rape culture in which we live. It is not easy to assert that a woman’s body is always her own, not to be used at the whim of any man without her consent. It is far easier to turn a blind eye to the feelings of women, to claim that they should empathise with the man, that they should be good sports and just go along with it. And the stronger the power structures behind the man, the more difficult it becomes to act otherwise. But if we are serious about bringing down rape culture and reducing the widespread violence against women, then we need to make it clear that engaging with someone sexually without consent is not ok, even when it is an uncomfortable position to take. Especially when it is an uncomfortable position to take. 
 
 ——————————- 
 
 Update: Before you comment, it might be useful to read The Kissing Sailor Part 2: Debunking Misconceptions. 
 
 *Edited on 8/10 for clarity ||||| Romantic moment or sex assault? Feminist blogger slams 'Kissing Sailor' from iconic 1945 Times Square photo as 'drunken predator' 
 
 
 
 
 
 The indelible photo depicting a sailor kissing a nurse in the middle of Times Square to celebrate the end of World War II has long been considered one of the most iconic images of the 20th century, but was it a romantic gesture or something far more sinister? 
 
 According to one feminist blogger, the answer is the latter. The London-based writer known as 'Leopard' caused a stir online after penning a post decrying what she consider the glorification of sexual assault. 
 
 The image captured by LIFE photographer Alfted Eisenstaedt portrays an American sailor kissing a woman in a white dress on August 14, 1945, in a moment of jubilation on Victory over Japan Day in the heart of New York City. 
 
 
 
 Serious claim: The British blogger 'Leopard' writes that the American sailor who grabbed and kissed a stranger against her will committed a sexual assault 
 
 The identities of the 'lovers' locking lips amid a large crowd have been shrouded in mystery, but after decades of speculation, the couple were revealed to be 89-year-old George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer Friedman. 
 
 
 
 The surprise twist behind the celebrated image that came to symbolize the end of the war is that Mendonsa and Friedman were complete strangers at the time the picture was taken. 
 
 
 
 The young sailor had apparently grabbed the pretty nurse walking down the street at random and planted a kiss on her lips in a moment of exuberance. 
 
 
 
 What’s more, the 22-year-old Mendonsa was on a first date with another woman, Rita Petry, who later married the man who will go down in history as the ‘Kissing Sailor.’ 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mystery solved: After years of speculations, it has been revealed recently that the sailor and nurse in the icnoc photos are 89-year-olds George Mendonsa, right, and Greta Zimmer Friedman, left 
 
 Memories: George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer Friedman reunited in Times Square, the location of their famous kiss in August 2012 
 
 According to the feminist blogger, the iconic image betrays that ‘something is not quiet right.’ 
 
 
 
 ‘We learn that George and Greta were perfect strangers. We learn that George was drunk, and that Greta had no idea of his presence, until she was in his arms, with his lips on hers… It seems pretty clear, then, what George had committed was sexual assault.” 
 
 
 
 The blog Feministing.com embraced the sexual assault premise, claiming that a closer look at the picture reveals corroborating evidence of the ‘crime’ that took place in 1945 in the middle of Times Square. 
 
 
 
 The writer points to the smirks on the faces of other sailors seen in the background; the firm grasp around the physically smaller woman in Mendonsa’s arms keeping her from escaping; the woman’s clenched first and limp body. 
 
 
 
 ‘If there is a better symbol for how messed up our ideas about sex and romance are, I can’t think of one,’ the Feministing blogger writes. 
 
 
 
 Facts: Friedman recalled how a sailor suddenly grabbed her, and she said that it wasn't her choice to be kissed by a complete stranger 
 
 Boozy smooch: Mendonsa admitted that he had quiet a few drinks to celebrate the end of the war when he saw a beautiful young nurse and couldn't help but kiss her 
 
 'Leopard writes in her blog, 'The unwillingness to recognize a problem here is not surprising, considering the rape culture in which we live. 
 
 
 
 'It is not easy to assert that a woman’s body is always her own, not to be used at the whim of any man without her consent. It is far easier to turn a blind eye to the feelings of women, to claim that they should [empathize] with the man, that they should be good sports and just go along with it.’ 
 
 
 
 This is not the first time that someone raised concerns over the 'Kissing Sailor' photo. 
 
 Back-story: A recently published book entitled 'The Kissing Sailor' details the story behind the iconic kiss that came to symbolize the end of the war 
 
 In 2005, the Veterans History Project from the Library of Congress interviewed Friedman about the world-famous smooch. 
 
 
 
 ‘It wasn't my choice to be kissed,’ she said then. ‘The guy just came over and grabbed!’ 
 
 In a more recent interview Friedman recalled, ‘That man was very strong. I wasn’t kissing him. He was kissing me,’ she told the New York Post . 
 
 
 
 The kissing ‘couple’ have met several times over the years. Most recently, the two reunited in mid-August to talk about the photograph. 
 
 ‘It was the moment. You come back from the Pacific, and finally, the war ends,' Mendonsa told CBS. 
 
 Mendonsa recalled how he was on a date with his future wife, Petry, at Radio City Music Hall on August 14 when news of the Japanese surrender was announced. 
 
 'They stopped the show and they said, "The war is over. The Japanese have surrendered,"' he recalled. 
 
 
 
 Mendonsa and his date rushed to a nearby bar where the sailor admits he ‘popped quite a few drinks.’ 
 
 As they set on their way, Mendonsa spotted a woman in a nurse’s uniform - he left Petry and rushed to grab her. 
 
 
 
 'The excitement of the war being over, plus I had a few drinks,' he told CBS. 'So when I saw the nurse, I grabbed her, and I kissed her.'
– The iconic kiss that symbolized America's victory in World War II? It was nothing less than sexual assault, according to a British blogger who notes that Greta Zimmer Friedman—the kissee in the classic Life photo—was grabbed and kissed against her will, reports the Daily Mail. "If there is a better symbol for how messed up our ideas about sex and romance are, I can’t think of one," writes Leopard on Crates and Ribbons. Indeed, the man who planted that kiss—George Mendonsa—was on a date with his future wife when the war ended, he popped a few drinks, and spontaneously took hold of Friedman. "I wasn’t kissing him," she later said. "He was kissing me." Leopard lays it on the line: "It seems pretty clear, then, that what George had committed was sexual assault. Yet, in an amazing feat of willful blindness, none of the articles comment on this, even as they reproduce Greta’s words for us." Click for Leopard's full blog.