( CNN ) Vice presidential ear whispers . Awkward actor-singer chin grabs . And who could forget the belly grab-cheek smooch that rocked the Internet ? It 's enough to make you ask : What in the world has happened to personal space ? Or , in the case of the Internet , you make fun . There 's John Travolta kissing not actress Scarlett Johansson -- as in the original incident from Sunday 's Academy Awards -- but Russian President Vladimir Putin , North Korea 's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un or the Statue of Liberty . Then there 's Travolta holding `` Frozen '' star Idina Menzel 's chin and being urged to `` Let her go ... let her go ! '' `` Today 's word . # Travolta - ( verb ) - To touch ( meaning ) - For example , I like to travolta your cheeks , '' Twitter user @ IamMrTex wrote Tuesday . Of course , invasions of personal space are n't anything new . It 's been more than 20 years since `` Seinfeld '' brought us the `` close talker , '' and it was old news even then . But all the jokes aside -- and there were plenty -- there is a serious side to this . Take a look at these photos , and a theme emerges . There 's Travolta grabbing Johansson , who received an even more invasive grab at the 2006 Golden Globes , when designer Isaac Mizrahi actually grabbed her breast on the red carpet while checking out the construction of her dress . Then there 's Biden gripping the shoulders of Stephanie Carter , the wife of the new U.S. defense secretary , last week . That image evoked memories of former President George W. Bush 's awkward shoulder massage of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the 2006 G8 summit . Though the notion of cultural space varies with culture , Americans are undisputed champions for a large personal zone , argues University of Massachusetts , Amherst psychology professor Susan Krauss Whitbourne . And although they make might for laughs by violating the unspoken rules of personal space in such egregious ways , Travolta , Biden and others are demonstrating a cultural disregard for women , she said . `` Breaking those zones shows a lack of respect , '' she said . `` It 's a way of showing your power . '' Do n't argue that it happens to everyone , columnist Barbara Ellen wrote in the Guardian . `` Even though it happens to some males sometimes , it happens to females all the time , '' she said . `` Try to imagine the White House situation with the roles reversed -- Stephanie Carter gripping Biden 's shoulders ; or , to even things up , Hillary Clinton or Angela Merkel doing the grabbing and whispering , '' she said . `` It 's implausible to say the least . '' The power plays do happen among men but take on a different cast . There 's a whole field of research into the `` power handshake '' -- who stands where and does what -- that elevates a simple , quiet greeting into proxy chest thumping . And then there 's trying to escape when one latches on a party , author Mark Mason wrote in the Spectator this week . `` There 's a particular breed of alpha who displays his credentials by standing unnervingly close to you , his face just a few inches from yours , eye contact maintained for what seems like centuries , '' he wrote . `` Some of them even avoid blinking , '' he said . `` Or is that just how it feels ? ''
Personal space gaffes by John Travolta , Vice President Joe Biden make for new memes . Score: 7