The History of the Kiss!

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. The Popular Origins of the Kiss

   • Marcel Danesi

   Pages 1-25

3. The Kiss in Symbol, Ritual, and Myth

   • Marcel Danesi

   Pages 27-47

4. The Kiss in Stories, Real and Fictional

   • Marcel Danesi

   Pages 49-75

5. The Kiss in Images

   • Marcel Danesi

   Pages 77-95

6. The Kiss in Songs

   • Marcel Danesi

   Pages 97-115

7. The Kiss Goes to the Movies

   • Marcel Danesi

   Pages 117-141

8. The Kiss in the Internet Age

   • Marcel Danesi

   Pages 143-158

9. Back Matter

   Pages 159-179

   PDF

How and when did the kiss become a vital sign of romance and love? In this wide-ranging book, pop culture expert Marcel Danesi takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the history of the kiss, from poetry and painting to movies and popular songs, and argues that its romantic incarnation signaled the birth of popular culture.

• culture
• Internet
• Nation
• Ritual
• Romanticism

• University of Toronto, Canada

  Marcel Danesi

Marcel Danesi is Director of the Program in Semiotics and Communication Theory and Professor of Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Toronto, Canada. He is the author of many books, including Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things; X-Rated! The Power of Mythic Symbolism in Popular Culture ; and The History of the Kiss: The Birth of Popular Culture . He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1998, founded a research center (Center for Communication and Information Sciences), and is the Editor in Chief of Semiotica. Danesi's work has been featured in the New York Times, Toronto Star, and Psychology Today, among other print publications, and he has been a guest on broadcast outlets such as National Public Radio.

Policies and ethics