A kissing booth is an attraction, usually at a
carnival
Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras.
Carnival typi ...
, where the person running the booth
kisses
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, Passion (emotion), passion ...
other people, often to raise funds for charity. There are newspaper articles dating back to at least the early 1900s advertising upcoming kissing booths and their "osculatory favors". A 1918 article from ''
The Garden Island
''The Garden Island'' is a daily newspaper based in Lihue, Hawaii, covering the islands of Kauai and Niihau.
History
''The Garden Island'' began publication in 1902. It was formerly owned by Scripps League Newspapers, which was acquired by P ...
'' newspaper states, "All the horors
icof war disappears for the man with a roll of bills at the Red Cross kissing booth -- that is 'till his wife sees him."
Notable examples
At a national convention of the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world.
History 19th century ...
in Dallas in 1971,
LGBT equality
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Not ...
campaigner
Barbara Gittings
Barbara Gittings (July 31, 1932 – February 18, 2007) was an American LGBTQ movements, LGBTQ activist. She started the New York City, New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) in 1958, edited the national DOB magazine ''The Ladde ...
staffed a kissing booth underneath the banner "Hug a Homosexual," with a "women only" side and a "men only" side. When no one took advantage of it, she and
Alma Routsong
Alma Routsong (November 26, 1924 – October 4, 1996) was an American novelist best known for her lesbian fiction, published under the pen name Isabel Miller.
Early life
Alma Routsong was born Elma Louise Routsong in Traverse City, Michigan, on ...
kissed in front of rolling television cameras. In describing its success, despite most of the reaction being negative, Gittings said, "We needed to get an audience. So we decided, let's show gay love live. We were offering free—mind you, free—same-sex kisses and hugs. Let me tell you, the aisles were mobbed, but no one came into the booth to get a free hug. So we hugged and kissed each other. It was shown twice on the evening news, once again in the morning. It put us on the map."
[Warner David. CityPaper.net. April 22–29, 1999; accessed November 4, 2007.]
American musician
Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern (born March 18, 1976) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and guitarist. She has garnered acclaim for her technical skill and tapping style of guitar play. Stern was a member of The 8G Band from the show '' Late Night with S ...
ran a kissing booth at some of her concerts in 2008.
Popular Culture
The 2018 movie
The Kissing Booth
''The Kissing Booth'' is a 2018 American teen romantic comedy film written and directed by Vince Marcello, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Beth Reekles. It stars Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney. The film follows Elle (K ...
has the title referencing kissing booth and involves it as part of its plot. It got two sequels which turned it into
The Kissing Booth film series.
See also
*
Dunk tank
A dunk tank, also known as a dunking booth or dunking machine, is a common feature at Canadian and American fairs, fundraisers, and celebrations. It involves at least two participants, one of whom sits on a collapsible bench above a human-sized ...
*
List of amusement rides
Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people to create fun and enjoyment.
Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This could be due to ...
References
External links
A fundraiser in the buffat ''Tampa Bay Times''
Alberta's bear-kissing booth back in businessat CTV
at ''Salon''
Hilda, 96, raises cash as she sells kisses at ''Cambs Times''
Carnival games
Kissing
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