Comments on: The Photograph That Isn’t as Romantic as You Might Think

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:42:03 +0000

I love that picture. It’s always been so controversial in our society. But I think it sends a good message

By: MN

MN — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:49:53 +0000

I think I read somewhere that she had a good laugh over it after she smacked him. I could be wrong. Either way, it’s a sweet picture that really captures a happy time.

By: Zane

Zane — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:28:15 +0000

AMT, add me to the list: I have never thought of the two as lovers but just a spontaneous joy…and I never got the impression the lady knew what was coming owing to her body language.

By: Jo

Jo — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:24:33 +0000

I heard that Eisenstaedt had seen this guy grabbing and kissing the random women, then out of the corner of Eisenstaedt’s eye he saw the guy grab “something white” and he quickly turned and got the shot because he thought that the white would look good against the man’s dark uniform.

I think he was right :)

Longest ReCaptcha ever: profited orthopsychiatric.

By: cami

cami — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:42 +0000

I’m with AMT, it had never occured to me that they could have been lovers.

By: AMT

AMT — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:58:02 +0000

I remember the first time someone told me the true story of that photograph. It didn’t surprise me in the least. For some reason I had always assumed it to be a spontaneous thing between strangers. I’m not sure why, but it never even occurred to me that they might be sweethearts–maybe it has to do with the body language, as Nicole said. Or maybe it’s because they’re in Times Square, and that doesn’t seem to me like the most apt “you’ve been away at war and I haven’t seen you in months/years” reunion spot.

I realize that many (most?) people automatically think of it the other way around. I think it’s interesting that different people interpret photographs like this in different ways.

By: Larry Sheldon

Larry Sheldon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:13:15 +0000

Actually, the line is in time–before some time, that was a non-sexual Or asexual, if you prefer) exuberant display of joy with no assault or other evil involved. (We can assume at least acquiescence, if not active participation because she was there, she would have seen what was going on and could have signaled non-participant status (the standard signal for which was a firm slap across the face)).

After that time it is sexual assault because there is a man involved.

By: Fredd in Harlem

Fredd in Harlem — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:07:53 +0000

I love that there are at least 2…if not 3…different (very elderly) ladies garnering fame by claiming to be the nurse in the photo.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:04:20 +0000

Haha…yeah, her body language is sort of indicative of which of the two events she may have thought it was. And in 1945? I always perceived it as a time of public modesty, so I can’t imagine how humiliating this may have been for her then.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:41:57 +0000

I guess it’s a fine line between “spontaneous act of joy” and “random sexual assault”.