[Note: March 15, 2020— I have revamped the text of this article and posted a correction.]
Greta Zimmer Friedman, who eventually had been identified as the woman in the iconic World War II photo of a couple kissing during a celebration in New York’s Times Square, has died in Virginia at age 92. The photograph had become controversial due to her recollection of abruptly being grabbed and kissed by a random drunken sailor against her will, and despite her explaining what happened most media outlets refuse to acknowledge that situation.
As an example, a CNN article at this link talks about her death, but it doesn’t mention the fact that she was assaulted or any of the controversy surrounding it.
A Breitbart article describes a situation of feminists demanding that a statue of the couple be removed from Normandy in Northern France. [Note: March 15, 2020— Previously I said that the article portrayed the feminists as “overreacting,” however actually the article was more unbiased than that, saying in the last paragraph “if both parties are comfortable with the situation then no offense has taken place, as a result it is unlikely a court would uphold the feminists claims about the original incident.”]
The following excerpts are from the article “The Kissing Sailor, or ‘The Selective Blindness of Rape Culture’,” commenting about how mainstream news reports failed to comment on the fact that Freidman was sexually assaulted despite her clearly explaining what had happened:
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?
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.