Decoder Ring: A Brief History of Making Out
Kissing\u2014the romantic, sexual, steamy kind\u2014is so ingrained in us that it just seems like a fact of life. Like breathing or eating, we just do it. But what if it\u2019s not like that at all?\xa0\n\nIn this episode, we\u2019re going to look at passionate kissing, well, dispassionately, not as something instinctual and innate but as a cultural practice. We\u2019re going to backtrack through history in search of the origins of the kiss, with some surprises along the way.\xa0\n\nThis episode was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrea Bruce and Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate\u2019s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.\n\nThank you to Marcel Danesi.\n\nIf you\u2019re interested in the papers we mentioned, you can read about Justin Garcia and William Jankowiak\u2019s research, Troels Pank Arb\xf8ll and Sophie Lund Rasmussen\u2019s essay, Sabrina Imbler\u2019s When Was the First Sexy Kiss? and the herpes study. (Here\u2019s that bronze-age statue, too!)\n\nIf you haven\u2019t yet, please subscribe and rate our feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.\n\nIf you\u2019re a fan of the show and want to support us, consider signing up for Slate Plus. As a member, you\u2019ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads\u2014and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.\xa0\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices