We do it as greeting, to show our sexual attraction, or to demonstrate love, but how exactly did the kiss get its start? Scientists have previously argued that the kiss evolved as a way to judge fertility, health, and genes through saliva. However, British scientists from the University of Leeds and the University of Central Lancashire claim, in the journal Medical Hypotheses, that kissing actually developed as a way to spread a necessary germ.

Want to make out with Charlize Theron? It’s simple! All you have to do is pony up $140K at the next charity auction she hosts. This weekend Charlize was helping to raise money for OneXOne and when bidding stalled on a South African World Cup package, the star up the ante by offering to lock lips with the highest bidder. So who won 20 seconds in heaven with Charlize? The lady in the video above, who seems to be really enjoying her winnings. Wonder if Charlize slipped her the tongue…

This weekend I had dinner with a friend of mine who's having a bit of a problem with some friends. Two of her pals have started dating and are so, so, so in love and make sure everyone knows it by making out, snuggling, and pawing each other in public constantly. It's making everyone around them deeply uncomfortable, though, on the whole, my friend is very pleased that they're dating. She's not sure how to handle it, as it's not easy to say to a friend, "Your constant necking in front of me is grossing me out." So, she's taken to avoiding them, unless there are a lot of other people around. But it got me thinking -- how much is too much PDA? I'm dating someone new and we smooch in public, though not in front of friends, and I feel fine about it. What do you think -- when does PDA cross a line?

Dating someone who either can’t kiss at all or needs to spice up their technique? Show them this video. I’m going to work on the Vacuum Kiss tonight and then try out the Music Kiss next time I go to a concert with my sweetie! Tee-hee! [Everything Is Terrible]

I was watching an episode of “South Park” the other night. One of the characters, Mrs. Garrison, was fed up with men and decided to become a lesbian. At first, she had a hard time imagining what sex between two lesbians looked like. Other characters in the episode had a hard time imagining it, too. Each of them just said, “Well, maybe they just scissor or something …” before trailing off. Maybe they just scissor or something? What?

France is so paranoid about swine flu that French health officials have been asking citizens to forgo “la bise,” the country’s traditional double-cheeked kiss greeting. Especially in schools, children have been forbidden to use the kissing salutation to their friends, which is a common courtesy even among youngsters. Instead, schools have come up with what seems more like a ridiculous American solution: “In schools, teachers are telling their young charges to forgo the bise, and instead capture their displays of affection in heart-shaped greetings to slip into ‘bise boxes.’” (This is almost reminiscent of the teenage hugging epidemic.)

How do the French feel about these measures? “La bise” is such a cultural standard that they’d sooner kiss off the prohibition. Bring on the swine flu! [CNN]

In this strange video, two robots, their internal workings exposed, lean in for a kiss. Is this the most romantic thing since Romeo and Juliet or what? OK, maybe not.

I am an aficionado of the kiss. No other act is so simple and so intimate. The light suction, the flick of the lip, the playful nibble, the deep advance and retreat of the tongue—a good kiss is like jazz, an improvisation of melodies, flirtatious staccatos, and passionate brassy crescendos. A good kiss is a rapport enacted physically, like sex, but more erotic.

So, a 32-year-old South Korean hypnotist walks into a bar, or something, and offers to put his 27-year-old blind date (which was arranged by a matchmaking service) into a trance. She finally agrees and he starts “hypnotizing” her by saying, “Black hole! You will plunge deeper into a trance. You will feel thrilled all over your body and if my hand touches your body, you will feel intense pleasure.” Only she’s not hypnotized, and when the “hypnotist” swoops in for the kiss, the woman freaks out and pushes him away. And files a sexual harassment suit and the guy gets fined three million won. Which might just be $2,453, but that’s still one seriously expensive kiss! [AP]

Sure, it’s a sleazy method of seducing a lady, but if a date trying to kiss you is sexual harassment, I’ve got a long day of legal matters to settle. What do you think: Is faux hypnosis totally deplorable or do you think this punishment is a tad harsh?

Who knew coyotes used so much tongue? [via Buzzfeed]

The British Advertising Standards Authority banned this Federici ice cream ad after readers complained about the nun’s “seductive pose.” Yeah, we don’t like thinking about what she was going to do with that spoon, either.

I can’t begin to count the numerous ways I am on the edge-of-my-seat excited for the new Harry Potter movie. The number one reason (besides the obvious fact that I am obsessed): “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” is going to be one massive snog fest!

[Sign at Warrington Bank Quay train station in Warrington, England] [via Telegraph UK]

 

Don’t forget to watch the NBC special “Inside The Obama White House” tonight and tomorrow at 9pm. Above is an adorable sneak peak. [MSNBC]

That hottie Zac Efron is going to make a cameo alongside those other hotties on “Entourage” next season. [E! Online]

They’ve already found replacements for Heidi and Spencer on “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here”—Heidi’s sister Holly and Daniel Baldwin. [DListed]—DOWNGRADE!

“The Biggest Loser” contestant Filipe Fa accused trainer Jillian Michaels of giving her team drugs. Fortunately, the allegations were false. [Pop Eater]—If he wasn’t before, Fa is definitely looking like a big loser now!

 

Kissing might just seem like a way of passing time with the man in your life, but it really triggers a chemical response that promotes mating and reproduction. Helen Fisher, a researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey, conducted brain imaging studies and believes a kiss, or full-on make-out session, can activate chemicals that arouse different areas of the brain used for sex and reproduction. One brain system locking lips can stimulate is the one related to romantic or passionate love, which Fisher said causes a person to focus on one mate. The second is attachment, which helps prolong the relationship, at least long enough to raise a child. And the third is sex drive, which is related closely to testosterone. “We do have evidence that saliva has testosterone in it. And there is also evidence that men like sloppier kisses, and more open-mouthed kisses. That suggests to me they are unconsciously trying to transfer testosterone to trigger the sex drive in women,” said Fisher. So just when we thought we’d been liberated enough that kissing and sex are random acts of our choosing, our bodies remind us of the true purpose—reproduction. Ugh. [Reuters]

I have never met a woman who thought she was bad in bed. I have known plenty of women who can rattle off an impromptu, critical dissertation on the carnal failings of most men. “He didn’t get me off.” “He treated my nipples like Xbox control sticks.” “He came before his pants were off.”

No, not all women are great in bed. Is the onus on dudes to break the bedsprings? I say no. It is both of our responsibilities to be the best lay possible. There are women who kick back Cleopatra-style and dare their men to please them. Women who use men like giant, hairy vibrators, and women who are so eager to please, it can be overwhelming.

Beyond those “Boogie Nights” and the rise of video, internet porn has really been putting the lick in click. Still, there seems to be something missing from porn—good old-fashioned making out. Susan Walsh asks: “Is Porn Changing The Way We Kiss?” Sucking face is an essential part of lovemaking, baby! So, we decide to ask Joanna Angel, the punk rock porn star and female founder of BurningAngel.com, why there isn’t a lot of kissing in porn.

There are a few ways to perform a breath check in public: 1) Ask a friend, 2) Cup your hand around your mouth to catch your breath and inhale at the same time, 3) Lick your hand and wait for the saliva to dry and then smell it, or 4) try to taste your mouth. Since only one of these techniques is sure to give you an accurate result, your best breath indicator come Valentine’s Day is the Kiss-O-Meter, a gadget similar to a breathalyzer, but it checks your breath’s smell instead of its booze content. Once you’ve breathed into the device, it will respond with Kiss Me, Possible, Maybe, Risky and Never. Now, you can eliminate the guess work and just lean in for a special kiss or full-on make out session.

You know how the Possom, the Kangal Fish, and the Rattlesnake are among the worst things a guy can do while kissing? Well, believe it or not, men also have preferences when it’s time to pucker up. These tips really aren’t difficult to incorporate into your kissing routine, so you’ll be new and improved by Valentine’s Day.