THE Kiss is a marble statue carved by Auguste Rodin sometime in 1882. It was commissioned by the French state and originally exhibited at the Museum of Luxembourg then later transferred to the Rodin Museum in 1919.
The statue represents two naked characters, Paolo and Francesca from Dante's Divine Comedy. It was a first kiss witnessed by Francesca's husband who surprised them and slayed both lovers. The statue, depicting happiness and sensuality was an instant success with the European public.
Now comes the new version of The KISS. It's Du30 giving a kiss to a Filipina worker in Korea. The pretty OFW was waiting beneath the podium and was posed to kiss Du30 and get his autograph. Like a little girl, she waited with her lips ready to plant a kiss on the President.
As Du30 turned, the OFW still had her lips posed for a kiss and Du30 accepted the offered kiss with his own lips. The peremptory kiss lasted less than a second! Nothing compared to Rodin's statue of Paolo and Francesca...
So what's the big hullabaloo? Celebrities are being kissed left and right by their fans with or without their consent. The characters in the Du30 version are not naked, nor have they been surprised by a husband who in anger slayed the lovers. The Du30 kiss involves no lovers, no sensuality, no happiness. It did depict something...that of glee and joy for the recipient who jumped and giggled to the audience's delight.
And the critics of the main character morbidly foretell the bad effects on the Filipina OFWs, the possibility that they would be subject to abuse and human trafficking because of this? The critics were dead serious in their allegations and horrible fortune telling about Filipino women. The Du30 kiss seems to be a bad example given by no less than the President of the Republic. These are the serious allegations of serious people.
I find the criticisms ridiculous. What plays in one's mind and later said to criticize another tell so much about the character and the thoughts of the thinker and the speaker. The criticisms define the line of thought, the narrow or generous character of an observer.
To put the Du30 kiss in line with the abuse of Filipinas abroad and the possibility of human trafficking running wild and increasing in number is for all times a sickening version of the cause and effect phenomenon. The abuse of our OFWs and the Philippine human trafficking cases existed way, way back when Du30 was still a young boy expelled from school.
I pray and plead for the critics of this kiss to be more circumspect but broad minded, more respectful and therefore more respectable. The Du30 Kiss is Incomparable to Rodin's Kiss.
The Du30 kiss is without malice. Rodin's Kiss is sensuality and happiness put into marble. Indeed, it has malice but still is universal truth and art. No one can claim the same for the Du30 kiss. Let Du30 and the pretty Filipina fan in Korea go on with their lives. Just live...and let live!
I love you Baguio!
