To kiss or not to kiss

This is not a homily for Hollywood. Those steamy kissing scenes will go on, with or without the threat of SARS in the film capital. But as a matter of fact, Leonardo de Caprio of Titanic fame once contended that kissing is the most unhygienic custom in the world. His reason? The mouth (or, for that matter, any other orifice in the human body) is laden with bacteria, being the repository of decayed food, saliva and phlegm.

Accordingly, beso-beso is the quickest guarantee for transmitting germs.

In another respect, the mouth is the instrument (transfer agent) for foul language, gossip or rumor-mongering, name-calling and back-biting. Or worse still, for revelations or disclosures which are blatantly and shamelessly denied right next day.

What renders beso-beso even more reprehensible is that it often serves as a disguise or cover-up. For instance, a person might kiss a friend then talk ill of him a minute later.

To return to the physical aspect of beso-beso. Indeed, it has been proven to transmit the SARS virus. Thus, coughs and sneezes are not to be sneezed at. (Pun unintended.) And if the best method of fighting SARS is preventive, then people should cover their mouths whenever they cough or sneeze. Recently, a man seated behind me at the CCP Little Theater coughed every now and then. He wasn’t covering his mouth because the cough didn’t sound muffled. How inconsiderate of him! Perhaps CCP management could post this sign: "Please cover mouth when coughing".

Trapos girding for elections will most certainly be disconcerted should the spread of SARS – God forbid! – become imminent. While on the campaign trail, will they be able to refrain from kissing the babies and hugging the ladies – or, as they will doubtless prefer – kissing the ladies and hugging the babies?