We’ve got Ashley Gharaibeh joining the pod to talk about the best smooches in animation! First, they review the new anime series “Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You”. Ashley gives Lena the lowdown on the anime scene and why this particular series is so special. They discuss age gap relationships and the underrated concept of YEARNING. 

Next, Ashley tells the story about her first (and unfortunately worst) kiss —it’s a doozy! Stay for the Smooch Smackdown, where Lena and Ashley rank the best kissing scenes in animation, from Disney to Nickelodeon to CGI. They acknowledge how hard it is to draw people smooching and admit that out of all cartoon characters, animals may be the best kissers…

We close this episode with a smooch fact about the first same-sex kiss in a Disney movie. Enjoy! 

You may notice an ad for a podcast called Consider This For Comfort, hosted by Eteng Ettah. It’s a super fun, nostalgic show exploring why comfort shows are so comforting. Give it a listen here: https://pod.link/1823537949 

Follow Ashley: 

⁠https://www.instagram.com/itsspinachee/⁠

⁠https://www.twitch.tv/spinachee⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@spinachee⁠

Follow Smooch Fest: 

⁠https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod⁠ 

Links:

Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ0vtP-hPq0 

Lightyear kiss: https://www.out.com/film/2022/3/21/pixar-restores-same-sex-lightyear-kiss-after-it-was-cut-disney 

This week, Lena Olson is joined by the hosts of But I'm A Lesbian Pod, Katlynn Beatty and Angelina Herrera! They gossip about the iconic threeway kiss between Madonna, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV VMA Awards. Learn the crazy behind the scenes details and hear about society's reaction to it. 

Later, Katlynn shares a story about her first and worst kiss (Teaser: comedian Carrot Top plays a role). Last but not least, we discuss a heavy hitter, the sapphic tv show A League of Their Own (2022). We cover the hottest kisses of the season between Carson and Greta, as well as Max and Esther. Enjoy this smooch-filled episode!

Follow Smooch Fest:

⁠https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod⁠ 

Follow But I'm A Lesbian: https://linktr.ee/butimalesbianpod 

Relevant Links:

Madonna Christina Britney Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh4KUeKm8fc 

Rehearsal Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3gaF0lo4JU 

Rolling Stone article: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/2003-vmas-britney-madonna-christina-kiss-1234809755/  

Carson Greta Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igWIdmEKJT4 

Max and Esther Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R2NHRRpL1I 

Negro Baseball League article: https://time.com/6205531/a-league-of-their-own-true-story-amazon/ 

Maybelle Blair article: https://www.them.us/story/maybelle-blair-a-league-of-their-own-coming-out 

Tello Films: https://www.tellofilms.com/ 

For this week’s episode, we are talking about the Canadian sensation, Heated Rivalry! Lena is joined by Johan Clarke to go on a deep dive about the sensual kisses between Shane and Ilya, and Scott and Kip. This hockey romance starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams took the world by storm, and we dissect what made the series so special.

Johan shares a touching personal story about their best AND first kiss. The two wax nostalgic about the music video for “All the Things She Said” by T.A.T.U. despite the pop duo’s complicated legacy of queerbaiting. Stick around to hear about a real kiss in women’s soccer. 

Follow Smooch Fest: https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod

Follow Johan’s Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/johanaclarke/

Relevant Links:

All the Things She Said Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mGBaXPlri8

Shane & Ilya First Kiss (Ep 1): https://youtu.be/ADi1iextoUM?t=55 

Scott & Kip (Ep 5): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHUVCDqhE4Q 

Kelly O’Hara Soccer Kiss: https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/uswnt/2025/01/03/uswnt-defender-ohara-world-cup-kiss-with-girlfriend/77432749007/ 

#heatedrivalry #hudsonwilliams #connorstorrie #francoisarnaud #robbiegrahamkuntz #popcultureanalysis #romanticcomedy #datingstories #gaytv #lgbtqpodcast #queerpodcast #bisexual #wlw #gay #lgbtqromance #kissingscenes #tvpodcast #kissing #kiss #romance 

Welcome back to the Smooch Fest podcast! We are so excited to bring you season TWO!

Our host, Lena Olson, is joined by returning guest, Melissa Flores. They catch up on Season 8 of Love Island USA and discuss the hottest smooches between their favorite couple: Aniya & Carl. They compare how the Gen Z and Millennial boys approach the girls (Hint: the Gen Z boys are giving incel!) Then Melissa and Lena make their predictions ahead of the finale!

Lena also investigates the origin of kissing games like Spin the Bottle and Seven Minutes in Heaven, with some surprising results! Stick around for some history about dating shows in general, from The Dating Game to The Bachelor. Thanks for listening!

Follow Melissa:https://www.instagram.com/melissaflo/

Follow Smooch Fest:⁠https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod

Email us your kissing stories at [email protected]

Links:Carl & Aniya’s Kisses in Say Less:

https://youtu.be/2okAVjw3hb4?si=urZuz5bsujqOOos-

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaQQwoeOG3Z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Last Season’s episode about Love Island: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfVj1MBeVug&t=64s

Melissa’s episode on the smooches in Friends:

https://youtu.be/-XwY6FJysqc?si=5LArfXnmgMQMzJuq

Link to Mental Floss article: https://www.mentalfloss.com/fun/games/9-victorian-parlor-games-sparked-romance

Link to Bachelor Nation book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/bachelor-nation-inside-the-world-of-america-s-favorite-guilty-pleasure-amy-kaufman/742fa9a1d8e38fb2

Here’s the thing about me... I have a sickness, an affliction, where I need two people to kiss in every movie, TV show, or book that I consume. 

And when they don’t kiss? I feel cheated. I feel betrayed. I lose the will to live. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and turn this condition into cultural commentary.

I'm Lena Olson, your host and smooch connoisseur. Every episode, a guest joins me to discuss the most iconic kissing scenes in pop culture history. 

This season, we’re talking about the smooches in Titanic, Heated Rivalry, Love Island, Gilmore Girls, the three-way kiss between Madonna, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears at the 2003 MTV VMA awards, and MORE.

But it wouldn’t be a kissing podcast if we just kept it to pop culture. We delve into personal stories about our first, best, and worst kisses. We learn about the science and history behind smooching. Why did people start kissing in the first place? When was the first gay kiss on screen? How much bacteria gets transferred when people kiss? Any question you wanted to know but were too afraid to ask!

So get ready for Season 2, dropping July 9th later this week. Available on all podcast platforms, as well as Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok @smoochfestpod 

Vanessa Guerrero (Producer, Writer, Unemployed Hot Person) RETURNS for a special holiday episode! Vanessa and Lena talk about the iconic smooch in the Christmas classic, It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) between Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Later, they talk about their personal experiences shooting kissing scenes. Stick around to the end to learn about the origin of kissing under the mistletoe! Wishing everyone a Smoochy Holiday season and a Smacky New Year <3

NOTE: This is the final episode of Season 1 of Smooch Fest, thank you SO much for listening and watching. Season 2 will be back next Spring!

Relevant Links:

It’s A Wonderful Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wABeIIjxmJk

The Celluloid Closet documentary: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-celluloid-closet 

Follow Vanessa:

https://www.instagram.com/snesguerrero/ 

https://x.com/nessguerrero 

Follow Smooch Fest:

https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod

Caitlin Alice Gilbert (Author/Screenwriter) RETURNS to discuss Wicked: For Good and the smooch between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). They compare the chemistry from the musical and the film, Elphaba’s sex cardigan, and Jonathan Bailey becoming People’s Sexiest Man Alive. It’s also holiday season, so Lena takes us back to A Moment In Kisstory: where we learn about the first gay kiss in a Hallmark Christmas movie, The Christmas House. She shares how queer representation in Hallmark has developed over the years. Enjoy this penultimate episode of the first season of Smooch Fest!

Follow Caitlin:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlingilbs/ 

X: https://x.com/caitlingilbs 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caitlinalicegilbs 

Pre-Order her book here:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/la-dolce-veto-caitlin-alice-gilbert/e72b30b236dc7af4?ean=9781923232310&next=t& 

Follow Smooch Fest:

https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod   

Photoshopped Shirt in Wicked: For Good  https://x.com/demboiii/status/1994185827870449927 

Wicked: For Good kissing scene - Because this is still in theaters, no legal clips are online, so I encourage you to see it in theaters or when it comes out on streaming!

The Christmas House kiss: No clips online but you can rent it on multiple platforms. Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiUTa9QG9uQ 

LGBTQ Hallmark Article: https://www.girlsgonehallmark.com/lgbtq-hallmark-movies/ 

Paige Elson (Actor/Writer/Comedian) joins Lena to do a deep dive into Abbott Elementary! They discuss the two momentous smooches between Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams). The gals compare other sitcom slow burn relationships and give their predictions for the couple in future seasons. Paige shares a story about her best kiss (hint: it’s a New Year's smooch!) Stick around for the Smooch Fact to hear about your brain on smooching. School’s in session! Study up!

Follow Paige:

https://www.instagram.com/paigeelson/

https://www.instagram.com/anointedgreens/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@AnointedGreens 

Substack

Follow Smooch Fest:

https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod   

First Janinory Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBrVPX2HqGQ 

Second Gregine Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxgKTD5q2Uw 

Weird Image of That Guy - Sensory Homunculus: https://mastodon.social/@Sheril/109358431327849124 
Book: The Science of Kissing

Nina Concepcion (Actor/Writer) joins Lena to talk about her favorite pop culture smooch: the kiss between Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner on the airport tarmac in The Bodyguard (1992)!

(NOTE: the first few minutes of audio is lower quality than usual, luckily, it kicked back into gear by minute 5!)

The girls gab about Costner and Houston's chemistry and how 90s movies were just BETTER. Later, Nina shares stories about her worst and best kisses (and it features a marching band). Lena ends the episode sharing a Moment in Kisstory: the time Al Gore made out with his wife, Tipper, too long at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. They get into the difference between Boomers and the Silent Generation. You’re gonna love this ep! 

Follow Nina:

https://www.instagram.com/nina_concepcion/

https://www.instagram.com/obsessed_theshow/

https://www.instagram.com/ruthiejoinsadeathcult/ 

Follow Smooch Fest:

https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod   

The Bodyguard Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3gynU1x2Lk 

Al & Tipper Gore Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz0kAoEWS2o 

We have a special Halloween themed episode for you! Fiona Nova (Director, Content Creator) has joined Lena to talk about the teen horror comedy Jennifer’s Body (2009) starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried. They go in depth on the layered complexity of Needy and Jennifer’s relationship - is it love or is it a demon succubus manipulation tactic?? You’ll also want to hear Fiona’s personal smooch story about her best kiss. The episode ends with a roundup of SPOOKY SMOOCH FACTS! Listen, if you dare…

Follow Fiona:

https://www.instagram.com/fiona_nova/ 

Follow Smooch Fest:

https://linktr.ee/smoochfestpod   

Jennifer’s Body Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1MdKI8kiXU