"Kisses" Sweeter Than Vile

Yesterday, ARCHINECT posted news on Virgin Atlantic's new lounge at New York's JFK airport. Business class passengers will be able to relax in brightly upholstered lounge chairs while sipping their cocktails and gazing out at the runway. When nature calls the gentlemen can retire to the washroom and relieve themselves into a wide-open woman's mouth, though not literally, of course.

Titled "Kisses", the urinal is the design of Dutch company Bathroom Media, though at first glance I figured Keith Richards dashed it off on a napkin one night at the pub. In a New York Post article, the designer is quoted as saying, "this is one target men will never miss." Unfortunately, I can think of a handful of other "catchphrases" to promote this man-friendly design.


"Kisses", from the New York Post

Searching around the internet, responses to the design range from negative to appalled.

Personally, aside from the obvious sexism and gross symbolism present in the design, it just looks cheesy to me. From the bright, red lips to the slight raise of its top right lip and the exposed teeth, it makes me think of the 1980's and the predominance of bad taste in that decade. And is this the most appropriate design for a stand-alone urinal, even if its target audience watches reruns of Benny Hill and was reared on Page-Two Girls? British jokes aside, expression will always have its detractors, but in this case the designers seem to welcome them in the name of "fun", or at least in the exposure and press the design is giving the company...which makes this page guilty, too.

03.26.04 Update:

Zwichenzug posts a picture of a nun urinal here that almost puts the Virgin urinal to shame.

Tracing that image back to an earlier post at Boing Boing, it appears that Virgin is deciding not to install the urinals after all.