sex symbol
A sex symbol is a famous person of either gender, typically an actor, musician, model, teen idol, or sports star who is found to be sexually attractive by the public or by a substantial niche audience. The celebrity "star system"—the tabloid papers, paparazzi, and gossip talk shows — play an important role in creating and sustaining the public perception of which stars are viewed as attractive. These media industries are in turn sustained by a strong public demand for sexually alluring photographs or footage of celebrities, including both posed, scantily-clad publicity shots for magazines like Maxim and unauthorized beach or nightclub photos taken by pararazzi with zoom lenses.
Film
The film industry played an important part in the rise of sex symbols by disseminating images of beautiful people around the world. The first sex symbols were Victorian actress and singer Lillian Russell, Danish silent-film actress Asta Nielsen (nicknamed 'The Silent Muse') and 'It Girl' Clara Bow in the 1910s and 1920s. Although not seen as a real sex symbol, Lillian Gish ('The First Lady of the Silent Screen') became the most popular actress of the era. Theda Bara and Pola Negri, famed for their vamp roles, were also early female sex symbols. Rudolph Valentino was cinema's first male sex symbol.
Film's Golden Age sex symbols include 1930s stars Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow ("The Platinum Blonde"), Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Mae West and Clark Gable. 40s and 50s icons Rita Hayworth (nicknamed "The Love Goddess"), Ava Gardner, Jane Russell, Betty Grable, Bettie Page (in print and underground films), Lana Turner, the three "Blond Bombshells": Marilyn Monroe (the most iconic sex symbol of Hollywood's Golden Age)- Jayne Mansfield - Mamie Van Doren, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Rock Hudson, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck and Cary Grant.
Important 60s and 70s sex symbols included Ursula Andress, Mark Hamill, Ann-Margret, Jacqueline Bisset, Barbara Bouchet, Jane Fonda, Sharon Tate, Raquel Welch, Catherine Deneuve, Nichelle Nichols, Pam Grier, Ali MacGraw, Helen Mirren,[ABC News: Senior Sex Symbols steal the screen] Meryl Streep
In the 1980s, other signtificant sex symbols at one point or another during that period included Harrison Ford, Val Kilmer, Matt Dillon, Charlie Sheen, Bruce Willis, muscle man Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mel Gibson, Meg Ryan, John Travolta, Michael J. Fox, Patrick Swayze, Matthew Broderick, Robert Downey Jr., Sean Penn, Kathleen Turner, & Carrie Fisher.
As TV's influence grew during the last three decades there was a shift to TV stars becoming more famous, Pamela Anderson,[The Sun: Pammi is telly's sexiest star] Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Carmen Electra, Farrah Fawcett, Lucy Liu, Valerie Bertinelli, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mila Kunis
More recent silver screen icons are Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie,[Channel 4 Top 100 Sex Symbols internet poll]Demi Moore, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Keira Knightley, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Will Smith, George Clooney,[ ] ,[Listed on People Magazine, "50 Most Beautiful People", 2006-04-28.]["Hottest Bachelors of 2006.", People magazine, (2005-11-10), "Ten Things to Love about Jake". Retrieved 2006-09-19.][Position #1 on Jenson, Michael. (2007-07-23), "The AfterElton.com Hot 100 List", AfterElton. Polling of thousands of gay and bisexual men. Retrieved 2007-07-24.][People Magazine's Top 50 Sexiest Man Alive of 2007 Ranked #8]Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Megan Fox, Charlize Theron, Christian Bale, Brandon Routh, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger.[So just who was it for you last night? Independent, published 2007-08-10 ]
Cartoons
1930's cartoon character Betty Boop is known as the first and one of the most famous sex symbol on animated screen.[Betty Boop - Boop Oop a Doop (1986) from Rotten Tomatoes][ Video World Is Smitten by a Gun-Toting, Tomb-Raiding Sex Symbol from The New York Times] After Betty Boop, Jessica Rabbit, who was voiced by Kathleen Turner, is widely considered as the next biggest animated sex symbol.[THE LAST MOVIE STAR from Entertainment Weekly.]
Music
Blues musicians were some of the first artists to become sex symbols. Rock n' roll and pop would follow later on. Some classic example of former or older sex symbols are Prince, Madonna, The Bee Gees Andy Gibb, Marvin Gaye,[Ebony magazine: The greatest African-American sex symbols, The Beatles November 1, 2005, retrieved March 21, 2008] Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Grace Slick, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Steven Tyler[Laura: "Jon Bon Jovi", page 73. Citadel Press, 2004][Awarded Sexiest Rock Star by People magazine on 2000, 2002 and 2003]
, Jim Morrison, Anish Nadh, Sting, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Tom Jones, Cher, Bruce Springsteen, and Rod Stewart set the stage for contemporary examples, such as Beyonce, Nick Carter, Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Fergie, Jennifer Lopez, Brandon Flowers, Christina Aguilera,[, Michael JacksonThe New Yorker: Sex Symbols, New albums from Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake, November 1, 2005, retrieved March 21, 2008] Justin Timberlake,
Models
Many models and supermodels are widely known enough to be considered sex symbols. Some of today's sex symbols who have become famous as models include Anna Nicole Smith, Twiggy, Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell, Cathy Ireland, Gisele Bündchen,[PalmBeachPost.com: Victoria's secret Angels Across America Tour][FHM 100 Sexiest Women in The World 2007 List - Shoryuken] Christy Turlington, Ana Beatriz Barros, Laetitia Casta, Adriana Lima.[Daily Star Sunday: Sexiest women][Kate drops out of 100 sexiest] Male models: Tyson Beckford, Marcus Schenkenburg.[named "Man of the Year" in 1995 by the cable television music channel VH1, as well as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People magazine]
Video games
Video games have had a few characters that are considered sex symbols, although their fame often does not extend into the mainstream. The most well-known example of this category would be Lara Croft,["Boom Raider" Telegraph retrieved 5 March 2008] which has had several appearances in mainstream media. The first Lara Croft model, Nell McAndrew, appeared on Playboy on August 1999, although the magazine was prevented legally from displaying the name "Lara Croft" next to the model..[Lara saved from Playboy]
Other sex symbols with less notoriety in the mainstream include:
 Lara Croft, from the Tomb Raider Series
Mai Shiranui, from the SNK game King of Fighters.
Morrigan Aensland, from the Capcom game Darkstalkers.
Chun Li, from the Capcom game Street Fighter.
Cammy, from the Capcom game Street Fighter.
Tifa Lockhart, who starred on the hugely popular Final Fantasy VII.
Rayne, the first video-game character that appeared in Playboy magazine, in the October 2004 U.S. edition as part of an article entitled Gaming Grows Up.[AT's Top 10 Video Game Chicks Actiontrip. Retrieved on December 2, 2007]
Nina Williams, voted "Hottest" Female Fighting Character Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008.[Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008 pg.81 (bottom-right) ISBN 978-1-904994-20-6]
Jill Valentine from the Resident Evil series.
Cate Archer from the No One Lives Forever series.
Ivy Valentine and Taki (Soulcalibur) from the Soulcalibur series.
Rachel from Ninja Gaiden Sigma.
Wrestlers
Several WWE wrestlers of both genders have earned a sex symbol status. These include Divas such as Trish Stratus and Stacy Keibler. Popular male sex symbols in the industry include Randy Orton, Dwayne Johnson, and John Cena.
Teen idols
Many teen idols are also sex symbols. In particular, boy bands are frequently regarded as sex symbols by adoring fans. Fans frequently focus their attention on a single member of the group, but the entire group is seen as a sex symbol by association.
Some examples of boy bands are Backstreet Boys and N Sync.
Examples of teen idols are Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Leighton Meester, Chace Crawford and Shia LaBeouf, Jesse McCartney, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens.[Time Warner: Ricky Martin Is A Hit With AOL Audience Mojo'ng Mike Myers Up Next June 1999, retrieved March 17, 2008]["He's the perfect mass-market sex symbol for a simple reason: Martin projects no inner life that might distract fans from the malleable boy-toy fantasy." --Jim Farber of Daily News (October 29, 1999), reviewing Martin's concert at Madison Square Garden, retrieved from ] on March 17, 2008
See also
People magazine, Sexiest Man Alive
Sex kitten
External links
BBC: Men pip for the Posh type
Google Zeitgeist, has a list of the most searched for female celebrities on Google
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