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.

Sources

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 Classical Hollywood cinema 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, Pam Grier, Ali MacGraw, Helen Mirren, Sean Connery, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro and John Travolta.

In the 1980s, other signtificant sex symbols at one point or another during that period included Val Kilmer, Matt Dillon, Charlie Sheen, Bruce Willis, Govenor/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, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Carmen Electra, Farrah Fawcett, Valerie Bertinelli, Mila Kunis, Halle Berry and Don Johnson, all became sex symbols through TV.

More recent silver screen icons are Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Rebecca Romijn, Keira Knightley, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Colin Farrell, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Megan Fox, Charlize Theron and the late Heath Ledger.

Cartoons

1930's cartoon character Betty Boop is known as the first and one of the most famous sex symbol on animated screen. After Betty Boop, Jessica Rabbit, who was voiced by Kathleen Turner, is widely considered as the next biggest animated sex symbol.

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 Madonna, Marvin Gaye, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson (entertainer)|Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Steven Tyler, Laura: "Jon Bon Jovi", page 73. Citadel Press, 2004, Prince, Anish Nadh, Sting, Janet Jackson , Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones, Cher, Bruce Springsteen, and Rod Stewart set the stage for contemporary examples, such as Beyonce, Nick Carter, Nicole Scherzinger, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Brandon Flowers, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Tarkan, Uhm Jung-hwa, Usher, Shania Twain, Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue, Jonathan Scott-Taylor. A few music groups are referred to as sex symbols. Such as Pussycat Dolls, Danity Kane, Destiny's Child, and TLC.

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, Gisele Bündchen, Christy Turlington, Ana Beatriz Barros, Laetitia Casta, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, Kate Moss. Male models: Tyson Beckford.

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, which has had several appearances in mainstream media. The first Lara Croft model, Nell McAndrew, appeared on Playboy on August of 1999, although the magazine was prevented legally from displaying the name "Lara Croft" next to the model. Other sex symbols with less notoriety in the mainstream include:

• Mai Shiranui, from the SNK game King of Fighters.
• Tifa Lockhart, who starred on the hugely popular Final Fantasy VII.
• Rayne (Bloodrayne), the first video-game character that appeared in Playboy magazine, in the October 2004 United States
• Nina Williams, voted "Hottest" Female Fighting Character Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008.
• Jill Valentine from the Resident Evil series.

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 excellent examples of boy bands are Backstreet Boys and N Sync. Examples of teen idols are Ricky Martin, Jarrod Tavares, Ben Barnes, Chris Brown, and Robert Pattinson,

See also

• 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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