Sex symbol
A
sex symbol is a famous and/or notable person, male or female, who is found
sexually attractive by the general audience. The term was first used circa
1911.
Film
The
film industry played an important part in the rise of sex symbols. It disseminated images of beautiful people around the world, especially in the time of
silent films, when there were no language barriers. One of the first sex symbols was the Danish actress
Asta Nielsen in the
1910s and
1920s. Actresses
Theda Bara and
Pola Negri, famed for their
vamp roles, were also early female sex symbols and
Rudolph Valentino was the first male sex symbol. Later iconic sex symbols created by the film industry include
Clark Gable,
Jean Harlow,
Rita Hayworth,
Lana Turner,
Marlon Brando and the most famous of them all,
Marilyn Monroe. Although movies are still very important, sex symbols in the modern age are often created by television in general and
soap operas and
music videos in particular. Many "
supermodels" of the fashion industry are also regarded as sex symbols.
Qualities
Sometimes sex symbols, mostly male, can even be people who are not portrayed as beautiful or handsome, but possess other qualities that make them sexually attractive. These people are often highly articulate, inviting, and alluring; they usually have extraordinary communication skills as well. Modern film star
Angelina Jolie is considered a sex symbol because of her "exotic" looks.
Teen idols
Many
teen idols are also sex symbols. In particular,
boybands 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. There is often a discrepancy between teen idols and sex symbols. However, where teen idols are sex symbols to the youth audience, "real" sex symbols also appeal to adults, and sometimes appeal to the teenage audience as well.
In fiction
Fictitious, animated, or virtual sex symbols also sometimes achieved popularity. Especially among fans of
anime and
manga, referred to as
otaku, fictitious characters frequently featured in fan-authored
dōjinshi, some of which are erotic (
ecchi) or pornographic (
hentai) in nature. See also:
bishōjo and
bishōnen. Besides anime and manga, non-
Japanese animation and
video games are the source for a number of fictitious sex symbols.
Alternately,
sex symbol can refer to the two symbols (or
glyphs) used to represent the biological sex of an organism, also known as
gender symbols: the
Venus glyph (♀) for
females, and the
Mars glyph (♂) for
males.
*
Beauty*
Charisma*
FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005*
FHM-US's 100 Sexiest Women 2004*
Human physical appearance*
Male gaze*
Movie star*
Physical attractiveness*
Pop icon*
Sex in advertising*
Sexual attraction*
BBC: Men pip for the Posh type*
Google Zeitgeist, has a list of the most searched for female celebrities on
Google
