Sex symbol

For the glyphs representing male and female, see gender 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.

Sources

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.

External links

BBC: Men pip for the Posh type
Google Zeitgeist, has a list of the most searched for female celebrities on Google