Sex symbol

A sex symbol is a famous person of either gender, typically an actor, musician, model, teen idol, or sports star, known for their sex appeal. 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.Sometimes,these Sex symbols are created by the publics interest in them,while others are created to booste some upcoming stars career. 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 paparazzi with telephoto lenses.

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, So White from Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, Red, from Red Hot Riding Hood and her later derivative 'Jessica Rabbit, who was actually voiced by Kathleen Turner, is widely considered as the next biggest animated sex symbols. In Japanese anime there are sex symbols such as Faye Valentine and Bulma.



Music
Rock & roll and pop musicians were some of the first artists to become sex symbols. Some notable examples of musicians who became sex symbols include Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the members of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Sid Vicious, Jimi Hendrix, Debbie Harry, Sting, Prince, Michael Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Iggy Pop, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Rihanna, Beyoncé Knowles, Steven Tyler, Britney Spears, Cher, Shakira, Aston Merrygold and Christina Aguilera.

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 Marisa Miller, Lenka Craft, Christie Brinkley, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell, Kathy Ireland, Gisele Bündchen, Christy Turlington, Ana Beatriz Barros, Laetitia Casta, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Heidi Klum.

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, who has had several appearances in mainstream media. Nell McAndrew, who portrayed Lara from 1998 to 1999, appeared on Playboy on August 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 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; and Nina Williams, voted "Hottest" Female Fighting Character Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008.

Film and television
The film and television industries have historically played an important role in the rise of sex symbols. The following list – which is by no means exhaustive – provides some examples of sex symbols who gained their status as such through exposure in film and television, and some examples of work where their appeal was shown best.

1920s and Earlier

 * Lillian Russell
 * Pola Negri
 * Asta Nielsen
 * Ramon Novarro
 * Clara Bow
 * Theda Bara
 * John Barrymore
 * Douglas Fairbanks
 * Mata Hari
 * Mae Murray
 * Nita Naldi
 * Evelyn Nesbit
 * Gloria Swanson
 * Rudolph Valentino
 * Rudy Vallee
 * Anna May Wong
 * Lya de Putti
 * Valeska Suratt
 * Louise Brooks
 * Myrna Loy
 * Joan Crawford

1930s

 * Marlene Dietrich
 * Jean Harlow
 * Bette Davis
 * Joan Crawford
 * Mae West
 * Errol Flynn
 * Clark Gable
 * Greta Garbo
 * Cary Grant
 * Tallulah Bankhead
 * Charles Boyer
 * Robert Taylor
 * Alice Faye
 * Fay Wray
 * Maurice Chevalier
 * Claudette Colbert
 * Bing Crosby
 * Ginger Rogers

1940s

 * Rita Hayworth (Gilda)
 * Veronica Lake
 * Ava Gardner
 * Carmen Miranda
 * Betty Grable
 * Ann Sheridan
 * Olivia de Havilland
 * Cary Grant
 * Hedy Lamarr
 * Tyrone Power
 * Burt Lancaster
 * Gregory Peck
 * Jane Russell
 * Lena Horne
 * Lauren Bacall

1950s

 * Elvis Presley
 * Marilyn Monroe (Seven Year Itch)
 * Bettie Page
 * Gina Lollobrigida
 * Sophia Loren
 * Jayne Mansfield
 * Marlon Brando
 * James Dean
 * Rock Hudson
 * Susan Hayward
 * Diana Dors
 * Tony Curtis
 * Dorothy Dandridge

1960s

 * Paul McCartney
 * John Lennon
 * Elizabeth Taylor
 * Ursula Andress
 * Brian Jones
 * Raquel Welch
 * Jane Fonda
 * Catherine Deneuve
 * Paul Newman
 * Brigitte Bardot
 * Clint Eastwood
 * Warren Beatty
 * Claudia Cardinale
 * Virna Lisi
 * Uschi Obermaier
 * Mick Jagger

1970s

 * Faye Dunaway
 * Pam Grier
 * John Travolta
 * David Cassidy
 * Kalaimamani
 * Steve McQueen
 * Burt Reynolds
 * Farrah Fawcett
 * Suzanne Somers
 * Catherine Bach
 * Sam Elliott
 * Cher

1980s

 * Michael Jackson
 * Madonna
 * Christie Brinkley
 * Kim Basinger
 * Kathleen Turner
 * Harrison Ford
 * Patrick Swayze
 * Val Kilmer
 * Tom Cruise
 * Mel Gibson
 * Kelly LeBrock
 * Michelle Pfeiffer
 * Michael Douglas
 * Mickey Rourke
 * Richard Gere
 * Dennis Quaid
 * Heather Locklear
 * Heather Thomas
 * Lorenzo Lamas
 * Tom Selleck
 * David Hasselhoff
 * Catherine Bach
 * Dwight Yoakam

1990s

 * Leonardo DiCaprio
 * Pamela Anderson
 * Cindy Crawford
 * Denise Richards
 * Christina Aguilera
 * Brad Pitt
 * Demi Moore
 * Gillian Anderson
 * Jennifer Aniston
 * Denzel Washington
 * Antonio Banderas
 * Keanu Reeves
 * Britney Spears
 * Vanessa Williams
 * Mark Wahlberg

2000s

 * Carmen Electra
 * Megan Fox
 * Jennifer Lopez
 * Halle Berry
 * Angelina Jolie
 * Beyoncé Knowles
 * Johnny Depp
 * Scarlett Johansson
 * George Clooney
 * Reese Witherspoon
 * Justin Timberlake
 * Keira Knightley
 * Jessica Alba
 * Hugh Jackman