A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. [2]
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. [2]
The term sex symbol was first used between the 1910s and 1920s to describe the first emerging film stars of the era. Movie studios have relied heavily on the looks and sex appeal of their actors to be able to attract audiences. [2] [3] The use of this concept increased during World War II. [4] In the 20th century, sex symbols could be male as well as female: actors such as the romantic Sessue Hayakawa and the athletic Douglas Fairbanks were popular in the 1910s and 1920s. Archetypal screen lover Rudolph Valentino's death in 1926 caused mass hysteria among his female fans. [5] [6]
Silent film actor Rudolph Valentino is regarded as the first screen sex symbol. His film The Sheik (1921), in which he portrays an Arab sheikh, established his reputation across the world as a major sex symbol. [7] Silent film actress, Theda Bara, was one of Hollywood's first sex symbols. [8] In the 1950s, Dorothy Dandridge's performance as the seductive Carmen in Carmen Jones made her Hollywood's first African-American sex symbols. [9] The "bad boy" image of the 1950s was epitomized by sex symbols such as James Dean and Marlon Brando, [10] and women like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Mamie Van Doren and French superstar Brigitte Bardot were seen as the archetype of the blonde bombshell. [11] Other Hollywood actresses that were considered sex symbols include Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, and Raquel Welch. [12] [13] While until the 1950s, the sex symbol was just seen as a sexual ideal, in the 1960s it was seen as a symbol of the emancipation of bodies and sexuality with the sexual revolution. [14]
Popular Asian stars such as Sessue Hayakawa and Bruce Lee were considered sex symbols in Hollywood. [15] [16] In the late 1980s and 1990s, martial artist and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme was considered a sex symbol. [17] [18] Another popular sex symbol of the 1980s was actor Jon-Erik Hexum. [19] [20] [21] In the 1990s, Pamela Anderson gained international recognition for her starring role of "C.J." Parker on the action drama series Baywatch , further cementing her status as a sex symbol. [22] Similarly, fellow co-star Carmen Electra also became a sex symbol following her fame on Baywatch. [23] In the 21st century, Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise, [24] [25] Johnny Depp, [26] Denzel Washington, [27] Megan Fox, [28] Jessica Alba, [29] Taylor Lautner [30] [31] [32] Miley Cyrus, [33] Zac Efron, [34] and Ian Somerhalder [35] have been described as sex symbols.
In the Arab world, Hind Rostom was considered a sex symbol from a golden era of Egyptian cinema. [36] [37] [38] [39] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Amy Yip was one of the leading sex symbols of Hong Kong cinema. [40] Also in the 1990s, actress Ellen Chan was one of Hong Kong's most iconic sex symbols. [41] In Hispanic media, Mexican actor Fernando Colunga is frequently referred as a sex symbol due to his telenovela roles in the 1990s. [42] [43] [44] In Indian cinema, stars such as Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Dimple Kapadia, Rekha, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, and Bipasha Basu were leading sex symbols. [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52]
Musicians such as Shakira and Maluma have been described as sex symbols. [53]
Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe is regarded as the biggest sex symbol in the Arabic pop scene. [54]
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In sports, many female athletes have become sex symbols. [55] [56] Young males often prioritise female athletes' physiques over their performance. [57] Women are more likely to show more skin than men. [58] With Sports Illustrated (a magazine which had started issuing its annual "swimsuit issue" in 1964) being a main competition for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN launched The Body Issue in 2009. The Body Issue caused controversies regarding perceived sexual objectification. [59] Sex appeal of female athletes is often used to promote their sport. During a Dan Patrick interview, Hope Solo expressed her concern over marketing of female athletes after she did The Body Issue . [60]
Rotten Tomatoes states that the 1930s cartoon character Betty Boop is "the first and most famous sex symbol on animated screen". [61] Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner) from the 1988 live-action/animation crossover film Who Framed Roger Rabbit has been described as a sex symbol as well. [62] Video games have had several characters who are considered sex symbols, such as Lara Croft, [63] [64] [65] who has had several appearances in mainstream media.
In online fandoms, certain fictional characters may gain massive popularity as sex symbols, particularly on the website Tumblr. On Tumblr, these characters are known as "Sexymen", and are notable for having substantially large followings. In addition, they are often the subject of large quantities of fan art and are often shipped with other characters. Examples of Sexymen in Tumblr fandoms include the Once-ler as depicted in the 2012 Lorax film, as well as Sans from the video game Undertale . [66] Sans in particular is considered to be the most popular Sexyman, having beaten other characters such as Arataka Reigen from the manga Mob Psycho 100 in a poll that gained the attention of Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale. [67]
Similarly, in otaku communities, characters from anime or manga that fans find sexually or romantically attractive are referred to as "waifus" (female) or "husbandos" (male). [68]
Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella, known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle, and The Son of the Sheik.
The sex-positive movement is a social and philosophical movement that seeks to change cultural attitudes and norms around sexuality, promoting the recognition of sexuality as a natural and healthy part of the human experience and emphasizing the importance of personal sovereignty, safer sex practices, and consensual sex. It is based on the idea that "sexuality is an important part of the human experience and it deserves respect." Although the definition of the term greatly varies among those involved in the movement, its central notion is "openness to a variety of sexual orientations, interests, identities and expressions." The sex-positive movement also advocates for comprehensive sex education and safe sex as part of its campaign. The movement generally makes no moral distinctions among types of sexual activities, regarding these choices as matters of personal preference.
A pin-up model is a model whose mass-produced pictures and photographs have wide appeal within the popular culture of a society. Pin-up models are usually glamour, actresses, or fashion models whose pictures are intended for informal and aesthetic display, known for being pinned onto a wall. From the 1940s, pictures of pin-up girls were also known as cheesecake in the U.S.
Wilson Shannon was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician from Ohio. He served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the 14th and 16th governor of Ohio. He was the first Ohio governor born in the state. He was the second governor of the Kansas Territory. He failed to stop an attack by pro-slavery forces and retaliation ensued. He fled and submitted a resignation letter before receiving official news of his firing. Earlier in his career he filed sued for past due loans against Franklin College and helped bankrupt and close down the abolitionist institution before starting a rival institution which failed. Franklin College was re-established.
Kintarō Hayakawa, known professionally as Sessue Hayakawa, was a Japanese actor and a matinée idol. He was a popular star in Hollywood during the silent film era of the 1910s and early 1920s. Hayakawa was the first actor of Asian descent to achieve stardom as a leading man in the United States and Europe. His "broodingly handsome" good looks and typecasting as a sexually dominant villain made him a heartthrob among American women during a time of racial discrimination, and he became one of the first male sex symbols of Hollywood.
The term bombshell is a forerunner to the term "sex symbol" used to describe popular women regarded as very attractive. The Online Etymology Dictionary by Douglas Harper attests the usage of the term in this meaning since 1942. Bombshell has a longer history in its other, more general figurative meaning of a "shattering or devastating thing or event" since 1860.
Fernando Colunga Olivares ; born 3 March 1966) is a Mexican actor known for his work in Mexican telenovelas.
Matinée idol is a term used mainly to describe film or theatre stars who are adored to the point of adulation by their fans. The term almost exclusively refers to adult male actors.
Human female sexuality encompasses a broad range of behaviors and processes, including female sexual identity and sexual behavior, the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, political, and spiritual or religious aspects of sexual activity. Various aspects and dimensions of female sexuality, as a part of human sexuality, have also been addressed by principles of ethics, morality, and theology. In almost any historical era and culture, the arts, including literary and visual arts, as well as popular culture, present a substantial portion of a given society's views on human sexuality, which includes both implicit (covert) and explicit (overt) aspects and manifestations of feminine sexuality and behavior.
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, to more than one gender, or to both people of the same gender and different genders. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, which is also known as pansexuality.
Sex in film, the presentation of aspects of sexuality in film, especially human sexuality, has been controversial since the development of the medium. Films which display or suggest sexual behavior have been criticized by religious groups or have been banned or censored by governments, although attitudes have changed much along the years and a more permissive social environment has developed in certain parts of the world, notably in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. In countries with a film rating system, films which contain explicit sex scenes typically receive a restricted classification. Nudity in film may be regarded as sexual or as non-sexual.
Maronites in Israel are an ethnoreligious minority who belong to the Maronite Catholic Church, which has historically been tied with Lebanon. They derive their name from the Syriac Saint Maron, whose followers moved to Mount Lebanon from northern Syria, establishing the Maronite Church, most of whose members currently reside in Lebanon. The Maronites in Israel encompass the long-existing Maronite community in Jish, Haifa, and Nazareth areas, as well as the families of former South Lebanon Army members, 7,000 of whom fled South Lebanon in April–May 2000 to Israel. Of these approximately 7,000 migrants, just 2,700 have remained in Israel: over the years, most of them have decided to either return home to Lebanon or to move to Europe or the United States.
Non-denominational Muslims are Muslims who do not belong to, do not self-identify with, or cannot be readily classified under one of the identifiable Islamic schools and branches. Such Muslims do not think of themselves as belonging to a denomination but rather as "just Muslims" or "non-denominational Muslims." Muslims who do not adhere to a sect are also known as non-sectarian Muslims.
Graysexuality, greysexuality, gray asexuality, or gray-sexuality is a sexuality within the asexual spectrum. It is often defined as limited amounts of sexual attraction that can vary in intensity. Individuals who identify with gray asexuality are referred to as being gray-A, gray ace, and are within what is referred to as the "a-umbrella". Within the a-spectrum are terms such as demisexual, graysexual, asexual, and many other types of non-allosexual identities.
Hal Wilson, was a character actor who appeared in silent films. He was born in New York City. He was a denizen of Hollywood. He had a significant role in The Man Trap.
James Bliss was a broom maker, carpenter, and state legislator in Alabama. He represented Sumter County, Alabama in the Alabama House of Representatives. He served in 1874.
In online fandoms, a Tumblr Sexyman is a type of fictional character that gains wide popularity as a sex symbol. Characters described as Tumblr Sexymen are typically villainous or otherwise unusual, although the criteria for what qualifies as a Tumblr Sexyman varies greatly. The phenomenon is named after the website Tumblr, from which it originated, although Tumblr Sexymen have also gained popularity on other social media platforms such as Twitter.
Burr E. Giffen was an American artist and illustrator working in New York City. His most famous creation was while he was working for an Advertising Company in 1910. He created the Fisk Tire Company Boy holding a tire and night candle as a proposal sketch in charcoal. This sketch became the company's well-known registered trademarked image in 1910.
Nawab Sheikh Abdullah (1680–1744) also known as Nawab Abdul Khan or Abdullah Khan, was a Nawab of Ghazipur, during the time of Awadh dynasty. He was a powerful man of his time. Sheikh Abdullah was a notable figure of his time, known for his administrative abilities and significant contributions to the region of Ghazipur. Originally from the town of Dharwara in pargana Zahurabad,. His father, Sheikh Muhammad Qasim was a zamindar of Dharwar. Abdullah was well-educated, having pursued his studies in Delhi, where he later joined the imperial service, quickly demonstrating his competence. He served in the court of Mughal emperor, Farrukhsiyar and later became Nawab of Ghazipur in 1738.