Rachel Ray in 'FHM' and Other Surprising Sexy Photo Shoots

Rachel Ray is as American as apple pie, and I'm sure she can whip up a pretty tasty one from scratch. The bubbly cooking queen is a favorite with housewives, teaching them yummy recipes while she babbles on incessantly (and rather obnoxiously). But this squeaky-clean kitchenista has recently been defending herself for a racy 'FHM' photo shoot she did in 2003 (which mostly involved her being in a bikini while sticking various food items in her mouth), leaving some of her fans thinking, "Rachel Ray did what?" But she's not the only famous face that has shocked us by stripping down. Here are a few other celebrities that have surprised us by taking it all off:

Kari Byron - She's another 'FHM' alum, and her appearance in the men's magazine isn't just surprising because she seems too adorable to strip down, but because she's become somewhat of a geek icon. The cute redhead stars on the geektastic TV show 'MythBusters', a series on the Discovery Channel that uses science as an excuse for blowing stuff up. She seems like the kind of girl who loves her jeans and T-shirt and wouldn't be too crazy about showing a lot of skin, but she had no problem sexing things up in a red bra and a tiny lab coat for her 'FHM" photo shoot. She was replicating the Mentos and coke experiment that was a web sensation at the time, and her cheeks turned as red as her hair when the pictures were brought up in a later episode of 'MythBusters'.

Natalie Gulbis - When you think of a female golfer, you probably don't picture her with long blonde hair, a gorgeous face, and an incredible curvy body. But that's exactly what Natalie Gulbis looks like. When she appeared in 'FHM' in some teeny bikinis, she probably had a lot of men convinced that God had created the perfect woman, and many of them surely changed what their idea of a dream date is.

Morgan Webb - Morgan Webb is an exotic beauty with the body of a Victoria's Secret model, but looking pretty isn't her passion; video games are. She's a true computer geek through-and-through, and has appeared on TechTV's (later G4) show 'X-Play'. Morgan didn't just go on to pose for a sexy photo spread in 'FHM', but actually wrote a column as the 'Gaming Goddess' where she answered readers questions about video games. So if Natalie Gulbis isn't your perfect woman, maybe she is.

Ali Campoverdi - This employee of Barack Obama did a sexy 'Maxim' photo shoot that probably left some men wondering if she could be the next Monica Lewinsky. She works for the White House, but her boyfriend's position is a little higher up; he's Barack Obama's speechwriter, John Favreau (she's the assistant for a deputy chief of staff). She's got, beauty, brains, and is very telegenic, having had an Ivy League education and starred on a reality show ('For Love Or Money'). And now she's dating one of Washington's former most eligible bachelors. Oh yeah, she also looks great in a bustier.

Sarah Silverman - We all know Sarah Silverman as a goofy comedienne who loves her bathroom humor, but she also has a sexy side (as long as she still gets to act a little silly). Her 'Maxim' spread featured photos of her stripping out of an ape costume and shoplifting in roller skates, among other things. How could Jimmy Kimmel let this perfect blend of sass and ass go?

Patti Davis - This is the photo spread 'Playboy' dreams of: getting the daughter of a popular President to strip down. Although Patti Davis was the black sheep of the family and didn't have the best relationship with her father at the time, it was still surprising that the former first daughter did a 'Playboy' shoot just a few years after her father's term ended. Her liberal views may not have matched those of her family, but few men probably complained about her the result of her daddy issues.

Caroline Cossey, a.k.a Tula - At first glance, there's nothing surprising about Tula's appearance in 'Playboy'. After all, she's a stunning girl with beautiful features and an amazing body. But what makes her appearance so surprising is that she's the first transsexual to be featured in the men's mag. She was also the only transsexual to make an appearance in a James Bond film in 'For Your Eyes Only', but it wasn't revealed she was a transsexual until after the film, when tabloid 'News of the World' broke the story. She's had to go through some very tough times in her life, and continues to be an icon for others struggling to fit in and become successful like she did.

Brad Pitt and Sam J. Jones - I had to put a few guys on the list! Brad Pitt didn't do a photo spread for the magazine 'Playgirl', but the pictures of him have still caused quite a stir (if you can find them). But the most famous man to actually do a photo shoot for the magazine is Sam J. Jones of 'Flash Gordon' fame; he was actually a centerfold.

So Rachel Ray doesn't need to feel too bad about her 2003 photo shoot; many other celebrities have surprised us by showing a little skin, as well. There will always be those who complain, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to feel sexy every once and awhile, and it's hard to resist turning down having a whole team of experts make you look like a supermodel (and getting paid for it!)

SOURCES:
http://gawker.com/5139883/ali-campoverdi-obama-hottie-feminist-paradox
www.wikipedia.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/02/rachael-ray-defends-fhm-s_n_171132.html