Why Doesn't People Magazine Have a "Sexiest Woman Alive" Issue?

It's getting to the point that when an individual is equally talented and good looking in Hollywood, chances are they'll suffer from having their physical beauty supersede their talents. And there really isn't any more frustrating feeling, psychologically, than wanting to be taken seriously as an actor or musician--yet the press not bothering to ask about anything other than that person's designation as Sexiest Person of the Year in People Magazine, usually against the star's will. Not that any male actors have complained since People started these annual issues in the 1980s.

It's always been a mystery to me, though, why People thought they should stick with the Sexiest Man Alive when they could probably get just as many arguments going and sales having a Sexiest Woman Alive issue.

Perhaps it's just tradition or People Mag afraid of fixing something that already works well for them. They also might consider it to be competition when there's dozens of other "Sexiest Women of the Year" lists, particularly at FHM. Nevertheless, FHM doesn't get quite as much as publicity as the Sexiest Man Alive issues in People gets. If you by the publicity the SMA got this year with Hugh Jackman winning the designation for the first time, it might just be a detriment to careers. In that regard, women might want to duck for cover if they end up joining a household "Sexiest" list when what I mentioned in the first paragraph is more than true.

One thing that's been bantered around in the press recently is Hugh Jackman getting an Oscar nomination for "Australia"--or if not him, Nicole Kidman. While a lot of critics might think both Jackman and Kidman don't even have a chance after the film was knocked by middling reviews, a consensus is building (see source link) that being placed on People's "Most Beautiful" or "Sexiest" list will hurt your chance of winning major awards for your work. This might become the new curse in Hollywood and something Hugh Jackman doesn't need when he's arguably overdue for at least one acting award.

Well, it's not as if he's been ignored in winning awards. After all, he won a Tony in 2004 for his role in "The Boy From Oz" plus an Emmy for hosting the Tony's a year later. He's also been nominated numerous times for Golden Globe Awards, though has yet to win one of those. Most prominently, the Oscars have so far been elusive in his career. Now that some people look at his Sexiest Man Alive designation as being career-bruising, it could be Jackman is going to be dogged with that People stamp for quite a while and missing chances to get honored for serious work.

All the evidence you need that being branded with The Sexy is a detriment is in the other males who've been given the title. Brad Pitt so far hasn't been nominated for a single Oscar since having all those umpteenth covers on People's SMA issues. Sure, he won that Golden Globe for "Twelve Monkeys" back in 1996 and recently won some People's Choice Awards (something a few stars prefer over other awards anyway) and MTV Movie Awards, though Oscar gold still is elusive. Chances are his Benjamin Button role won't do it either, mostly because the movie ends with Brad Pitt looking like he does now rather than wizened as he does in the beginning of the movie.

The only exception here would be George Clooney who won a supporting actor for his role in "Syriana" in 2006. He's somehow managed to skirt the trappings of Hollywood and carve a unique and successful identity for himself, much like what Cary Grant did back in a different era of Hollywood.

Outside of Clooney, the guys who look like pin-up models appear to have it too easy to convince the honchos of various academies to win awards. What about the women then if they so happened to be bunched into a Sexiest Woman Alive issue?

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Chances are, People Magazine would make their Sexiest Woman Alive issue much tamer than what FHM and others of their ilk do. People Magazine's argument may be that when we men want to see a sexy female, we don't want to see just one, but 100, hence FHM's large countdown each year. The mag is also a family magazine and wouldn't show as much skin with the annual woman they'd choose. All of those factors can be deduced easily why they don't do a Sexiest Woman Alive issue. Or, it could be more out of respect of Hollywood's actresses rather than the magazine thinking about not taking a publishing risk.

In an article I wrote recently about past actors and actresses leaving Hollywood early, I came to the conclusion that some actresses in early Hollywood left because they could see the horizons of movie studios not hiring actresses once they hit the 40 mark. We all know that really happened later and gets worse each year. We should also know People Magazine understands that and likely figure that enough barriers exist for women in Hollywood than picking one actress to endure the publicity of being the sexiest woman extant.

Plenty of examples already exist with beautiful women who want to be taken seriously for their talents (both in movies and music), yet never will because their beauty gets in the way. So consider that People Magazine may be doing women in Hollywood a favor.

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For the men, could People Magazine just be making a mockery of some of the stud actors of Hollywood? If we don't do an eye roll at each annual issue of the Sexiest Man Alive, then surely many do in their head. Ultimately, it could be a sly plot by People to keep the women thriving in Hollywood and many of the favorite young actors of Hollywood stuck in that impossible zone of a mannequin persona instead of a real talent.

No wonder a lot of actors are playing movie characters who could easily fit into an "Ugliest Thing Alive" issue...if People Magazine was so inclined...

Source:

http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/11/hugh-jackman-ne.html