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Sex Symbol of Her Time
 7.2 1930s - Mae West: Mae did a good deal of acting on stage before starting on motion pictures in 1932. She wasn't hesitant to challenge the norms of the time, staging a play called Sex in 1927 and serving ten days in jail for "corrupting the morals of youth". A great quote from her: "It's not the men in my life that count, it's the life in my men."
Best known for: Her blond looks and outspoken manner.  Contenders in the 1930s: Marlene Dietrich  Greta Garbo  Jean Harlow  Joan Crawford  Personal 1930s Fav: Mae West for her spunk Beech's rating:
 
8.2 1940s - Rita Hayworth: Rita started acting in the 1930s but by 1940, she started taking lead actress roles. During the early 1940s, Rita also became one of the two famous pin-up girls (Betty Grabel being the other) for Americans serving in WWII.
Best known for: Her lips and her curves.  Contenders in 1940s: Betty Grable  Jane Russell  Ava Gardner  Ingrid Bergman  Personal 1940s Fav: Ava Gardner is as shapely as Rita but I think she's prettier. Beech's rating:
 
8.2 1950s - Marilyn Monroe: Marilyn started modelling in 1946. In 1950, she moved from minor actress roles to more prominent roles. She starred in a series of prominent movies in the 1950s. Sadly, she died of a drug overdose in 1962 in which neither suicide nor homicide could be ruled out.
Best known for: Her iconic blond hair and her generous curves.  Contenders in 1950s: Bettie Page  Grace Kelly  Jayne Mansfield  Elizabeth Taylor  Personal 1950s Fav: Bettie Page with her beautiful face and outstanding figure 
7.8 Late 1950s to early 1960s - Brigette Bardot: Brigette started acting in 1952 with her first world-famous role being in the 1956 film And God Created Woman. She continued to act until 1973 when she retired and started to focus on animal rights.
Best known for: Her looks, her French charm and her role in popularizing the bikini in the 1950s.  Contenders in the late 1950s to early 1960s: Sophia Loren  Natalie Wood  Personal late 1950s to early 1960s Fav: Sophia Loren with her esotic looks and breathtaking figure. Beech's rating:
7.8 Late 1960s to early 1970s - Raquel Welch: As a young adult, Raquel acted in plays, was a weather forecaster and modelled. After doing some bit roles, she started to get substantial movie roles by 1966 in movies Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C. Through the late 1960s and early 1970s, she was considered the leading sex symbol of her time.
Best known for: Her surprisingly narrow waist alongside her generous hips.  Contenders in the late 1960s to early 1970s: Catherine Deneuve  Jacqueline Bisset  Elke Sommer  Personal late 1960s to early 1970s Fav: I agree with history on this one. Raquel is beautiful and has lovely curves. Beech's rating:
6.7 Late 1970s - Farrah Fawcett: Farrah's time in the limelight was short-lived. She burst onto the scene in the TV series Charlie's Angels in 1976 and this well-known poster was everywhere for a few years.
Best known for: Her smile and wavy hair style.  Contenders in the late 1970s: Christie Brinkley  Donyale Luna  Cheryl Tiegs  Cheryl Ladd  Personal late 1970s Fav: Cheryl Ladd is not that curvy but I always liked her smile. 
6.3 1980s - Sharon Stone: Sharon acted in a series of roles in the 1980s and also appeared in Magnam P.I.
Best known for: Her iconic face and nudity in certain mainstream films.  Contenders in the 1980s: Bo Derek  Princess Diana  Kim Basinger  Meg Ryan  Paulina Porizkova  Personal 1980s Fav: Paulina Porizkova for her lovely face and figure. 
7.2 Early to mid-1990s - Claudia Schiffer: Claudia is primarily a fashion model and she has appeared on over 500 magazine covers.
Best known for: Her resemblance to the young Brigette Bardot.  Contenders in the early to mid-1990s: Julia Roberts  Demi Moore  Cindy Crawford  Personal 1990s Fav: Claudia Schiffer is my favourite. She has the looks and the curves. Beech's rating:
5.6 Late 1990s to early 2000s - Jennifer Lopez: Jennifer is a singer/actress who came into the spotlight in 1997 taking the lead role in the film Selena. She then went on to receive saturation coverage as "JLo" in the media for several years.
Best known for: Her substantial behind. In a world of increasingly thin models and actresses, Jennifer's large, round and frequently shown-off behind helped create a cultural shift. After JLo, prominent behinds were no longer widely seen as unattractive. For that shift, I can almost forgive the saturation JLo coverage we endured back in those days.  Contenders in the late 1990s to early 2000s: Cameron Diaz  Charlize Theron  Kate Beckinsale  Pamela Anderson  Personal late 1990s to early 2000s Fav: Kate Beckinsale looks great and her particular English accent is music to me. Beech's rating:
6.5 Late first decade of 2000 - Megan Fox: Megan is an actress and model. She frequently appears in men's magazine "Hot" lists, being voted by FHM readers as the "Sexiest Woman in the World" in 2008 as well as being number one for Moviefone's "The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25" in 2008.
Best known for: OK, I'm stuck on this one because I don't find Megan especially attractive and I don't understand her current level of fame.  Contenders in the late '00s: Scarlett Johansson  Eva Longoria  Beyonce  Jessica Alba  Kelly Brook  Personal late '00s Fav: Kelly Brook with her amazing curves. |
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I hear you. She wouldn't make my personal top 50 for the time period ... but she seems to be very popular with many men.
Donyale Luna? who is that? You mean Cheryl Tiegs or Susan Anton? :) great list though truly. Ok, I'll stop lecturing and go vote! Great stuff truly!
But... I don't think that Kate Beckinsale is a 1990s or early 2000s sexual symbol, because last year she was named by Esquire Magazine as the sexiest woman alive. She's more famous now, and more beautiful and sexy than before. ;)
But it's just my opinion.
I love Kate Beckinsale.
http://static.customizedgirl.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/cheryl-ladd.jpg
A lot of those women are but a lot are also terribly unattractive and overrated. Besides, where's Heidi Klum? Audrey Hepburn? Gisele Bundchen? Lauren Bacall? Kate Moss?
Ingrid wasnt exactly a "sex symbol" (which is a compliment!) but she was definitely sexy :-)
RIP Elizabeth!
EDIT: I personally think that Liz matched Marilyn in the '50s. If Marilyn was known as this sex goddess, Liz had a different appeal. She was known more for her regal beauty. Her beauty (esp. those eyes) was what set her apart and made her famous in the first place. You cannot deny that in her prime, Liz was one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women in Hollywood (if not the world). That is also one of the reasons why she became the highest-paid actress at that time for Cleopatra.
So different stroke for different people. Where as Marilyn epitomizes the ultimate curvacious blonde bombshell, Liz on the other hand embodied this elegant sophisticated beauty with her dark hair and unique violet eyes (and just as curvacious as Marilyn too). Although I think that compared to Liz Taylor, Audrey Hepburn had much bigger fan base/admirers.
But just wanna know, why can't Angelina Jolie be added in this list?
Can't vote it, sorry u.u