I think it is pretty clear that a sex icon is someone who fits the beauty standard of what “sexually attractive” is. But who determines who’s sexually appealing and who’s not?
What makes a sex icon? I’d like to believe that I am a sex icon because every time I stand in front of a mirror, the first words that come out of my mouth are “Damn, he fine!” (lol). That is the equivalent of being a sex icon, right? Wrong?
Technically, yes. However, it is not quite that easy to be known as a sex icon. What a bathroom singer is in relation to a well-established singer, is exactly what a self-established sex icon is to the “ideal sex icon”.
Real Meaning of Sexually Attractive
The real meaning of sexually attractive came about in the mid-1950s within the film industry with people like Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch, to name a few.
Marilyn Monroe was considered one of the most beautiful women, not only in the film industry, but the world, and the talks of her beauty and sex appeal from the 1950s still resonate to this day.
The sexually attractive meaning is not simply about looks. In fact, the concept of the sex icon, particularly in women, is equally a reflection of the sexual and economic emancipation of women – an embracing and acknowledging of her sexuality and the power that comes with it.
The idea of a sex icon in men was based on the “bad boy” image of the person, perhaps is even now and who better than Mr. Rebellion (Elvis Presley).
The in your face Angry Young Man, Bachchan (akin to Hollywood’s, James Dean (‘Rebel Without a Cause’), Streetcar Named Desire (Brando).
A fun fact for everyone, but Brando and Dean, both found commercial success in movies directed by Elia Kazan, who was known for his extremely romantic and sexual portrayal of love.
And despite the AB’s too long legs, he could melt women (and men fosho) into pulp – with just passing out dirty looks for no good reason at all.
Films have largely defined the image of the sex icon for us. Sex Icons are now described in terms of temperature, from “hot” to “kewl” to “stacked”. Really sexually attracted to someone is majorly about looks.
Coming to Bollywood, it becomes clear as to how sexualized the idea of people have become and that there is a set standard of external beauty which one needs to be considered a “sex icon”.
For example, in a survey, Hrithik Roshan was considered as the “actor you’d like to see nude”. As much as I cry seeing how beautifully ripped and shredded he is, it puts a perception of not being good enough.
In an interview with Anil Kapoor, he said that he thought by taking a bare-chested picture, which if you don’t know, looks like a bear, that he would become a sex icon, but become a butt of all jokes.
Sexual attraction meaning is a flawed concept which has been standardized by people of influence, but I want to say that everyone is a sex icon in their own way. You are sexy and you are beautiful.
To conclude
“Damn, you are fine, and nothing can change that.”
Are you sexually attracted to someone that doesn’t involve looks?
trulymadly
trulymadly
