This week, several social media users were, once again, disappointed with a certain man being elected to a coveted position. Actor John Krasinski — yes, from the gym the office — was named of the people “Sexy Man Alive.”
This is a choice that is less serious than true confusion. It’s not that Krasinski isn’t an objectively handsome man. In his most recent television role – the Prime Video show Jack Ryanwhich Expires in 2023 — he played a buff, butt-kicking CIA agent. It’s more that her career has rarely seen her need to display any kind of sex appeal. His most crush-worthy role to date was arguably more than a decade ago the office As funny and approachable Jim Halpert. Since then, he gets the most female attention on social media when he’s posing on a red carpet with his wife, actress Emily Blunt. Also, this is not his year for visible warmth: his work in 2024 has been almost entirely behind the scenes, directing children’s films. IF and manufacturing A Quiet Place: Day One.
All this to say, in a pop culture landscape virtually infested with “Internet Boyfriends,” Krasinski was a surprising choice. between Competition like looks Taking place across the US and Europe for Hollywood’s most popular young men – your Timmy Chalamets, your Paul Mescals – the lack of excitement surrounding this issue has never been felt more strongly. What does it even mean to be the sexiest man alive in 2024, if it means anything at all? And why do we still invest so much?
For readers who are witnesses Patrick Dempsey received this honor last yearIt must be noted that the “Sexist Man Alive” issue doesn’t always feel this arbitrary and anachronistic. from (now cursed) opening number in 1985 to box-office star Mel Gibson Channing Tatum spread in 2012The titular “man” feels representative of the average (straight white) woman’s taste. Also, it was often one star who dominated the box office. In the past, the cover served as the ultimate advertising vehicle for “It” boys who either cemented themselves as full-fledged movie stars anew, such as Brad Pitt in 1995 and George Clooney in 1997, or big celebrities assured the public that they were, as was Harrison Ford in 1998. Like still hot products Overwhelmingly whiteAt least once they thought it relevant.
People stick to one industry Hard times weatherAnd this particular issue is arguably one of the things to keep Magazines on newsstands. According to DigidayThe Sexiest Man issue has a “rate base, or confirmed circulation, of 3.7 million, compared to a regular issue of the magazine, which has a rate base of 3.5 million.” Strategically released in the fourth quarter when consumers were shopping on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, it proved to be a huge cash cow for People’s parent company DotDash Meredith.
In the 2010s, however, the issue began to gain some traction – or, more accurately, the advent of social media allowed these grievances to be expressed in hypervisible ways. It’s not just that only two men of color, Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves, have received the award until 2016, when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took the cover. Choosing celebrities like Adam Levine, a rockstar with a reputation So called douchebags Raised eyebrows in 2013 and also performed Relatively bad On the newsstand is his co-star VoiceBlake Shelton, perhaps, has done the most damage to the reputation of the issue. The unveiling of her cover in 2017 sent the internet into hysterics for days. John Legend (another judge Voice) felt almost equally random in 2019. even Appearance of Benny Blanco There was an honorable mention in the current issue strongly objection Online. Over the years, “Sexist Man Alive” has become less of a credible claim and more of a platform for controversy.
The details of the selection process for this issue are largely kept under wraps. In a 2012 interview with USA TodayFormer editor Julie Jordan says there are a few ways people check the temperature, including asking female celebrities, consulting focus groups and monitoring social media. There are endless rumours, in between In Krasinski’s caseA title that can be bought or won by a believing preacher. It’s easy to forget, though, that the chosen men also have to be willing to participate in this very public objectification. less impeachable Ryan Gosling The alleged offer was rejected twice.
Even with an increasingly questionable reputation, social media has invested in this trivial honor, especially this year. Maybe it’s because people have done a good job incessantly teasing Published on social media with influential X accounts like FilmUpdates and Popcrave Maybe because the public needed a distraction from a much more important and destructive election. Amid the political turmoil, Krasinski is ultimately a “safer,” less aggressive alternative, a celebrity that millennials are obsessed with. the office There is a level of affinity for. Despite the questions about him Political AffiliationHe did not engage in any real controversy.
Regardless of the title’s relevance, the game of debating and crowning famous men as “sexy” and “hot” has never really gotten old. Like award shows, this is one of the last examples of celebrity monoculture to engage consumers collectively. In an overly skeptical social media landscape, it also feels like half the fun of the issue is debating whether the awardee is a genuine attempt to reflect consumer tastes or just some elaborate PR game being fed to us.
However, the issue has become meaningless these days, succeeding in producing two things: revenue and a good, hollow debate.
