Life Magazine just released a list of the "Sexiest Men of the 50s, 60s, and 70s." It's hard to disagree with most of their selections. Of Warren Beatty, writer Eva Marie Saint wrote in 1961: "Some guys come at you like a Mack truck. This one is slow, smooth, and in complete control." Agreed. But I was left wondering, "Where's Jack Kerouac?"
The collection of photos released with the list are beautiful examples of Life's arguably most important contribution to popular culture: modern portraiture. The shots and their captions are also stark and refreshing contrasts to the more frequent and everyday characterization of women as "sexy" subjects. Actual smart writers contemplate the appeal of these men. The piece shows us that it is possible to objectify, in a sense, without objectifying. To appreciate a person's appeal and attractiveness not only because of their physical attributes, but just as importantly because of their personalities, intelligence, and bodies of work.
Sadly, Life's treatment of "sexy" women does not follow the same formula. Instead, it features captionless shots of women dressed as beerwenches with huge steins of brew, commemorating Oktoberfest, or, in the case of celebrity women, reducing them to their hair color, as in their redheads feature, which largely discusses the women's dying habits.
