Is Scarlett Johansson The Sexiest Woman Alive?

Is Scarlett Johansson The Sexiest Woman Alive?

Three years ago, the world thought Bill Murray was sexier than the virtually unknown Scarlett Johansson. All we knew during the Oscar season in 2004 was that Bill Murray starred with some 19 year old girl in an independent film about a man undergoing a mid-list crisis in Japan, directed by the Godfather-murdering Sofia Coppola,

Now a few great performances later, and more importantly a pair of sexy roles in Match Point and The Black Dahlia , Scarlett Johansson has earned the reputation of "Sexiest Woman Alive" as bestowed upon by Esquire magazine. In this competition she bested Angelina Jolie and Shakira among many others. (Yes even Anna Nicole Smith) Esquire conducts the annual contest by popular vote and lets the winner pose on the front cover, solidifying her status as a Hollywood sex goddess. The November issue will hit newsstands October 18th.

A few points must be considered.

(1) Angelina Jolie and Shakira were the runners up?

Since when is Angelina Jolie sexy? Doesn't bad behavior, pretentiousness and overexposure diminish the sex appeal a tad? Is this contest just based on looks alone (ahem big lips, drugged eyes), with no attention to real substance behind the fake smile? What did Angelina Jolie do all year besides babysit and star in the National Enquirer? Are her efforts in breaking up Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's marriage listed as a performance at IMDB? With results like this, I think the integrity of the contest has been compromised.

(2) Is Scarlett Johansson sexy?

You certainly cannot find fault with Scarlett's hourglass figure or her glowing blonde hair, on brilliant and picturesque display in practically all her films. Now at 21 years of age, her body is certainly in peak condition and her eyes have a certain reflective distance to them that elevates her facial features above that of a typical Hollywood model that is dazzling but plain. Scarlett's forward gaze is startling; in her face you sense that she is as fascinated with "you" as you are of her.

But what truly gives Scarlett the edge in sexiness is her clever choice of film roles. She went from playing young and innocent in Lost In Translation to young and innocent and sexually longing in Match Point and in The Black Dahlia. The Black Dahlia succeeded in making Scarlett seem sensual and yet something that was forbidden because she was your best friend's wife--specifically the wife of Sgt. Leland Blanchard.

These enticing qualities along with her fearlessness to appear half naked or in black lingerie in very artistic spreads make Scarlett Johansson a much cooler choice than the same-old-sexiness of previous winners like Angelina Jolie. Naming Scarlett Johansson the sexiest woman on the planet, right on the heels of some high profile performances, and (possibly her first Oscar nod) was actually a very safe move. Her victory will coincide nicely with her latest performance in The Prestige , which promises to steam up the screen with Scarlett playing for Hollywood hunks Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.

(3) But does this lower the bar?

Many of Scarlett Johansson's major competitors in the Sexiest Woman Alive contest were in their 30's. Her achievement of such an honor comes at a very young age--in fact, just barely legal. I feel that Scarlett's youth is what really gives her the edge in the competition. She's old enough to be your daughter, people! But that's the fantasy--we're all Bill Murray and going through our mid-life crisis with a new generation of curious sexuality.

I'd like to think of myself as a somewhat young fellow, but when Scarlett Johansson was born I was watching Optimus Prime take on Deceptions in the unisexual Transformers TV show. Is Hollywood to be blamed for lowering the age limit of true sex appeal? They can't help it that sex icons of the past like Kim Basinger and Christie Brinkley are no longer so fun to look at. Is it a question of age or is it simply that Scarlett's new status is truly related to brains and artistry and not mindless lust?

"What about my brain? What about my heart? What about my kidneys and my gallbladder?" she asks her fans in the Esquire issue. Sure that's brainy...in a smart, sassy young woman sort of way.

Now we known the answer to what Bill Murray mysteriously whispered to Johansson in the closing scene of Lost In Translation : I'm such a lucky guy!