Everyone needs role models -- people we can look up to and emulate such as world leaders, brain surgeons, architectural geniuses, mathematical wizards, artists, rocket scientists, writers Keeping up with Kim Kardashian 's naked body seems to be on everyone's to-do list. Why else would she pose in her birthday suit every other week if we didn't LOOK? Sex symbols are adorable. For the record, we're not just now discovering sex symbols. They've been around for centuries most likely since 50 BC; think Cleopatra so let's take a look at some women who blazed the modern trail back in the s, 60s and 70s when breasts became a national obsession and Playboy magazine was every man's dirty little secret. Women have come a long way baby.

Most of these individuals are famous actors, musicians, or models that have an extensive media following. During the s and 60s a generation of people began to question and challenge the traditionally accepted cultural norms. The relatively conservative ideals that were formed around international war and population growth were beginning to evolve. During this time in history the foundation for rock and roll music was formed, racial segregation was an issue, and the strict laws around sexual expression were being challenged. For this reason, the people that emerged as sex symbols during this era were extremely influential and important to popular culture.

A sex symbol is a celebrity or fictional character widely considered to be sexually attractive. The term sex symbol was first used in the mids in relation to the popularity of certain film stars and pin-up models , including Marilyn Monroe , Brigitte Bardot , and Raquel Welch. In the 20th century, sex symbols could be male as well as female: actors such as the romantic Sessue Hayakawa and the athletic Douglas Fairbanks were popular in the s and s. Archetypal screen lover Rudolph Valentino 's death in caused mass hysteria among his female fans. The "bad boy" image of the s was epitomized by sex symbols such as James Dean and Marlon Brando.