Every year, People magazine releases a “Sexiest Man Alive” issue in the fall. Last year, the internet was buzzing and overflowing with excitement over the reveal of actor Jonathan Bailey. Best known for his roles as Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton and Prince Fiyero Tigelaar in Wicked, he could not have been a more timely choice.
Not only was Bailey’s cover shoot playful and sexy, but it was, most importantly, relevant. Since his claim to fame on Bridgerton, Bailey has starred in projects alongside Matt Bomer, made a cameo in Heartstopper, and starred in Jurassic World Rebirth. Wicked and Wicked: For Good, respectively, garnered massive media attention in the years they were released. If eyes weren’t on Bailey before, they definitely were now. Fans clamored around the actor and his performance as Prince Fiyero. The timing for him to be named People’s Sexiest Man Alive could not have been more perfect.
Then came this year’s Sexiest Man Alive, Noah Wyle, a man I have never heard of. This came as unexpectedly as when Blake Shelton was given the title in 2017. In the 2020s, there have been some decently sexy men. Besides Jonathan Bailey, my favorite has to be Michael B. Jordan, crowned in 2020. Within the last 10 years, the names Paul Rudd, Chris Evans, John Krasinski, and John Legend have appeared. I mentioned “decent” earlier, because they are not bad-looking men; however, I’m lost in trying to find their relevance or audience.
While my family has never been big on magazines, I remember seeing them in the grocery store aisles with “Sexiest Man Alive” splattered across the front in big, bold lettering. If magazines like People were catered to an older audience back then, are they still catering to that audience now? I could be off base, but in a world where print magazines are a dying art form, traditions like the Sexiest Man Alive should drive the public to get their hands on it. Paul Rudd and Chris Evans have long been in the industry and have their own charisma, but I feel like their cover should’ve come a few years earlier. Again, relevance.
Looking at the history of this tradition, it began in 1985 with Mad Max actor Mel Gibson. In 1988, John F. Kennedy Jr. graced the cover. Then, in the early 90s, Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze. In the early 2000s, a few romantic leads were given the title: Matthew McConaughey (2005), Ryan Reynolds (2010), and Channing Tatum (2012). What these men have in common is that there was significant media attention and public interest surrounding them. These men had the public swooning, and the word “heartthrob” was in full swing. They were men of the time! They were chosen for the good of the public. Even so, my next question is: where is the flavor?
Denzel Washington was the first black man and person of color to hold the coveted title in 1996. The next time would be 20 years later, with Dwayne Johnson (2016). From 2018 to 2020, the next cover stars were Idris Alba, John Legend, and Michael B. Jordan. Since 2020, there has not been another man of color. Lacking relevance and diversity isn’t a good look. Especially when actors Brad Pitt and George Clooney have received the title twice.
The last thing, and this may go together with relevance, is age. As in, how old are these men, and how old is the public supposed to be to know them? The men on the covers range from 30 to 50 years old, which is not a bad thing if, once again, we tie it to relevance. I don’t think it would be the worst idea to break out of the actors and singers categories, either. The recent Calvin Klein ad is a great example of this. Not only did they choose a young and relevant man, but they chose a soccer star. Soccer star Jude Bellingham, to be exact. I do believe they took some advantage of the hype surrounding the World Cup from the summer and saw the interest Jude accumulated within the public. Jude’s ad has taken over social media, and has become a literal site to see, with travelers stopping to snap a picture of the billboard.
It makes me wonder what the criteria are. When Noah Wyle was announced, the internet was in a frenzy — and not the good kind. There is no shortage of men, much less a shortage of men desired by the public. I personally would love to see Theo James, Manny Jacinto, or Danny Ramirez on the cover. These men have been in multiple projects over the years, and their face card simply never declines.
If they were to branch out into sports, they could have Jalen Hurts for crying out loud! They could’ve followed Calvin Klein and capitalized off of someone’s newfound attention outside of Hollywood. The nation would’ve been shocked by silver fox Slavko Vinčić, one of the World Cup referees. That man had TikTok edits made for days. Branching out, sports or otherwise, never hurts.
All that is to say, even if People’s Sexiest Man Alive is on the more lighthearted side, it has been around this long and can benefit from doing better. Better yet, put me in the decision room.