John Krasinksi, Sexiest Man Alive and the truth about “sexy”

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

John Krasinski is man’s Sexiest Man Alive. I for one couldn’t be happier.

So when several colleagues – I won’t name any names – disagreed with me about the announcement, I seethed with silent rage like a character in his movie “A Quiet Place.” What are you doing mean? This man is hot. He’s funny. He seems to be a good husband to Emily Blunt. A good father to his daughters. A good friend. Did I mention he’s hot?

I empathized with many on social media: “Any John Krasinski slander that appears on my feed today will result in an immediate block. You’ve been warned.” “People finally understand that funny guys are the sexiest guys.” Many were also critical, but they can influence you.

Sure, the moniker “Sexiest Man Alive” has always been subjective and could include more diversity, whether by honoring more people of color or by embracing the LGBTQ+ community. One person’s “sexy” is another person’s “cringey.” Labels complicate things and cause conflict. But what if we accepted that sexuality is subjective and also took the time to think about what that says about us?

John Krasinski, Jeremy Allen White and Durst

People have always been thirsty for hot men. But should they? However, the issue reached a searing climax in the culture when Jeremy Allen White captured everyone’s attention earlier this year with his starring role in FX’s “The Bear” and a risqué Calvin Klein ad.

This type of advertising stems from the admiration of muscles that dates back to ancient Greece. People can justify admiring muscles. But “it’s also very sexual, right?” University of Vermont history of gender and sexuality expert Paul Deslandes previously told USA TODAY.

Erotic and sexual images increased exponentially in the 20th century, especially with the advent of social media. So much so that “the line between what some people would call pornography and what others would call mainstream popular culture sometimes gets a little blurry,” says Deslandes.

Although Krasinski’s photos are rather harmless, they can still arouse interest. And if you view this person as just a sex object and not a human being, maybe you should wipe your drool and get back to your life.

The truth about “sexy” and how to think about it

The fascination with celebrities like Krasinski is nothing to worry about. Have fun! Check out the men you find hot! But that doesn’t mean you can’t think about how these images impact your own body image expectations.

The more you engage with this type of content, the more likely you are to see it. And “it also creates unrealistic expectations about the body,” Deslandes adds, “that there is a tendency to see these men in these ads as ideal specimens that younger men in particular, but also older men, compare themselves to, and that can really uncomfortable, and that can cause people to sit back and think about their own shortcomings.”

In the future, viewers should look at images of any body and ask themselves: What am I seeing? Why am I watching it? Do I find this person sexy? What’s in it for me? What am I losing?

And if you’re my friend reading this, pretend you didn’t.

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