Nov. 18--Given the opportunity to guess the identity of People magazine's newly crowned Sexiest Man Alive by asking the (well-disguised) winner yes or no questions, Tuesday night's Jimmy Kimmel Live! audience struggled.
Had he ever played a superhero? No.
Was he an actor? No.
Had he ever been in a boy band? No.
Had he ever been the subject of a Taylor Swift song? Nope.
This year's winner, David Beckham, broke pop culture barriers as the first athlete in the title's 30-year-history. We've seen movie stars -- and, well, more movie stars -- as well as a musician (2013 winner Adam Levine) and a Kennedy (John F. Kennedy Jr. ruled in 1988 at age 27). But, despite some very qualified candidates -- from Michael Jordan to Tom Brady -- and impassioned online endorsements from fans, athletes have failed again and again to make the final cut.
That makes sense when you consider People's target demographic, says Evan Morgenstein, president and CEO of CelebExperts consulting.
"People magazine doesn't necessarily cater to a sports-minded audience," Morgenstein says. "Their audience tends to be 35- to 55-year-old suburban wives and moms. We call it the Olympic demographic, because it's the same audience. They are not necessarily tapped into sports as a primary focus of their life."
Beckham, 40, is a British former soccer star (he retired in 2013) and arguably the first fully bearded winner. Levine sported a stubble-beard, as did Hugh Jackman, and both Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp flirted with goatees for their People covers. But when a bearded Jimmy Kimmel announced a bearded Sexiest Man on Tuesday night, full facial hair was clearly having a moment.
Beckham appeals to People readers not as an athlete but as a pop culture icon who's married to a former Spice Girl (Victoria Beckham), has modeled in high-profile underwear campaigns, and has been photographed frequently with his four adorable children, Morgenstein says.
"He's now become a family man," Morgenstein says. "He's become a person many women can respect, not just for being good-looking, but he's a great dad, he's a great person. I think that was a breakthrough for Brad Pitt as well."
That sets a high bar for other athletes who may aspire to the Sexiest Man title, Morgenstein says.
"What makes David poignant is, even with all the success, he -- at least from what we know -- hasn't strayed and has stayed a very solid husband and family man," he says. "It's the definition of sexy, right? Justin Timberlake, he's sexy because he's got all that talent, he's a great dancer, he's an unbelievable actor, but above and beyond that, he seems like an unbelievably great guy. A super husband, and he's probably going to be a great father."
A look at previous winners shows that many were selected after they'd settled into long-term relationships.
"It's the full package," Morgenstein says.
nschoenberg@tribpub.com
