Sources

Film

The film industry played an important part in the rise of sex symbols. It disseminated images of beautiful people around the world, especially in the time of silent films, when there were no language barriers. One of the first sex symbols was the Danish actress Asta Nielsen in the 1910s and 1920s. Actresses Theda Bara and Pola Negri, famed for their vamp roles, were also early female sex symbols and Rudolph Valentino was the first male sex symbol. Later iconic sex symbols created by the film industry include Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Marlon Brando and the most famous of them all, Marilyn Monroe. Although movies are still very important, sex symbols in the modern age are often created by television in general and soap operas and music videos in particular. Many "supermodels" of the fashion industry are also regarded as sex symbols.