History  The term sex symbol was first used between the 1910s and 1920s to describe the first emerging movie stars of the era. One of the first sex symbols on-screen was Sessue Hayakawa for men and Asta Nielsen for women. Movie studios have relied heavily on the looks and sex appeal of their actors to be able to attract audiences. This concept increased in World War II. 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 1910s and 1920s. Archetypal screen lover Rudolph Valentino's death in 1926 caused mass hysteria among his female fans. In Hollywood, many film stars were seen as sex symbols, such as Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, and Clark Gable. The "bad boy" image of the 1950s was epitomized by sex symbols such as James Dean and Marlon Brando and women like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were seen as the archetype of the blonde bombshell . Elvis was considered a sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. This photograph is one of him promoting the 1957 film Jailhouse Rock .
History Elvis Presley was considered a sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. The term sex symbol was first used between the 1910s and 1920s to describe the first emerging movie stars of the era. One of the first sex symbols on-screen was Sessue Hayakawa for men and Asta Nielsen for women. Movie studios have relied heavily on the looks and sex appeal of their actors to be able to attract audiences. This concept increased in World War II. 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 1910s and 1920s. Archetypal screen lover Rudolph Valentino's death in 1926 caused mass hysteria among his female fans. In Hollywood, many film stars were seen as sex symbols, such as Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, and Clark Gable. The "bad boy" image of the 1950s was epitomized by sex symbols such as James Dean and Marlon Brando and women like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were seen as the archetype of the blonde bombshell .
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Elvis Presley was considered a sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Elvis was considered a sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. This photograph is one of him promoting the 1957 film Jailhouse Rock