Life

Parsing Maxim’s ‘Hot 100’

By Dan Friedman May 18, 2009

I don’t keep abreast of the latest celebrity polls, but I do have a finely honed sense of ethnic pride so I was chuffed for my Landsmen when I heard that Bar Refaeli came in third in the Maxim Hot 100 this year.

Out of a professional journalistic obligation, I clicked through all 100 women to see which two talented young ladies had been voted ahead of Lady Bar and was appalled to see Olivia Wilde in the number one position. For those of us unclouded by raunchy character plotlines on “The OC” and “House,” it’s clear that not only is Wilde not the hottest person in America, she’s not even the hottest person on “House.”

Her acting prowess notwithstanding, Wilde’s barely in the top three hottest people in her show. For the bronze, it’s a toss up between her and Hugh Laurie (I may be a straight man, but I’m only human), a clear silver for Jennifer Morrison (whether blonde or brunette). That means, in gold medal position — and, purely coincidentally — another triumph for the Chosen People, on top of the podium: Lisa Edelstein, right.

Dan Friedman is the former executive editor and whisky correspondent of the Forward, and is the author of a book about Tears for Fears, the ’80s emo rock band.

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