We’ve never had the privilege

Esquire Magazine, the self-described publication about ‘Beautiful Women, Men’s Fashion, Best Music and Drink Recipes,’ has declared that R&B singer Rihanna is the ‘Sexiest Woman Alive.’
We’ve never had the privilege of meeting Ms. R. and wouldn’t presume to comment on her personality but we will admit that her well cultivated image as an attractive singer is appealing. Quite what she looks like after a day weeding is another matter.
In general, however, we reckon these kinds of polls are nonsense. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nonetheless, we can’t let this one go by without offering a nod to some of the women in film and TV whom we think should challenge Rihanna for her new title.
Strangely, our five suggestions don’t appear anywhere in Esquire list of runner’s up.
Anne Hathaway: If you share the name of Shakespeare’s wife you’ve got to have something. Hathaway’s star has risen rapidly since she played the unhappy wife of a gay sheep herder in Brokeback Mountainand with good reason: She has considerable smarts to go with her slender frame and bright eyes. Fanboys are eagerly anticipating her appearance as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. Her costume is more conservative than Halle Berry’s (as we might expect from Chris Nolan) but she’ll doubtless have audiences purring when the movie debuts next year. She can leave hair on our office couch any day.
Scarlett Johansson: Men all over the world today are having palpatations after seeing Black Widow throw back her hair in the trailer for Marvel’s The Avengers. There’s a reason why Johansson got the part and you don’t need to have seen those dodgy pictures that someone might have pilfered from her phone to recognise it. Scandinavian beauty + tight-fitting ass-kicking catsuit = surefire box office appeal.
Archie Panjabi has been sultry and a bit scary in The Good Wife.Amanda Tapping: She’s tall, charming, intelligent, attractive and successful. That’s not all. She also somehow finds time to appear in and direct episodes ofSanctuary, raise a family, run a foundation for disadvantaged children (Sanctuary for Kids) and generate awareness of other good causes, such as Once Upon a Cureand Waterkeepers. Now that’s what we call sexy.
Archie Panjabi: One of the hottest women currently on television, Panjabi is also a superb actress. She has deservedly won critical acclaim and an Emmy for her performance as Kalinda in The Good Wifeand you’d be hard pressed to find a better performer in Postman Pat. Bend it Like Beckham boosted her profile. Since then he’s disappeared and she hasn’t.