Cast member Jennifer Lawrence poses at the premiere of "The Hunger Games" at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.—Reuters (File Photo)

LOS ANGELES: Jennifer Lawrence, you are the world's most desirable woman, according to an international poll released on Tuesday by the website AskMen.

“The Hunger Games” star rose to the top of the list from No. 47 last year on the heels of the box-office smash while buffing her credibility as a quirky, sex-mad young widow in the independent film “Silver Linings Playbook,” AskMen editor in chief James Bassil said.

“Overall, there's a sense that she's a little more authentic than other actors,” Bassil said, adding that the public still knows too little about the 22-year-old actress to form a negative opinion.

“She's fresh because we haven't seen her all over the gossip pages for the past three or four years,” Bassil said.

Lawrence bumped last year's winner, Sofia Vergara of “Modern Family” fame, down to No. 12, while reality star Kim Kardashian plummeted to No. 98.

The poll surveyed 2.4 million readers asking them to vote on which celebrity they would choose as a prospective partner, according to the website, which is a unit of News Corp. The top 99 are then compiled into the annual poll.

Rounding out the top five were actress Mila Kunis, model Kate Upton, R&B star Rihanna and “Crazy, Stupid, Love” actress Emma Stone.

AGE NO ISSUE

Bassil said that lots of publicity often correlates to higher desirability ranking from men, but too many headlines can leave men looking elsewhere.

The most notable drop was socialite Kardashian, who fell 90 places from last year's No. 8 ranking. “Kim Kardashian is petering off and basically dropping off the list at this point even as she's become more visible,” Bassil said.

Youth also appears to have taken a backseat in men's tastes as this year's rankings feature a handful of women over 40.

“We've seen that increasingly over the past two or three years,” Bassil said. “Like most things in life, attractiveness is extending into middle age ... Who knows? In 20 years we could see 60-year-olds on the list.”

Those over the age of 40 on the list include U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, 48; comedienne Sarah Silverman, 42; actress Lucy Liu, 44; and British actress Rachel Weisz, 42.

New Yahoo! President and Chief Executive Marissa Mayer was the only business executive to make list at No. 59.

The full list can be seen here.

Opinion

The Dar story continues

The Dar story continues

One wonders what the rationale was for the foreign minister — a highly demanding, full-time job — being assigned various other political responsibilities.

Editorial

Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.
All this talk
Updated 30 Apr, 2024

All this talk

The other parties are equally legitimate stakeholders in the country’s political future, and it must give them due consideration.
Monetary policy
30 Apr, 2024

Monetary policy

ALIGNING its decision with the trend in developed economies, the State Bank has acted wisely by holding its key...
Meaningless appointment
30 Apr, 2024

Meaningless appointment

THE PML-N’s policy of ‘family first’ has once again triggered criticism. The party’s latest move in this...