Whadda ya Mean New Yorkers Aren’t the Most Beautiful People in the USA?
A recent says New York only ranks fifth on states with the most beautiful people. The writer says the survey is nuts. The beautiful men and women in New York City alone could carry the rest of the state to greatness.
| 29 Jan 2024 | 11:07
Super model Gigi Hadid, who lives in New York City, is a past Victoria’s Secret Angel–a designation that a recent survey counted as one factor in determining the state with the most beautiful people. But the survey said New York only had enough beautiful people for a fifth place finish nationally, raising the cackles of one writer. Photo: Daniel Jackson/LOVE magazine/Wikimedia Commons
A recent survey claims it looked at many factors to determine which state has the most beautiful people including the states where past winners of People’s “Sexy Man Alive” honor lived. John F. Kennedy Jr. who earned the title way back in 1988. But the survey may have missed some other notable Sexiest Men who resided in New York City. Photo: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com/Wikimedia Commons
Let’s demand a recount.
Fifth place? That’s where New York landed in a survey of states with the most beautiful people. Are they kidding? Our city alone puts the rest of our state to shame. How could we not do the same when compared to the other 49?
The Empire State scored a ridiculous 55.7 out of 100 in the research done by BonusFinder.com , a website that touts casinos and various forms of betting. Now they’re gambling with our rep.
Rather than taking a good look around the place, the firm analyzed data from, are you ready? Beauty pageants, (do you even know anyone who’d wear a sash over a bathing suit and expound upon world peace?) as well as “sexy celebrities” of which we have our share, and Victoria’s Secret Angels, who lost their cachet years ago. The survey also calculated the number of self-proclaimed models for hire. (In Chelsea alone, if you throw a rock you’ll hit one.)
New York, at least our part of it, has an attractiveness like no other. “Melting Pot” beauty if you will. Every kind, represented by a diverse population of 8 million faces speaking 800 languages.
When it comes to maintaining all this beauty, it seems that New Yorkers apply more premium, expensive skincare and cosmetics per day than the rest of the country to keep the glow-up glowing. According to skinstore.com, our ‘face rate’ is 11 dollars a day which translates to $300,000 over an average lifetime. As L’Oréal says, we’re worth it.
We also spend a pretty penny on gym memberships (the most expensive in the country) to keep us looking good in our equally expensive clothing.
But the attractiveness of our denizens is not limited to economic and social status. I’ve seen some baristas who look like they should have their own Ford Models composite cards, doormen who belong on movie posters, and supermarket cashiers who could be Instagram Influencers for make-up brands.
So how did we end up trailing Nebraska? The Cornhusker State scored 63.5. Is every farmer’s daughter that beautiful?
Texas came in at 72.1. (I guess everyone stands a little taller in cowboy boots.)
California took 2nd place with a total of 73. (OK, this I get. They’ve got Hollywood, and everyone has their plastic surgeon on speed dial, so how could they not all look perfect?)
The grand prize winner though, was Illinois with a 75.7. Perhaps Chicago’s wind-blown look is what gave them their edge.
Being a born and bred New Yorker, whose middle name is “cynical,” I decided to double-check the survey’s math.
As far as Miss USA/Teen USA winners are concerned, Nebraska came in last with 2. Both Illinois and New York have 5, California has 6, and Texas has a whopping 13. (Surprised?)
For Victoria’s Secret Angels, Illinois boasts 3--one of whom is Karlie Kloss, while California has 6 counting among them Tyra Banks, Texas has 1, with Nebraska and New York tied for last place with zero.
That’s OK. We’ve got no place for Angels. Those wings on the subway? Riders give a collective eye roll when they have to maneuver around some kid’s backpack. Imagine the melee that would ensue if people had to skirt someone’s celestial span.
Here’s where New York shined (albeit inexplicably not enough):
Out of 39 gentlemen on the “Sexiest Man Alive” list, the research credited 6 to California, 2 a piece for Illinois and Texas, with Nebraska coming in with 1. It gave us a nod for only 3 when in fact 5 are current NY residents: Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Denzel Washington; 2, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, both lived here for quite a while in the ‘90s and well into the aughts; and the sexiest man on the Sexiest list is our native son, the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. So there.
We’re also home to more models than California, the model/actress/whatever capital of the world. The other three states don’t even come close.
Yes, people, we were robbed.
The cosmetics giant Estee Lauder said, “Beauty is an attitude.” Nowhere has more attitude than New York—the city anyway. Based on that alone, regardless of what any research says, we’re number one.
Lorraine Duffy Merkl is the author of three novels, the latest is “The Last Single Woman in New York City.”.