THE HOTTEST POP CULTURE ICONS
PART FIVE: THE 2000S

Though we've still got four years to go in the first decade of the new millenium, five women have packed quite a wallop with their sexuality. In today's final installment, I celebrate those women likely to go down in history as the pioneers of pleasure, the sirens of sex.

Jennifer Aniston
Let no man put asunder


On Friends, Jenniffer Aniston was cute. Once the show ended, and particularly once she got rid of a certain highlighted hubby, she became stunningly, jaw-droppingly beautiful. I suppose the bitterness and empowerment of her divorce gave her some sort of inner beauty makeover or whatever. No matter what the cause, the world saw a different, more cynical Jennifer. She ditched "The Rachel" and grew into her own both in terms of beauty and personality. She even had the world's sympathy against no other than Angelina Jolie, mother of all unwanted orphans.

Because she survived everything from Derailed to Springfield, Mo., all while becoming more and more beautiful, Jennifer Aniston is one of the hottest pop culture icons of the 2000s.

Diane Lane
Just like a fine wine


I've loved Diane Lane since I saw her as a young girl in 1979's A Little Romance. After a string of forgettable supporting roles, she surprised everyone as a sexual entity in her Oscar-nominated Unfaithful performance. Since then, she's become a staple of style magazines, displaying a confident beauty with a hungry look in her eyes. For a gentleman such as myself who's always had a thing for older women, Diane Lane is the ultimate eye candy. Younger, lesser actresses could do worse than take a lesson from this talented, gorgeous woman.

Diane Lane showed the world that 40 is the new sexy, and for that, she's one of the hottest pop culture icons of the 2000s.

Evangeline Lilly
The most beautiful castaway ever


Nevermind Lost, Evangeline Lilly is the most beautifil woman on ABC (take that, housewives). Her tomboyish charms, mixed with those eyes and every other flawless facial feature, sum up every man's fantasy. And then there's the part about being stranded on an island with her. Not only is Lilly the most talented of the castaway actresses, she's by far the most attractive.

Because she's equally good at climbing trees and making out, Evangeline Lilly is one of the hottest pop culture icons of the 2000s.

Lindsay Lohan
Before she became weird


Before you disagree, venture back to two years ago. Mean Girls was on the cusp of a nationwide box office frenzy, and Lindsay Lohan was still that hot Disney girl. To understand her presence on this list, you must disregard everything that happened after May of 2004. I mean look at her. She was a beautiful, all-American girl with an ample bosom and eyes that sparkled. Long before that slimy creep from That 70's Show robbed her of her innocence, Lindsay Lohan was wholesome hot, a kind of hot not seen since Marcia Brady or Laurie Partridge.

Though she's little girl lost, Lindsay Lohan was every bit as hot as her peers, and for that, she's one of the hottest pop culture icons of the 2000s.

Reese Witherspoon
Southern comfort


It took me awhile to warm up to Reese Witherspoon. Not until the brilliant Election did I give her credit for being more than a fleeting moment. I respected her from a distance until I met her more than a year ago. I was her server on three different occasions, and each continued meeting had me preparing a "Leave Ryan for me" speech. She's everything magazines want you to believe and more. She's breathtaking, classy, polite and engaging. And beautiful. And her laughter is contagious. And we'd have gorgeous children.

Because Reese Witherspoon is Reese Witherspoon, she's one of the hottest pop culture icons of the 2000s.

THE FUN DOESN'T END HERE...

Now that my Hottest Pop Culture Icons series is over, I present to you a fun-filled review spanning all decades. I call it...

HPCI by the numbers

Number of icons I've met: Three: Tina Louise, Jennifer Tilly and Reese Witherspoon
Number of icons I wrote to when I was a teenager: Four: Laura Leighton, Heather Locklear, Maureen McCormick, Julie Newmar
Number of serious contenders who didn't make the list: Four: Marcia Cross, Farrah Fawcett, Scarlett Johansson, Diana Rigg
Number of television actresses: Ten
Number of movie stars: Eleven
Number of models: Two
Number of animated women: One: Teela
Number of Oscar winners: Three: Faye Dunaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon
Number of women who own my heart: Three: Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Keri Russell