Los Angeles, U.S.A. — After more than 2.4 million votes were cast internationally, ‘Hunger Games’ humble yet fierce Jennifer Lawrence took the number one position on AskMen’s “Top 99 Most Desirable Women” list. In the poll, which surveyed AskMen readers, Lawrence shot up ahead of her Hollywood peers, including Kristen Stewart (No. 7), Jessica Biel (No. 24), Charlize Theron (No.97) and reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who dropped from No. 8 on last year’s list to No. 98 this year.

The 12th edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women poll, calls on AskMen readers to elect women who most closely match their ideals. These men were tasked with voting on more than just sex appeal, taking into account character, intelligence, talent, sense of humor, professional success, achievements in 2012 and potential for 2013.

Lawrence’s victory follows an incredible 2012 for the 22-year-old starlet, whose breakout performances in ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Silver Lining Playbook’ turned the heads of men worldwide and pinned her as the next big thing. Lawrence is followed by ‘TED’ actress Mila Kunis, who has consistently appeared on AskMen’s Top 99 since 2008 a Sports Illustrated turned Vogue model Kate Upton stayed high up on the list, landing at No. 3, dropping only one spot from the 11th edition of the list.

With more than 40% of the women on the list appearing for the first time, it’s fair to say there is a new breed of strong and independent women taking over. Take Lawrence’s No. 1 ranking after her fearless roles, or Claire Danes, who earned an Emmy this year for her standout performance on Homeland, at No. 20. Anne Hathaway shaved her head for her dramatic role in ‘Les Miserables’ and came in at No. 47. Other powerful women on the list include Marissa Mayer, President and CEO of Yahoo, at No. 59, First Lady Michelle Obama at No. 33 and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Russian activist-punk group Pussy Riotat No. 85.

James Bassil , Editor-In-Chief of AskMen, commented, “The top-rated women on AskMen’s 12th edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women list speaks to men’s growing comfort with strong and independent partners. While undeniably successful candidates like Marissa Mayer have rocketed up the list, the more ambiguous “career” women — like Kim Kardashian – have plummeted on it.”

The “Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2013″ features a new generation of leading women:

• “Girls” actresses Jemima Kirke (No. 51) and Allison Williams (No. 42), “Mad Men” actress Jessica Pare at No. 9, Beyonce’s sister, singer Solange Knowles, at No. 50, Australian Youth Olympian Michelle Jenneke at No. 10 and newlywed U.S. soccer team goalie Hope Solo at No. 30.
• Music icons have historically pushed boundaries on what’s considered desirable, and this year is no different, with American Idol judge Nicki Minaj dropping off the list and making way for newbies Azealia Banks (No. 49) and “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen at No. 75.

For a third year in a row, TV actresses dominated the list, with 24 TV stars claiming spots. “Modern Family’s” Sofia Vergara topped last year’s list, and she continued to hold strong at No. 12 this year. Has dating bad boy Kanye West hurt Kim Kardashian ’s image? The reality tv star dropped to No. 98 on this year’s list. Perhaps not, as “bad girl” Kristen Stewart ’s public infidelity had no impact on her desirability, which resulted in a climb from No. 27 last year to No. 7 this year. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson fell from No. 7 to No. 45. Will her upcoming sultry performance in ‘A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ on Broadway restore her sex appeal?

Votes for the 12th annual list also prove that men are loving women over 40, including Vergara (No. 12), Sarah Silverman (No. 23), Lucy Liu; (No. 69) and Rachel Weisz (No 72). First Lady, Michelle Obama , at age 48, is the oldest woman featured on this list, at No. 33.

For exclusive videos, photos and comments from this year’s honorees, visit www.askmen.com. Up-to-date coverage of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women can also be found on AskMen’s Facebook and Twitter.

Here is what some of the Top 99 women had to say
“Thank you Ask Men for choosing me this year! It’s such an honor and I hope I can continue being park of the AskMen family!” – Jessica Gomes, No. 8

“I love AskMen.com. Thank you for including me amongst these incredible women. Honored!” – Candice Swanepoel, No. 11

“I am hugely flattered to have been voted on to the AskMen Top 99 Most Desirable Women list. Please pass on a sincere thank you to all the readers who voted for me.”- Emilia Clarke, No. 15

“Being on the Top 99 list of askmen.com is extremely flattering! Thank you xx” - Chanel Iman, No.26

“Thank you Askmen.com! It is so amazing to be on your Most Desirable list!”- Olivia Culpo, No.36

“I am honored. I will adore this moment because I fear this title will drop next year because it’s hard to look amazing in bobsled with snot running down your nose” – Lolo Jones, No.41

Image Courtesy : Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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The last weeks of summer are fast approaching. As these penultimate days play-through, many face a difficult decision. Spend this fleeting time enjoying the verdant earth in all its lazy summer glory, or catch up on all the best TV shows before the Fall season comes around? This list is for those who choose the latter (better) option.

The best are:

Supernatural

After 149 episodes, the CW’s “Supernatural” has no right to still be this good. Seven years in and the classic, Patrick Swayze popularized, combination of paranormal activities and glistening abs has yet to lose its well-lubricated sheen. But to reduce its brilliance to a pair of favorably-positioned nipples is to do the series a great wrong. Ghoul hunters, Sam and Dean, have been to hell and back during the course of the show. Literally. The journey that the brothers have undertaken has been rife with drama, intrigue, action and wry wit.

Some of the narrative arcs during the middle seasons lagged; the fight for Sam’s soul became the fight for Dean’s soul, which became the fight for Sam’s soul, which became a long period of watching “Friends” re-runs instead. But, recently, “Supernatural” has returned to the ‘joie-de-vivre’ of its charismatic youth and season 8 ushers in the the fresh voice of new show-runner, Jeremy Carver (Being Human).

At its very best, “Supernatural” delivers breathtaking plot-twists that will hit the viewer like a souped up Chevy Impala barreling down a long, dark road. At its worst, “Supernatural” is still the show that has the guts to include God, THE God, as a primary character, and in “Supernatural”‘s worldview, God is no Yoda-meets-Santa Clause figure in a white robe and Birkenstocks.

So, come this fall season, “who you gonna call?”

Boardwalk Empire

The 1st and 2nd seasons of HBO’s prohibition gangster drama “Boardwalk Empire” have received a lot of somewhat counter-intuitive flack from the critics. Some suggest that many of the key elements of the show may constitute factors that could be described, unfavourably, as Emmy/Oscar-bait– expansive and involved plot, painstakingly reproduced sets, carefully maintained historical context, big name actors, and a pilot episode directed by Martin Scorcese.

But my gosh what a show! — expansive and involved plot, painstakingly reproduced sets, carefully maintained historical context, big name actors and a pilot episode directed by Martin Scorsese! In addition, taking a leaf out of “Game of Thrones’” gilded tome, “Boardwalk Empire” is not afraid to make the necessary sacrifices in the name of good TV. Some compare “Boardwalk Empire” to “Mad Men.” If this comparison is supposed to be a veiled insult, it’s very well hidden indeed; “Mad Men” is great, and so is this show.

Gossip Girl

Many people would approach with skepticism any reviewer who recommends the CW’s adolescent soapie, “Gossip Girl”, as appropriate viewing material for the thinking mind. But, this much dismissed show has been the medium for some of the greatest TV plot-twists of the past 5 years. Yes, a lot of the “Gossip Girl’s” screen-time is taken up by frequent scenes of attractive hairless people making out next to superbly maintained indoor pools, but one can forgive the writers their indulgent moments if one takes into consideration two truths:

1. “Gossip Girl” approaches satire in its level of keenly absurdist self-awareness. Everything about “Gossip Girl” is done to deliberate excess– it’s a thing of laconic, one-liner stuffed, beauty.
2. “Gossip Girl” caters to the wishes of its audience like no other. If you’ve blogged about it, internet world, it might well make an appearance. In some respects, “Gossip Girl” is like a serial version of ‘Snakes on a Plane’… in Louboutins.

The combination of these two basic principles has been enough to attract some incredible guest stars not only amongst actors, but also amongst the Manhattan gliterati.

The last season was not good, it’s true. However, nobody, nowhere, nohow does a finale like “Gossip Girl” does. And, as this 7th season is slated to be the show’s last, one can expect the UESiders to go out not with a whimper, but a bang (no pun intended.)

Community

Though Zooey Deschanel cavorts around in broad-rimmed glasses being all adorkable on Fox’s “New Girl,” the real home of weird is most certainly NBC’s “Community.” Having been on the verge of cancellation, the show has undergone some changes– namely, Dan Harmon has recently been ejected from his position as showrunner.

Nonetheless, the thing that keeps “Community” consistently hysterical is an unshakably strong ensemble cast whose comedic chemistry is infectious; “Community” is “Friends” meets “Big Bang Theory” meets a whole planet of crazy. Everything on the show is done with complete and utter commitment and the ever revolving chain of guest writers has made for 3 seasons in which every episode has been totally unique. Changtastic.

The Walking Dead

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” has been breaking records (and fictional skulls) everywhere during its first two seasons on air. The success of the show is unsurprising considering the fact that its list of screenwriters includes names that would make Shakespeare blush in professional shame. Oh, and there are zombies too!

“The Walking Dead” is shot so convincingly that one might be forgiven for feeling like one was actually watching footage of the Zombie Apocalypse– it’s gray, it’s bleak and it’s gory. However, before the world at large grabs a 9 gauge in one hand and a ‘Queen’ record in the other, one should remember that this is only a show–  albeit a very good one.

Honorable Mentions:

Parks and Recreation

Leslie Knope and the colorful inhabitants of Pawnee– the US’s most dysfunctionally happy city–transform middle America from a cautionary Green Day music video into the epitome of rustic charm. Miraculously consistent, “Parks and Rec” is poised for another great season driven by its 2 most compelling, and always hilarious, isms: optimism and Swansonism.

Raising Hope

Has political correctness gone mad? Not really, because somebody somewhere continues to endorse the televising of “Raising Hope.” Unsurprisingly, that somebody is a TV executive at Fox. But, where Fox regular Seth MacFarlane is crude, brash and in-your-face, “Raising Hope” approaches its subjects with subtlety. Indeed, for a show whose titular character is the illegitimate toddler of a convicted serial killer and a ‘special’ checkout clerk who lives with his white-trash parents, “Raising Hope” has managed to lend a surprising degree of intelligent, quirky restraint to both its 1st and 2nd season.

Modern Family

The beauty of this show is that, in a world of seat-squirmingly bleak “Louie,” “Peep Show” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Modern Family” gives its audience a chance to laugh with, not at, it. In the last season, particularly, many of the most hilarious moments were tempered with genuine sentiment, edging away from the didacticism of the voice-over with some raw, very human, emotion. “Modern Family” is apple-pie and ice cream and a Christmas sweater. It is also very funny.

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From Reese Witherspoon and Natalie Portman’s stacked bracelets to Angelina Jolie and Jessica Biel’s diamond stud earrings, Hollywood’s leading actresses chose to celebrate their achievements with platinum jewelry at the 69^th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Platinum is naturally white, so it never changes color or fades, thereby maximizing the brilliance of diamonds and colored gemstones. It is the ideal setting for the red carpet. Following is a list of stars that celebrated the night’s achievements in platinum:

Angelina Jolie

-Platinum and diamond stud earrings (25 carats) by Lorraine Schwartz
-Platinum and diamond ring (12 carats) by Lorraine Schwartz

Reese Witherspoon

-Platinum and European cut diamond drop earrings (9 carats each) by Fred Leighton
-A pair of platinum and diamond bracelets from 1900 by Fred Leighton
-Platinum and diamond bracelet from the 1920s by Fred Leighton

Natalie Portman

-Platinum and diamond drop earrings by Harry Winston
-3 platinum and diamond bracelets by Harry Winston
-Platinum and pear shaped diamond cluster ring by Harry Winston

Jessica Biel

-Platinum and round diamond opera length necklace worn down her back by Tiffany & Co.
-Platinum and round solitaire diamond stud earrings by (6.12 carats) by Tiffany & Co.

Emma Stone

­-Blackened platinum and ruby stud earrings (19 carats) by Lorraine Schwartz

Lea Michele

-Blackened platinum and diamond earrings by Lorraine Schwartz
-Blackened platinum and emerald ring (29 carats) by Lorraine Schwartz

Claire Danes

-Platinum earrings with princess cut diamonds by Bulgari

Jessica Alba

-Platinum earrings with diamonds (37.14 carats) by Bulgari

Kate Beckinsale

-Platinum and diamond mesh bowtie earrings by Lorraine Schwartz
-Platinum and diamond braided cuffs by Lorraine Schwartz
-Platinum and diamond geometric cuff by Lorraine Schwartz
*Total is 300 carats of diamonds

Jodie Foster

-Platinum and diamond earrings (8 carats) by Bulgari
-Platinum bracelet with 84 diamonds (42.61 carats) by Bulgari
-Platinum and diamond ring by Bulgari

Stacey Keibler

-Platinum and diamond cluster earrings by Chopard (9 carats)

Sofia Vergara

-Platinum and diamond earrings by Harry Winston
-2 Platinum and diamond bracelets by Harry Winston
-Platinum and diamond ring by Harry Winston

Jessica Chastain

-Platinum cluster earrings with pearl and diamonds by Harry Winston
-Platinum and diamond feather ring by Harry Winston
-Vintage platinum and diamond bracelet by Harry Winston

Emma Roberts (Warner Bros./InStyle party)

-Platinum and diamond cluster earrings (15 carats) by Chopard
-2 platinum and diamond cuffs (107 total carats) by Chopard
-Platinum and rose cut diamond ring (15 carats) by Chopard

Diane Lane

-Platinum chandelier earrings with yellow and white diamonds by Neil Lane
-Platinum cocktail ring with yellow and white diamonds by Neil Lane
-Platinum bangle bracelets with yellow and white diamonds by Neil Lane

Zooey Deschanel

-Platinum Estate ring from 1970 featuring pearl and diamonds by Van Cleef & Arpels

Dianna Agron

-Platinum bow bracelet with onyx and diamonds from the 1920s by Fred Leighton
-Platinum line bracelet with diamonds and onyx from the 1920s by Fred Leighton

Sarah Hyland

-Blackened platinum and multicolored diamond flower earrings by Lorraine Schwartz
-Platinum and diamond ring by Lorraine Schwartz
-Platinum and diamond cuff by Lorraine Schwartz

Piper Perabo

-Platinum and diamond cuff by Tiffany & Co.
-Platinum and diamond stud earrings by Tiffany & Co.

Debra Messing

-Blackened platinum, amethyst and emerald drop earrings by Lorraine Schwartz
-Platinum and emerald ring by Lorraine Schwartz

Julianne Moore

-Platinum earrings with diamonds and emerald bead tassels by Fred Leighton

Julianna Margulies

-Blackened platinum, green jade and diamond drop earrings by Lorraine Schwartz

Paula Patton

-Platinum and diamond “Firecracker” earrings by Kwiat
-Platinum and diamond bracelets by Kwiat

Madonna

-5 platinum and diamond bracelets by Neil Lane
-Platinum and diamond cocktail ring by Neil Lane

Helen Mirren

-Platinum pendant earrings with sapphire and diamonds from the 1950s by Fred Leighton
-Platinum barrel link bracelet with sapphire and diamonds from the 1930s by Fred Leighton

Queen Latifah

-Platinum and diamond chandelier earrings (30 carats) by Chopard
-Platinum and asscher cut diamond bracelet (40 carats) by Chopard

Andrea Riseborough

-Platinum and diamond necklace (25 carats) by Neil Lane

Jane Lynch

-Blackened platinum, black diamond and blue sapphire earrings by Lorraine Schwartz
-Blackened platinum ring by Lorraine Schwartz
-Blackened platinum bracelet by Lorraine Schwartz

Jane Fonda

-Platinum and diamond drop necklace (38 carats) by Chopard
-Platinum and diamond bracelet (43 carats) by Chopard
-Platinum and cushion cut diamond drop earrings (7 carats) by Chopard
-Platinum and diamond heart shaped rings featuring 390 diamonds (14 carats) by Chopard

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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There are times when it is difficult to follow the career of an actor: the busier he gets, the more there is to watch. It is becoming increasingly expensive to keep up with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as his CV continues to grow. He has been acting a long time–twenty-five of his thirty years–in which time he has established a history of memorable roles in memorable films and received over a dozen nominations and awards. He is starring in ‘50/50,’ out now, and will appear in at least five releases next year.

Mr. Gordon-Levitt impressed a lot of people, even as a toddler, but real fame knocked with his TV role as Tommy Solomon in ‘3rd Rock from the Sun’ (1996-2001). He held his own with such stars as John Lithgow, even though he was only 15 in the first series. After that, most of his roles were in film, and he has made a surprising number of good decisions in the roles he has chosen.

He became an indie-film prince, exercising his acting muscles in a variety of roles: as a homosexual hustler in ‘Mysterious Skin’ (2004), a leading man in the arguably-romantic comedy ‘(500) Days of Summer’ (2009), a megalomaniacal baddie in ‘G.I. Joe’ (2009), and an action-star in ‘Inception’ (2010). ‘50/50’ sees him as a young man battling his odds with cancer.

What sets Mr. Gordon-Levitt apart is the number of arrows in his quiver. His acting is solid, he nails comedy, the drama is compelling, and he can convey the message in an expression or through his delivery. He can also sing, dance, direct and write. He established a web-site to collaborate on projects with other artists called www.hitRECord.org.

His rendition of ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ on Saturday Night Live (2009), complete with gymnastics, surpasses most performances by a host in that long series. He did most of his own stunts in ‘Inception’s’ complicated fight-scenes.

There have been comparisons to Heath Ledger; they even starred as brothers in ’10 Things I Hate About You.’ He has the intensity and the range. He will be in the follow-up ‘Batman,’ though not replacing Mr. Ledger. Next year alone, he will be working with Spielberg, Tarantino and Nolan. This is impressive company, certainly.

Mr. Gordon-Levitt is accomplished, adored and amiable. He can be serious and he can laugh. He jokes, takes the lead and defers. He is generous with praise, and modest. He is polite. He could be the “nice young man” of whom parents would approve for their daughters; he has a depth of which the daughters would approve for themselves.

He sparred with Zooey Deschanel in ‘(500) Days of Summer,’ and stole the film from the “it-girl.” His dance routine elevates the film above most romantic fare. One begins to wonder if there is anything Joseph Gordon-Levitt cannot master. It is a relief and a pleasure to learn that there is an actor with real depth for two generations.

He is a ladies’ man and a man’s man, with great range and many facets. There will be many more opportunities to see his work, next year and beyond.

RoidRanger / Shutterstock.com

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Zooey Deschanel from 500 Days of Summer is to star in this fresh new Fox show which secures a distinctive intriguing perspective on contemporary relationships. Liz Meriwether, screenwriter of the Romantic comedy No Strings Attached, brings us this new, juicy comedy with a charming plot.

New Girl tells the story of Jess Day (Deschanel), an eccentric woman in her late 20’s, who goes to live with three bachelors after a rotten break-up.  While Mrs. Day can be appropriately described as a quirky, naïve girl she is nonetheless happy in her skin.  To further add on to and display this quirkiness at Mrs. Day’s core is her tendency to make friendships with women as opposed to men.

A viewer can only imagine the fabulous comic potential the latter can ignite for the series.

With Mrs. Day living with three male roomies Nick (Jake Johnson No Strings Attached), Schmidt (Max Greenfield, Ugly Betty) and Coach (Damon Wayans Jr., The Underground) her dorky nature is guaranteed to grace each episode with a comedic flair (Fox). Among the three bachelors, Nick can be described as the most realistic one. Described as a sharp and witty young man, he owns a strong sense of decoding people and their mannerisms.

Schimdt, on the other hand, acts as the series’ young, perhaps overly confident, guy who “fancies himself a modern-day Casanova” (Fox).  He’s one of those in the male population who tend to possess earnest intentions and yet he’s a complete social climber determined to remain aligned with what’s chic. Rounding out the set of three single guys, the one who feels most at home in the gym, is fittingly named Coach.

With experience as a high school athlete in his past, Coach is a persistent guy “with a take-it-or-leave-it” approach to relationships (Fox).  However, while his outlook on dating appears bold his most authentic demeanor around women is an undeniable shyness.

CeCe played by Hannah Simone (Beautiful People), plays Jess’ best gal pal in the series and picks up the pieces that Jess’ youthful essence often let fall.  Cece, a professional model, is a poker-faced character that provides Mrs. Day with relationship advice- ultimately proving to be a confidant that balances out when coupled with Jess’ peculiarities.

With that practicality, Mrs. Day definitely can remain grounded but not without a supply of comical graceless situations along the way.

Jess, Cece and the three bachelors that make their way into the girl’s lives are a diverse group that both compliment each other and will make for a likable, atypical family.

Ultimately, New Girl is establishing that with an eclectic cast and a matchless plotline, it is set to be a new force in comedy.

New Girl premieres Tuesday September 20^th, 9/8c this fall.

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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