People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ pick sparks outrage among black women for second year in a row

‘The Office’ actor John Krasinski has been named People magazine’s Sexiest Man of 2024, and the reveal caused a stir on social media for the second time in a week.

On November 11, the problem also featured Benny Blanco, music producer and Selena Gomez’s boyfriend, and the alternative left fans scratching their heads.

Krasinski won the title a year after “Grey’s Anatomy” actor Patrick Dempsey, also often called Dr. McDreamy, held this spot in 2023, so Black women can not help but wonder who chooses the Sexiest Man Alive every year.

One fan wrote under The Shade Room’s repost asking“Where are the black men????”

Someone else wrote on Twitter: “All these great black actors and musicians and once again @people chose an average looking white actor for this year’s #SexiestManAlive? Nothing against John Krasinski, but it’s called “Sexiest Man Alive.” People Magazine, please do better.”

Like every year, fans began naming other celebrities who can be a better option than Blanco and Krasiński. Even when Dempsey won, opinions were mixed on whether he must be elected. Many argued that Method Man must have been chosen.

After the announcement of the Krasiński case, black women protested in The Shade Room’s comments. One person he said“Bruh, have you seen Morris Chestnat?!” how can anyone even win this when someone like Morris Chestnut is alive.”

Second person he wrote“Did Method Man run?”

Third he said“Before Morris Chestnut…Lance Gross…Kofi Sirobe…Luke James?”

The first black celebrity to be voted Sexiest Man Alive was none apart from Denzel Washington. The “Equalizer” star was elected in 1996 and was the one Black man to carry the title until 2016, when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson won it.

Two years later, Idris Elba was honored, and a year later John Legend. The following year, in 2020, Michael B. Jordan was named and was the last black man to receive it.

In a 2010 interview with ABC, then-Editor-in-Chief of People magazine Larry Hackett explained how the winners were chosen on the time. He he said“I think what makes ‘Sexy Man’ work so well is that it’s a lot of fun. So the decision we make is based on what we hear from the public. … Whose movie have you seen? Whose album did you buy? Whose TV show were you watching? How do you feel about these people? So we try to reflect that.”

“We know it has to be a mix of someone attractive but well known, Hackett further. “Not too young, not too old and someone who, honestly, we may not have thought of. So the door is open and there are no locks. What do we think about this?”