Our first reaction to the recent untimely death of Dave Freeman, author of “100 Things to Do Before You Die,” was probably the same as that of many others. We asked ourselves how long humankind must wait before scientists perfect some method of downloading one’s consciousness into a computer on a regular basis so that, in the event of an accident, it could be put back into a cloned body making each one of us, for all intents and purposes, immortal. How about it, scientists? How about giving us something we can really use, for a change?
But our second thought was probably less widely shared — or so we hope. Good riddance. You see, Dave Freeman ripped us off. The Old Yorker began the whole “100…before you die” phenomenon more than 40 years ago with our annual list of the 100 people you should have sex with before you die. Freeman’s book didn’t come out until 1999.
Not surprisingly, the list has changed over the years. Our very first list, back in 1968 included sex symbols of the day like Mia Farrow, Barbra Streisand, and Shani Wallis, who played Nancy in that year’s megahit “Oliver!” The “sexy turtlenecked students of the Prague Spring” received a special citation. Under the influence of the Women’s Libbers on the staff, the first man, Lucky Vanous, made the list in 1994. Several people have appeared more than once including Racquel Welch (7 times), Stella Stevens (4 times), and tennis star Martina Navratilova (twice).
Although the judgments about who is on the list are inevitably subjective, over the years, we have attempted to develop some absolute criteria for the editorial board to use in evaluating candidates. In consultation with scientists and beauty experts, we have defined “sexy” as exhibiting the three characteristics most prized by all primates, including man, which are youth, health, and evident fecundity. This “genetic definition” is not without its critics, who tend to be older and “interesting looking.”
This year’s countdown has proven especially popular as Americans seek refuge from the tough economic times and election year media deluge in good old-fashioned mating fantasies. Today, we are announcing the 31st name on our list, model and yogawear entrepreneur Christy Turlington.
Christy Nicole Turlington (born January 2nd, 1969) is an American fashion model you should have sex with before you die. Christy has appeared in high profile campaigns for Calvin Klein, Maybelline, and Giorgio Armani. She seems reasonably intelligent and is said to have had some success outside of modeling with a line of yoga outfits, though you might want to take a look at the books before taking a risk on her being the sole breadwinner in any relationship. Christy has two children with her current husband, aspiring filmmaker Ed Burns. Though she and Burns appear to have a happy marriage, one can never tell for sure what’s going on in other people’s lives.
The Old Yorker 