Scarlett Johansson: A Refreshing Role Model for This Generation

Before countless DUI arrests, booty shorts and necklines so low they should be called belly button lines, young girls, teenagers and youth possessed a much greater sense of self then they do today. There was an expected air of grace, not shock value and self-respect rather than self-promotion. In the midst of these image obsessed Hollywood havoc; however, there exists a ray of light.

She is the 22-year-old blonde bombshell, Scarlett Johansson.

The actress began appearing in films as young as age 10, and quickly ascended the Hollywood ladder. Twelve years later, she has starred in over twenty-five films, including Ghost World, In Good Company, The Island, The Black Dahlia and Match Point.

She was also nominated for 4 Golden Globes, 3 of them in the Best Actress category. In 2004 she won one of these awards for her performance as Charlotte in Lost in Translation.

Even without her extraordinary acting credentials, Johansson has been able to make a name for herself by her face alone. Johansson's beauty is undeniable. In 2006 she was ranked in the top numbers of FHM's poll for the Sexiest Women Alive, as well as Maxim's Hot 100, while she was named the Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire in November of last year.

One thing that sets her apart from the flock of other Hollywood hotties is Johansson's voluptuous physique. She has curves, and she knows how to use them. Johansson has even commented publicly on her disappointment in Hollywood's obsession with appearances, stating "Being ultra-thin is not sexy at all. Women shouldn't be forced to conform to unrealistic and unhealthy body images that the media promotes."

And unlike many of her female counterparts, she brings back the long forgotten quality of grace. The actress may not be a goody-goody, but she reflects a sense of empowerment in her outspokenness regarding female body image. She truly believes that women can achieve their goals and keep their integrity in the process.