TOP 50 list of the hottest women of the world, March '99 ============================================================ (Numbers within parenthesis indicate last month's positions) 1 (1) Gwyneth Paltrow, actress, USA 2 (12) Lauryn Hill, singer/rapper, USA 3 (-) Britney Spears, singer/actress, USA 4 (10) Christina Ricci, actress, USA 5 (2) Cameron Diaz, actress/model, USA 6 (4) Calista Flockhart, actress, USA 7 (3) Katie Holmes, actress, USA 8 (Re) Rose McGowan, actress, USA 9 (13) Madonna, singer/actress, USA 10 (24) Jewel, musician, USA 11 (6) Meg Ryan, actress, USA 12 (9) Alyssa Milano, actress, USA 13 (7) Jennifer Love Hewitt, actress/singer, USA 14 (36) Celine Dion, singer, Canada 15 (18) Keri Russell, actress, USA 16 (5) Jennifer Lopez, actress, USA 17 (14) Jenna Elfman, actress, USA 18 (21) Alanis Morissette, singer, Canada 19 (20) Shania Twain, musician, Canada 20 (8) Catherine Zeta Jones, actress, UK 21 (11) Mariah Carey, musician, USA 22 (32) Jennifer Aniston, actress, USA 23 (17) Drew Barrymore, actress, USA 24 (-) Portia de Rossi, actress, Australia 25 (19) Neve Campbell, actress, Canada 26 (23) Helen Hunt, actress, USA 27 (22) Salma Hayek, actress, Mexico 28 (15) Nicole Kidman, actress, Australia 29 (26) Natalie Portman, actress, Israel 30 (16) Julia Roberts, actress, USA 31 (25) Anne Heche, actress, USA 32 (41) Shirley Manson, singer, UK 33 (30) Rebecca Gayheart, actress, USA 34 (47) Mel B, singer, UK 35 (29) Courtney Love, singer/musician/actress, USA 36 (31) Laetitia Casta, model, France 37 (-) Holly Marie Combs, actress, USA 38 (27) Anna Kournikova, tennis player, Russia 39 (44) Sarah Michelle Gellar, actress, USA 40 (28) Gillian Anderson, actress, USA 41 (34) Lisa Kudrow, actress, USA 42 (Re) Natalie Imbruglia, actress/singer, Australia 43 (35) Laura Prepon, actress, USA 44 (-) Kate Moss, supermodel, UK 45 (37) Mel C, musician, UK 46 (43) Charlize Theron, actress/model, South Africa 47 (38) Reese Witherspoon, actress, USA 48 (-) Claire Forlani, actress, UK 49 (Re) Famke Janssen, actress, Holland 50 (45) Melissa Joan Hart, actress, USA Bye to: Ashley Judd, actress, USA Angelina Jolie, actress, USA Kate Winslet, actress, UK Sandra Bullock, actress, USA Janet Jackson, musician/actress, USA Jamie Luner, actress, USA Jeri Ryan, actress, USA Minnie Driver, actress, UK The list is as usual based on qualities such as beauty, sex appeal, charisma, intelligence, recent efforts and charm. Newcomers in this month's chart: - The first newcomer on the list is the 17-year old Britney Spears, who is the most successful newcomer on the music scene of 1999 so far. Britney's "...Baby, One More Time" single and her album have both topped the Billboard charts, as well as a number of other International charts. In Great Britain, the single sold 460 000 copies during the first week and that's a new record. Britney has a background as a host on the show "The Mickey Mouse Club", so she has quite a nice-girl image. As if the success in the music business wasn't enough, Britney will also continue to do some acting, including a guest appearance on "Dawson's Creek". Not bad for someone who hasn't even turned 18 yet... - When Rose McGowan entered the list a couple of months ago it was a bit too early for her to do that. The world was not quite ready for her then, but now she has taken the world with storm. Her acting in "Jawbreaker" wasn't half bad, but everybody are basically talking about her recent engagement to the creepy singer Marilyn Manson, a man who in my eyes just lost what was left of his credibility, when he has started to sue just about anybody who he has a conflict with. Now, is that the way to go for a horror-rocker? I certainly don't think so. Anyway, the latest news on the odd couple is that they'll both star in the latest Marilyn Manson music video, which is about the assassination of J.F.K. Rose is going to take on the role of Jackie. Never a dull moment with those two, right...? - The Aussie actress Portia de Rossi has become one of the most popular women of "Ally McBeal". Not bad for a woman who once had no interest what so ever to become an actress, but that was talked into accepting a part in the classic Tara Fitzgerald - Elle MacPherson movie "Sirens". The rest is - as they say - history... - Alyssa Milano is probably the most popular actress in the show "Charmed", but her co-star Holly Marie Combs is really popular too. In fact, popular enough to be voted on to this list. The third sister in the series though, Shannen Doherty is still not very popular. While Holly Marie was #4 in last month's voting, Shannen was #18... Looks like Shannen still is one of the most hated artists out there (of the sort that people love to hate). - Natalie Imbruglia has won a number of awards lately, including two Brit Award. for best International female artist and best International female newcomer. Other great winners at that ceremony were among others Manic Street Preachers (Best album) and the brilliant Fat Boy Slim (who once was known as Norman Cook, member of the geek band the Housemartins). - Kate Moss seems to be the hottest thing that there is in UK right now. The supermodel may have lost her contract with Calvin Klein, but she's practically on the cover of all major magazines right now and was recently selected to be no. 1 on the magazine Time Out's top 100 hip list. As if that wasn't enough, Kate is also doing well on a personal level these days. She is now drug-free and has spoken of her past, when she was high or drunk all the time. As it turns out, Kate was never sober when she walked the catwalk for all the major fashion designers. She had basically been doing drugs since she was 12, so it was no big wonder that she became one of the major "waif" models. The reason why she looked like a drug addict was that she was one... - I've been meaning to include Claire Forlani on the list for a long time, so I'm happy to finally be able to do so. Claire is one of the most promising young actresses right now and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if she gets her big break this year. This may however not be a good thing for the movie enthusiasts, since that may mean that she will abandon the more interesting kinds of roles that she's doing now for more well-paid ones. We don't really want to see Claire in the new Batman movie, now do we... - I'm trying to throw out Famke Janssen from the list every second month, but you guys just keep on voting her back on the list again. I never really understood what's so great about Famke, but she must be pretty special considering that she has been voted on to the list three times now. I get the message... Movers: - Well, Gwyneth Paltrow is still number one. Just hours after I published last month's list, Gwyneth received a Golden Globe award for her performance in "Shakespeare in love". Now she should win the big one as well, the Oscar for best actress is destined to be hers. Gwyneth is however up towards some tough competition, among others the "to good to be believable" actress Meryl Streep, so it's not a safe bet. Good luck, Gwyneth, you may need it... - It wasn't much of a surprise that Lauryn Hill was about to receive a number of Grammy awards, but nobody expected that she would get a record-breaking total of five awards, the most a woman ever has received at one single Grammy awards ceremony. Way to go, Lauryn! - A number of other women who are featured on the list also received Grammy awards. Celine Dion got some of the more important ones, including song of the year. Madonna won some big ones as well, including best video and best pop album. Shania Twain won a couple, including best country song as well as Alanis Morissette who made the rock song of the year. The biggest surprise with this year's Grammy awards ceremony was probably that there were no surprises... - Just for the record, Garbage rocks! If you have a chance to see Shirley Manson and the rest of the band perform live, grab it. A lot of critics accuse the band for being to stiff on stage, but that just plain wrong. Shirley kicks ass and she has 10 times as much girl power as all the Spice Girls put together. - Speaking of the Spice Girls, let's take the opportunity to congratulate Mel B (or Mel G as she prefers to be called nowadays, since she's married to the dancer Jimmy Gulzar) to the birth of her daughter Phoenix Chi. Fellow band member Victoria Addams is due to give birth to her baby any day now, so the Spice Girls can soon their own Kindergarten... Almost made it into the list (we'll see next month): Angie Harmon, actress ("Law & order"), USA Yasmine Bleeth, actress "Baywatch", USA Alicia Silverstone, actress, USA Andrea Corr, musician/actress ("The Corrs"), Ireland Jessica Biel, actress ("7th heaven"), New Zealand Claire Danes, actress, USA Courteney Cox, actress, USA Rachel Leigh Cook, actress, USA Maria Bello, actress ("E.R."), USA Melissa George, actress, Australia Sophie Marceau, actress, France Shana Moakler, actress ("Pacific blue"), USA Heidi Klum, actress, USA Nikki Cox, actress ("Unhappily ever after"), USA Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, model/show host, USA Denise Richards, actress, USA Comments, nominations, etc. are as always welcome. Just remember that a nomination such as "Ms. x should be in because of her big hooters" hardly will be taken seriously. Until next month, / Mauvaise Honte