Bar Refaeli Tops Maxim 100 and Stephen Colbert Becomes First Male to Make the List

Culture

Today is a good day for gender equality in America. As Israeli model Bar Refaeli bests Olivia Munn, Katy Perry and Mila Kunis to top Maxim’s 100 Hot 2012 ranking, Comedy Central pundit Stephen Colbert makes history by becoming the first male ever to make the list.

Here’s Maxim’s Hot 100 top five, plus an honorary shout out to the man who just made history:

5. Olivia Wilde:

An actress and fashion model, Wilde has appeared in the dramas The O.C. and House M.D. as well as in films Tron: Legacy and Cowboys & Angels. She is also a board member of "Artists for Peace and Justice," the ACLU of Southern California and has been a supporter of the "Youth Voter Organization."

4. Katy Perry:

A singer, songwriter and actress, Perry gained worldwide notoriety with her 2007 album One of the Boys, which release single I Kissed a Girl made it to the Billboard Hot 100 top-ten. She is also a gay activist who, according to, Dosomething.org, said she voted no on Prop 8 (California’s 2008 constitutional amendment to define marriage as solely a union between a man and a woman). 

3. Mila Kunis:

After moving to the U.S. from natal Ukraine, Kunis was discovered in Los Angeles where she eventually landed her breakthrough role of Jackie Burkhart in That ‘70s Show. After a string of forgettable films, Kunis was nominated to the Golden Globes for her performance as Lily, Natalie Portman’s nemesis in Black Swan.

2. Olivia Munn:

Munn has appeared in the films Date Night and Iron Man 2, where Robert Downey Jr., is said to have praised her improvisation skills to a round of applause from the entire crew. But it was her debut as a correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show which generated controversy as female blog Jezebel questioned Munn’s credentials and saw the hiring as a sexist move.

1. Bar Refaeli:

An Israeli model and actress, Refaeli is also an entrepreneur who in 2011 set up an E-commerce company which by the end of the year had raised $1 million in venture capital funds. She also volunteers for Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization that helps children with life-threatening diseases, and Ahava which sheltered animals that were victims during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.

69. Stephen Colbert:

Besides making history by becoming the first male ever to make Maxim’s 100 Hot List, the Comedy Central pundit made headlines when he announced his candidacy for “President of the United States of South Carolina,” setting up a fan-funded PAC which currently has more money than those supporting candidates who are still on the race.