Babies, buying binges, boy toys look hot for 2003

By Ann Oldenburg
USA Today

Jennifer Lopez is making skinny butts seem rather last year. Advertiser library photo

And since stars are our best pop-culture barometer, we only have to ogle celebrities for the answers to the question: What's sexy now?

Here's what we found:

Curves: We can't not mention Jennifer Lopez. Her backside is as popular as ever, especially since she shows off her round rump in a bikini in her "Jenny From the Block" video.

But there is other evidence that stick thin isn't always sexy, in movies like "Real Women Have Curves" (need we say more?) and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" starring curvy Nia Vardalos. And on TV, there's ABC's "Less Than Perfect," starring shapely Sara Rue.

Shopping: The economy may be bad but our stars never show it. Have you seen a photo of Ben Affleck or his fiancee lately without a shopping bag? Or a mention of a new car? He and J. Lo go on buying binges for each other. Very sexy.

An entire spread in the new Us magazine shows photos of everyone from Faith Hill shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to Calista Flockhart at FAO Schwarz in Hollywood.

Older women/young stuff: It's a variation on the more typical Harrison Ford/Flockhart theme — he's 60 and she's 38. The trend now is back to older women finding younger male lovers, a la the good old days of Cher and her Bagel Boy.

Naomi Watts is 34 and her boy toy Heath Ledger is 21. Sandra Bullock, 38, is said to be seeing her "Murder by Numbers" co-star Ryan Gosling, 22. Julianne Moore, 42, is 10 years older than Bart Freundlich, father of her two children, Cal and Liv, and the couple just announced they'll marry. Gwyneth Paltrow, 30, is five years older than her boyfriend, Chris Martin of Coldplay. Too bad Selma Blair just broke up with Jason Schwartzman, eight years her junior.

"Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband, actor Matthew Broderick, helped make babies hip. Associated Press

Flying solo: Look at Nicole Kidman. She's at the top of her game right now — making critically acclaimed movies and raising her kids, and she hasn't been seriously linked with anyone since she and Tom Cruise divorced. She's setting a new standard for living happily ever after.

And she's not alone in being alone. How about George Clooney? He dates; he moves on. Hugh Grant? He's everyone's buddy, no one's mate. These days, Leonardo DiCaprio also is dateless for his movie premieres since his split with supermodel Gisele Bundchen.